SalOdyssey

I am using Medicare, except that I live in FL and will have the Lapband done in NY. Apparently there are different rules for medicare and how the reimburse the doctor in different parts of the country. NY is apparently less restrictive with the before surgery requirement, whereas FL requires 8 months supervised diet before a surgeon will even see you. I have to call my surgeon either this week of next to hopefully get a date. I got only a few things left too do, Greenfield filter, Physc consult, gall bladder ultrasound and endoscopy. Sal

Anyone????

80 views?? Can anyone help??? Sal

New whey Protein bullets. I hear they taste pretty good. I am going to get my 12 pack this week to see if I like how they taste. I am due to get banded hopefully by late Sept/October. You can get them at GNC. Sal

I live in Florida and as most Medicare patients here know is that Medicare requires 18 months doctor supervised diet before the surgeon will even see you. Well when finding that out about a year a change ago I decided to look to other states to have the surgery. I choose NY because there is no requirement. At that time gas and traveling were cheap. I am almost done doing all the test the doctor in NY requires. My mother had asked me to call again in Florida to see if the 18 month requirement was still in play. I called a local Center of Excellence and they told me the 18 month requirement was still in play. I asked if there was any way around it, to which the girl responded that if I got something in writing from Medicare stating they would cover it without the 18 months she would give it to the doctors and they would see if they could do me locally in instead of traveling. So do you think there is anyway to get it done locally? Will Medicare grant me an exception of some type? Anyone have any information that could help me? Sal

I just got fitted for a new mask and I am still having problems adjusting. I have had the machine for a year and never found it easy to use. Maybe because the original mask was EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Hopefully I can get used to this new mask. Sal

I would be super pissed off if I were you. Especially of going through the trouble of keeping it quiet. I would definitely seek a lawyers opinion. Never know maybe surgery will be free after suit. I think you have a cause for breach of privacy. Good luck and keep us posted! ! ! Sal

Thank you. I am looking forward too it.

If you weren't nervous then I would be. Good luck. Funny you mention the whole peeing thing. I said the same to my girlfriend and brother. LOL Sal

Well another update; I saw my Surgeon Dr. Brathwiate and he said he will most likely operate in late september, october. He is waiting for the new hospital he is in to be certified by Medicare as a Center of Excellence. He said he should get the nod for it this summer as Medicare has already visited with him. All is looking good. He said to continue seeing the specialist he listed for me and to send him any and all reports. I cannot wait! ! ! Sal

I wish you the best. Sal

Good luck too you. Hope everything goes GREAT! ! ! Sal

In a recent update, my cardiologist cleared me for surgery. Sal

I watched and talked to a few different offices. Some doctors are now stitching the band itself into place. This virtually eliminated slippage. I believe the surgeon I am using also stitches it into place. Sal

Well let me update all of you as to where I stand as of today. I saw the Dr. Brathwaite at the end of October and went to his seminar during my visit to NY as well. I followed up with him at Christmas time when I was back in NY and he said to have all my doctors send my stuff to him. I go see him again in June during my next trip to NY and hopefully he will clear me for the rest of the tests I need to have done. Of his checklist for surgery I am about 80-85% done with everything. While in NY in June He wants me to attend 2 of his support group meetings. I am hoping to get some kind of date commitment from him on this trip also. Back when I saw him at Christmas he said late 2008 would be a great possibility. I am hoping to get something done this fall. Personally the sooner the better so I can get my life back on track and slim down. I am SICK of being a big guy. I want to walk the street and people not even recognize it is me. I will update you all again after the June appointment. Wish me luck! ! ! Sal

When I had jock itch a few years ago before I got really heavy the doctor said on days where I feel moist down in the belly fold to use this stuff called Zeasorb. It is a powder that contains a drying agent and the jock itch went away almost instantly because rashes need the moisture to survive and feed off of the powder eliminated the moisture therefore the rash went away. Sal

Anyone else want to chime in. Please my appointment is Thursday. Thanks, Sal

Bump Bump....

Dr. Collin Brathwaite in Smithtown. He does the surgery at St. Catherine's Hospital.

As I said in an earlier post I have my appointment with a bariatric lap band doctor in New York next week. What tests should I expect him to send me for? ALso what will they ask during the pysch. test? Any help would be great! ! :help::help::help: Sal

Florida rules for lap band surgery suck big a@@, especially if your a Medicare patient. I have already had a sleep study, so I guess that test is out of the way. I just wish my appointment was tomorrow, the wait is killing me, but well worth the wait. Sal

The doctors office just called to confirm my insurance info. I am so happy I could cry. Sal

Hi all, I have finally gotten some good news concerning my life and getting the lapband procedure done. Although my good news is minimal it is a big step for me in the right direction. I have known for a few months that my state of Florida has tighter restrictions of getting the lap band done. You have to do 18 months of doctor supervised diets, no if's and's or but's about it. I even confirmed this with Medicare directly along with several area Center's for Bariartic Excellences, all the hosptials have told me the same thing. Well onto my good news. After a lot of calling and explaining the story over and over I have found a doctor who is willing to give me an appointment to get into his office for the initial consultation and go to his seminar to only catch is I have to TRAVEL to my HOME state of NY. I got an appt coming up in Dr. Collin Brathwaites office in Smithtown, NY in October. I am so excited to finally get the ball rolling. The procedure will be done at Saint Catherines Hospital in Smithtown. I have family that I will stay with in Nassau County, NY. At the consult he will give me all the tests that I will have to have done when I return to Florida. After I get all the testing done I have to go back to him to submit to medicare for approval and set a surgery date. Can anyone tell me what type of tests I will need to have done. I have already had a sleep study. What other test will I need. I imagine blood work is one of the things I will have to have done. What else is there. Anyway I figured I would share some good news. Also apparently NY guidelines don't require any strict diet, so I imagine it will only be what the doctor requires. Hope to have more good news when I return from the visit in later October. Wish me luck! ! ! Sal :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

As I am sure some of you may know that Medicare has a 6 months exclusion from doing the surgery. In this 6 months they require doctor controlled diet. Well my question is has anyone on Medicare had the 6 months Dr. diet exclusions waived? And if you did what did you do to get it waived. All help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sal

PLEASE HELP! ! !:help: :help: I recently discovered that the doctor I was going to use when medicare kicked in next month is no longer accepting medicare. He supposedly revoked his privlidges with them because they did not pay. Although that does not sound right to me, now I am left to find a good surgeon who can perform the lap band. Can anyone recommend a doctor in the Tampa Bay, New Tampa area? Please provide me with there address and your reviews of them if you would. Any help would be extremely appreciated. The Dr.'s name is Dr. Grossbard I found this out with a call to his office. Thanks, Sal