Hi Everyone in Oregon - Praying I get Lapband...

Hi! My name is Jennifer and I'm in Portland. I have been doing a lot of reading about the Lapband and I'm extremely interested in getting it. I'm going to the seminar on 9/30 with my husband. I work for a school district and we are changing to ODS or Providence insurance by 9/15/08. I have been calling the insurance companies and neither cover WLS, which isn't cool! I have been talking with my mom and husband and we would figure out a way to cover it, though. I have a current BMI of 40 and just really want this so badly. I would love to be down to a healthy weight for my husband and I to start making grandbabies for my mom... and to just be a healthy weight overall!!

Any suggestions or comments you have would greatly be appreciated! I read all of your guys' forums to find out information about the Lapband! Congrats to everyone who has it and who is going to have it! You are awesome and I send you many prayers! Who knows... maybe in the next few month I will be leaving my forum saying I had a succesful banding!!

Have a great night!!

If you work for the school district, aren't you considered a state employee (in Washington, they are)?  If so, isn't your insurance covered through PEBB?  My understanding is that Oregon state employees are eligible for both lap band and rny.  There are hoops and criteria....but it is available.

tk

Hi Jennifer,

I will be at the seminar on 9/30 as well.  My mom is coming with me, hubby will be home with the kids and my mom is nervous as heck for me to get surgery, so I figured it would help calm her fears.  I am hoping to get the RNY done.  Good luck on your journey!!

~Melody

 It can take quite a while to get through all of the hoops so be warned and dont get frustrated or give up if it takes a long time!  Mine took a year while others have been in the 6 month range.  this of course goes much faster if you are self pay. 

Good luck to you!!  I have been banded about 2.5 weeks ago and it is going really well.  The first few days hurt a little but the recovery is really fast and it is working great for me so far! (down 14 pounds since surgery)

Tina

Thank you so much Tina, for the email. I appreciate it. Wow!!! 14 lbs in 2.5 weeks... that's amazing! OMGoodness!

I was curious if it goes quicker if it's self pay, because then you don't have to wait for all the insurance "yes's and no's. "  Also, if I ended up having to pay for the surgery, I believe my insurance would still pay for blood work, sleep test, etc... you think? So it's not costing me the FULL cost of the overall procedure?

So where is the pain when you first get it done? Also... can you never drink coffee again? Are you able to drink as much liquids as  you want after an initial period or do you only ever get a certain amount?

I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.... Congratulations to you!!

Have a wonderful day! God Bless!
~ jennifer

I am thinking the other associated costs with lapband may not be covered.  A way around that would be to have your PCP order some of the tests,especially the sleep test.  Some of the bloodwork may also be covered, but probably not all of it. 

I didn't drink coffee for a couple of months after surgery, but now I consume it almost daily.
And I have suffered no ill effects. 

Best of luck!

 I think the doctors office fast tracks you when you are self-pay because you dont have to go through so many hoops/tests.  Some insurance companies require a 6 month supervised diet before approval etc.  I was approved on paper during my first consult but not approved for surgery  until after the tests were done.  All of the tests seemed to take the longest time.  

I dont know what your insurance will or will not cover but you can call them!  IN fact you can call both of them before you decide and find out.  It is really hard to say whether one company will or will not cover WLS because even within United Healthcare (my insurance)  there are so many sub-types that one person will not be covered while another will.  It really depends on the company you work (or your husband) works for.

Another issue I had was that my insurance company would not tell me fully whether i was covered or not. It took a call from the surgeons office.  Do as much homework as you can and then get your doctors office on it.

I was not told explicitly that I could not have caffeine  but I know i could not have Diet Coke (the liquid i was most concerned about).  It has all be fairly easy.  I had one day where I had a little headache.  I also had one cup of British Tea (my dear husband made if for me when i was feeling sorry for myself on liquids) . Other than that I have been caffeine free all this time.  I have to tell you I dont lay awake before i go to sleep anymore.  I am out when my head hits the pillow.  Im thinking maybe the caffeine thing has something to do with it.

Im not going to lie-the first two days hurt pretty bad.  They do let you have some pretty good drugs though.  and YOu sleep on those drugs.  Walking after surgery is Key-your recover much faster if you grit your teeth and get your keester out of bed/off the couch and walk around. It helps with gas pains from the lap surgery and it helps with healing.  After about a week there was very little pain left.  Only a little tugging ache when I twist my port around.

And thanks!  I hope it keeps working this well!!

Tina

Just in case you do go self pay    http://www.baybariatrics.com/    on the right they have the info. for their Lap Band Discount. Whatever way you go.......congratulations on your decision and the best of luck to you.

Hi Jennifer.  My primary care physician was 100% on board with my surgery.  She ordered my blood work to see how my diabettes was doing and she ordered the sleep study to see if I had sleep apnea.  Once those tests were completed she sent copies to the surgeons office.

If you are self pay, things can and will go really fast.  Once I got through the initial tests and meetings they called and said he could do my surgery the next week.  As happy as I was, I had to put the breaks on.  I have no family here and my mom and dad wanted to come out to help me so I waited untill they were able to get here.

It's really great that your family is coming with you to the seminar.  They give a lot of good information that everyone should know.  This isn't just going to be you having surgery, it's going to be you having a life changing event.

I am crossing my fingers for you on this, bennifer !! I knwo how blessed that I am to have insurance that covers it.  But I was nervous, I'll tell you what!  Keep us posted on what you find out!