:straight Hi Everyone,

I have a concern I would like to ask about. Some of my friends had the bariatric procedure and well ended up w/flabby skin. I'm hoping the chances are smaller of that occuring w/the Lap Band as I hear you do not loose as fast as bariatric patients. I already have a stomach that hangs a bit which I hate and really hoping it won't get worse. In the past I have lost substational amounts of weight but at a slow progress and stomach seemed to adjust but I'm older now so don't know if that will make a difference. Have any of you in your Lap Band journey had problems w/excess skin?

thank you for the e-mail...I am oing to do some research into the insurance paying...It only paid for halfof my surgery, but i was happy with that...Hope you doing ok ad keep in touch!!

ty so much...I feel great an dif this Burn Center info is correct maybe a way for people who's insurancedoesn't pa to get the help...GOOD Luck to all of you and GBU

Thank you Lauri for the welcome...I am still trying to figure out how to get around in this program...I am computer illiterate...lol I'll get there sooner or later....May i ask why you were denied the surgery?? Keep up your program!!

My ins is a no pay, which makes me a self-pay, but my pcp has asked if my doc would do a liver biop, soooo I'm hoping he will then I can bill that to ins and hopefully they will pay something, which is better than $0.00. Good Luck

The insurance I use wants proof of weight problem for atleast 5 years ( I had that-how about 30 years!), 12 months (within the last 24months)of Dr. Supervised weightloss efforts. ie... behavior modification, education, weight loss meds, miniumum of a month between weigh in, all that Jazz AND 6 months of Dr. Supervised exercise.

It doesn't matter that I went to my current PCP almost 4 years ago and asked them to help me lose weight. It wasn't documented. The dr. checked my thyroid and ran a battery of testS but never WROTE that I NEEDED to lose weight, I suppose! Wasn't it obvious that I was 5'1 and weighed 215 at that time. I have always been the one to tell the dr. all I was trying-they knew that I wanted to lose weight but what I get from the insurance it that-it was never documented in my charts. Atleast that is what my insurance is saying. I guess it doesn't matter that I go to the dr. 2-3 times a month (for health problems due mostly to my weight) and that they always RECORDED my weight. I guess the year and half that I stayed faithfully on Atkins and did lose 25 pounds before I started having kidney stones doesn't count-I told Doc. when I started that but she must not have recorded it. I even kept a journal of everything I ate, Vitamins, Water intake, meds, moods, etc.! The doctor must document what they try to help with. I guess the lesson here is [B]DOCUMENT EVERYTHING AND MAKE SURE YOUR DOCTOR IS, TOO!!!!! It's all PHOOEY if you ask me! Insurance companies STINK!! [/b] But.....I am not going to give up! I have received several good suggestions and I am going to keep up the fight!

Inurance CO. can be a pain!!! Just keep up the good job you are doin!! Proud of you!

Thank you, lil one. Some bandsters have referred to their bands as "built in will power". I guess, for now, I am going to use the encouragement and support from my friends here as a boost for my will power-or lack there of.

I'm 53 and have lost 131 lbs. and am sure I will be having a boob lift and tummy tuck. I have exercised and still have excess skin as well as flab. Do they remove flab? The plastic surgeon's office I spoke with said they do lipo at the same time of the tuck. Can't wait!

Wow! That is awesome, Debra. You will have to post before and after pics!!!

Lauri.... can't you explain this to your primary doctor, and he could maybe " adjust" the history... do you have any md close to you , or that you know could help... keep pestering the insurance.... just cause they say no once, doesn't mean they will say no again...

hi ,lauri

i'm so sorry they denied your band op., but, when my doc.'s helper ask to bring prove of my history , i didn't know what she was talking about,and i asked , and she said, when ever you went to your medical doc. and he weighted you. that was the history, and that was all that was needed all the times my doctor weight me,...he always weight me in and i didn't go to him for my weight but, my other medical problems for years.... if they have social service, i think that's the name, in you medical building or in the hosptial were you go to all the time , they have all the info. on your kind of insurance co. and what they accept or not and that mite help , their always willing to help..in what you can do..

best of health to you.

margie

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margie

295/258/-36

4/5/04

dr. texiria bx.ny

montiefiorie hospt.

Has anyone looked into the cost of a tummy tuck or "arm tuck" (you know what I mean -- I can't remember what it's called right now)? Just wondering how many pennies it's going to take . . .

It's much cheaper in countries like costa rica and even Mexico. Just my 2 cents

Do a search on google or goto the yahoo groups to find out more info.

what kind of diet and exercise does everbody do

BONNIE

I Had Surgery Done July -14-05 Have Lost47 Lbs My Goal Is To Be 180 By August.

Bonnie

I think that's true. I dont think I'll have a washboard stomach by any means, but I dont think I'll need a tummy tuck. My stomach is not getting looser or flabbier as I lose and I've never had an apron. I'll probably have the normal post motherhood poochie bit at th bottom of my stomach and I"m fine with that, to me that's no worse than a huge scar from hip to hip.

Boobs are another matter entirely though. I'm blown away that my boobs just arent shrinking! They look terrible. Fine clothed, although the size difference between lefty and righty has become more noticeable and can now be seen when I'm clothed if you're looking for it. I bought new bras yesterday and have gone down several back sizes only to discover I had to size up to an E cup - OMG. They're not huuuuuge because I"m tall and large framed but boy oh boy at an E I'll be able to turn on the "I've got backaches and cant play sport" story and have a "medically necessary" reduction and lift which I'm now sure I'm going to do.

So again, its just your luck. If you were big breasted before WLS chances are you'll have a bit of a disaster happening on your chest no matter what your age. If you carried a lot of weight on your stomach and had a bit of a hanging apron, that's not going to magically go away either.

Its depressing, sigh.