Obesity Discussion Forums

[nyc2007]

Hi all, I am a newbie! Not sure if I am posting this thread in the right forum.

I have been trying to lose weight for 6 years. I weigh 210 lbs and I have tried E-diets, Nutrisystem and working out. But it seems like with my busy work schedule, I have not been able to stick to any plan consistently.
After careful thinking, I decided to go for a lapband surgery. Read a lot about lapbands and bipass surgery online. Had an appointment with a lapband specialist last week. I found out that I have to weigh 220 lbs (to meet the BMI requirement) in order to be eligible for a surgery. Also to meet the insurance requirements, I have to see a physician for 6 months and have a letter written by the physician that should state that the patient has not been successful to lose weight in the past 6 months.

I am back to square one now. I can meet the 220 requirement in 2 or 3 weeks. But how would I be able to obtain a letter from a doctor. Spoke with my doctor 2 days ago. He ran some tests and said that I was doing fine and he would not be able to recommend me for lapband surgery even after I visit him for 6 months.

So what should I do now? Any suggestions? Anyone who had the same experience and found a way to go for lap band surgery.

Thanks a bunch!

N.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by nyc2007

Hi all, I am a newbie! Not sure if I am posting this thread in the right forum.

I have been trying to lose weight for 6 years. I weigh 210 lbs and I have tried E-diets, Nutrisystem and working out. But it seems like with my busy work schedule, I have not been able to stick to any plan consistently.
After careful thinking, I decided to go for a lapband surgery. Read a lot about lapbands and bipass surgery online. Had an appointment with a lapband specialist last week. I found out that I have to weigh 220 lbs (to meet the BMI requirement) in order to be eligible for a surgery. Also to meet the insurance requirements, I have to see a physician for 6 months and have a letter written by the physician that should state that the patient has not been successful to lose weight in the past 6 months.

I am back to square one now. I can meet the 220 requirement in 2 or 3 weeks. But how would I be able to obtain a letter from a doctor. Spoke with my doctor 2 days ago. He ran some tests and said that I was doing fine and he would not be able to recommend me for lapband surgery even after I visit him for 6 months.

So what should I do now? Any suggestions? Anyone who had the same experience and found a way to go for lap band surgery.

Thanks a bunch!

N.

This forum works just fine, but maybe this would be better suited for the obesity surgery forum? I'll go a head and move it there where it will get more responses from those who have experience in this area.

Each insurance company is different as are each doctors' requirements for them to recommend the surgery. You could get a 2nd or 3rd opinion.

Here are a few topics where the rigors to get approved for obesity surgery are discussed, they may shed some light for you.

Obesity Surgery topic 1 and

Obesity Surgery topic 2.

You will have to change your diet drastically right before, and then again after you have the surgery, so hopefully your hectic schedule will not hinder your efforts.

One thing we emphasize here on Obesity Discussion is that diets don't work, but lifestyle changes do. Diets tend to be short term solutions to a long term problem. A long term committment is needed to lose weight through different eating habits and/or exercise. Regardless of which method you choose to lose your weight we'll be here to support you along the way!

Welcome to the site!

[fr1endly2]

Well i know more and more insurance companies are wanting this six month supervised diet thing.........I know the BMI matters for them as well.

WELCOME to the site and im sorry your haveing such troubles....

[jblack]

Originally Posted by fr1endly2

Well i know more and more insurance companies are wanting this six month supervised diet thing.........I know the BMI matters for them as well.

WELCOME to the site and im sorry your haveing such troubles....

I was so glad my insurance didn't need the supervised diet thing... I'm 23 1/2 already, and only have insurance through my Mom's work till I turn 25. I just knew if it took any longer, they might find some way to stall it as close to 25 as I am so it wouldn't be their problem any more.

[jblack]

Originally Posted by nyc2007

Hi all, I am a newbie! Not sure if I am posting this thread in the right forum.

I have been trying to lose weight for 6 years. I weigh 210 lbs and I have tried E-diets, Nutrisystem and working out. But it seems like with my busy work schedule, I have not been able to stick to any plan consistently.
After careful thinking, I decided to go for a lapband surgery. Read a lot about lapbands and bipass surgery online. Had an appointment with a lapband specialist last week. I found out that I have to weigh 220 lbs (to meet the BMI requirement) in order to be eligible for a surgery. Also to meet the insurance requirements, I have to see a physician for 6 months and have a letter written by the physician that should state that the patient has not been successful to lose weight in the past 6 months.

I am back to square one now. I can meet the 220 requirement in 2 or 3 weeks. But how would I be able to obtain a letter from a doctor. Spoke with my doctor 2 days ago. He ran some tests and said that I was doing fine and he would not be able to recommend me for lapband surgery even after I visit him for 6 months.

So what should I do now? Any suggestions? Anyone who had the same experience and found a way to go for lap band surgery.

Thanks a bunch!

N.

My advice is if you really want to get it done, start doing what you have to do now. Because it WILL take time, one way or another. There was a time while I was trying to get my gastric bypass approved that I really got fed up and wanted to quit, but I didn't. And I am SOOOOO glad that I went through with it.

Like I said in my "Insurance Approval" thread, it took the better part of a year from the first doctor visit to the day of my surgery. I had my surgery last Friday, so my journey is just starting.

Let us know if you need any help or have any questions at all. There are several people that have already had bariatric surgeries here and I'm sure between all of us, we can be of some help.

[fr1endly2]

I do know people who took out personal loans to have gastric bypass done and lap band.
We spend this kind of money on cars ...why not on our BODIES which we drive around as well everyday.
I also know a few folks that have gotten it done out of country to save money cause their insurance didnt pay for it and they had to have it done for themselves.

