B. Cole
I started my journey fairly recently. I have severe GERD with respiratory complications and I'm failing all meds. I did not want to have the 'accepted' surgeries for GERD, so I continued to suffer. My primary care doc finally pushed me to get the lap band to see if would help. I contacted the surgeon I have spoken with 4 years previously and and bingo bango, I was approved and scheduled for endoscopy to determine what size the hiatal hernia was.
Unfortunately they found a belly full of polyps and tumors and suddenly I no longer had the choice of by pass or lapband. The only thing that would work for me was a VSG. However, my insurance wouldn't cover that procedure. Having worked in the medical field for years and playing the insurance game I knew that had I gone down the road to Dr. Hack, he would have removed my stomach and put me on a feeding tube and my insurance would have paid for it. So I suggested that my surgeon bill it as tumor removal and hiatal hernia repair and mention nothing about weight loss. Of course it was approved and my surgery was scheduled and here I am now 4 days post op with the surgery that deals with all the problems and me on the way to being healthier.
One bit of advice. Never take no for an answer that you know is not the right answer.
I'm excited to be a part of a 'new' procedure for weight loss and look forward to feeling better.
Brenda
