Alia Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 > Hello buddies! I am SOOOO excited right now! I am leaving my house in about two hours to go to my very first lap band appointment. I am trying the insurance route before we dive into the Mexico route (which I would rather do, but my wallet says otherwise) I hope all goes well, I have a good feeling and have learned to trust my gut several years ago. YAY LAP BAND! WOHOO! I have recently been doing a little extra research on gastric bypass as well... I figure the more information I have regarding any of this the better off I am... Bye for now, I will re-post and let you know how this appointment goes when i get home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbynnoel Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 > Hello buddies! I am SOOOO excited right now! I am leaving my house in about two hours to go to my very first lap band appointment. I am trying the insurance route before we dive into the Mexico route (which I would rather do, but my wallet says otherwise) I hope all goes well, I have a good feeling and have learned to trust my gut several years ago. YAY LAP BAND! WOHOO! I have recently been doing a little extra research on gastric bypass as well... I figure the more information I have regarding any of this the better off I am... Bye for now, I will re-post and let you know how this appointment goes when i get home! (((((((((((((((((((((Alia))))))))))))))))))))) Hugs. I'm so happy for you. Please keep up posted. xo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sar Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 How did it go? I'm going to my first appointment in an hour and am terrified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alia Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 How did it go? I'm going to my first appointment in an hour and am terrified. Well, the first one was cake! Basically they asked me a bunch of questions, weighed me and all the jazz. Next time I get to sit down with the surgeon, Dr. T., and do the same thing all over. Basically that appointment was just to tell me that yes, I am fat, lol and that I do qualify for the surgery! Will you let me know how yours went? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sar Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Well, the first one was cake! Basically they asked me a bunch of questions, weighed me and all the jazz. Next time I get to sit down with the surgeon, Dr. T., and do the same thing all over. Basically that appointment was just to tell me that yes, I am fat, lol and that I do qualify for the surgery! Will you let me know how yours went? Went about the same for me. I have an appointment with Surgeon next to talk about the options available. I think insurance covering it will be the biggest hurdle for me. Because if they don't, I wont be able to get anything done. I'm not sold on Lap Band yet. I'm also considering the Gastric Sleeve (sp?). Did they discuss any other procedures with you at your session? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alia Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 no, not originally. I hope that at my real consultation that we get to talk about all those options. I too have thought about the gastric sleeve... I don't know as much about that as I do the lap band though. how bout you? Keep me posted- maybe we can learn from eachother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbynnoel Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Well, the first one was cake! Basically they asked me a bunch of questions, weighed me and all the jazz. Next time I get to sit down with the surgeon, Dr. T., and do the same thing all over. Basically that appointment was just to tell me that yes, I am fat, lol and that I do qualify for the surgery! Will you let me know how yours went? (((((((((((((((((Alia))))))))))))))))))))) My first appointment (pre op part one) was similar. It cost $325 (regardless of my decision) and I filled out some pre health paper work. The doctor took a photo and weighed me. At the time I was 258 and he let me know I qualified for surgery. My husband spent the entire time with me and then we went into the doctors office and spoke for about 60 minutes on all of my options (my original surgeon did all 4 procedures). He brought in a lapband patient and allowed me to talk with her directly. She was in the office for a fill...I don't think he normally does that, but maybe he does coordinate fills where he can bring in a patient to talk to a potential patient. He then gave me a lunch bag, a water bottle, a login to a lapband support forum, vitamin samples to taste and a card that allowed me to order children side portions in restaurants. He also gave me paperwork requesting blood work, an appointment with my regular md and an appointment with a therapist as well as my post op prescriptions (4 of them). I guess I should note that I was self pay... I was told I could begin my pre op diet at any time and I was encouraged to lose as much weight as possible even though my surgery had not yet been scheduled and would not be scheduled until after the blood work was completed. I met with my md a few days later. Since I was self pay, my md was not in the same hmo as my selected surgeon. My md weighed me and I was 253 (because my surgeon said I could lose as much weight as I wanted) which believe it or not meant I was no longer eligible for surgery. It didn't matter because I was eligible when I first weighed...but I did think it was interesting that I was "that close". So that was that and I didn't see my surgeon again until surgery day. My md charged $300 for my appointment (self pay because it was for weight loss surgery) and the therapist charged $325 as well. The prescriptions were over $200. The surgery price I was quoted was $7,500 for the surgery and $7,500 for 5 years of follow up and fills. This is a long story, but there was a complication in the operating room...I had an allergy to the general anaesthesia and I went into anaphylactic shock so there was no surgery. I started to feel uncomfortable with my doctor and I now weighed 237 so I couldn't get a US doctor to look at me...that's when I switched doctors and went to the OCC. I booked my surgery over the phone and did the pre ops the day before the surgery. I was very nervous about another operating room scare but they were very careful with me and before they conked me out for good in the OR the anaesthesia doctor said "Robbyn, we've administered the medications. I can tell how far it's traveled into your body and I can see you have no sign of any reactions. We're putting you to sleep now." And then I woke up and the only reason I believed I had the surgery is because it felt like an elephant had stepped on my stomach. But that pain goes away rather quickly. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunalady Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 And then I woke up and the only reason I believed I had the surgery is because it felt like an elephant had stepped on my stomach. OMG, really? *Now* I'm stressing! My surgery is tomorrow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alia Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thanks for all the info!!! I am partially afraid that, that could end up being my story. I weight 297 lbs and because it is "medically necessary," my insurance will be absorbing most of the cost. That does not mean, however, that I am in the clear. My md told me that they will still find a way to hold payments and run me through the ringer so to speak, and I have to write down everything any insurance person tells me... with the date, their name and whatever else I can get ahold of. Basically the OCC may still be in my future because I will be darned if my insurance company stops me. I am still waiting for my consultation with my surgeon and it this point have heard both good and bad about him... YIKES??? I dunno! This is such a long process.... it would be better if I could just cough up cash and fly to mexico... but the only way that is happening is a second mortgage on our home and most people tell me I am psycho for even considering that... lol... what to do what to do. :-? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbynnoel Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 OMG, really? *Now* I'm stressing! My surgery is tomorrow... ((((((((((((((Luna))))))))))))))) I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. To be honest I was over speaking to be funny. A month ago, I posted a link to photos taken of me the day of the surgery (a few hours after) and the following day. I'm smiling and laughing and very happy. I even went shopping the next day. I kind of felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me, or like what it feels like to try to catch your breath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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