Well, after waiting and for my consultation, I found out today that I would have to lose 45 pounds before my insurance would pay for the lap band surgery. So the dr won't even see me for another three months. And that is if I can lose the weight by then. Well, if I can do it without the darned lap band, why would I do it at all? They steered me towards the gastric bypass, and I guess I will look into it, but it scares me to pieces and my husband is very upset. He agreed with the lap band because of the safety issue, anyone have a good thing to say about gastric bypass? I am about to call and cancel all my appointments because all I can do is cry over this stupid situation. This morning I was pumped and ready to go......Anyone else in the same boat? Thanks.

Kathy:think :cry

The good news is... you can still get it. I was self pay and there are tons of people here who were as well. Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana was $8,500 no hidden charges. And I think I read one even less than that if money's an issue. (not sure as far as quality) Dr. Ortiz is wonderful and I recommend him!! Just slap that thing on a credit card and u can be banded before summer!!

Kathy - I understand the frustration of having to loose weight before the surgery - I don't understand that either - but from what I gather on these boards is that even when you are banded you can only be on a liquid diet for a while then on to soft foods then regular food - i think that they want to make sure that you are ready for the commitment that it takes even with a lapband - it sound like it's a tool not the total answer. They (people on these boards and others) talk alot about head hunger. As an overweight person myself - I UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS NOT TO EAT... I really do... But the lapband and the bypass surgeries both have their complications and restrictions.

I want the lapband myself - but haven't really done anything about it but curise this forum and another one - trying to see how it's done and what to expect - As to them steering you towards the RNY - just tell them you want the band - that's your decision i am pretty sure.

Also what i have gathered from this forum is that some people have a great experience in Mexico and others don't - My personal suggestion would be go to a doctor close to you in the event that you have any problems. Don't give up - I don't think that you have to lose the whole 45 - they just want to see you try. Keep checking these boards - the people here all seem to understand the plight of an overweight person.

My best to you -

Thank you for the responses. The reason I have to lose the weight first is to get my BMI down under 50 for insurance to pay for the lap band. The liquid thing prior to surgery will be on top of that and I don't mind the thought of that at all, my thing is, insurance is dictating which one I have to choose if I want it soon. Because of my health, putting this off 6 months or a year just seems wrong. Insurance will pay for the Gastric Bypass one, but not the Lap Band until I am under 50 BMI......That is why I am bummed out.....

45 pounds may sound like a lot, but if you think of it as one pound at a time, you can do it!!!!

Good luck!!

I would bet if you did a liquid pre-op diet you would lose a lot of the weight need for the lap band approval? Hire a personal trainer to help motivate you. 24 Hour Fitness is having a special on them right now. I can imagine how frustrating it is to be told to lose weight so you can have a surgery to help you do just that but you CAN do this!

Kathy: I am a self pay bandster....$16,000. Canadian. That is a huge amount of money to me but I didn't have private insurance. If I had an insurance company that was willing to cover the cost of the surgery I would do the best I possibly could to drop that 45 lbs. $16,000, in one swift payment, really made a difference in our family budget, to have some else pay for the sake of losing 45 lbs.....hell, you wouldn't have to ask me twice.

The band definately helped me lose the 93.5 lbs to reach goal, but I've always been pretty good at losing......however, I am horrible at maintaining whatever I have lost so thats where the band really comes into play for me....it will help me immensely keep this weight off and that is where I usually fail.

Do it Kathy.....start now.....1200 calories a day...some exercise, and you should lose approximately 1 - 2 lbs / week if not more. Don't look at the long term because you will surprised how fast the time will pass and you'll be ready for surgery. I can't believe that next month will be my one year bandaversary......I can't believe that a year has already gone by.

Go for it Kathy, the band is the best thing that I ever did and it was so worth the money....I would do all over again in a heartbeat. I am so healthy now, I feel healthy, I look better, I feel a great sense of freedom has arrived. My before and after pix are posted in the "Before and After - Pix only" thread.......this could be you!

