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i've been obese all my life and tried multiple diets. In medical school i had my greatest weight lost with strict calorie count (i had lost 70 lbs with it), that was the first time i started dieting. my fourth year of medical school, i gained the weight back relatively fast after my diet routine got interupted, i was away from home and my scale (lol) and was wearing scrubs for 2 months so i did not realized i gained a whopping 30 lbs. since then it has been a losing battle for me and was getting frustrated. two years ago i decided i wanted the sleeve but my insurance did not pay for it. now my insurance covers bariatric surgery. i went to the surgeon for consult 1/19 base on BMI i qualify for surgery 40 (5'6, weighed 248). my insurance BC/BS of tenn. requires that i lose 10% of my body weight. they don't routinely cover the sleeve but i'm hoping since i have documented anemia i can get it approve. i started my diet 1/31 i had to lose 25 lbs and now i only have 8 lbs to lose. i have my psych eval tomm. i have been pretty open about telling people except for my parents (they would freak out so i'm stressing over this). some people feel like i'm "not that big to need surgery" "you taking the easy way out, all you need to do is eat right and exercise" and some have been very supportive. I've made up my mind. of course i'm nervous about surgery, never had any surgeries except for dental. after i lose the 25 pounds my bmi will not be 40, is the insurance going to denie the claim? will they approve the sleeve? i'll keep you guys posted "]

i called my insurance company (i have bc/bs) but they did not have a clear answer for me. i don't have any medical problems which i am so happy for (i come from a family of hypertensives and diabetes). i don't want to wait till i have more problems. i have the opportunity now and i want to seize it. i'm about to turn 34 in april and want to be a healthier me. I have 3 more pounds to lose then i'll see my primary care and get her to fill out my paperwork and i guess i will find out then. thanks guys for your responses

hey sheila.. i'm an ob/gyn and when i tell my friends and family i want to have bariatric surgery most people say the same thing "you're not big enough" "just eat right and exercise". regarding the tubal at the same time of surgery, it is possible but you may end up with more incisions since the sleeve ports are in the upper abdomen. i went to the surgeon and my bmi is 40. i have bc/bs and with my insurance i have to lose 10% of my body weight. now i'm afraid that i won't qualify since my bmi will no longer be 40. i have 3 more pounds to lose. has anyone have experience with this? i have no medical problems (and i want to keep it that way).

it does take our mind longer to adjust to your new weight (when i had lost 70 pounds before, i would pass a store mirror and it would take me a second to realize that smaller person was me). sometimes in our mind we think by losing the weight we will have the tight body of a skinny 18 years and we get disappointed. if you are fitting into a size 4 and still see yourself as being fat it would be wise to see a counselor.

i believe it means that the insurance does cover bariatric surgery but you have to meet all the requirements for you to get coverage.

i have bc/bs and they require me to lose 10% of my body weight and that will put me below the bmi of 40. i will see what happen and let you guys know

my surgeon told me smoking also increase the risk of having ulcer post op

hey ashley, i'm a doctor and do surgery, i've never had any surgery myself and want the sleeve. make sure it's a surgeon with good reputation. it is a scary process but also think about all the medical problems that being obese can cause. the hair will come back, if you lose blood they can give you some, antibiotics for infection. if there's a staple leak how's that taken care of. also how many times do people die during this surgery. if you know the complications and know the game plans for each of them that may help. also pray about it. weight loss is one of the best gift you can give to yourself

congrats. I've just started the journey, trying to lose 25 pounds (12 more to go) before we can submit the paper work. I'm hoping for approval but is preparing myself for battle. I have BCBS of tenn.

I have BC/BS of tennesse and they don't cover the sleeve cause it's "experimental" except for 1 group of people (but they won't tell me). Any ideas of when they would cover the sleeve versus the bypass?

keep strong. i am in the beginning process myself also. I've started my weight loss and have my psych eval in two weeks. I had to make the hard decision not to tell my parents because i know they will be against it. My best friend is definitely against, which hurt my feelings. she believe since i had lost the weight before i can do it again without surgery. I've told my sisters and they are supportive since they know how miserable i've been. I'm trying to decide if i will ever tell my parents and family after i have the surgery.