ben Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 I'm not unfamiliar with this whole idea - my girlfriend's father had it done because of his medical conditions, and I'm extremely aware of his eating habits (what he has to do to make sure he's not sick) and I have to say, even though I know he's had it for at least a year, that I would be comfortable with the steps needed to take to accomplish this with the band. I'm on medication for a low thyroid count, but in all honesty the medication makes me feel like crap after I've been on it for about two weeks or so (at any dose - we've tried all of the popular ones). I'm also a gout sufferer, though I'm very careful about what I have in my day to day lifestyle and that really minimizes it (I can't have soda for example, because the sugar is what sets it off for me). My lifestyle is unfortunately pretty stationary in nature. The closest gym is about 30 minutes drive (55 MPH average...) away from me, though I do have an active membership to my local YMCA, and I love to play in the pool. I've been in there as long as 4 hours some days. So here are my questions... does anyone know anyone in the Colorado Springs area that has had this done, and who did they use? I'm a little timid about asking my gf's dad, I've struggled with the weight since I was younger - I wasn't a childhood obesity problem, but I was heavier up until my teens, and then after that it just poured on. I'm 6'4" now and I can only guess at my weight (I think 380? I have to stand on a standard scale and estimate how many ticks over maximum that it goes, and that's the only reason I have any idea how much it is) and secondly, how do you go about finding out how to pay for such a thing? I've already got several thousand in dental bills I need to worry about... I'm not sure what to do if this procedure is going to cost me out of pocket, it will probably discourage me completely ($200 here and there for fills and whatnot I can manage, just not the $1000-at-a-time-wallet-punishments) So with that all being said - hi everyone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kensgirl Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Some people pay out of pocket, some are able to get insurance to pay for it. Explore both options and see what works for you. Weight loss surgery doesn't carry the big taboo that it did years ago. Explore, research and make your decisions form there. I will never regret becoming a bandster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittycat Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Hi Ben! Welcome!! Like Kensgirl said, research the best option for you..and if you decide to go for the lapband surgery, you won't regret it. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. It's not easy, but it's worth it!! My stats speak for themselves. Good Luck and if you have any questions at all, just ask. We are here to support!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben Posted November 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 I did some searching and found a doctor who's not only certified but trains others, has something like 8 ops a week with this kind of procedure... Michael Snyder is just up the road from me - 60 or so miles, so not too bad. I'd rather go to one who has a ton of experience for obvious reasons. I'm debating on calling my insurance carrier in a bit... I'm not sure what to ask or how to ask it... but we'll see. Given my string of luck lately medically, I'm guessing that they don't cover it. But I'll still be as hopeful as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben Posted November 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Ok so the details are according to some criteria that I don't think I'll have any problems meeting, and the doctor I mentioned (Snyder) is currently an in-network physician, so I could go to him (I can go out of network too, my coverage is the same) with a Coverage of 90% Insurance, 10% me, with a deductible of $500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted November 7, 2008 Report Share Posted November 7, 2008 Ok so the details are according to some criteria that I don't think I'll have any problems meeting, and the doctor I mentioned (Snyder) is currently an in-network physician, so I could go to him (I can go out of network too, my coverage is the same) with a Coverage of 90% Insurance, 10% me, with a deductible of $500. Ben, I can't comment on any of the doctors you found, but let me put some perspective in how I chose my doctor, who happened to be Dr. Ortiz from OCC. His practice has done OVER 6000 surgeries Of the three doctors I was looking at, two of the three have worked and/or learned from Dr. Ortiz He trained under the inventor of the lapband He had the lowest complication rate of any doctor I investigated He had NO DEATHS attributed to the surgery. Funny enough, one of the other doctors I was looking at did. Twice. *shudder* The patient reviews of Dr. Ortiz were amazing. Most were up and walking 30 minutes after the surgery. This can be attributed to an awesome anastesia <sp?