Re-post "Advice Needed"

Hello: I'm 44 y/o F - 5' 2" - 214. I've lost and regained + for the past 4 years. I've read a lot on Lap band and am extremely interested. Live in Chicago -currently seeing docs at Northwestern (not for weight related issues yet). I've not been diagnosed with any diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, etc. Since I snore loudly - I think I might have sleep apnea (especially since my two sisters have it and have been given the CPAP machines). I've considered making an appt at Northwestern for the weight mgmt clinic they have there - so that I can sign up for lapband surgery. I'd like to know if there's anyway to go straight to surgery stage, w/o having to go through a year of nutrition classes. I'm almost sure I could lose the weight thru the classes - yet, I'm thinking that as always, I'll gain it right back - if I don't get the help I need from the band procedure. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO. Anyone with advice would be extremely helpful. Should I try the Barix clinics? Please advice. Good Luck to all & Thank you in advance http://nfaith2001.tripod.com/id2.htm

Lela, you really need to go through all the stages of learning about the surgery and learning about yourself and why you are obese. Who knows you may save yourself the pain of having surgery and are one of those fortunate ones that can control their weight with diet and exercise. You do have a serious issue with your undiagnosed sleep apnea that needs to be addressed. You can give it a try and see if Northwestern will accept you w/o taking all the steps before but I think that your unwillingness of wanting to go through the 6-12 months of the classes will turn on warning flags for them. They will think that you will be unwilling to make lifestyle changes when you are PO. That will make them think that you want a quick fix of surgery to take care of your obesity and are unwilling to take the steps to make meaningful changes later on. I am sorry, but you asked for an opinion here and I gave it to you. It may not be what you wanted to hear. But, I hate it when someone wants to have surgery right away, like yesterday and is unwilling to go throught the correct steps to achieve the goal of being made eligible to be considered for some type of WLS.

Hi You want to call the Wellness Center at Northwestern. They will not fast track you and I would suggest you don't either. I know how you feel, when I went there I told them if they didn't hurry up and do the surgery I would change my mind. They said while they understand they can't help me unless I go through the program. I am soooo glad I did, I feel I would not have had the success I have without all the knowledge I gained by going. You can go to the Barix clinic but if they don't have a program that give you the tools you need to get it "right between the ears" before re-arranging your plumbing you will fail Good luck to you Take care, Kathy 330/118

i just recently had the micropouch surgery done at the cori centers. i loved the staff and the doctors. there wasn't much of a wait time to get my surgery done either. they work out of ingalls memorial hospital. i would recommend them highly to anyone.

I'm kind of unclear on your situation because you've been a little vague. First of all, how much do you weigh and how tall are you? What's your BMI? Second of all, is the year of nutrition classes required by your doctor or by your insurance? IF it's required by your insurance (and I am going out on a limb here and assuming it is -- since you're with BCBS-IL and that seems to be their policy across the board), then no, there is no way around it. Start now and make sure you are seeing your doctor as often as they require it. Going to weigh****chers isn't enough for BCBS-IL. You have to meet with your doctor monthly and discuss nutrition and get weighed in after following a plan your doctor has recommended. You need VERY thorough documentation from your doctor (as in copies of your medical file showing monthly notes and progress) for BCBS. If it's just your doctor's requirement, well.. I'm torn on that issue. It could easily be solved by changing doctors.. but then you're missing out on a very important pre-emptive step.. not necessarily for your WEIGHT.. but for your HEAD. Trust me, this option of weight loss surgery is a bona-fide miracle for some people but it is NOT the easy way out.. and if you have a long history of gain/lose/gain/lose/gain/lose, it's not caused by accident.. it means there are other issues driving you to eat and you NEED to deal with those issues whether you've had a band installed or you've had full blown RNY or you choose to have no surgery. So I guess the bottom line is, you didn't give us a lot of information so the responses you get will range from not very helpful to not very appropriate.. (unfortunately, sorry!).. Good luck to you! I hope you find what you need! Stef 5'11" Lap RNY 11/12/04 390/255/175

Hi all, thank you so very much for helpful & candid info/advice. It's exactly what I needed. I have an appt w/my PCP at Northwestern tomorrow (on my birthday) - to talk with her regarding my concerns of having a hard time keeping the weight off. I'm going to ask her for advice and assistance. Again, thank you so much for assistance. I'm 5' 2" - 213 http://nfaith2001.tripod.com/id2.html

NFaith In Chi-Town You may want to do some research and decide what is best for you Dr. Alverdy and Dr. Prachand and the University of Chicago are both excellent. Although, I may be a little biased I'm off to the Black American Forum Continued Blessings, Lena

Thanks to everyone *****plied. The update is that I've contacted Blue Cross / Blue Shield PPO of Illinois for Federal Employees - I was told that they do not cover Lap Band surgery. They would possibly cover Gastric Bypass if the patient had co-morbids, etc. and it was medically necessary. I made an appt w/my PCP doc at Northwestern (Dr. Ku), to talk about weight loss options. I saw her Friday, on my birthday and she just burst my bubble. When she sat down, she said - so, what is that you want - like a diet pill or something? I told that I have tried diets over & over - have lost and have gained and that I have not been able to have much success lately at all. I was so dissapointed in her telling me that I should go out and purchase a rice cooker like she did. Cook brown rice for the week and make dishes ahead of time, take my lunch to work, and so on and so on. And how I have to tell my husband not to bring cookies into the house (where did that come from)? I explained to her that I've done all of this (minus the rice cooker & brown rice) and it has just stopped working for me. Which is why I'm asking her for a referral for WLS. She explained how they used believe in that - but how they've seen many people regain after a couple of years. I told her I needed the help - in order to get my stomach much smaller, because it just takes too much for me to get full these days. I needed a chance to restart and to get it right. She told me I could join the support group at the Wellness Center at Northwestern. She gave me the name & number of Dr. Kushner. She doesn't know that I read about Dr. Kushner and how he felt that by telling an overweight person to have willpower - was like telling a depressed person to just 'feel better'. Dr. Ku is 7 mos pregnant and kept saying to me - "I'll be in your shoes in a couple of months & I'm going to get out my rice cooker". So anyway, today I went and purchased foods to try Southbeach diet again - plus, I spend more $$ on yet another diet pill - SmartBurn - I know - what a waste. I happened to have lost 2# since last Friday - from the 2 days of liquids + the cleansing pills I had to take b4 a colonoscopy. I know that's going to come right back - but I can't stand to gain more. It's rediculous. My legs hurt and body is just uncomfortable - can't believe how insensitive she was. For sure, I won't make anymore appointments with her with I'm in need of primary care appts. She's my husband's doc also - he can have her! I know I have gone on & on.. but that really ticked me off. I'm so sorry to have ranted & raved - but I asked you all for advice and got it and was simply to post my updates in all the places where I'd asked the questions.