fishy09

Thanks to everyone and all of their support. I am now waiting on insurance!!!

Well I settled with the band! I knew I should go with what I wanted the whole time. When I met this surgeon he was really nice as we talked about all of my options :thumbup:

Thanks Aries! I will always have a food addiction. I want the band to be a tool to help me as well!

Thank you so much for all of your support and help. I was so afraid I was making a mistake by wanting the band! I know that going into my appointment on Friday I will ask a lot of questions but in the end my heart is still going to be settled on the band. Thanks again.

Ok thanks in advance for reading what probably is going to be a long post :biggrin: I have been working on getting a band for a while. I have had some set backs with insurance but I think I am finally on my way. The first place I started was very supportive of getting banded and told me I would lose about 70 pounds. At the time I was 5'2 and about 230 pounds. I was happy with that. I knew it would be slow but that is what I wanted. I know that a lot of my problem is portion control so I thought the band was good for me. Everything was due to be sent to insurance and I got a call from the surgeon saying he finally wanted to meet me. I went in to see him and he refused to do the surgery due to severe asthma and a prior history of a spontaneous PE. I started a new program a few weeks ago and they tried to talk me out of the band. They said there were lots of complications with band slippage and problems with the port flipping over.. I expressed that I was scared of weight regain just like what happens when I dieted. They told be that most people with the band regain most of their weight and end up getting the bypass anyways. I was shocked. I always thought that this was the reverse. So I almost changed my mind, but decided on the band still. Now here are my reasons for wanting the band. I am being honest here. I knew that I could cheat and still eat some bad food from time to time but knew I would have to be careful. The thought of never touching fatty food or sweets scared me. I also wanted to lose the weight slow so people would not notice as much. I meet with the new surgeon on Friday and am real excited...until early evens. So today I was talking to the gastric bypass surgeon where I work. He also tried to steer me away from the band. He claimed the average weight loss for the band was 40 pounds and that he no longer does them due to complications. Same as stated earlier. He told me most overweight people have a permanent weight problem and really need a permanent fix, meaning the gastric bypass. He said most banders go back to eating all the wrong foods just like dieting and gain the weight back. I agree with the fact that a food addiction is a food addiction and I probably will also cheat. Now I am scared I am making the wrong choice. I want to do this the correct way. Is it true that with a gastric bypass you can never eat any sugar or any fatty foods again. I just dont think I could do that. Any advise would be great and be honest. Maybe I need the bypass to keep me in line.

Ok - so last year at this time I was getting ready for surgery. Then my company got sold and changed insurance. So in April I found out my new insurance required the 6 months of weight loss. So I went through all of this. It was a huge set back when I had to start over. Now I have gotten excited again...tasting victory. So everything was to be handed in to insurance and I got a phone call saying the surgeon wanted to meet with me first. They knew my health problems all along. I have spent $2000 getting ready and now he tells me I am too high risk for him and HE (the surgeon) is turning me down. I do have asthma and problems waking up from anesthesia. I am just really slow to wake up. I am also allergic to percocet and vicodin so he says there are little to no other options. I am trying to see a new surgeon ant a different facility but I fear running out of time. Talk about a bummer! Last year I paid me out of pocket max and couldnt do it. Now this year I have paid it again. I can afford going into next year. I am so frustrated!!! Anybody else out there that got turned down by the surgeon? Why could they have not told me all of this from the very beginning. Ugh!:thumbup:

WTG!!! I wish I was done. I was waiting for my last appointment to schedule my surgery. I had everything done and ready. Then my work switched my insurance and now I have to do a 6 month structured weight loss thing. So close....:thumbup:

I have been reading that your insurance company may cover it but your employer may not. Is that true . I work for a very small company of 20. I could just see the owner of the company getting a chuckle out of that one since we dont have a HR department.

So I have started the first step...the seminar. I know this is what I want to do and have been thinking about it for a year now. I work in the O.R. and see these patients all the time. I never thought it would be me someday I am really afraid of failure. I have read so much on this board, especially when it comes to the insurance. I have Healthpartners and I got the info. The qualifications dont seem so tough but maybe I am dreaming. How is Healthpartners in all of this? Thanks kn advance.

Thanks. I have beem doing a lot of reading. :welldoneclap:

Hi everyone - I am new here and am looking into getting a lap band. I have gone to an informational session. The next step is to make my appointment. I cant wait!!!