Am I heavy enough? I was 200 but lost using phentermine but have been yo yoing for 7yrs after having my daughter. I have always struggled with my weight but at 41 I am desperate to loose the 65lbs to be 120 again

Depends on how tall you are?

I am 5ft

I am 5'0 and weighed in at 160 the day of surgery. (BMI of 31.8) If you are self-pay, yes, there are doctors that will do it. Insurance will not cover it, most likely.

I was just banded on 7/26/13.

Your current BMI is just over 36. You would qualify for the surgery if you have comorbids - diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure. You would need to be 20lbs heavier = 205 for a BMI of 40. Gaining weight on purpose is not exactly honest, although I know people who have done that in order to qualify. I am not advocating fraud. I've done phentermine to lose weight and it worked for a while until my body became resistant to it - I didn't really like the way it made me feel either. A few months after quitting it, my weight started to increase gradually. I eventually put back on all of the 60lbs. I'd lost plus a few more.

Good luck to you.

Am I heavy enough? I was 200 but lost using phentermine but have been yo yoing for 7yrs after having my daughter. I have always struggled with my weight but at 41 I am desperate to loose the 65lbs to be 120 again

It all depends on your BMI. How tall are you? A low BMI would be considered like 30 for WLS. So you have to ask your doctor and you have to have a condition such as diabetes or sleep apnea. If it's just for vanity reasons you probably would not qualify through insurance but if you have a threatening health condition you might. I'm 5'8" tall. And would love to weigh 185! I was 178 lbs when I got married way back in the 70's so I've always had a weight problem. I would not have qualified for WLS if I only weighed 178. I was 267 when I started my surgery. The highest weight I ever was is 289 lbs. I'm now between 215-216. I qualified because of my health problems. My insurance turned me down the first time because they said weight loss surgery was considered cosmetic according to their guidelines. I had to have at least two co-morbidities to qualify. I had several health issues so I qualified on the second try with my new insurance.

I am 5 ft have high blood pressure and sleep apnea and have suffered with weight all my life lost with phentermine but also now immune

I am 5 ft have high blood pressure and sleep apnea and have suffered with weight all my life lost with phentermine but also now immune

Well, you might qualify considering your medical issues. Good luck to you!

I think you are a good candidate. Eventually you will probably be back to 200 again (I am in the same boat, I lose 25-30 pounds and it creeps back again plus more) and never be happy with the weight. I am going for my surgery at the end of September. I am self paying in Canada and hope it is the best $ I have ever spent.

I am 5' and I started at 198.8 but I also had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.. I have lost nearly 50 # since being banded in January.. so, my insurance paid for my surgery..

Hi there, I am considered low BMI (pardon me while I go into minor hysterics as this just seems so ridiculous -- how can this fat not be fat enough?!). I have high BP and sleep apnea on record but also will be weighing in a little heavier than usual as I have been overdoing it. I may also put D-cell batteries in my pocket that day just to be sure (apparently they are heavy). Don't tell. Today is my first session -- the mandatory meeting which kicks e eery thing off. We live in the boonies so this only takes place every other month and I missed June. Very eager to get things started and one of my first questions is how the weight is reported to the insurance company and when. I want that approval then I want to drop weight in advance of the surgery is possible. I have Harvard United Healthcare, I'm 5'6" and now hovering around 250. Will get the formal number soon and start that on my profile. Good luck to you!

Everyone has been so nice all my friends are like you don't need surgery you have done it before but ........ I do need help

My friends, family and co-workers would say the same and offer all kinds of alternative suggestions that I have already tried dozens of times. This is why I am not telling anyone except my hubby and kids. If you feel in your heart that you would benefit, and you have the means (insurance or self pay) then I would say go for it and dont listen to the nay-sayers.

I admit I need help too. There are pros and cons to this procedure and I hope that the pros will outweigh the cons. Won't know until I try...right??

I would suggest that you really give it a go before having surgery. Try working with a trainer, nutritionist and then re visit the idea after those attempts. Surgery is not a quick fix by any means and will still take a lot of work after being banded.

This to me is not really surgery. It is very a very little incision. I've had a toe operated on and a broken thumb that hurt more. I can have it removed at any point in the future, but would I? I love my lap band and my "in the zone "non-hunger- :wub: feeling when all my co-diners are shovelling the food in!

Rachel... My best advice to you is ... Call your insurance provider and inquire as to if they cover WLS. What's the requirements?

I did insurance for a few years and can tell you that all are different. Remember they work for you.

I can tell you that i was 5'2.5" and weighed 213. I had just lost 10lbs with WW that took me months and months to lose. When i did call they said i had to be 220ish lbs . This was because i had no co morbids. So, i stopped doing WW and of course the 10lbs came back what seemed to be over night... lol Then i went in to the doctor... did all i had to do and got approved first shot. You may be different because you have HB. But some require that the co morbid be treated with other means before WLS will be paid for.

Hope you all the luck...