This group is for weight loss support for lower bmi bandsters (of course anyone is welcome!).

For encouragement, tips, accountability.... Give stats, helpful advice, etc.

How much weight you have lost, how long it took. etc.

In some case I have found it takes a lower BMI patient a lot longer to lose the weight.

Introduce yourself and jump on in!!!:welcomeB: :welcome2:

Audree

Yay!! That's the greatest news!

That's the way I was with my last fill, but it didn't last long

enough. I was so excited that I could hardly eat more than a few

bites. I can't wait to have that back (hopefully) next week.

I get so scared that I will get too tight of a fill, because we read about

all the horror stories of what happens when people are filled too tight. At the same time, I know I won't lose unless I get another fill. I hope this next one lasts me awhile!

That's why I had such small fills, I wanted to be sure to avoid any catastrophic visits to the ER, but in restrospect that is also why I have lost so little! Good luck on your next one! I hope you get back to where you were!!:whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo:

Babygotback,

I have a bmi like yours and am scheduled for surgery Friday. Question is if I lose enough weight on the liquid diet to get the bmi under 30, will they cancel my surgery? I want to follow the diet, but still want the surgery...

:clap2::whoo::clap2:That's great news Pam! Way to go..just in time before school starts! You'll do fine! Please keep us posted! BTW, you are not using insurance to cover the op are you and if you are which company covered you. Thanks!

I actually AM using insurance that is covering me 100%!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a teacher and have BCBS MESSA (Michigan). It's the one plus for the low pay for someone with a masters' degree! I am incredibly blessed. This is the answer to my prayers for the last 25 years! I can't wait to just feel FULL. Tomorrow is my clear liquids day - also my school luncheon...but that's ok, my close friend at school is pregnant and has gestational diabetes so she won't be eating what is served either. I will just sit back and enjoy my sugar-free JELLO! Now, if I can just avoid all the questions about my surgery. Not many people know and I don't plan to tell everyone for a while.

Bye!

Hi everyone. I am glad you keep coming back becuase I read this thread all the time....BIG NEWS....I made it to onderland today! FINALLY and YIPPEE!!!!!

Hi everyone. I am glad you keep coming back becuase I read this thread all the time....BIG NEWS....I made it to onderland today! FINALLY and YIPPEE!!!!!

ONE-derland! How ONE-derful! Congrats--I hope to be right behind you. Way to go!

Congrats Bandiva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations! Let's all keep going, doing what we're supposed to, and get closer and closer to goal. !

Hi everyone. I am glad you keep coming back becuase I read this thread all the time....BIG NEWS....I made it to onderland today! FINALLY and YIPPEE!!!!!

Congrats...i'm doing my happy dance for you too Bandiva!! (by the way ...LOVE, LOVE Love the name)

:whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo:

Congrats Bandiva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TracyinKS you look great by the way!!!

I was hoping to get some help if I could here...just some opinions would be really valued. I thought my PCP might have been marking my weight for the past year when we talked about my weight problem and he would sign the 6 month letters needed for Cigna to cover the Lap Band surgery. I should have known though he is a nerdy cautious type and said it would be illegal for him to do it. I now have to wait another 6 months and go to see him 6 times before I can even find out if CIGNA will cover me. I am in a grey area with only a 36/37 BMI with high cholesterol rising blood pressure and family history to make me somewhat a candidate for coverage. My heath keeps getting worse and I am losing out on life each month a bit. If I pay out of pocket it will cost me $24,000. I will be in debt for decades and I just climbed out debt not too long ago, but I can afford it. What would you do....wait and see or pay out of pocket?

I was hoping to get some help if I could here...just some opinions would be really valued. I thought my PCP might have been marking my weight for the past year when we talked about my weight problem and he would sign the 6 month letters needed for Cigna to cover the Lap Band surgery. I should have known though he is a nerdy cautious type and said it would be illegal for him to do it. I now have to wait another 6 months and go to see him 6 times before I can even find out if CIGNA will cover me. I am in a grey area with only a 36/37 BMI with high cholesterol rising blood pressure and family history to make me somewhat a candidate for coverage. My heath keeps getting worse and I am losing out on life each month a bit. If I pay out of pocket it will cost me $24,000. I will be in debt for decades and I just climbed out debt not too long ago, but I can afford it. What would you do....wait and see or pay out of pocket?

That's such a tough decision. I had to make one similar to it and chose to get the band six months earlier and self-pay. We used retirement money (I figured if I didn't have the band i wouldn't live to use the money anyway) but it only cost about $13,000 and that includes a year of fills. My problem was that our current insurance didn't cover it and there was a strong possibility that my husband would be hired to be a professor and that insurance would cover it. I didn't want to wait six months and wasn't sure that he would be hired that soon or that they would cover it anyway so we went ahead. It was the best decision--he didn't get the offer (hasn't finished his dissertation) and I'm 20+ lbs. lighter and finally have a decent fill after six months of trying to have restriction. I'm glad these last six months are behind me. I just know I would weigh 30-40 lbs. more than I do now if I hadn't gone ahead.

My biggest concern (besides the money itself) was that I might have complications and then have to self-pay for that as well. Luckily, everything went smoothly. One thing that helped me through the decision was that my doctor said that they have found that most insurance companies only pay for one surgery so if I did have a slipped band or erosion later, the new company would probably pay for that then but wouldn't if they had paid for the initial surgery. Anyway, I feel great about the decision.

Good luck with your personal decision--it is such a hard one to make. Let us know what you decide!

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome

Thank you Momlambert for sharing your story! It really helps to know I'm not alone! We even have similar starting BMIs which doesn't make it a clear and easy decision either. I just happen to turn on OPRAH before and Dr. OZ was on again and this time I paid attention. I really have gotten into bad habits again since I was in the "last meal" mentality for a few months. I think I've decided that for the next six months I'm going to forget about weight and only think of healthy eating (of course easier said than done!) and 30 mins walking a day (not killing myself for 6 weeks till I get hurt - which I usually do) and maybe changing gyms and getting a weight trainer and also alergies they said can cause trouble so I'm getting rid of the rug in our bedroom and getting wood laminet - my dh will not like this but tough. It's a start. The most heart breaking thing about it all is when we fall off the wagon....maybe before I fall off I'll get that lap band put on. I know I can't lose too much weight on my own but I can get healthy while I'm waiting. Thanks for listening and keep up the good work MOM - your doing great!

Thanks for the compliment Michievious!

SoOverIt: I'm not sure where you live but you could self pay in Denver for around 10K and even here in KS (Topeka) for around 11K. The stories I have read about the dreaded 6 month diet plans is that the insurance companies are setting you up for failure.. Every 4 weeks to the day, and if you miss an appointment you have to start over... then if you DO lose too much your BMI might fall under 35 and then they would say you don't qualify. That said it IS YOUR MONEY.

I would call around and ask surgeons specifically what their CASH price is and if any fills are included. My docs CASH price and a year of fills is 16.5K, but the insurance price is around 23K.

I love my band!

Thanks for your wisdom Tracy! You gave me alot to think about and by the way you look marvelous!

I live in $$New York$$ and I think the price for out of pocket is the same as in...it's terrible. My docs are supposedly two of the best in the world...pioneers actually and I had adhesions from a ruptured appendix years ago so I'm afraid to go to less experienced docs and I'd be afraid to fly back or drive too far as I'd be going alone most likely if I left the state. Oh brother.......it shouldn't be this difficult ....thanks again.....