Hi. I am new here. I am scheduled for a lapband placement March 10, 2005 in Kirkland, WA. After a year of fighting Group Health for the WLS coverage (which I had) they finally approved me the very week my COBRA expired. I had to switch to an individual plan with - that's right - no obesity benefits. (That sounds like they don't give out enough free ice cream in the cafeteria or something...) That was a serious setback but the more I thought about it, the more I realized nothing else in my life was more important than getting off the excess 100lbs. That was only the beginning of setbacks... experience at the WISH Center was a nightmare, and they turned me down at the end of my initial 8 HOUR, TWO THOUSAND DOLLAR APPOINTMENT. Wow what a scam. At 5pm, (after the nutritionist, after the labs, after the exercise consult, after the psychologist...) this young surgeon Dr Strain rushes in, reads something on my intake sheet, spends <5 minutes telling me why he won't do surgery on me, and blows back out. I have SLE and am on steroids off and on, that was his (perfectly good) reason. OK, why didn't they tell me that first thing in the morning?! Currently I'm only on 5mg/day. I have been in this horrifying trap of getting sick with lupus, having to take steroids, getting fat, having horrible distress over that as well as over failing at dieting, lupus gets worse, more steroids, more distress... see the problem? I am 45 yrs old with bulging discs in my lower back; the PT at Group Health even said I had to quit Curves. So. I have this huge appetite, can't exercise vigorously, and am middle aged. (Yeah, I am going to lose weight, sure I am, Doc.) I am going to great lengths to scrape together the $17,400.00, even selling my nice 5 yr old car for an older car. A surgeon in Kirkland is willing to take me as a high risk patient and I am so grateful. INAMED even lists connective tissue disease as a possible contraindication... my next plan, if Dr Montgomery turned me down, was to go get it done in Mexico and not tell the doctor I have lupus. DUMB. There is nothing that can keep me from getting this done.

I am afraid to tell anybody this, but I was afraid I was really losing my desire to be alive. I also have a lot of pain with rheumatoid arthritis and the weight makes all that so much worse. I know that weight loss will make a lot of the lupus problems go away. Having this surgery instead of continuing to fail at dieting is actually getting me back years of life I would not otherwise have. I mean, I'd be alive but I would be so unhappy, I wouldn't be living. I've stopped doing social things, don't ride my horses anymore, etc. I catch myself forgetting about the weight loss and focusing on me not being in pain, or me taking a trip to visit family, or me getting kissed by some (handsome) man...

Oops. I bet we are not supposed to use the Intro section as a journal. Hope something I have here might help one of you, as some of you have helped me.

Hi, Allie Lee! I think most of us can relate to your feelings. I'm so glad that you found a dr. to work w/you. That's awful about the Wish Center ripping you off! You will regain your will to live when these different ailments are reduced or completely eliminated. You'll be surprised at the increase in your energy level, elevation in your moods, and the increase in your self esteem. Losing weight will definitely help w/your different health problems. Lower doses of meds. is a wonderful benefit ...for the side effects and the old wallet. As far as who to tell, my husband, band surgeon, and bandsters here are the only ones I've chosen to tell so far. Please come here and "talk" with us. It helps so much to find that all of these feelings you thought were yours alone...are actually quite common w/others. Take care of yourself!

Hi Allie Lee,

Well you sure have a full plate don't you. I hope this Doctor you found is going to take EXTRA special care of you & that he is really a qualified/thoughtful surgeon. I think fibromyalga is a horrible thing to live with. I too have a friend who is striken with it. I hope things start to fall into place better for you & that you get your approval soon. TC

Allie Lee, I hope everything works out for you. The band just might do the trick...

Best of luck to you!!

Allie Lee,

I'm so sorry to hear about all the problems you have faced. I hope that everything works out for you and that you have a quick and safe recovery after surgery. Good luck!