I have not been banded and don't know if my insurance (Medicare/Arkansas Medicaid) will cover it. I know they typically will not but I have special circumstances that I am hoping will make this an option.

I am diabetic, have high blood pressure, asthma and also I have peripheral neuropathy which my cardiologist says that it will only worsen and that it is why I have so much trouble maintaining my electrolyte balance. Though I MUST drink Gatorade every day I also have to increase my salt intake of I am at risk for electrolyte deficiencies.

I have heard the gastric bypass often causes Vitamin and mineral deficiencies and that could be a serious risk for me. This is why I think the lap band would be the best/safest option for me.

My goal here is to discover more information as well as to find resources that I can check into that may help me in getting the surgery done.

Something has to be done as ALL of my doctors have told me I need to do something about my weight or my health will continue to deteriorate.

I can't help you with any insurance questions; mine didn't cover the surgery so I financed.

My advice to you is to do a lot of reading. Look through the forums here. Look into other types of weight loss surgery (there are several). Find other forums to read through. Look at the blogs of people who are considering the different types of surgery and read about their experiences. Go to doctors' informational seminars. Really, you can't over research this