Has anyone out there used the Lexington SC hospital program.  I have a seminar scheduled for Aug. 16.  Please Please let me know how this program is.  I'm just starting my journey and I need some support really bad.  I live in the Florence, SC area.

Hello,   Im not in the Florence Area, I am in Beaufort, But I wanted to say welcome!!  Im in the beginning also, but before  long we will be on the other side!! I will help you any way that I can. hugs- 

Thanks for the reply.  and Good luck on your journey.  Which program are you using?  I'm sure u won't have to travel as far as I will to find a hospital or program.  For me it's either Myrtle Beach or Columbia.  Keep me posted.  So far I've had my psych eval and nutritional counseling, but I'm considering going to Lexington Hosp in Columbia, because of the program fees, 300 buck.

Hey there   I will be having RNY surgery. The surgeon I am using is in Beaufort,  and his name is Dr. Mcdevitt..  I am sorry about the program that charges 300.00, that is the first time I have heard of that.  You will love this site, it has been a lifesaver for me.   I will help you any way I can. Good luck to you, also. hugs-   

Last year it was $250, when I wnt back this year it had gone up by $50.  So I take it yu did not have to pay any program fee.  Some folks on line have said they paid as much as 2500, OUCH!  I never would have WLS if I had to pay that.  Good to hear from Beautiful SC girls.  Hope everything works out for you.  I will look for your updates on line. I hope to be able to post something soon.  Was it a long process for you?

I am from Barnwell Sc and I have my surgery date 8/21/07.  Dr.  Strickland is my doctgor and the whole staff is great I love them.

Thanks for the reply.  I had attended a seminar in Conway, but there is a 300 dollar program fee, and as a single parent that was kind of a struggle to come up with that much, but I was trying until I  saw that there was not a program fee at Lexington. I've had nutritional counseling and the psych eval already.  But if I can save the program fee, and drive a little further, that may be my best bet, but I think the distances are about the same from where I live. How long was it for you to get a date once you got started.  What other out of pocket expenses can I expect.  Will you have to be on a liquid diet before your surgery.  Which surgery are you having?  Hope I'm not getting too personal. I'm just full of questions.   I'm thinking of the lap band, which my doctor recommended.

Now when I started for the program I didnt have to pay anything with Lexington but I have a really good insurance because They cover everything as long as you are approved for the surgery.   As for as they time period I started with my jorney in april 07.  The thing that took some time is getting my appt. set up for example I was suppose to meet the dietician and They didnt have anything available for the whole month so had to wait.  but that was the final thing that I had to do for my insurance.  After that it took my  isurance about 1 week and I got a call saying I was approved.  But there we so many people in front of me when it was time for surgery that was why i had to wait for 2 month for my surgery.  By the way I am suppose to have the Lap. RNY.  Anytime you have a question just ask I will be happy to help and good luck to you.

I have had both evals done, nutritional and psych, so maybe when I get the seminar and appt with the dr. it won't be that long.  I would like to do it this year, while I have my deductible met already, but don't know.  I have Fed BCBS and it does cover it, but only 80% with deductible met.  I guess I may have the same problem with the surgery scheduling though.   Please keep me posted as you progress.   What is the lap RNY?  I don't think I've heard of that one?

My sister had her appendix removed there.  A bariatric surgeon did her surgery and she liked him.  She had no problem.  From what I hear, they are very good. Rachel

Thanks so much for your response.  Hope your sis is doing great!

Hi, I just wanted to say that I will be attending the seminar at Lexington Hospital as well. It is scheduled for the 15th and not the 16th. Maybe I need to verify that date but according to their web site seminars are offered on Wednesday's. Either way I hope to see you there. I am starting my journey as well and I am hoping to get approved for Lap Band. You are more than welcome to email me anytime. shirley.grant@phoenix.edu

That is so great, You are correct it is on the 15th.  I have it right here in my notes.  I started this back last month by going to a seminar on myrtle beach, but they want 300 buck for the program, and I'm not sure what I will have to pay out of pocket, so i started looking for a program that did not have a program fee.  I've had the psych eval and nutritional counseling.  If necessary, I can have those reports sent to Lexington hopefully.  The drs that are in MB used to be in Florence, but moved to MB which makes it more inconvenient for us in this are.  But I think it is about the same distance from her to Columbia as it is from here to Conway.  Anyway to save the 300 is enough incentive to look somewhere else. I'm going to have to leave early, even though I've beent here before, I get lost in a box.   Hope to see you there.

