Hello :) and welcome to the world of WLS.

I had Dr. Blackstone when I got my lap-band.  She is a very skilled surgeon and I like her a lot.  The lap-band did not work for me at all, but I don't blame that on her in any way.  I am getting my band taken out and I am revising to the DS.  If you check out the revision board on here you'll find that MOST people are switching to the DS from both lap-band and gastric bypass, but you won't find any DS's switching to anything else.  The DS is the most aggressive WLS you can get, it works fast and has a MUCH lower failure rate than the RNY (40% and up with the RNY, 3% with the DS).  I am not starting a surgery war...I believe each surgery is good for different people and their goals.  Dr. Blackstone has recently (November '10) been trained to do the DS and has done a few of them.  I believe she is very skilled and would do a fine job.  I'm going through a different surgeon because of surgery scheduling conflicts. 

Please feel free to PM me if you want to know more about my experience, or check out  my blog.  My experience is not everyone's though... so only take it for what it is.  The biggest choice between the RNY and the DS is this...do you need something to help you stay on a diet?? Then get the RNY.  Do you need something that allows you to eat normal sized portions (after about a year, year and a half) and normal foods and still not gain weight?  Then get the DS. 

Whatever you do---RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!!!  Don't get a surgery until you know everything about all of your options!  That's the mistake I made.

I also have BC/BS of AZ and my insurance plan did cover WLS :)

Good luck!

    

            After my surgery with her -- I never saw her again as a patient.. all my follow up was with her  staff and Randy   her  Nurse practioner   was awesome!!

Hey just wanted to let you know if you are on Facebook I created a page for patients of Dr Blackstone. I look high and low for one and there wasn't one. So I thought I would give it a shot.

 Thank you soooo much for the encouragement.  I do know its going to be so worth it!  

Congratulations!  Just hang on and enjoy the ride.  You aren't burying your head in the sand - you chose a great facility and a great doc.  Her old partner did my surgery and everything has been flawless and actually pretty easy.  Now is the hard part - those last few pounds.  The first 100 were a breeze.

Yes, you will hate SF jello after the next few weeks, but oh well.  Everything you will be going through (which really is minimal if you follow the rules that they give you) is SOOOO worth it - at least in my experience.

No regrets!