Insurance coverage and other ?'s

zacsmom · January 15, 2006

Hi , Thanks so much for your response , it helped ease my fears , my friend did get rid of her reflux , that was almost 4 years ago and it's just coming back ! I have no idea what she can do now. Thanks again

Lisa

January 16, 2006

Hello!
I'm just starting to research Lap band and am pretty sold , I'm 5'6 and 230lbs , I am tired of having no energy and hiding from life because I am no longer thin , it's funny , I frequently hear that women have gained weight DURING their pregnancies but I gained mine after , my son is nearly 7 and I am fed up with myself and quite disgusted , I'm assuming we've all been there.

My question and statements are about The Chicago District Council of Carpenters , we have insurance through them and it appears as though they don't cover it , if anyone knows otherwise PLEASE let me know, I had my hopes up until I read that a few minutes ago , I'm also irked as they don't cover Lasik surgery either , lol . I intend on calling them as soon as I can this morning.

There is no way I could be a self pay so this will only happen with insurance , I was going to do stomach stapling until I read all the horror stories about it while researching , getting heavy is so easy and takes so long ,losing it is just nearly impossible with no will power ,it really makes me wonder what's in our food ,lol.

Any help or advice would be great ,I have a horrible family health history and have decided it's time to step up to the plate and take responsibility for what I've done to myself.

Many thanks , Lisa

Lisa,

A BMI of 40 or 35 w/ Co Morbidity which would be your High Chol & Blood pressure would qualify you under most insurance guidlines. I live in Chgo & am a Ins billing mgr Unfortunately the Unions have the worst coverages you can find (My opinion only).. Unions are NOT what they were in chicago at one time. If you go to your local w/ documentation from your physician or for that matter get your union steward involved they CAN turn over the ruling.. The reason behind it is they are ALL SELF FUNDED and make up their own rules. IT's not as if though Aetn/BCBS or PHCS Decides for them. Good Luck ..

zacsmom · March 31, 2007

Hey , It's Lisa , I had changed my mind about surgery , I chickened out bigtime. Since then I have met a lot of women who have had Lap band. I went on South Beach , GREAT diet but I couldn't stay on it and it was expensive to buy food that my Son and Hubby didn't eat , I lost 17lbs. I gained most of that back. I have been obsessively aware of my weight since posting here months ago.

I have decided to give Lap band another go. I am scared out of my wits but know that realistically all of you and all the women I've met that had it , are JUST FINE. So I will call my Bariatric nurse today and re-start the process. I'll post when I hear something , I feel ashamed for giving up on that too but I just turned 38 and I want to live a better life and that means getting serious and getting healthy. Thanks for all your past advice.

Lisa

sharilynn1965 · April 1, 2007

I just want anyone who read this to know that I am do glad that I did the surgery. I was in Arizona for spring break with my kids. I was able to climb Camelback mountaIin twice while I was there. I am 41 years old and have lost 90 pound in the last 1 1/2 years. I work out 5 days a week. I over heard my 13 year old son say he climbed the mountian and the person said he was 39 and never did it. Then my son said well my mom is 41 and she did it. I was so pround on myself and I knew the whole reason for doing the sugery. I can keep up with my children now. I watched my family go up two years ago and I sat at the bottom. I was the best thing I could have done for my self.

mousecrazy · April 1, 2007

Hi, Lisa...glad you are back.

I want to add some more "good stuff" to help encourage you. I got some blood test results back yesterday. My cholesterol is 178; it used to be 240. My triglycerides are 128; they used to OVER 500!!!! All the other levels were better than normal or optimal.

I've lost about 85 pounds in a 1 1/2 years...I'm still losing! I can jog (if I want!), I can climb, dance, and basically keep up with my 9 1/2 year old DD.

I know it is a little nervy thinking about having the surgery...but I think it's downright frightening to imagine my prospects without having lapband surgery.

Good luck, Lisa!

zacsmom · April 1, 2007

I keep hearing that more and more from Gastric bypassers and Bandsters , Banding is definitely my choice but it really gives me hope :girl_hug: Thanks for your encouragement.

Lisa

zacsmom · October 15, 2008

WOW , it's been awhile!

First I want to say thanks to everyone who offered help when I was asking all my questions. Then I disappeared,I gave up on surgery all together. I figured I could do it by myself...the fruit and veggies rotted nearly every week as I ate the bad food. Crying jags over what I'd done to myself weight wise. all this in over 2 years since I 1st asked.

what's up now...ALL MY NUMBERS!

Get this...I had a long overdue full panel of bloodwork done , we had lost our insurance due to lack of work during a quarter , so it goes for three mos or more depending. I was on generic meds that I guess didn't work as well , my cholesteral 378

my blood sugar 90

my Triglycerides......1400 !!!!! Now keep in mind with this unbelievable number that 2 am that morning I was up , eating ding dongs and Quick Choc milk not knowing I was in for blood work , no one really questioned everything but still , how high must it be without the junk food 9 hrs prior? when 150-200 is the norm.

Weight Watchers membership 4 times...failed 4 times.

I'm only 4 pounds heavier than when I came in here whining before.

So I find myself remembering my Fathers death 2 years ago in Feb,the day after his 63rd b-day,the death falling on my son's b-day. My Father suffered through 5 heart attacks , diabetes , skin cancer and congestive heart failure for 30 years. He was scared to death all the time , that's not living. That's waiting and ducking death , knowing it's coming. His fight began at 34 , I'm 39 and I appear to have inherited his body type that doesn't deal well with all this food.

I'm getting scared..I was just asked to join Weight Watchers by a friend and am too embarrassed to show my face in there again. I know time is of the utmost importance and healthier habits but I just CANNOT seem to do it on my own. My sister is in the same boat , weighs more but has PERFECT numbers. We're always proclaiming our vow to stop the madness. Funny ,we've been doing that for more years than I can remember. Now even though my Father was obese when his 1st heart attack happened he managed to diet down 100 lbs on his own and only gained a bit back once and lost it again in those 30 years,I kept telling myself I should do it like he did.

So I find myself here again , scared of surgery , scared of not having surgery. Scared of complications but scared it will be too late if I wait.

I feel like a nutter , I want to cry and yell at someone for all this food , for all these chioces , for my inability to control myself , honestly , I'm literally SHOCKED that I do not weigh more than 234lbs. I'm all belly. Well mostly belly.

So I found out that even if we were to lose the insurance again due to lack of work that as long as I START the process while covered ,. it's all covered.

I am going to contact the hospital and start from Square 1....go to the orientation and find out what I need to do again. I will be going to Mercy in Woodstock , Dr. Nagle and Heyderi perform banding.

I looked and looked on here for anything about them and didn't find anything. If anyone knows or used them please let me know.

I'm pretty much ashamed for chickening out , for all these fears. But I look at my 9 year old son and my family who watched my Father wither away for 30 freaking years and what it did to all of us and I will NOT put them through anything close to that because I have to have my gravy and chocolate milk, because I can't say no to second and third helpings , because I never follow through with my promises of dieting,saying I'm going to do it this time , I am going to change forever.

I'm going to read some more of your amazing stories.....

I really love this forum and look up to each and every one of you.

Something brought me back ,I believe everything happens for a reason.

All my Best,Lisa