Do any of you know of any seminars in the area that would be a bit insightful on the procedure...i dont know where to begin with this really.i dont want to rush into it but i did call my insurance company today and they said it takes thirty days generally for precertification ...and something else if my insurance will pay 80% of the cost then will i have to come of with the rest before having the surgery or will they work with you and let you pay it out?? and i want to have it done in a houston hospital and with a doctor that has done the procedure a lot so any info you might have will be appreciated...thanks so much for your kindness...

Roro, you might want to place this in the Texas forum, since not everyone reading this is from your area.

And we can't really answer your insurance question, either. Your insurance carrier is the best source of information on how your policy works. If you have a plan that says you'll pay 80% of a surgery, typically you don't have to come up with that up front. Most providers will bill you and/or help you work out a payment plan.

http://www.lap-surgery.net/ This is the addy to Dr Spivak's webpage. He is an excellent Dr and his patients love him. Did you do the Surgeon Locator that I referred to in the other post??

thanks for all the info....i did sign up for the referal ...and im happy to say i went and walked two miles and didnt even pass out....i have read a lot of the archives here and there are so many people i have found out to be just like me...i really appreciate all the support ..i am battling with my husband over this because he feels its not necessary and i feel is so insecure of the change it will make in me that he feels as long as he can keep me fat he wont have to worry about ..what he isnt seeing is im totally not happy with my life and he hasnt had the extra weight to carry around as i have..now he is trying to talk me into just watching what i eat and go to a exercise class...im not jumping into this right away and i am looking at all my options and at the same time i am seeing a peace that most of you that i have read about has found within themselves ...i commend you and i am so happy for you...i pray you dont lose footage and always remember you are SPECIAL!!!!