JUST some more thoughts (((HUGS)))

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by fr1endly2

I do know people who took out personal loans to have gastric bypass done and lap band.
We spend this kind of money on cars ...why not on our BODIES which we drive around as well everyday.
I also know a few folks that have gotten it done out of country to save money cause their insurance didnt pay for it and they had to have it done for themselves.

JUST some more thoughts (((HUGS)))

I have heard of people going overseas to get their obesity surgery done, and the costs are substantially less. It's a big thing for dental work too....quite a few people apparently go to Mexico for that too.

I wonder what the price difference would be between getting it done in the United States before getting it done overseas? Just curious, how much did your friends have to pay and how much did they save by going overseas?

[fr1endly2]

I will PM the folks that i know from another board
and ask! GIVE me time for the replies...

[Irving]

Originally Posted by fr1endly2

I will PM the folks that i know from another board
and ask! GIVE me time for the replies...

that is very nice of you! i too am interested to see what the price difference would be

[fr1endly2]

OKAY my friend from the other board replied
my PM....
and she said with her airfare and all expenses
it ran her 11,000.

I know my bill was 27,000.00 and im sure that
wasnt all that was mostly hospitol and surgoon
costs.....
I think mexico is even less i am thinking she had it
done in brazil.

[fatt]

wow.. this is such an enormous cost... overseas do not bring in more risks?

[fr1endly2]

sure it brings risks.
I am sure standards in hospitols and OR rooms
are not what it is in america.

AND what if you have COMPLICATIONs.....
would be hard to get follow up care from the
doctor that did the surgeon and be in a hospitol
far away for a long time should that happen.

I know for me i couldnt have imagined flying
on an airplane shortly after my surgery when
i was healing but i imagine those going this
path are desparate and at there last straw.

[Merle]

Originally Posted by fr1endly2

sure it brings risks.
I am sure standards in hospitols and OR rooms
are not what it is in america.

AND what if you have COMPLICATIONs.....
would be hard to get follow up care from the
doctor that did the surgeon and be in a hospitol
far away for a long time should that happen.

I know for me i couldnt have imagined flying
on an airplane shortly after my surgery when
i was healing but i imagine those going this
path are desparate and at there last straw.

Don't many of them stay over in the country for a month or so?

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by fr1endly2

OKAY my friend from the other board replied
my PM....
and she said with her airfare and all expenses
it ran her 11,000.

I know my bill was 27,000.00 and im sure that
wasnt all that was mostly hospitol and surgoon
costs.....
I think mexico is even less i am thinking she had it
done in brazil.

That's some serious savings!

[fr1endly2]

NYC2007
I strongly recommend that you get a more supportive doctor for your want for the lap band....there are some that do some that dont out there. ITS best for your post op follow up care you have a doctor on board that supports these kind of choices.

MERLE...a gal from another surgery board i visit just had her gastric bypass done in india. SHE was only required to stay in that country for 10 days.

[MikeB]

Did I read your first post correctly? You want to GAIN weight so you can have surgery instead of just learning to control your diet and do some exercise? Remember that if you get the surgery and you don't learn self control you'll be back where you started faster than you can imagine. One more thing, how did you come up with the 105lb goal weight? If it's from BMI, FORGET IT. Go to a local gym and get dip tanked and find out your lean body mass, if you're female then 15 to 22% is healthy BF if you're male then 6 to 15% is healthy. If you don't have a realistic goal weight then it will be even harder to reach an unobtainable goal.
Don't take this as being negative, merely realistic as I've seen MANY bypass patients get right back to their pre-surgery weight and higher.
Mike

[Jasmine130]

I originally thought I wanted a lapband, but after much research, thought and interviewing 3 different surgeons, I concluded that gastric bypass was the best choice for me. But, I was much heavier than you are, starting at 354+ lbs, at 5'4.5", with several co-morbidities and a sweet tooth from hell.

I was lucky in that my insurance covered all costs related to my gastric bypass surgery, including all the rigorous pre-surgical tests and evaluations. And, I receive all follow up visits with my surgeon at no cost (it's all included in his initial fees).

Had I not had insurance that covers this surgery, would I have gone out of the country? Hard to answer that. I was at the end of my rope, having tried every other way to lose and keep off the excess weight, and had been super morbidly obese for 2 decades. Even at my highest weight, I was very active. I am a compulsive overeater/binge-eater and my eating disorder led me to binge on a regular basis to the tune of 10K-15K calories in a day. Not every day...but often enough to entirely defeat all my exercise and sane periods of eating.

Anyway...bunny trail... sorry

I was in such a desperate way that I may have pursued bariatric surgery out of the country, but I would have done extensive research and explored every detail before I would have felt comfortable doing so.

When it came to my extensive plastic surgeries, I also looked into having it done out of the country. In this case, my insurance didn't pay for anything beyond a panniculectomy. So, except for about $5,000 the insurance paid for the panni, I paid about $30,000 out of pocket last year for a lower bodylift, a tummy tuck, brachioplasty (arm trimming ); breastlift and augmentation.

That was 4 surgeries in the space of 6 months and it was worth every stitch, every dollar. Like someone said above and made the excellent point -- we pay that much for cars and often think little of it. Heck, I paid $35,000 for my Mustang convertible GT a few years ago and didn't think I spent too much. Why? I wanted it, could afford it and it was fun. Same thing goes for my plastics.

But plastics are optional in most cases. Bariatric surgery itself is a much more serious undertaking and in my case had everything to do with my health and my future. Only about 33% of those whose obesity became as extreme as mine live to age 65. My hospital bill was around $75,000 for my gastric bypass and I would have taken a home equity loan to get that surgery if i had to.

-Jasmine