WAITING Bandsters listen up!!!!

I called Dr B's office today and found out more news re the changes to the program, We no longer have to pay the 4500.00 for the device. It is now covered by Medicare. Also the new waiting list is complete. I am number 20 on the Lap band list, Try as I may, I could not get out of her what that meant in terms of time. She kept saying it all depended on how many people will have changed their mind when she calls for the info session. Does anyone know approximately how many bands Dr B does per year? If anyone is going to the info session this week, could you ask this question for me please?

That's wonderful to hear the band is now covered. A few months too late for me - darn!!! But I'm happy for the rest of you waiting. Sorry I can't ask the question, Charline, I'm not there for the whole day - just at 3 pm to share my success story with the folks and answer any questions they have that I can help with on life with the band. Hope your time comes VERY soon! How long have you been waiting?

I have been waiting to see the specialist to apply to Medicare for over 3 years and had another year to wait . Fortunately I am now on Dr. B.s list because of the changes. I know that I am number twenty for a lapband and 6 people are invited to a session. I don't know if the 20 include the people you saw yesterday or not. Given that a couple of people will change their mind, I should be contacted for the third future session. Any idea how often there are sessions for lapband? I am grasping at straws, I know. I guess I need perspective so as not to get too excited or anxious or discouraged.

Hi Charline after seeing your post I decided to call DR. B and see where Iam on the list. Natalie told me Iam number 4 on the list for lapband as I was approved by medicare last September. She said i will be among the 6 to get my consult with Dr. B in June. That is not the information session however I believe you were talking about in your post just the initial consultation . If everything goes well i should have the band in December 08 or January /09. That will be a total wait time of 6 years for me counting the time wasted waiting for Dr. Macdonald in Nova Scotia to call after he retired and didn't bother to pass his list of patients on to someone else or at least call his patients and inform them that he stopped working ( sleasebag lying hippocratic oath denying money grubber). Anyway i can now see a light at the end of the tunnel , just hope i make it to Moncton before i see the real thing.hope this helps. it won't be long for you either I don't think , hang in there! P.s. India is still calling me says we can get a deal for 2 people .

Hey Stephen, Long time no chat. I am jealous of your low number on the list, but just a little. It must feel great to have the end insight. I am definitely not going to India, since I expect to be called in the next 6-8 months. If I skip a month of the summer and there are info sessions for 6 people every 2 months, I should be called in November. That would mean surgery in May or June 2009. That is just a year (or so) away!!! that is only a wait of 4 years 8 months. I was considering calling the new doctors in Halifax, may not now. It would so much easier to go to Moncton. Keep us all up to date with your progress. Thanks for giving me the info that gives me a general time line.

Hey Charline! When I went to my info session last fall I was told that he does ATLEAST 2 lap-bands a week, sometimes more if OR permitting. There are times here or there that he is only able to 1 though. But they said not often. Where the surgeries are so short, in one day he can do as many 3-4 if permitting, plus if any additional OR time opens he can easily squeeze in a Lap-band patient. They told me that it is usually about 2 though! They also said that he only does about 1 bypass a week. So this is why lap-band people have less wait time until surgery. I hope this helps! As I stated this is what was said last fall, there may or may not have been changes since though. As for a time line mine went like this: Consult October '07, Info session November '07, Paper signing would have been January '08 (if I was not in the hospital), then surgery February or March '08!! BUT as you know I was in the hospital until Febrauary and was scheduled for surgery in Halifax Feb 1st, but got postphoned until March 12th. Your time will come so fast...hang in there! Krista