Hello all,

I am brand new tonight! I have finally committed to the lap band and will begin my consults in October and be banded the first part of November. I am discouraged as I feel as if I have the only insurance that does not cover any weight related care as if it is cosmetic and not life saving! I also seem to have a lower BMI than most. I am 38 with many, many co-morbitities! 17,000. for the surgery and I don't know what aftercare and fills costs?

any help would be appreciated. I am also afraid to die!:rose: am I alone?

Thanks your help is invaluable.

K

Hi!

I was banded Sept 19 in Tijuana, Mexico by Dr. Corvala. I paid $7250 for the new band from J and J and my fee includes a full year of fills. This covered everything except the flight tickets! I was treated very well and stayed in the beautiful Hospital Angeles. I had a lot of misgivings about going out of the country and even considered canceling at the last moment. I'm glad I went ahead and am doing great, even though I am one of the oldies. Be sure and investigate everything wherever you go and know what the fee includes and what it doesn't. I'll be rooting for you!

:clap2:

I'm self pay too. I get an employee discount (work at the hospital as a nurse) so my cost is around $15,500. It includes 4 month membership at the local health club with coaching from an exercise physiologist; a year of fills; all the lab work, hospital costs, anesthesia, support group for life, etc.

It was a killer to cough up the money, but hey I figure if I am healthier I can work 4 months longer beyond some future "retirement" and will earn it all back. And meanwhile, I'll have the life I've wanted for so long. Totally worth it. I didn't have to take out a loan (I had savings) but I'd do it in a heartbeat.

<p>I'm paying cash, going to Monterrey Mexico, Dr. Rambaut. $8900. doesn't include air fare.. I'll get the fills in Houston area, if not I'll go back to him. I won't get banded until January,2008... I'm nervous as heck and know that my life will change. I love to eat, but I don't want to be fat for the rest of my days on earth!!</p>

I'm from Canada...my insurance doesn't pay for it either. I payed $16,000 and fills/follow-up are covered for 5 years.

Nancy

My insurance would not pay, so I did...$15,000.00 and worth every penny...I would do it again tomorrow...all my fills are paid for the first year....

Hello everyone!!!!

I'm also new and self pay, cannot afford the surgery in the US, so I'm looking in to a couple of surgeons in Mexcico, I'm nervous and frustrated at the same time, I don't know if this is normal but I'm taking my time to make the best decision.

I did some research, Mexico is fine. The clinic will pick me up at the airport, get me back/forth to hospital/hotel.. The contact is in USA and they are great people. I've started incorp liquid meals in my daily eating. So I can get use to the idea of 'drinking' the meal, instead of chewing.

You are not alone. I don't have health insurance so I never thought wls would happen for me. My brother is giving me either surgery as a "gift of life" - he is the best. I'm scared to death of dying too especially if I go with gastric bypass. I'd hate for him to pay all that money only for me to die in the process. That would scar him for life.

I also am self pay.....my insurance would cover but they wanted 2 yrs of medically supervised diet.....I didn't want to be fat and a health risk for 2 more years....I pd....$15,000 and that is everything from pre-op consults to the suregery and everything that goes with that....plus all of my aftercare and 1 yr of fills. I will be banded on October 24th and very excited.

Paid $15,444 plus $125 for my psych eval. My fills are free for a year. No regrets. Heck...I want to live longer. Who can put a price on that?????</p>

But you know what? I'm not going to worry about that now. What's the point? Would I stay fat just to avoid possible PS? That would be idiotic. I have already told myself that when I get within about 40 lbs of whatever goal I decide, I have to be there for at least one year before I get PS. I want to see what my body will do on it's own. Then that gives me a year to investigate surgeons and save money. Just work on the now. The Band is the first step in a long journey.

This part of your quote is something I needed to read. I am projecting so far into the future myself and wonder what I'm going to do w/ all the skin, etc. I wonder if I will look older because I won't have fat in my face to fill out the wrinkles *lol* I need to get a firm grip on the fear that is controlling me and trying to throw up *self imposed* road blocks. Shoot, I haven't even decided which surgery is best for me yet!

I am a self-pay- it isn't my favorite thing to pay for, but I figured I got myself into this mess...I'd better get myself out of it.

My parents made me the offer to pay for the surgery. I live in Canada and insurance does not pay for the surgery. It was $16,000 canadian and I get lifetime fills. Without the financial assistance from family I would have never been able to afford this. I had surgery over a week ago and I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life.

I am new to all this too, and am going the insurance "jump through hoops" routine, BUT if they say no, I will definitely be self-pay. It took me a long time (2 years since I first started thinking about this) to make this decision, but now that it is made, nothing will stop me.

I am paying cash too. My insurance basically says right there "NOT EVEN IF YOUR ON YOUR DEATH BED!"