DSHS question....

Hello, I am new to My OH, and I was wondering about how difficult it is to get the Lap band Surgery through DSHS. How hard is it to get the Surgey? I live in Washington state, and I'm not sure where I should be asking this. can someone help me out? Brian

Brian,  I just had the lapband done in Dec '06. A good place to start looking for a surgeon is right here on OH. Look up at the top of the page and you will see ---find a bariatric surgeon (it's in red). Or  you could talk to your primary care physician, and I'm sure he can refer you to someone in your area. It's hard to say how difficult it is to get the surgery because it depends on how your insurance is and if your BMI is high enough and if you have other co-morbidities as a result of your weight.  If you find a Dr. first you could consult with his office and he could tell you better wheather or not you are eligible for the surgery. Good luck to you on your journey. Dan     

Thanks Dan for writting me.... Se I am afraid that they are going to think that I'm just wanting this as a quick fix and that's not it at all. I go up and down every time I diet and I have just gotten to my highest weight @ 272.3 and my BMI is 41.2 . I don't have at this present time have any medical problems yet.  High blood pressure & diabeties & high cholistarol runs in my family. So I know that me being at this weight I am going to be there soon enough if I don't get some kind of help.  The Dr. I am going to go see I have never meet him before and I called and set up the appointment to get a referral for the Lap-Band, but  I guess I am just afraid of being turned down then getting the ok.... Congrats to you on your Lap-band and I hope that everything went well, hope your still succeeding...... 

Brian, Don't let yourself or anyone else tell you that weight loss surgery is a quick fix. believe me and all the other guys in the locker room, it's no quick fix. I've also heard people say it's the easy way out. Boy are they ever wrong, nothing about this whole thing is easy. It takes a lot of work and determination to succeed.  However with the surgery as a tool it will help you to succeed where you have failed at all other diets. My own wife was against me having the surgery, she also said I should be able to do it on my own. Well guess what, if I could do it on my own I would have years ago. With the lapband you won't lose as fast as with the rny however it does work. Both have their pro's and cons, you have to decide which is the better choice for you. Believe me I'm not starving myself and with my very arthritic knees I'm also not exercising enough, but my eating habits have changed and I'm down 80 lbs since Dec.  Research everything and if you want it, go for it. it does work. Dan

Well, I go tomorrow for my Appointment, to see if I can get the referral, nervous as hell lol. Ya most of my family thinks that I can just loose the weight if I just get off my butt but they don't understand how hard/difficult it is to be over weight when they all can eat whatever they want and still look like "Twigs". I'm told almost every time that it is mentioned that it's a cop-out and that instead of exercising and eating healthy that I am just going in for a quick fix. I'm sorry but it's not that simple, or easy to do something an almost in shape or someone that is just a few ponds over weight to do then someone 60pds & up. To me some people are just very small minded. Tow of my family members love to preach to chior but yet never take there own advice. Espically when they have both gone in for Breast Inplants, to help their *selfcontious, insecurities, and the way people might look at them* but Implants are so much more important then saving someones life.....My Partner is the only one that stands behind me in my desion, until now that I found this site.... ty About the Lap-band it the one I want, because If later on I want it removed then I'd be able to. Also I'm ok with losing weight slowly rather then fast. That way I can get my body to shrink as much skin as possible. I know I won't be able you afford another surgery later. I'll keep you all posted and let you know how it turns out tomorrow......  btw Congrats on the 80pds so far.... many more to come... Brian... 

Hey Brian...Welcome to the locker room... Ok the doc ain't gonna turn you down..as much as they wanna help people..they don;t make no money turning people down.... call you insurance rep, and get a copy of the Bariactric requirements.... they will be straight forward....like have a BMI of.,..blah blah blah..If you are low I don't think you  are, they will want a co-morbidity...but I think your BMI is good Weight history Weight loss attempts...they may want to see how you do on a diet for 6 months....blah blah blah....this is their game...go to the doc, get a diet, and follow up every month...withthe doc..to show that you are daning the dance some want a sleep study...pain in the AZZ but dance the dance most want a shrink consult///to see if you have unrealistic expectations...hell if all these guy fooled a shrink, you can too.. That's Basically it...find out what they want, and dance the dance....it may take six months....so get started now.... hope this helps russ

hi , I m going to encourage you to investigate all 3 wls types, before you settle on one, or the other, each has benefits and drawbacks over the other, I cannot have the band or the rny, my only option is the ds, which after learning about it am very bias toward it. but you will need to learn that from the ds forum on your own, visit the ds forum , and the lap forum,rny forum and read the pro and cons to find your way.