band to sleeve & insurance hurdles

[Trikki87 20]

This sounds morbid or fraudulent but please hear me out.

I've had the Lapband for almost 2 years and it has been nothing but problems. i cant wait to get this thing out of me!

I've been busting my behind and have lost some weight but now im screwed.

To get the lapband out, my insurance covers it, no question but i cant switch unless i again meet the same criteria as pre op.

I dont have high blood pressure any longer, nor is my bmi over 40. i dont have a co morbidy. Im terrified that if i take the band out, i'll gain all the weight back. Is there a way i can "fake" a test to make it seem like i have either (per insurance) high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesteral or diabetes?

My doctor can argue the issues with the band but stated a Co-Morbidy still needs to be present.

It sucks the the band hasnt been working for me in a healthy way but i cant switch to something safer. i feel like i have to choose to be miserable or be fat :-( like im being punished for trying my best on a crappy tool with some results but but now im stuck with it.

anyone have any input?

Any way i can get around this insurance hurdle?

Thanks-A-Bunch!

[girliegirl 49]

well maybe once the band is removed you will gain the weight back, then you can switch to the sleeve during that time if need be.

[Trikki87 20]

I thought about that but i dont want to fall back into bad habits and i def. dont want to gain weight. I want to keep working this summer to lose more weight. I guess it is an odd request and probably cant. just thought someone else might be in my same position. i dont know what to do.

[girliegirl 49]

oh i know what you mean. im sure nobody plans to regain their weight back after the band is removed, I know i didnt, but unfortunetly it happened.

[1959JimmyJames 61]

I don't think that you can fake those problems and symptoms on a test. You either have them or you don't. My BMI was under 40, but I had some other medical problems. At first the surgery was denied but after they reviewed it and the doctor appealed the first decision, the insurance company approved it. If the band is causing you serious problems, then I would get them to take it out. You said that they would cover that. Let yourself heal and try to maintain your weight loss. If you can't keep the weight off then the co-morbidity problems will come back. If you gain weight back, you will lose it very fast with the gastric sleeve surgery. This is all about being happy and healthy.