HELLO EVERYONE,

MY NAME IS LULU AND I AM NEW ON HERE AND AM TRYING TO GET THE LAP BAND. I LIVE IN CHICAGO, IL AND AM USING MEDICAID AS MY INSURANCE. I PLAN ON GOING WITH THE MERCY HOSPITAL LAP BAND PROGRAM, BUT I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY, AND AM HOPING I GET SOME ADVICE, FEEDBACK, AND SUPPORT FROM THIS SITE. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I AM SO MUCH IN THE BEGINNING PHASE OF THIS JOURNEY THAT I HAVE YET TO EVEN SEE A DOCTOR. I AM SCHEDULED TO GO AND SIT THRU THE SEMINAR ON 4/16/12. I GUESS AT THIS POINT THE BEST THING TO DO IS TAKE IT ONE "SECTION" AT A TIME...I DON'T WANT TO OVERLOAD THIS SYSTEM WITH TOO MANY QUESTIONS...LOL...BUT ANYHOO, WHAT AM I INITALLY TO EXPECT? HOW HARD IS IT TO GET COVERED BY MEDICAID? HO LONG FROM THIS POINT RIGHT NOW SHOULD I EXPECT TO ACTUALLY GET SURGERY? AND I HEARD MY BMI MAY BE TOO HIGH, CAN THAT BE POSSIBLE AND IF SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN??? I HOPE SOMEONE WILL PLEASE HELP ANSWER SOME OF MY QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY ANYONE WITH THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES...I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU AND BEING A PART OF THIS GROUP...THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

First of all start writting down your questions to make sure you get to ask all you want at your appointments. I can't tell you anything about the process because I was a cash pay patient and I had a consult and surgery within a month but could have had it a week after my consult. The doctors walk you through the process but I have read on here that it can take a while to clear insurance. I think if someone talks about a BMI that is to high then they mean for lap band but another weight loss surgery would be better. Lap band is meant for slow and steady weight loss and within a few years you should be at maintenance weight so sometimes a larger person might need to go with gastric bypass or something else but your doctor will help you decide that. Don't worry about your BMI because a lot of people lose a lot of weight on the presurgery diet. Each surgeon is different about their preop and criteria. Just relax and get the most out of your experince. God luck!!!

Lulu going to the seminar will probably answer nearly all the questions u asked and be more relevant as the answers will be more specific to where you are having the surgery done. I agree with the above poster tho, write your questions down and ask them at the seminar. I would also take notes on what they say, you would be surprised how much info people forget after attending these sessions

good luck and let us know how u got on !

I am going to my first seminar tomorrow. The initial program I looked into wouldnt even let me attend a seminar until I had 4months of pre-op diet under my belt. I am switching to a center a little further away because they seem to be more organized and will let me attend a seminar this weekend. I am in the 3rd month of my pre-op diet so I am at the beginning as well. The one thing I have learned so far is be your own advocate! Make your own decisions about this surgery and doctors that you want (if you have a choice). Good luck and keep in touch, maybe we will get banded around the same time!