> process. That's pretty impressive. Oh, and I can confirm that. After being banded, I was walking around in no time at all. Don't think it was 30min... but less than an hour. He had an interesting approach discussing the surgery using his YouTube videos. it made him personable, approachable, yet authoritative. He has been interviewed by many credible sources, and even been on shows like Oprah Although his practice is in Mexico (I would imagine to get away from malpractice insurance), it was one of the highest rated in the industry. I found the place cleaner than most hospitals I have been in. And the care was amazing. As I researched this, I ended up finding two people I knew had the surgery from him. That distilled a bit more confidence. There are other things, but I can't remember them off the top of my head. For me, numbers don't lie. The guy has done over 6000 of these things with little complication, and no death. Why would you want to go to someone else? He knows his stuff. Of course, I am biased. I am a happy bandster of his. I can tell you this though... you can see the difference in the results even on this board in the last 2 months. People banded from other surgeons talk about longer recovery times, less weight loss (maybe attributed to the difference in post-op instructions for diet and exercise) and more difficulty coping with the life changes. I am not saying other doctors are bad, but there is something to be said for the tried and true success at OCC. Never mind that it will probably be cheaper for you. YMMV. I would recommend you check Dr. Ortiz out though. Taz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpd123 Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 I'm not unfamiliar with this whole idea - my girlfriend's father had it done because of his medical conditions, and I'm extremely aware of his eating habits (what he has to do to make sure he's not sick) and I have to say, even though I know he's had it for at least a year, that I would be comfortable with the steps needed to take to accomplish this with the band. I'm on medication for a low thyroid count, but in all honesty the medication makes me feel like crap after I've been on it for about two weeks or so (at any dose - we've tried all of the popular ones). I'm also a gout sufferer, though I'm very careful about what I have in my day to day lifestyle and that really minimizes it (I can't have soda for example, because the sugar is what sets it off for me). My lifestyle is unfortunately pretty stationary in nature. The closest gym is about 30 minutes drive (55 MPH average...) away from me, though I do have an active membership to my local YMCA, and I love to play in the pool. I've been in there as long as 4 hours some days. So here are my questions... does anyone know anyone in the Colorado Springs area that has had this done, and who did they use? I'm a little timid about asking my gf's dad, I've struggled with the weight since I was younger - I wasn't a childhood obesity problem, but I was heavier up until my teens, and then after that it just poured on. I'm 6'4" now and I can only guess at my weight (I think 380? I have to stand on a standard scale and estimate how many ticks over maximum that it goes, and that's the only reason I have any idea how much it is) and secondly, how do you go about finding out how to pay for such a thing? I've already got several thousand in dental bills I need to worry about... I'm not sure what to do if this procedure is going to cost me out of pocket, it will probably discourage me completely ($200 here and there for fills and whatnot I can manage, just not the $1000-at-a-time-wallet-punishments) So with that all being said - hi everyone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpd123 Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 Try Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum in Denver (Aurora) CO - $10,000.00 Ben,I can't comment on any of the doctors you found, but let me put some perspective in how I chose my doctor, who happened to be Dr. Ortiz from OCC. His practice has done OVER 6000 surgeries Of the three doctors I was looking at, two of the three have worked and/or learned from Dr. Ortiz He trained under the inventor of the lapband He had the lowest complication rate of any doctor I investigated He had NO DEATHS attributed to the surgery. Funny enough, one of the other doctors I was looking at did. Twice. *shudder* The patient reviews of Dr. Ortiz were amazing. Most were up and walking 30 minutes after the surgery. This can be attributed to an awesome anastesia <sp?> process. That's pretty impressive. Oh, and I can confirm that. After being banded, I was walking around in no time at all. Don't think it was 30min... but less than an hour. He had an interesting approach discussing the surgery using his YouTube videos. it made him personable, approachable, yet authoritative. He has been interviewed by many credible sources, and even been on shows like Oprah Although his practice is in Mexico (I would imagine to get away from malpractice insurance), it was one of the highest rated in the industry. I found the place cleaner than most hospitals I have been in. And the care was amazing. As I researched this, I ended up finding two people I knew had the surgery from him. That distilled a bit more confidence. There are other things, but I can't remember them off the top of my head. For me, numbers don't lie. The guy has done over 6000 of these things with little complication, and no death. Why would you want to go to someone else? He knows his stuff. Of course, I am biased. I am a happy bandster of his. I can tell you this though... you can see the difference in the results even on this board in the last 2 months. People banded from other surgeons talk about longer recovery times, less weight loss (maybe attributed to the difference in post-op instructions for diet and exercise) and more difficulty coping with the life changes. I am not saying other doctors are bad, but there is something to be said for the tried and true success at OCC. Never mind that it will probably be cheaper for you. YMMV. I would recommend you check Dr. Ortiz out though. Taz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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