Carol

Kathy,

I am so sorry to hear you are having to go thru this...I am sure you are so frustrated, I would be too.....My daughter , has a friend that had the gastric bypass well over two years ago, and she is doing great...she has lost 100 lbs and looks wonderful...she didn't have any problems, but I know that every person is different...I didn't want the gastric bypass ..I was like you, scared .....I hope that something will work out for you..I just can't believe the insurance companies...they make me so mad...I had to self-pay....but....I would do it again , tomorrow....it is worth every penny that I have had to spend....

Good luck...and I hope that you can find a way to get the lapband...

I'm a little confused...my surgeon is a bariatric surgeon and part of his practice is the weight loss itself! He has a weight loss program that helps his higher BMI patients lose the weight so they can get surgery. I don't understand a bariatric surgeon that won't even see you until you've lost enough weight to get the surgery! I'd highly suggest looking into other practices. The surgeon and his staff should be helping you lose this weight.

I know 2 people that have had the gastric and they regret.. Both people (my aunt and good friend) nearly died...Good luck in your endeavors I wish that I had positive feed back for you regarding the gastric.

I think the LB is the way to go~ Obviously you do too~ My sister is having the same issue-- she has to lose weight before her surgery too- it's a safety issue due to too much fat around the liver.. Can the doctor give a plan to follow for those 3 mos? maybe that would help-- although I know it's hard- best wishes

Im getting ready for mine and i have a tentative date for June 6th, i have a father who is a gp so the surgeon is doing his part as a courtesy. I feel the same way as you though because the cost they quoted just for the anesthesist and the surgery room cost was 14,000.they have a call into the hospital to find out exactly but there is no way i can afford 14,000 so i feel sick. I have a car loan and 30,000 in college loans and am only finished college in the end of June, so i would really be sticking it to myself to add another 14,000 in loans to my debtload as I embark on my search for employment.

sigh.... Does anyone know the exact costs of the hospital part? Would one hour in surgery and one hour in recovery and a needle really be that much? I am cossing my fingers daily in hopes that it is a mistake. If that really was the case, how could anyone afford it in conjunction with paying the surgeon? I'm completely stressed over it.

any suggestions or cost knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure how much your out of pocket would be.... my dr. was out of network, so I had to pay my 20% which was $4000.. but they set me up on a pymt plan

I've been hoping I won't have this problem too (having to lose weight to get under 50 bmi). But I'm trying to prepare myself that if I do I can lose 40 lbs once with a big reward at the end, that I can do! I just can't lose 200 lbs all by myself with no extra help. Just think of it as a short term thing. I hope that helps some

Oh, my miss info, it is his dietician that I will be seeing. He just won't schedule me again until I have lost the weight. Then we can talk again. I was writing right afterwards, so may have not made a lot of details as clear as I should have. Thanks!!!!

Thanks, I actually started, very committed, even if I don't see the dietician until next week, I decided if I were going to do 40+ pounds on my own, I would start now. so far so good. I am disabled, so it isn't the food I have a hard time keeping away from, it is getting a form of exercise in that will do any kind of "heart rate" increase to burn calories. I can get around, but don't have full use of my right leg and arm, so running of any kind is out and lifting is out. I want to go do water classes. It is about 20 miles each way, but I think it might be worth it. I loved it when I did them at the hospital pool with the therapy people. Thanks!!

"I think the LB is the way to go~ Obviously you do too~ My sister is having the same issue-- she has to lose weight before her surgery too- it's a safety issue due to too much fat around the liver.. Can the doctor give a plan to follow for those 3 mos? maybe that would help-- although I know it's hard- best wishes"

Thanks, I am a bit less freaked now than I was the day I was told I needed to lose weight to lose weight...grr....I just don't want to take what will probably end up being another 6 months of my life in this same situation, but if I put a spin on it and start eating different today like I have started, then it hopefully won't take 6 months. I am on and off on the panic thing and I absolutely am scared to death to try the gastric bypass. Lap band is all I want. The dr said himself, he feels it is unfair for an insurance company to try and tell us what we can have when it is a benefit we are paying for. Also, it has been proven that the weight loss between the two levels off after about 2 years to be almost the same for either surgery, so forcing us to have one or the other isn't really right. OH WELL, I will just be glad my insurance covers it and start that wonderful watch what you eat thing...... Thanks everyone.