I'm posting in a few places hoping to get advice. There is so much stuff out there that I don't know where to start. I need to get my weight under controle some how. How did you all start?

After doing some initial research on my own about the various weight loss surgeries…I went to see my primary care physician who recommended the surgeon I used.

Then, I called the surgeons office and they told me about an informational seminar about the procedure, which I went to, and I also made an appointment for the consultation with the surgeon…all in that one phone call.

During the consult the doctor thought I would be a good candidate for lap band with plication.

After the consult, his assistant went through the checklist of tests and such that were needed….and I began my journey!

After all of my testing and insurance requirements were met I was given a surgery date!

And here I am today…..7 months post surgery with lap band with plication…and I am 92 pounds lighter!

Hope that helps you in some way! Good luck!

What is the process for a person that doesn't have insurance or a regular doctor? Besides my weight I don't have any problems so I don't go to the doctor very much.

I'm posting in a few places hoping to get advice. There is so much stuff out there that I don't know where to start. I need to get my weight under controle some how. How did you all start?

I did pretty much the same as chasingadream. Went to my primary who referred me to my surgeon. You can also research local hospitals and see which specialize in bariatrics. They should have a list of surgeons. From there you can attend a seminar and inquire about self pay. Typically they will offer payment plans and the price is somewhat reduced. Best of luck.

I'm posting in a few places hoping to get advice. There is so much stuff out there that I don't know where to start. I need to get my weight under controle some how. How did you all start?

I did pretty much the same as chasingadream. Went to my primary who referred me to my surgeon. You can also research local hospitals and see which specialize in bariatrics. They should have a list of surgeons. From there you can attend a seminar and inquire about self pay. Typically they will offer payment plans and the price is somewhat reduced. Best of luck.

Do seminars cost anything to attend and are they through a certain surgeon or can you find some that aren't?

You can contact a bariatric surgeon in your area. I'm sure most have seminars to let people knows what ours about. Go to as many as you need until you find a doctor though liked. I have never seen them charge for the seminar. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks for your posts, I will look into that.

Also, don't give up if your insurance doesn't pay for wls. Mine didn't pay for my lapband surgery and I was cash pay - they have affordable plans. I wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Also, don't give up if your insurance doesn't pay for wls. Mine didn't pay for my lapband surgery and I was cash pay - they have affordable plans. I wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Well thats part of my issue, I don't have insurance. I will have to pay cash. What kind of a payment plan were you able to get?

excuse me, what is plication and what i sits advantaage?

At the doctor that I went to they have a lot of different payment plans. I actually was able to borrow from my employer and pay them back from my paycheck. But, I was qualified for financing and I think it was about $200 a month. I know it seems expensive, but it really is worth it. Before you go with cash pay - ask the drs office what kind of aftercare plans they have, because aftercare is expensive. But, I've only had one fill. My doctor charges $200 for fills.

Jamilyne thanks for the info. So $200 for a fill? From what I have read isn't a fill just injecting some saline, why is that $200? I might be underestimating the costs of this process. The vsg is the surgery I am leaning towards, can anyone tell me what the aftercare is like with it?

I am also a self-pay. I had no other issues other than being overweight and according to my insurance company I wasn't enough overweight to qualify.

To start - I went to a bariatric surgeon's seminar, then set up an appointment (free) with the surgeon to discuss if this was something I wanted to. My PCP is still of the mind set that if you do the right thing you can lose weight. I am a new patient of hers so she has no idea of my story. Overweight since 11 and never been able to lose.

I went through the hoops of pretending I would qualify for surgery and that helped me A LOT.

For 4 months I met with a nutritionist to plan my meals and discuss issues with food, I met with a psychologist (just once), I hired a personal trainer I met with once a month regarding exercise and confirming calorie intake and output and I met with my PCP.

In these 4 months I gave us soda and alcohol along with learning to not drink with meals.

And to confirm I can't lose weight - I gained 1 pound in those 4 months on a 1200 cal a day diet....go figure.

They still filed the insurance request and of course it was denied.

Your hospital may have payment plans. I also know of people who have borrowed from their 401K, or even a loan from the bank to pay for the surgery.

Best of luck to you!

Jamilyne thanks for the info. So $200 for a fill? From what I have read isn't a fill just injecting some saline, why is that $200? I might be underestimating the costs of this process. The vsg is the surgery I am leaning towards, can anyone tell me what the aftercare is like with it?

Like any other business, you are paying for alot more than the actual procedure and materials used. You are paying for the upkeep of the practice which includes rent, insurance, salaries, etc. I get steroid shots for back pain and I see the statements that go to my insurance company. Every time I get a shot, he bills $1,800. And it's just cortisone..not some rare or exotic compound.

Good luck to you...you are not the only one out there who got this surgery and was self pay. Please let us know how it goes.

Hi there, it's important to know that Lapband surgery has quite a bit of aftercare -- I have 11 visits in the first year. For me, I like the accountability; touching base with my medical professionals is reassuring. This is the "adjustable" part of adjustable Lapband surgery. The band can be tightened or loosened not to provide restriction -- that's not how the band works! -- but to dim the appetite properly so we can make healthy choices. I like it that I can still enjoy real food.

This is a great website for explaining different types of weight loss surgeries: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Check out the menu on the left. Like you, I started thinking about weight loss surgery and began reading all the posts I could and asking questions. I had to ignore some stuff that was obviously ridiculous -- people can be weird and every one thinks their surgery is best -- but in this process I started to be able to see patterns and why some people were very successful and others not so much. That has to do with willingness, I think -- for me I felt so desperate that I would go so far as to have surgery, so I felt willing to do whatever I needed to do to make it work. Also know that there is not one "right" surgery for every one. We are all different and people choose a particular surgery for different reasons. Whatever surgery you choose there will be a process, so you may want to start with a primary care provider who can help steer you in the right direction. There will be a lot of labs and pre-op hurdles -- I had a psych eval and two visits with a nutritionist prior to meeting the surgeon. Then from there it went pretty quickly. I felt really ready and while I was frustrated by how long it all seemed to take, as I look back I think that time was important to that readiness. Also I upped my exercise and saw a counsellor to peel back the layers of my overeating behaviors so I was coming to this from a place of brutal honesty -- that I needed help, that I could not succeed on a diet, and I was ready for surgery. Hope this helps! You are choosing yourself and your healthy future and that is a very powerful thing. All of us here have felt the powerlessness of battling significant weight loss challenges and started right where you are now. Best wishes to you!

Yes, the fills are $200.00. I had my operation in the surgery center and not a hospital, I did not spend the night. The total cash pay for me was $9000.00, which didn't seem that bad to me. I got two free fills included. The aftercare is expensive with lapband, if you are cash pay. However, I have heard of some people getting a year of aftercare included in their cost, and other type of "deals." Just see what you can get!

And yes, the fills are just saline, but that is what they charge where I live. I have heard some people say more, some less - I live in the Miami area. I did not followup every single month with the surgeon. I started going to my family doctor for my check-ups. I only have gotten one fill, most people get more than that. I have continued to lose weight with just the one fill, so I didn't need to get fills every month. However, EVERYONE is different.

If I were you and you were trying to decide on which wls to have, I would check the costs of all of them, including the aftercare and then just see. For me - there was no way that I could afford the sleeve or the gastric bypass. In my area, it was over $25,000-$30,000 for the procedure and the one night stay at the hospital.

Its good that you are checking around and seeing what you can do. I DO NOT regret this decision.