Thank you. I just got off the phone with my lap and dr and he said unless I'm vomiting he will see me on Monday but I do need to be prepared to pay $225 , plus the 4 hour trip ... I'll go and he said my insurance does have to pay to have my band removed if it is eroded but they don't have to revise or replace it. It will also have to pay for the scope to look and see if it's eroded.

Sheri try to get seen at a local ER that dos weight loss surgery. Hospitals need to see EVERYONE regardless of ability to pay. You could apply for charity care (don't need to be on Medicaid to do this) or make a payment plan of $10. a month. Red and hot usually means infection. You don't want to make a simple situation worse. You may need an antibiotic. Your health is worth it. Use a credit card if you have to. Feel free to pm me if you need help. Just go.....today. Please.

Hi Sheri, I initially lost 86lbs which was not near my goal. I started having issues swallowing in 2009. Ended up having all the fluid removed, upper GI showed nothing. I went on for 3+ years without any fluid and gained all the weight back. I was back to my starting weight. Even without fluid I was having issues swallowing, felt like food getting stuck at my collar bone (that's where I was feeling the pain and pressure) and sliming a lot. I went back in 2013 even though I was still having issues and decided to put fluid in and consider the revision to sleeve. I changed my eating habits a lot, started exercising and working with a health coach. I had 2 very small fills but I have managed to lose 60lbs since then. I still do a fair amount of sliming though. I never know if today I can eat or not. I told my doc it's a love/hate relationship with my band.

I finally made the decision to revise and he ordered an upper GI so he could have some backup for insurance approval. While I was on the table drinking I started experiencing the issues I've been telling the doctor but I didn't say anything to the radiologist. He noticed I was having an issue on his screen and said something to me, I told him I was going to slime up the barium so I ended up spitting it out as he finished his tests. I couldn't have asked for better timing!! Finally it acted up at the right moment. I will ask my surgeon when I see him again what the radiologist saw, I'm curious. I'm sure it helped my case for approval. I have a different insurance company now from when I was banded too but they provide better coverage so I'm glad.

I hope all goes well with my surgery. I'm nervous because my band has been on for a long time, not sure what I'm going to go through to get it out.

Karen , congratulations on your approval . I have trouble navigating this website so I didn't see your story. Can you tell me how much you've lost with your band , how long you had it and what failed ?? I'm having some issues after being banded for almost 7 years but my insurance says they won't cover anything to do with my band . Bc it's a different insurance company than the one I had back thrn

my email is [email protected]

I got approved for removal of the band and revision to the sleeve. My surgery is going to be 11/24. In a way I can't believe this is going to happen. I'm a bit nervous already, but feel that it's my best option right now and hope that it does the trick!