Hi, I am new to this board and did not even have my band placed yet. I went to my first meeting with the group yesterday and was given the pacakage of all paperwork from the dr. my question is who was scared to death of getting the band and what made you finally decide to do it. I am terrified. How was the paperwork process and dealing with the insurance companies like? thank you all.

My surgeon's office sent me paperwork with a check list of everything I had to do. Don't deal with the insurance unless you have to. Bariatric offices have oodles of experience and they will tell you what you need to do.

As an example, I called my insurance (Blue Choice) while waiting for approval to see if they could tell me anything. The service rep told me I would probably be denied because I had used an out of network dietician and psych evaluator (I just did everything at my surgeons office-even had their dietician monitor my 6 month weight loss attempt that insurance required). He had me all upset. I called they surgeon's office, and they had been trying to get me to tell me I had been approved! Out of network means out of pocket (you pay the bill) and beyond that it shouldn't and didn't matter. I had no trouble getting approved (though it took them 4 weeks to do it).

If you haven't already, besides coming here, I would go to the group support offered at the hospital where you are going to be done. You can learn a lot. People in all stages of the process, before and after surgery, come, and you could have some of the issues being discussed. I was banded 3/25/08, and I have been going to the group support since last summer. Read all you can. The Lapband Solution and The Lapband

Companion are two good books, though there are lots out there. These are available on Amazon.com. Good luck to you on your journey.