ShiraSimcha

Hi!!! I went to the seminar at Magee last night. The woman who heads the program said that insurance doesn't cover Magee doing the nutritional classes...she said they will cover your pcp doing them. She also said once you start the classes you cannot gain ANY weight and in fact have to show either a steady no-loss or steady losses or you may not get approved. I wasn't sure if this was for Highmark or not. I talked to Highmark a few weeks ago and like you said, they seem pretty easy to deal with. I am on the cusp...35 BMI but I have comorbidities so I am hopeful. I have an appointment with my pcp on the 25th and just hope he agrees as well! Stay in touch!!!! I am also on the PA support thread in the Pgh section. Shira

I did tell one friend and she came back with "You don't need that! Let's do this together!" meaning losing weight on WW again. We've been doing it for the past 25 years and I am bigger than ever. My friend is 5'2" and nearly 300 lbs. She won't accept it. The problem for her is she has a friend who got banded at AGH in Pittsburgh and the surgery was a failure...no counseling, no nutritional support and she lost NOTHING. Her PCP wouldn't even treat her when the band slipped off. So my friend thinks its the most horrible thing. I broached it with another friend...what do you think about WLS? And she went off about how you have to move more and eat less. No duh but you know what? For me even an hour every day at the gym on the treadmill AND doing WW religiously....I gain. Obviously I need extreme measures right? I have had my gallbladder out but not many folks know so thats a GREAT excuse. I didn't even think of that! :smile2:

Wanna hear something sad? I KNOW I am on the cusp so I GAINED 5# just to be above 35! I have a family history of heart disease, high cholestoral and triglycerides, asthma and even when I exercise like a freak? The weight won't budge. I quit exercising I was so discouraged. I am not round and roly poly...I am solidly built and very active. I told my friend who is 5'2" and 275 and she went freaky on me. "Come on Shira, we can do this together!" She MEANT dieting. I don't want to diet anymore. I hate it. I want to just live my life and not have food be a ruling factor. I eat VERY heathily...and that's what I want to do. I don't want gimmicks anymore. I have been dieting for the last 30 YEARS! I told my Dad who has had GB and he was REALLY excited. He thinks it's the best thing since Wayne Newton!! He actually wants a revision TO the lapband since his GB has stopped working. He sent me an article from the Washington Post about it yesterday in fact. If my insurance won't pay (although I think that won't be an issue), he is offering to cover it. He really is a supporter. Now my BF? She dropped 50 lbs last year through diet and exercise. And I really applaud her. I am not sure if she'd be supportive of this or not and right now I haven't told her. Another friend I DID tell. And now she may be interested too. I guess it's just random. I go to the seminar on the 5th - this Wednesday!!!!! I am psyched. I am hoping my PCP won't object. I also learned what a panniculus is (look THAT one up) and found out I can get MINE removed. If so, I'd like to do them both together...I think that would so increase my self-confidence, my body image and my general health. I am really hopeful nothing FUBARs this.

I have a question...I understand Highmark will make me go through a 6-month pre-op diet. I started on xenical in September and it did NOTHING for me. Well, except for what xenical typically does which I couldn't deal with. Anyway, would this count as the start of my 6 month supervised diet? I saw my doctor in late August and couldn't get another appt until November! :smile: I plan to go to my seminar on Nov. 5 and am also afraid my PCP will not be as enthusiastic about this as I am. Does Magee do the pre-stuff and is it covered by Highmark? TIA!

I feel exactly the same way. I often want to call my BFF and ask her "what are your thoughts about WLS? But I have a feeling it's negative. My other friend has a coworker who was banded and who never lost a pound and I don't want to hear THAT either. I always swore I'd only do this if someone told me I needed to lose weight and would die tomorrow if I didn't. Now I just want to be able to get on with my life and not worry about dropping dead of a heart attack when I am 47. :smile:

Is it because of no vacation left that you have to use FMLA? How much vacation have you planned to take? I am wondering because we don't get much around here. Fortunately my job involves sitting at a desk and not doing much moving so I don't think I'll have to budget that much time away.

Best of luck to you TQUAD!!!

Best of luck to you TQUAD!!!

Is anyone going to the Nov. 5 session at Magee????

I am such a Disney freak. We're going in January. How did the band change your experience...especially dining. I am curious because I don't plan to stop going to Disney

Thanks TQUAD!

