My husband is going to basic in October so we will be getting Tricare. (Not sure which one yet) My question is how long do I have to wait before I can apply for the Band? I am 34, 5'3" and 240 I have arthritis in some of my joints due to the excess weight. I am pretty sure I qualify for the surgery. I am willing to go get the surgery the day my husband leaves. I have been doing the research for a few years now. This isn't a spur of the moment decision by any means. Feel free to share your experiences with me. I find you guys inspirational.

Thanks,

CK

Hey pixiegirl98, Nice to meet you and good luck on starting your journey. You most likely will be getting Tricare prime as my husband is active duty and that is what we have. You could get Tricare standard if you chose to but you will have to pay some out of pocket for standard but for prime you will not, for the most part, depending on where you located (there is triwest, trisouth, and so fourth) because I've heard of some who had to pay for their pyshc eval but I've paid $0 out of pocket with Prime. I have a detailed step by step process with prime on my forum if you would like to check it out. It is at http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f18/introducing-myself-my-story-so-far-98091/. Well I hope this helps. If you need to ask anything just message me! :wink:

I was actually reading your story when you posted back! lol One thing that didn't get covered is the amount of time before my insurance kicks in. I know with regular ins you have a waiting period when you get a knew policy. Is it automatic? I mean can I get my card one day and go see the Doctor the next? I don't know if I am being clear or not. :wink: If not let me know and I will try to articulate better.

CK

I'm not absolutly positive but I'm pretty sure it kicks in the day you sign up. :thumbup:

When you sign up for Tricare, depending on the day the paperwork is submitted, your activation date is usually within a couple of weeks. I think this info might be on Tricare's website. My husband and I were enrolled in Tricare and I think my first consultation for the band was about a week later. So the wait really isn't too bad. Good luck!

That's awesome! I am very excited about this!!!!:thumbup:

Thanks so much for the info.

CK

You said your going to have the surgery when he leaves? I hope you have someone to care for the few days after... You are going to need it. I just had my surgery on the 5th, and boy I am glad my husband wasnt deployed. Not to mention, you cant frive for a few days after it. Just keep that in mind when preparing for all this. Good luck:thumbup:

Thanks for the heads up. I do have friends that will help me out. It will be easier since I don't have small children. How long will I be out of commission? How much time will I need to take off from work? I have had gallbladder surgery and was kind of comparing it to that since it was also laparoscopic surgery. That only stopped me for a couple of days.

Thanks,

CK

Im sure you will be good to go if you take 3-4 days off from work. I was tired a lot from surgery, but what gets to you if your not careful is you get worn out easier. I guess the protein shakes help with that. But you do have to take it easy for a little while since your still healing. I had surgery this past wednesday, and the first day I was able to go without laying down throughout the day was Sunday. I was wiped when day was done though. Plan it accordingly.