JodyG

I've heard that lapband is for people who dont' have that much to lose. I'd be starting at 300 and would ideally like to end up at 160. I'd like to hear from people who have lost 150 pounds with lap band, how long it took, why they didn't do bypass, etc. Also, do you keep getting your band adjusted forever, or do you reach a "sweet spot" after a few fills and just keep it that way? If I have to pay for fills out of pocket, how much would they cost? Also, why do they say you can only lose so much with lapband vs. bypass. The percentages vary, but I have heard you can only lose 30-50% of excess weight with lapband vs. 50-70% with bypass. Why would the amt. with lapband be less? I can understand it taking longer, but if you keep getting fills, why wouldn't you just keep losing. thanks.

I have 3 insurance questions. I have good insurance now and am deliberating whether to have lap band or bypass. 1. My current insurance will cover both, but if I switch insurance due to changing jobs, will my future insurance disallow fills because it was a pre-existing condition? I don't want to go with the lap band and then be unable to afford the fills because I'm paying out of pocket. (By the way, how long does one keep getting fills?) 2. Does anyone know of an organization I can join to get GROUP insurance that does not depend on my job, such as AARP, professional organizaitons, religious organizations, etc.? 3. I have a friend who had bypass and said that she can not get new insurance at all because they disqualify her because she had bypass. Is this common? Ways to avoid it? Thanks, JodyG