Where in PA? I am just BARELY 35 BMI and am 5'4" and weigh 200. I am worried I am too thin!!! :biggrin:

I am just BARELY at a 35 bmi...I could gain about 5# and be solidly there. Do they weigh you with clothes on? :biggrin: That's the thing that's got me a little apprehensive. I weigh about 205 with clothes. I am 5'4" so I no how have to lose 80 lbs. But 60 would work just fine!

Yes. I finally decided enough is enough. I obviously cannot do this alone so I need a tool to help and I think this will. I just wish the info session weren't so far away!!! It's Nov. 5. Of course that will put my surgery next summer so I guess that's good in it's own way. I'll have more vacation days then :Dancing_biggrin:

I live in Jeannette - close to the Penn Township side. So you're in Brownsville now? I have high cholestoral and arthritis, bursitis, etc. from my more active younger days, an irregular heartbeat and a very strong family history of heart attack. I hope that will be enough (doesn't that sound weird?) What did Highmark require of you? I have read about the supervised diet...do you do that with the hospital? That would sure be easier for me to do! :Dancing_biggrin:

I am glad the OP started this thread! I decided early on (and I am still pre-seminar) not to tell anyone but my husband. I am considering telling my best friend but still not sure. Definitely no one (and I mean NO one) at work...this kind of thing would become the office joke. My question to folks who didn't tell anyone, how did you explain your surgery and how long were you really "down" from it? I had my gallbladder taken out through lap surgery years ago and took a week off work for it. I was thinking about the same. I just hope I'll be eligible. I am at 35bmi but just barely. I do have to comorbidities though - arthritis in the spine, cholestoral meds, irregular heart beat meds and a strong family history of heart attacks. The last visit I had with my doctor in August he put me on xenical...but it really just didn't work. Alli did work for a while but would start and stop in spurts. I hope that will qualify me. I realize this is a BIG step but I really do want to improve my health and be young enough to enjoy it!!!

I am glad the OP started this thread! I decided early on (and I am still pre-seminar) not to tell anyone but my husband. I am considering telling my best friend but still not sure. Definitely no one (and I mean NO one) at work...this kind of thing would become the office joke. My question to folks who didn't tell anyone, how did you explain your surgery and how long were you really "down" from it? I had my gallbladder taken out through lap surgery years ago and took a week off work for it. I was thinking about the same. I just hope I'll be eligible. I am at 35bmi but just barely. I do have to comorbidities though - arthritis in the spine, cholestoral meds, irregular heart beat meds and a strong family history of heart attacks. The last visit I had with my doctor in August he put me on xenical...but it really just didn't work. Alli did work for a while but would start and stop in spurts. I hope that will qualify me. I realize this is a BIG step but I really do want to improve my health and be young enough to enjoy it!!!

Thanks for all the replies. I do understand that every situation is different. I am just at the start and was really curious what was involved. I think for me the privacy issue is really paramount. I work for a small non-profit and this would become the office joke...don't need that. Thanks again for the answers!

What are the requirements?

I live in Westmoreland County and am attending the Magee Info session on Nov. 5. Its good to meet people from my area!!! Can someone explain what happens at this session and then all the steps after? I have Highmark. I am 35BMI and have asthma and high cholestoral and a STRONG family history of heart issues. I hope I don't have any issues!!!

Hi My name is Shira and I have a few questions. I am attending an info session at Magee in Pittsburgh on Nov 5. I am actually pretty confident this is a good decision for me. I am just BARELY at the 35 bmi mark and actually if I gain about 2# I'll be there solidly...oxymoronic huh? Anyway, I have tried all kinds of diets since I was in college (and I am now 45) - I just don't want to spend the rest of my life FAT. I want to be active and healthy. My mom died of a massive HA at 40 and I already have high cholestoral and asthma and an irregular heartbeat. I hope that makes me a good candidate! My questions are: 1. what is a rough timeline of this whole process from info seminar to end? 2. I want to keep this private...is that possible??? I don't want anyone but immediate family to really know. 3. What is anyone's success with Highmark approvals? What is their process? 4. Who is the best doctor at Magee for this??? 5. What is the "down" time? And of course anything else you can think of. Thank you SO much!!! Shira

I am thinking of the lapband too. I am scheduled for an intro seminar on Nov 5 at Magee in Pittsburgh. I have Highmark. Does anyone have a rough timeline that I can expect for the whole process??? Shira