Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum - Part Two Dr. Kirshenbaum

[adorkbl 156]

VIRI: Wow 14.99% on a medical loan. For some reason I figured they would be cheaper interest.

I hear you on the insurance SHOULD cover it thing. Mine actually does... but my employer has an opt out clause. *bastards* I am not sure I can fight it, and don't want to wait any longer than I already have.

[GreenChrysalis 1]

VIRI: Wow 14.99% on a medical loan. For some reason I figured they would be cheaper interest.

I hear you on the insurance SHOULD cover it thing. Mine actually does... but my employer has an opt out clause. *bastards* I am not sure I can fight it, and don't want to wait any longer than I already have.

Yep. They can be as low as 9.9% but my credit rating isn't good enough to get that rate. But it's more unsecured debt, so I guess that makes sense.

My plan doesn't cover it either although the company as a whole does cover it on some plans -- my husband works for the state so they obviously opted to exclude it. When it's a written exclusion it seems fruitless to fight it, unless you can get your employer to change their minds. I don't see us being able to change what the state government covers, so I didn't even pursue that.

[Livingthe Dream 0]

Just banded on 12/18 and I can tell you guys that Dr. K was the right choice for me. I am still healing but I have no regrets.

[munchkin392 1]

Living-I am glad your surgery went well and that you are feeling ok. Dr. K is great isn't he?

Well folks, I just popped my PB cherry awhile ago. It was NOT a fun experience!! It really is a shock collar for your stomach!! I don't even have any desire to eat now!!

[want2bmeagain 0]

Munchkin ~ ok, I can't stop cracking up, the sympathy will follow..! OMG, if you just popped your PB cherry....ya know what that makes me???? A PB WHORE!!!:lalala:

Gawd, how can something so horrible be so damn funny??? Somewhere back on my posts is my account of my first pb story...how do I copy that onto here? I thought I was going to DIE...how bad (or good, if you're a pb whore like me...gawd, I must be in a crazy mood...sorry for the demented humor!) was it? Pbing or EWT (egg white throw up) as I want to call it happens a lot here at my house (and once in Dennys...!!!), but I am finally learning to read my body and it has slowed down to first gear. ugh. I'm sorry you experienced it...I have yet to understand how people can go a whole year without experiencing it....

LA and viri...I also have health insurance that excludes banding. Now, I pay $355 per month to have insurance just for myself...and they would have paid if my heart exploded because I was getting so fat...or for bypass, or you name it...but something preventative that could save them money in the long road....NOOOOOO

I ended up putting mine on a credit card.....My debt load is so much that I won't even put it on here, but I don't have a car pmt....so, this is now my car pmt.

A few thoughts....if you go the medical loan route, find out if there are prepayment penalties. If there are none, then you have that option. The 0% till next August is a good one. In the meantime (the next few months or year), get copies of your credit reports (usually one free per year from Transunion, Experian, and Equifax)...and scour through it. If your credit report needs things resolved, jump on them and start working through it with the creditors. If your credit scores are good, then shop around in the meantime to possibly move your money to a better deal once you get approved somewhere else. Does that make sense?

I originally put mine on an interest credit card. I get a ton of those low or no interest offers in the mail...now, especially since putting the banding on a card, I am sure my credit is looking kind of stressed. So, within a day of eachother a couple of weeks ago, for the heck of it, I applied for two different offers for 0% balance transfers....one denied me completely, and the other one gave me a $10000 limit...bingo...I moved my surgery one over there. The critera varies a lot, obviously. Now, you don't want to apply for a ton, because each time a creditor pulls your credit report from you applying for a card, that is recorded on your credit report. If you apply for 20 different cards, it will hurt your score.

...gosh, did that all make sense?

bottom line, debt wise, i had no business racking up more. But,, health wise, emotionally, mentally, etc, I HAD to have the surgery. I have never regretted it. Not once.

I just want to encourage you girls to keep on looking at your options...believe me, you won't regret it!

LIVING THE DREAM... HOW ARE YOU FEELING???? CONGRATS!! Fill us in on everything! I am so excited for you! Where are you from?

I am so excited for everyone who is joining us in Bandland!

[GreenChrysalis 1]

I ended up putting mine on a credit card.....My debt load is so much that I won't even put it on here, but I don't have a car pmt....so, this is now my car pmt.

I don't have a car payment either, luckily.

A few thoughts....if you go the medical loan route, find out if there are prepayment penalties. If there are none, then you have that option. The 0% till next August is a good one. In the meantime (the next few months or year), get copies of your credit reports (usually one free per year from Transunion, Experian, and Equifax)...and scour through it. If your credit report needs things resolved, jump on them and start working through it with the creditors. If your credit scores are good, then shop around in the meantime to possibly move your money to a better deal once you get approved somewhere else. Does that make sense?

I did get one with no prepayment penalty. I just got my credit reports not that long ago; no surprises there, I just need to keep working on paying down my debt. I have an OK credit score, nothing fabulous. But I will definitely look for a better deal and possibly I can move my medical loan elsewhere.

