Any Suggestions?

Hi, My name is Trish. I am 48 years old. I am new to all this, so if I ask a stupid question, I beg your forgiveness in advance. For more than a year now, I have been reading about Lap Banding. I have a BMI of 54.9. I recently have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, TIA's & my blood sugars are starting to rise. I also have degenerative arthritis of my lower spine. I need help. I really want to have the lap banding procedure. I feel this would be my best option. Problem is, I do not have insurance. I was working, but due to my husband's declining health, I had to quit my job to stay home and care for him. The added stress is unreal. I keep reading about the cost of surgery , trying to find a way to pay for this, but there is no way I could ever afford to pay for this surgery without insurance. We are living on my husband's social security. I look at all the before and after pictures and I am amazed at the differences. I have never been a normal size. Now, I find I am getting depressed because I realize that I cannot afford the very thing that can help me and I also realize that if I do not get this weight off, when I do get opportunity to go back to work, I may not be physically able to to so. My health is just starting to deteriorate and I need a way to at least slow it down. I know the weight just makes things so much worse. It seems I am doomed to live my life trapped in this obese body. Any suggestions?

Patricia, If you are covered under your husband's Medicare or Medicaid policy, you may well be covered. If not, I don't have any other brilliant suggestions. Dr. C The Deaconess Surgical Weight Loss Center Cincinnati, Ohio (513) 559-2545

Dear Dr. C, Thank you for your repsonse. I am not covered under my husband's medicare due to my age. He is 61 and I am 48. I am not sure we will qualify for medicaid due to the monies we receieve each month from social security. My husband recieve monies and then our 12 year old reciev monies too until he is 18. I wiill try to see if we quailify, but I really don't think we do. Thank you once again for your kindess. God Bless Trish (Patricia)

Are you covered on your husbands medicare? Or you can go and try to apply for a medicaid card at a local welfare office. Also another option would be to apply for SSI due to obesity. I hope this helps. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Lisa

Dear Lisa, Unfortuanately I am not convered under my husbands medicare. I am too young. I am going to try to apply for medicaid help, but I truly believe we make a bit too much money, but I will try. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. Trish aka Patricia

Patricia, if you are on your husbands medicare e-mail me and I will give you instructions on a site to go to where you can read the coverage that medicare has for bariatric surgery. [email protected] Shelia

Dear Shelia, Thank you for your advice and sugestions. I am not on hubby's medicare. I guess I am too young or something. Thanks though, it is good to know there are folks who are trying to help. God Bless

trish-welcome! i see that everyone else answered what i would--i understand about your age but i do not understand why you are not also covered if there is no actual income- aside form ssdi etc? i do think that you need to apply for your own disability and/or medicaid thru state of ohio---obesity is a disease and it is treatable--i had open rny in march--may i ask why you are thinking lap band? we all have our own opinions and each of us feels differently-i am just curious as to why you choose the band? good luck to you- i am in elmore- not too far away-write me!\margo

Dear Margo, Thank you for your concern. My husband receives social security disability which is different than ssi. It is like regular social security. I never thought about going for ssi myself, since I do get around and am the main caregiver of my husband. I just never thought they would grant it. I know how hard it is to meet qualifications with the social security administration or medicaid. My husband recieves a small pension from the shop he retired from when they shut down the doors. Besides his pension, soc security and the social security we receive for our son we have no other income. I will try, but I hate going and getting turned down. It is so humiliating. I chose lap banding because it is reversable. I know several people who have had bypass. A couple of the people only lost a small amount of weight and in the end, you could not even tell they had had gastric bypass. They remained basically the same size. The people I know where the surgery did work, well, they look great as far as their weight, but they really look malnurished, their skin color is very pale, and they just do not look healthy. Lap banding is a slower weight loss process, and will not cause me to be malnurished. Since the small intestine is not bypassed (that is where vitamins & etc are absorbed) I know I will not be lacking in nutrients. Thus I should remain healthier. I prefer a slower loss than to a fast one. Plus, if I lost so much weight so fast, I would have skin hanging everywhere. I would have to get a wheelbarrow to haul it around. Ha! Ha! Sorry, tis a feeble attempt at a joke against myself. I will keep you all posted. Thanks again. God Bless Trish