oh so nervous and excited at the same time....

I am so nervous and excited at the same time. I made phone calls last week trying to find surgeons who take medical card within a 2 hour radius of where I live. Well, I called a lead someone on here gave me (thank you) and was told, "Yes, we do take IDPA but we also have a 2 yr waiting list." I', thinking, "2 YEARS!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG!!!" Well, I called Springfield and I recieved a call back today about 2 surgeons who take IDPA and was assured that the waiting list is no where near 2 years. I am now waiting for the burse cooordinator to call me back and see what she says.  When Rebecca called I was so happy and nervous. I just broke down in tears. Now, my stomach is turning somersaults waiting for Cindy, the NC, to call me. I was supposed to go have my BP taken but I am scared to with being so excited and nervous.  Meantime, I have been doing wonderful on my diet and exercise. It's been 5 days and it's hard but I know the more I lose before surgery time, the easier surgery will be so I will stick with it.  Has anyone heard of or had Dr. Sutyak or Dr. Paralta for their surgery? They are with SIU Physicians and Surgeons Clinic in  Springfield. If you have, please tell me more. Wish me luck. Beth

The process is emotional.  You will have highs and lows many times through out this process.  And yes, the process is long but well worth it in the end.  Just stay focused and you will do just fine. I don't have any knowledge of the surgeons you mentioned nor do I know anything about IDPA.   Good Luck, Christina

I just got a return call from the SIU Comp Clinic. They will be contacting me in a week or so for a first appt which involves a lecture, physical exam, counseling and dietitian (nut I think you guys call them lol). She told me that they keep you in the program 9-12 months and then set the date. In the meantime, I will have to attend at least one support group meeting a month and work on my diet and exercise which I am already doing. Been at it for a week now. It's hard but I'm doing it. I also went and had all my blodwork, EKG and chest x-ray today. So I am definitely on my way.  Christina, it is highly emotional. I understand that now. It ranges from, "This is it. I'm doing what is right." to "Am I doing the right thing? Have I tried hard enough to succeed in every other way?" It is a drastic decision but you know I have not found one person who has had this done that has had any regrets other than not doing it sooner so I think it will just take time for me to be secure in my decision. I think I would be crazy if I didn't have some fears and hesitations. It is a drastic surgery that will bring about drastic change. Am I ready for the change? Yes and no. All I have ever known is being fat but man it would be so nice to move and go places like a smaller person.  You know my first stop when I get through all this? A roller coaster! lol I just want to be able to get the the turnstyle at the gate of the amusement park without having to use the handicap/wheelchair entrance, walk the park without stopping a hundred million times and ride the rollercoaster instead of watching. I want to know that kind of freedom. Beth

I live in springfield illinois, and have contacted EVERYONE! If you have a medical card, they will do your surgery at SIU, but, there is a catch. Only the surgery is covered. In order to qualify for the surgery You are required to join a group that meets over an 9-18 month period and costs around $80 -$200 out of pocket per month in order to become eligible for the surgery. None of the dietician/ group visits are covered by medicaid. I was so upset and disgusted, because i could find no one else to do my surgery. AND i could not afford all of the out of pocket expenses. I thought Dr. Peralta was the answer and i was wrong. She is a good surgeon, she removed a tumor from my mothers breast and my mother thinks the world of her, but SIU isnt medicaid friendly. I did alot of research and the ONLY place in Illinois that is completely and totally 100% medicaid covered from top to bottom, every lab, test etc, and there is only a 12 week wait. due to your 12 week training course is The Lap Band Program, through Mercy Hospital in Chicago. I went to the seminar in December and my surgery is scheduled for March 27th. My surgeon is Dr. Phillip Rosett, and he is totally AWESOME! You have to have a few appointments for labs, xrays, a medical check up, psych eval, and meet with a nutritionist, and they will schedule you for all of that on the same day so you dont have to make many trips up to Chicago. You have to attend nutritional meetings once a week, and they will patch you in via conference call so you dont have the drive. They will do EVERYTHING in their power to help you along the way. I would encourage you to check them out. http://www.mercy-chicago.org/ the center for weight managements phone number is 312.567.5555. you will probably have to leave a message, but they do call you back within 24 hours.  good luck!!!

I will check them out. I talked to Ginny, the counselor at COMP, and she told me that everything was covered except the counseling, dietitian and group meetings. I was told the first meeting would be $228 for the counselor and the dietitian and the monthly support groups were $24 and that she headed these meetings. I will be receiving my packet and will check it out thoroughly, tho before I jump into anything. If these costs are all I have to out out, tho, the way I see it the cost of traveling to and from Chicago may balance out but like I said I will check Mercy out and I will read through my info I recieve with a fine tooth comb. I don't need surprises. Thank you Beth

Also, mercy only has a 12 week wait, there is no long drawn out process. they will schedule your surgery on your first consultation with the surgeon. You do your 12 phone calls between your consultation and your surgery date. The trips to chicago far outweigh the cost and wait of the program here in springfield where i live. When i spoke with comp they told me i had to do weekly meetings either in group at  the $24 per week, or $48 personal meetings.  She said the average wait for lap band was 18 months, that equaled out around 1800  just for the groups. I dont have that kind of money. Mercy does two seminars a month, When they call you back, they will schedule you for one, at that seminar appointment, they will schedule you for a surgeon consult a week later. Tell them you are from far away and they will do everything they can to get you lined up for your labs the day of your consult there in the hospital. The day of your consult, you will see the dr, then get your ekg, xrays, labs, etc. You will go back again for your psych consult, and your dietician visit. They will have your primary care physician do the rest of the tests and have them sent to Chicago. The dietician will give you a diet plan for the 12 weeks leading up to the surgery, you have to lose 10 lbs, and the two weeks prior you only have liquids to shrink your liver. I know its a long drive and you have an even longer one, but 12 weeks opposed to 18 months and $1800 was the deciding factor for me.

Thank you for the info. I really appreciate it. Beth