I was glad to hear from you. I am sorry that the drive is so far out of the way for you but I pray it will be well worth the drive. I have to admit I have heard all GOOD talk about Lexington Hospital. My sister works at one of the sister offices and she said that the surgeons there are excellent!! I hope we get to meet each other there. Did you have to pay for your psych eval and nutritional couseling? I was just wondering I have not taken that step as of yet. I am very excited about this journey and I feel great on the inside about it. Well I hope to see you there and take care!!

I had to pay a $15 co pay for the psy eval, but did not pay anything at Carolina Hosp. for the nutritional counseling.  I imagine they will bill my insurance.   More and more I'm glad I waited and sought other places to explore the surgery.  I really can't afford the program fee at the other surgical group, plus I think they used to push their protein and supplements.  Even though the seminar was good, glad there is an alternative.  I explored this surgery about 3 years ago with the same group, the fee was $250 then,and as you can see, it is steadily going up.  I even had the initial consult with one of the drs there, but my insurance turned me down.  This time I have to do it.  My health problems are being getting worse.   I've already planned to take off work for the 15 and all. So I'll be there.  Please make an effort to find me, and I'll try to find you also. 

I will certaintly look for you on the 15th. You are right 300.00 is a lot to pay especially these days and times...gas is a killer expensive all by itself. I am just curious why did your insurance deny you the first time? I have United Health Care insurance and they are good. my boss husband had gastric bypass in March and we have the same insurance company and they were excellent with him. So, I just keep praying all will work out and I know it will. I haven't come this far to turn around now. The weight loss epidemic is becoming huge b/c  everyone is saying obesity will the next huge killer of society. That is why it is so expensive for every test and even charging for the seminars. I encourage everyone to please take advantage of every opportunity to lose weight that is possible. I want to live a long, healthy life. Take care!!! LOL!!

It was excluded on the policy, even after I appealed and gave them a running history of my co-morbidities they denied it.  I even wrote to the insurance administrator of the plan to no avail.  I told them that if anything happened to me because of my weight I was instructing my son to get to most high priced attorney and sue them for wrongful death, cause that was something that could have been prevented.  But I had companion insurance with the Honda plant, I am a federal employee now and I specifically chose a plan that would cover this.  The first year BCBS only covered the gastric and not the lap band, but now it covers them both.  My youngest daughter and her little 4 mo old will be with me so look for the baby and that will be me.  My kids are not too keen on the idea, but she is willing to come with me so she can see what will take place.  Do you have any family to support you on this?  This is gonna be great, a WLS buddy!  Do you have any thing up on your profile, I don't not sure how to go about doing it.  Good to hear from you.

That is just horrible with the insurance company and all. Thank God you have a better insurance company!! It is wonderful that your daughter will be coming along with you to see what the procedure is about. My husband can make the post-op with me and my boss's husband on tomorrow but he will not be able to attend on 08/15 b/c he will be on second shift. But I will be okay. When I arrive I will be looking for you!!! It is great to have a wls buddy b/c we can share the ups and downs of eveything and believe me I am praying there will not be any downs but all ups!! My family such as my mom and dad they do not fully understand about the surgery and as christians they asked me to pray about it and make sure this was the right thing for me. I appreciated that greatly b/c I didn't just want them to blurt out NO,and they didn't. Besides they know that all this weight is not healthy. Well if you want to email me feel free to do so at : shirley.grant@phoenix.edu

Whenis your post op?  Do you do that before the seminar or or afterwards?  I only have my kids, both my parents are gone.  My kids are all grown and have kids, so I'm spoiling grand kids.  Which is so nice, I get to send them back to their parents LOL.  my email is brenda.nixon@ars.usda.gov

No, you do not have your post-op first. My boss's husband had gastric bypass and he goes to the group post-op meetings each month. So he invited me to go along so I can here the ups and downs of the surgery and to actually meet some of the graduates of wls. I am very excited about that and I look forward to it. I will email on the following day to let you know how it was. Wish me luck!!!