any one try to find a lapband surgeon that will accept medicare?

I am working with my Dr. And this far we cant hook up with a surgeon who will accept medicare. Am I the only one haveing this problem? I LIVE IN IDAHO BUT WOULD TRAVEL .

Hi Sandra. This is my very first post on this site I live in Idaho too and I have Medicare also. I have found a wonderful surgeon that is certified and accepts Medicare. He is right here in Post Falls, ID near Coeur D alene. :cool: You can check out his web site if you would like. I don't know if I can put it in here. His name is Dr John Pennings and he is with surgical bariatrics northwest. www.surgicalbariatrics.com Let me know if that helps. Good luck to you.

Hi Andrea Thank you so much for your help. i plan to get in touch with Dr. P. today to start my new life. I would like to keep in touch with you if you are up for that. im so excited and it will be nice to have some one who is going through the same things i am to talk with. Again i thank you i was feeling like i was not going to find any one who does this that would accept medicare. I live in Kamiah ID. not that far from Post Falls. Have you already had the procedure done?LOOKING FORWARD to hearing back from you that was also my first time to post

Hi again, I will contact you with my personal email address. No. I haven't had the surgery yet. I have been doing Weigh****chers faithfully since November of last year with a pound loss in all that time and now suddenly I have started to gain. I can't understand it because I have been a ww angel. Never going over my points, exercising every single day too. So, after a lot of prayer and talking to my Dr. I have decided to do this to prolong my life. I weigh 499 pounds at last ww meeting. I was at 510 when I started there. I got down to 496 and slowly each week have been adding a few ounces here or there for whatever reason? It is definately time to do something for me! I would love to have a friend going through the same thing plus we are in the same state! Super. I don't know where Kamiah is but I will look it up on the map. lol. I have met Dr. Pennings for surgery for something else and he was wonderful. Thankfully I didn't have to have the surgery but when I saw him I was very impressed with him and his entire staff. On his website the Dr. that does Optifast, Dr. Cher Jacobson, well, she is my primary care physician and she is awesome. She has nothing but wonderful things to say about Dr. Pennings if that makes you feel any better. I sure liked him. A really mild mannered man. Good luck my friend. Oh, and I would love it if you call me Annie. That is what all my friends and family cal me. Hugs, Annie (aka: Andrea)

Hi annie just read your new post. You poor dear after all that time spent. I hope things get going better for you real soon. I will pray for you. I got an appt. To attend a siminar on the 27th of March. I guess that is the first step we must take. I am so excited I bet this is the slowest month ever lol. I just cant wait to start loosing I weigh almost 300 lbs and I just cant hardly face another day of it plus my health is suffering from it I have a brother who is hopeing to have his surgery the same time as me. That will be great. Kamiah is close to lewiston if you know where that is at. Thank you again you are the only one *****sponded so far. I will keep you posted please do the same im rooting for you.Wonder what its like to be able to shop for clothes and actually find some that fit wow! Keep smileing sandy

Hi Sandy, I wrote you a personal message too. When you come up here on the 27th of March if you have time, I would love to meet with you for a minute or two for an iced tea or something. If you have time. If not that is okay and I understand. I don't want to push you but would love it if you and I could remain in contact and share any information that we learn about the whole process. My email address is [email protected] if you would like to email me then I can get your email address. Only if you feel comfortable though. I won't be pushy or bug ya too much. lol. I think that maybe you are not getting any responses on this web site because it is strictly Idaho. If you post on the main forum for lapbands I know you will get more than just me. Just a word for you though if you do post any specific questions about Idaho there are a few folks on the main page that are veryyy pushy with their opinions etc. So before I made any decisions I would judge for myself. God Bless you, Annie

Hi again just got back to my pc after a few days. Grand babys here I just love them. It would be great to meat on the 27th.I would like to stay in touch also it seams like its going so slow I wonder how long after the semeniar befor the consultation with Dr. And finally the surgery date made. I just want to get started . Keeping you in my thoughts love sandy

hey, Andrea and Sandra, I just read your notes and wanted to know about the Seminar the 27th. I origianally was going to Post Falls, but it was winter and did not want to go up the hill (Lewiston ) to a seminar so someone talked me into gooing to Everett, Washington because I just had to look at a video online and not attend a seminar. (I have 2 years, and everything on the net you can imagaine) so they said I would not need to go to one. However, that is not working out so now I need to change my efforts to Post Falls (much closer for one thing) . Do I have to go to a Seminar? And, because it is a 2? hour drive at night, I would have to take some more time off work. I would not drive home afterwards. Any suggestions?

Hi Carla, I sent you a personal message so check your in box. Hugs, Andrea aka Annie

hi annie  its ben a while. how are you? have you had your surgery yet?let me hear from [email protected]