Kennedy310

Thank you so much! I've had a few days to be a little less angry and a little less sad. I'm looking at it as a minor setback now. Best of luck with your own journey!!

Hey Dean- It is always great to chat with gay-friendly folks like you to lend an even broader scope to discussions. I definitely think there is a big similarity between coming out as gay & coming out about WLS. The interesting part about weight issues of course is that they are so visible, and therefore, pretty difficult to hide even if one wanted to. As an openly gay man, I can't imagine having to keep any major aspect of my life a secret from others. So, I've already shared my plans for surgery with the most important people in my life. But I will be curious to see what it will be like at work & with casual acquaintances after surgery. I'll probably just handle them on a case by case basis. But I think the most important thing is not be afraid to discuss it out of shame or embarrassment. It sounds like you handle it very well. And you're right, anyone who has struggled with the constant roller coaster of food/weight/diet issues like we all have has earned the right to be proud of their decision to take back control of their health. Congratulations on your surgery & best of luck on your journey!

Thanks! I think you are so right about how much it helps others when you can speak informatively about your WLS with others. It really does ease people's concerns. I'm also finding that much like coming out of the closet, the more i talk about it with folks, the easier it becomes for me to articulate it. Plus, now that I'm older, I don't care as much what people outside of my closest family & friends think about my choice. So glad to find you & the others here. Looking forward to participating in the forum!

Thanks, Annie! Yes, I was really bummed. But I'm keeping all in a positive perspective. It will eventually happen. Congratulations on your surgery! Good luck with your return to work & the journey forward.

Thank you! Hopefully, all will go smoothly for you. But i completely understand your worry. best of luck in the home stretch!

Thanks! This does indeed sound like the same requirement I have. I spoke to my nutritionist & since I met with her a month ago, my next meeting with her serve as my first month's evaluation. So, that is at least a silver lining in this setback.

Thanks! And congratulations on your recent surgery!!

Yes, there probably are some nuances amongst plans. My plan is a personal PPO with Anthem. I pay for the entire thing since I am a freelancer. And I have a crazy high deductible... $4100. The requirement of the 3 month nutritional evaluation may be unique to my sitaution.

Hi all- I'm thrilled to see an LGBT presence on the forums here. I know there are aspects of WLS that are unique to LGBT & it's great to have a place to support one another. I had a rough week. I was scheduled to have gastric sleeve surgery on Wed, Jan. 9th. But with less than a week before surgery, I found out that my insurance would not approve me until I submitted 3 months of nutritionist's evaluations. I was shell-shocked because I had already put myself in the head space of having the surgery, only to have a setback in the eleventh hour. I've had time to gain some perspective & connected with a good nutritionist who I'm confident will get me to the finish line on this. One unique issue I've encountered as I plan for surgery is who I choose to tell & how I choose to tell them. It really does bring me back to my days of coming out as a gay man in my early 20s. Interestingly, I think more people have stronger opinions about weight loss surgery and food/weight issues than about LGBT issues. So far, all my friends and family have responded positively with a few that are just concerned. But I've made sure I'm well-versed in the details of my tentative WLS as well as the details of why I've decided it's the appropriate choice for me. But it is really interesting how similar it feels to coming out & how I often have to evaluate who I want to tell & who really just doesn't need to know. Anyway, I'm excited to use this forum as a support resource as I move forward on my journey. Glad to see you all here!

I'm not sure. Perhaps this is a new requirement for 2013. It might also be related to the fact that I haven't been on any formal diet plan in over 12 months. I have been following my own diet and exercise regimen after years of yo-yo dieting. I would just check to make sure, but I imagine if you already had approval it, they would still honor that. But definitely worth confirming with BCBS.

Congratulations! That's great news & it's inspiring for me to hear that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks. I probably wouldn't be as disappointed as I am if I had known sooner. But with less than a week to go before the planned surgery, I was in the headspace of being ready to do it. But you're absolutely right... it could be worse & there is a benefit to working with the nutritionist. My trip to the gym this morning was not in vain. Thanks for the support! I appreciate it.

Feeling pretty bummed this morning. My doctor's office informed me that Anthem Blue Cross will not make their decision on my surgery until I have 3 complete months of evaluations from a nutritionist. I know it's only a setback and it definitely could be worse but I'm still very annoyed since I had to wait till less than a week before the planned surgery to find it out. Has anyone had a similar experience? Is it worth calling the insurance company to see if they will waive this requirement?