New here!

Hi everyone!! This site has help me so much! I go for a seminar this month in Charleston. I am going back and forth in my mind between Lap-band and Gastric bypass. I am hoping this seminar will help me decide. I am going to pay for my surgery myself. My insurance will not pay for any reasons. Dr. Sticklers office quoted me a amount of $21,000. Can anyone tell me if that is about right? I am afraid after I get in the office it will be extra for this and that. Also what kinds of testing can I expect. Do I have to have a medical doctors recomendation? After your seminar how fast did you go for your appointment? I am really excited and I want to have this done while my kids are on summer vacation. Any info. you can give me would be great! I want to get everything in order so I can have it done as fast as possible! Thanks!

Hi ,Courtney you will be very happy that you found this site, everything is on here. I don`t know about self-payers too much, most of the things that people have to get are for the insurance cos.You might try asking on the main board.Congratulations on starting your journey!! I am also pre-op so I don`t know about the time that everything takes.You might want to read some of the profiles of Dr. Sticklers other patients.On this page look to the left click on surgeons, the other patients are listed, click on the names to read thier stories, some people do have timelines on the profiles. I hope that everything works out for you. Darleen

Thanks Darleen! Good Luck to you too!