I am sooo excited.  I have a date to see Dr. Sudan in Omaha, and will see him before the informational meeting because of finances.  They had no problem setting it up like this due to cost of gas and such.  Wooo HOooooo!  September 5th, Here I come.  Ok,  now question:  I have both medicaid and medicare (disability and for some reason they do both for me????).  Does anyone know if there is a standard requirement for them to approve?  I have in my records from my PCP various diets I have used and the amount of weight lost with each of them.  The doctor has done follow-ups with me due to other things, meds mostly, but has always checked with me and encouraged me to lose weight.  I would lose for a bit and then would end up gaining it all back again.  I am 320 pounds and 5' 3 3/4".  I have seen that Medicaid has sometimes required a 6 month doc supervised diet, and see here that they are just requiring a 3 month nutritionist consult for someone else.  Do they have a basic thing they require everyone to do, or do they go according to doctors records on what is going to happen?  I'm so excited.  :)  Wow a full couple of months here,  I leave next week for Canada to see my sis, On August 16th my grandson is due to be born and Sept. 5th will be the beginning of a new ME!  Wow!  Laurie

Hi, WooHoo! Congratulations on getting approved. Every detail can help your case. I am so happy for you. Let us know when you have a date. Mona

Hi Jeannie, you can log onto laurenshope.com. They have some pretty bracelets. Mona

Mona,  do you know where I could get a bracelet? 

Hi Cindy, it is a good idea. I have one that I wear when I am out of town. My bracelet says, Gastric lap banding. Do not place NG tube blindly. You might ask Dr. Holloway about the nsaids. He usually doesn't have a problem with them except immediately after surgery. Hope you are doing well. Mona