TracyinKS

LOTS of people go to Mexico... do a search on Mexican Doctors and you will find about a days worth of reading and info... There are other places in the US that do them for under 10K.. (www.lapbandrockies.com) and others that I'm sure will be posted.

I'm not buying ANY Protein stuff until I get my surgery date....(Its a mental thing) As for the graphics... called Tickers... You can get them from many places like the ticker factory.com and a host of others... what you'll need to do is make them, copy the url, and then add it to your signature.. (user cp control)

WELCOME! Read read read and post post post!

congrats mellove for getting your date.. and to you lakeside for insurance that pays 100%!

Anna: all docs have their preferences.. my doc happens to prefer the band so that is what he does. I think no matter what you decide or your friend decides it is your journey to follow. I have two friends that had the bypass and both have done really well... but I knew for me.. the band is my path.

Jenny Craig and WW's should have you on their records request a copy.. I personally tracked my own weight since 2003 (after my son was born) I had weigh ins and pics of me going up and down the scale..... everyone I took it too was impressed, but in the end I didn't have to show them to the insurance. The other thing I did was print out my reciepts from when I belonged to curves and way back when I joined ballys... (that one showed up on my credit report and dated back to 1990) I had my ob write a letter, stating that in 2000 I was a 206 lb woman and had constantly battled my weight, infertility, misscarriage, that I had been precribed glucophage and phentermine.... and that also helped the whole documentation issue.

Welcome Sara!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll add you to the pending list..........

Welcome Riley, Alt, Kathy and Angela!!!!! I just added you to the list......... It's starting to get exciting around here!

Congrats TresChic!!!!!!!!! Keep us posted on how you are doing!

welcome to LBT!! this place is awesome and has been a fountain of info for me personally. I am awaiting a surgery date and then I can join you in bandland!

Yeah.. my doc office is STRICT about having the packet filled out... they tell you over the phone, they tell you at the seminar, and she even reminded me when she called to confirm the consult appointment.... It was some vitals, and a simple conversation with the dr...... and then it was all about the insurance....

WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME... I think I'm the only one up right now because mine is the only name I see posting replies... LOL... guess that means I should GO TO BED! This place is wonderful... I have gained so much knowledge here... ok.. good night@

WELCOME to LBT... I'm a Malley patient, I just got my insurance approval and I'm waiting on a surgery date.... He is great, his staff is great, and this place is a wealth of information. I'm betting you will have no problem with insurance.... but like others have said... you could go to Topeka for about 11K, or hop a plane to Denver for under 10K and then have Dr. Malley do your fills... but it is up to you.... If you do go self pay with Dr. Malley you will have less of a wait because you can use the Dr. Hospital. (my bcbs uses Menorah, so I may be pushed out til March or even *GASP* April Good Luck and keep us posted! You are not alone!

Magnolia: Your screen name is so familiar... do you by chance live in England?

WELCOME TO BANDLAND.. I hope to join you soon!

I would say that the best advice I could give you is to spend some serious time reading all the threads on this board........ there is SO much info on here, and many of the questions get asked over and over again, because new people frequent this intro thread daily.... so a lot of newbies get pushed to other pages..... The FAQ's are wonderful, the Post Op shopping list is right now posted on my fridge..... jump in and post often and again... read, read, read... I've found this board is mostly used by us prebanded and newly banded, with some WONDERFUL Vetrans thrown in.......... but for the most part the vetrans are out living their lives as the band has just become part of them now.

TGIF... although now it's nearly Saturday.. I'm up all by myself in the house reading this board updating my blog on myspace and just dreaming of being actually banded. Everyone on here that has given me support and posted with surgery updates and kudos.. has been INVALUABLE to me. No one in my real life can REALLY understand what I'm going through emotionaly.. my MOM could if she let herself, but she stays carefully away from this subject because I think, SHE thinks, I think less of her for not being brave enough to make this choice.... but I don't think less of her.. I love her.. and it is HER choice... Anyway.. I am patiently trying bide my time while the approval letter gets to the mail box of the scheduler at the surgeons office.... I vowed NOT to blow her email box up with requests... I know it is just a matter of time now.... Many of you have stated that you check up on me for updates... and so I'm posting this one .... STILL NO SCHEDULING NEWS.... bummer, but its coming. Have a great weekend!

WELCOME! to LBT! this place is an invaluable tool for information and support!

Here are some from Kansas that are listed on obesity help dot com THOMAS NIGRO Bernita Bernstein Kathleen Blake Charles S. Bollman Anthony Canfield Jonathan Dort Carlyle Dunshee II James Hamilton Brent Lancaster Jesse Lopez Stephen Malley Vincent Narciso Lewis Porter Joanne D. Rink Scott Stevens Brent Steward Kahdi Udobi Wanda KaniewskiLenexa / Kansas City Metro(913) 322-740 Institute for Advanced Bariatric Surgery at MISH C. Thomas HitchcockShawnee(913) 677-6319The Bariatric Center of Kansas City Stanley HoehnShawnee Mission913-677-6319 ext.The Bariatric Center of Kansas City Harlan OpieOlathe Midwest Surgical Associates A. K. TayiemAtchison / Lansing

CarolynB: Congrats on your date! Your the first 3/1 on the list! Kyethra: You are not alone.. I've been going through a lot of the same stuff..... we are getting ready to break up with our best friend.. food... and (yes you CAN have the lobster and butter) you just won't eat an entire lobster.......... I can not wait to have a HEALTHY friendship with food, and quit being the obsessive stalker that I am right now! LOL Kimberly.. what all do you have to do?

Genia: Way to go girl!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep us updated OK? Kelsy: YES MAAM! I am officially approved, now I'm just waiting for a date!:faint: (as patiently as I can) GOOD LUCK TO OUR MONDAY BANDERS!!! TravelGirl - 02/05 Staceyrtl - 02/05<O:p</O:p Ready_to_Lose - 02/05 Twinskd - 02/05

No.... I would say, submit it all because most will also cover 35 and two comorbitites.. also it shows that you can't maintain...

I am STILL waiting on the approval letter to hit my mailbox and the mailbox of the doctors office, but I did call the 800 number today and asked them about it.. they said it was sent both to the member (me) and the provider (surgeon) on 1/29/07. They also said that the date was just something they put in to get it going.. (dummy date) and that it is done all the time.. just not noticed by the member (me) She said it shouldn't hold anything up........ That was all my news for today...

LD: YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO WINNING!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN SMELL IT! I will say a prayer for you and cross my fingers and my toes (and my eyes) that you get this approved!

TOOOOOOOO COOL! SICK GIRL! UPDATE PLEASE!!!!!!! You will have bun and thighs of steel after a few weeks of practice......