I originally put mine on an interest credit card. I get a ton of those low or no interest offers in the mail...now, especially since putting the banding on a card, I am sure my credit is looking kind of stressed. So, within a day of each other a couple of weeks ago, for the heck of it, I applied for two different offers for 0% balance transfers....one denied me completely, and the other one gave me a $10000 limit...bingo...I moved my surgery one over there. The critera varies a lot, obviously. Now, you don't want to apply for a ton, because each time a creditor pulls your credit report from you applying for a card, that is recorded on your credit report. If you apply for 20 different cards, it will hurt your score....gosh, did that all make sense?

It does, absolutely. Unfortunately I don't get those 0% balance transfer offers, probably because of my current debt load. That's why I've been working to lower it and haven't charged anything in a year -- until now. But I'm going to come up with a new budget and see if I can put more towards all of my debt in 2008. I'm working on the highest-interest card right now and will then roll what I was paying there into the next-highest, and so on until it's all gone.

bottom line, debt wise, i had no business racking up more. But,, health wise, emotionally, mentally, etc, I HAD to have the surgery. I have never regretted it. Not once.

I understand. I definitely have no business getting more debt, but I know that I need this surgery, period. I hope I don't regret it.

[adorkbl 156]

Living: Awesome. Congrats. Please keep us updated on your journey.

Munchkin: oh no. What tripped you up?

Want2bme: OMG... lol. I hope I can make it a year without PB'ing!! I hope I don't have to add myself to your club! *wink*

Oh and I lucked out big time $$ wise. I posted about it on the other Dr K thread my mom is lending me the money so I don't have to finance it. Yeah me. Huge deal for me, totally not my mom. Just hoping that it does not cause problems in the future between her and I. I HATE borrowing money.

[TRINA1122 0]

Sorry Guys Just Getting Myself Ready To Join In. Checking My Ticker!!!

I've Been Reading The Site. Good Info.

I'm Afraid, Of Many Things Like, Am I Good Enough To Follow Through And Lose The Weight I Need To?? Lots Of Inspiration Here And A Close Friend In Town. She Is Going With Me To Denver.

[TRINA1122 0]

WHY DOESN'T MY TICKER WORK? PLEASE HELP:help:

TRINA

[threedogpeople 0]

I tried to get my lowest-interest rate credit card to raise my limit and they wouldn't. Of course, my highest-interest rate one will gladly raise it. We have more debt than you by far. I definitely feel guilty about adding to it, especially as I was looking to consolidate it recently.

The lowest interest rate I have been quoted on a medical loan is 14.99% fixed (and that was for $7.5k). I did just hear from MyMedicalSolutions that I'm "pre-approved" so I'll have to call them and see what they can offer me. This sucks. I know that self-paying means that it'll happen faster and I don't have to jump through the hoops, but insurance should pay for this, period.

One of the lowest interest rate credit cards is through USAA. www.usaa.com

A line of credit on your home will probably be the cheapest way to go.

Check with your accountant and see if the interest will be deductible on your taxes. I would GUESS that the interest would be if you go the line of credit on your home route but the credit card one????

Mark had surgery on 12/19. His first and second day were terrible but today he's feeling much better. He has some bleeding from one of the incisions and we have had to change the dressing on it; today it seems to have slowed down. Not much nausea and he's gotten his 64 oz of Fluid down without much trouble.

He tried Rice Dream today (he was getting sick of chicken broth) and loved it. No problems with nausea, either.

Hope everyone is doing great.

Judy

[Artsy 0]

Hi,

I just had my surgery with Dr. K on 12/19, and although it's been rough, things are improving very nicely now. It was a pleasure to deal with Dr. K. He is remarkably friendly and kind.

Threedogpeople--Were you in Dr. K's waiting room on the afternoon of 12/18? If so, I think my husband met your husband!

[adorkbl 156]

Judy: so glad your husband is feeling better! I love Rice Dream... never thought about adding it to my list for my liquid diet phase.

Artsy: What was the hardest thing for you post surgery to adjust to so far?

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Trina,

I may be the worst person to help you with your ticker, because I've been trying to get mine working, BUT you have to do it from your edit signature place. And you have to copy and paste the same thing you did here to the signature place.

Try that... I'll be back, I'm going to try it for me now too.

BRB,

dee~

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Trina, It worked for me!!!

Just copy the top stuff (I don't know what you call it) entirely. And paste it into the signature portion.

Try it!

Good Luck!

dee~

[threedogpeople 0]

Hi,

I just had my surgery with Dr. K on 12/19, and although it's been rough, things are improving very nicely now. It was a pleasure to deal with Dr. K. He is remarkably friendly and kind.

Threedogpeople--Were you in Dr. K's waiting room on the afternoon of 12/18? If so, I think my husband met your husband!

We were in Dr. K's waiting room after 4:00 on the 18th AND I was in the waiting room at the surgical center from 11:00 - 5:00 on the 19th.

Are you Nancy? I had a long conversation with John while we were waiting.

Judy