MuttLover

Sorry you just found out -- but 6 months of pre-op weight loss monitoring is very, very common. A lot of people begin this process by calling their insurance company first to find out the requirements, and all of the surgeon's in my area ask for your insurance information at the information session or before the first visit. You might want to call your insurance company and find out exactly what is covered, how much you'll pay out of pocket, etc.. That way you can be sure you have followed all of the rules -- like most also require a pysch eval too. Your insurance benefit book will have some of the info, so check that before you call. If you look through the boards, you'll see several insurance-related posts. I've been reading them all, so I can make sure I've jumped through all of the necessary insurance hoops! Good luck!

I really like the "when I want to get fat again" response. I think that about covers it!

You can also check to see if your company has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Lots of large employer groups have this as a benefit. They typically offer some type of free counseling for certain types of situations. If you work for a really big company or a hospital, sometimes the EAP counselors are on staff. Other companies outsource it. But since it's counseling at no cost to you, it's worth a look-see. If there's no support groups in your area -- maybe you can start one!