KimberlyTrishelle

Hello! Not all insurance requires the 6 months report. Some require 3 months, some don't require it at all. I suggest contacting your insurance provider ASAP. That way you know EXACTLY what you need when you discuss it with your doctor, AND if you do have to do some type of supervised diet with your PCP, then your appt next week can you be your first month. Normally if you do have to do the supervised diet plan, than a couple of sentences regarding exercise and nutrition added to the end of your notes when he sees you is sufficient. With my doctor it almost became a joke. I would go in for my appt, they would do all the normal things:weight, BP, temp. Then my doc would come in and say "What month is this?" "Number 3" I would reply. She would say as she wrote her notes "Ok, so you are here, you are overweight, you need to lose weight, you should eat fruits and veggies, lay off carbs, and hit the gym, anything else today? "Nope"-said me. Doc-"See you next month!" Yea. Seems pretty pointless...but definitely worth it in the long run. Good luck with your insurance!

Having my surgery January 25th!! So excited! Good Luck to all of you!

Hi Rachel! I just wanted to let you know that I feel EXACTLY the same as you do. I am ready to live a healthier lifestyle, I am ready to shed this weight that prevents me from starting a family, I am MORE than ready to be healthy for the first time in my life since I was 6, however for me..just like you, the hardest part is quitting smoking at the same time as giving up carbs, soda, coffee, and buffets :-) I kept asking myself "Is it REALLY necessary to quit right this second? " "Will I REALLY experience post-op problems if I don't?" It has been my experience that many things are made to seem worse than they actually are, so I just kept telling myself that it didn't REALLY matter if I quit or not before the surgery. I would just quit afterwards. Except I realized that after my surgery, when I'm sitting in bed recovering, then adjusting to my new diet, the urge for cigarettes would be MUCH worse than before. And this I DO know: You heal much faster minus cigarettes, than you do while smoking. I can't be out of work for too long, so for me, this was the argument I needed to kick my butt into gear. I need to heal as fast as possible. Plus, my husband will be taking care of me afterwards, and he will not let me smoke as he is vehemently opposed to it. In the end, I just think it will be easier to quit beforehand while I still have work and housekeeping (and yes...buffets) to take my mind off of it, than when I only have Oprah, Ellen, and Optifast. As for a helfpul way to quit: My surgeon did give me a script for Chantix, but I can't afford it and my insurance won't cover. So for Christmas I asked for an electronic cigarette. It contains nicotine, but none of the other harmful substances, also no smoke, odor, ashes, or spending $6 a pack. I just started using it a week ago as I told myself I would stop smoking exactly 4 weeks prior to my surgery. I haven't had a craving for a "real" cigarette since. This is MUCH better than doing a patch or gum because you still get to physically hold something that looks like a cig, and physically inhale and exhale, which as I'm sure you know are BIG parts of the addiciton. I hope that you quit too, if need be look into the electric cig. It costs about $80 to start, but (with the one I bought) it comes with 25 cartridges. 1 cartridge=1 pack of cigs. After that it is $6 for 8 cartridges (8 packs of "real" cigs) so in the long run you save a LOT OF MONEY in addition to all of the other obvious benefits. Good Luck, I have confidence that you will do what is best for you and your health, and if you ever need some moral support, don't hesitate to message me.