Melanie, Triwest would not pay for the surgery I choose to have. I did not want a gastric bypass. I preferred the lap band surgery options. Plus there is a 2 year waiting list for the gastric bypass here even if I had wanted to go that way. I wish that triwest would pay for my surgery but they wouldnt. I am receiving my follow-up care with my surgeon out in town. All follow-up care was including in my fee. Only when we pcs to Utah will I have to find another doctor or travel back to Washington for my follow-up care. As far as I am concerned I made the right decision for me and I have never been happier.

Hi, this is my first time posting here and I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Terri Barton and we are stationed here at McChord AFB, WA. I had lap band surgery on 9-24-04. I financed it myself by loving family members that wanted to help me. I will admit I was a chicken when it came to the bypass and I also didnt have the patience to wait 2 years for my surgery. hehehehe. I have lost 12lbs so far. My husband is a ssgt. and we have one 11yr old son.

Hi Donna! As you have probably read in others responses, Yes, Tricare Prime takes care of so much. I am having my surgery done at Ft Bliss, El Paso,TX since Holloman AFB,NM does not do surgery. What I would advise and check on before coming stateside is look at how long of a wait period you have at each military hospital you are considering. Any of the "big" ones like Walter Reed & the San Antonio area have LONG waiting times. In El Paso, we are advised it is a 6-8 week wait from the 2nd surgeon consult. We have been told some of the waits elsewhere were almost a year, just for the operating room to be available! So there too is something else to consider. Good Luck in getting the ducks lined up to have this done. Enjoy your time overseas. Consider it to be an extended vacation the government pays you to take. I wish I had been stationed anywhere overseas. I just wasn't that lucky.

Hi when you get to Rheinmein contact your HAWC and they should be able to tell you where the support groups are in your area

Hi there. While i have never been overseas myself, we have some friends here at MInot AFB that were stationed in Germany. I am not sure where she came from but she had quite a few friends over there who had it done. I am going to see her today and I will ask her. Good luck. I am sure it will work wherever you are. Wilford Hall told me that I had to get it done in San Antonio and I am getting my surgery up here in 13 days!!