KellyLessBelly

I have told family members, co-workers, friends, but I'm definitely not shouting it from the mountain top. I have gotten some of the weirdest responses. One woman told me, immediately after her overhearing my conversation with a friend about the upcoming surgery, that I should try this diet that her daughter did. I thought, "Didn't she just hear me say I'm having surgery, that I've tried 35 diets, pills, programs, etc. and they haven't worked?" The ironic part is that this woman is near 300 pounds herself. If her secret diet is so amazing, why is SHE still obese? My advise is to just tell who you want to tell and not tell who you don't! You can't avoid 100% of the negativity, but you can avoid a lot by choosing not to divulge unnecessary info to people who aren't generally supportive of you anyway!

July 31! This time next week, I'll be on the looser's bench!

I was so glad that I started last week, knowing that means I'll be period free during my hospital stay next week. I hadn't even thought about the possibility of irregularities afterwards. Dang!

I work at a desk in an office. I am planning on returning to work a week after surgery. My boss is skeptical. Am I being realistic? Did anyone else go back to work that soon?

Typos! * any additional amount

My surgery is just 11 days away. Today, I received paperwork from my surgeon's office that indicated there may be hospital fees that I am expected to pay when I check in. I am already facing hardship from paying my surgeon's $950 fee. I have no clue how I will come up with any v additional admit, or what that amount would be. I have Anthem Blue Cross. Anybody have any insight for me?

I am only having to do a 2-day clear liquid diet before surgery and I'm already worried about what I'll "eat" when I feel hungry during that time. I hate jello, but something tells me that I'd better acquire a taste for it! I am thinking I can have chicken broth & popsicles. What else did everyone eat while on clear liquids?

Same thing happened to me & once everything was resubmitted, I got approved within a few days!

We'd love to see progress pictures!!!

I am NOT looking forward to the saggy skin either. I just hope that I will look decent enough to feel comfortable in clothing! I definitely don't think that this surgery will boost my confidence about my body, but I am not doing it for looks. This is for my health, my life, ME, not the visual pleasure of anyone else

Anxiously awaiting hearing back from the scheduler. I should have my surgery date by the end of the day, yay! I finally updated my profile and shared my story in the "Share Your Story" forum. I usually use the mobile ap. This is my first time on the actual site and it sure is different to navigate!

My journey has been life-long. I was overweight as a young child, medically obese by around age 7. Should you choose to read on, you will get a glimpse of the factors that contributed to my struggle in comforting myself with food and attempting to render myself unattractive. I had been through the tumultuous divorce of my parents and felt abandoned by my father at age 6. Within a year of my parents' divorce, I was molested by an adult male friend of the family. A few years later, I was molested by an older boy, another family friend. As a teen, searching for love and male attention to fill the hole in my heart, I began a sexual relationship with my boyfriend at 15. I became pregnant within a year and decided to abort my child. I believed the lies of the abortion industry, that it was a painless procedure, that my baby was just a "clump of cells," and went through with the abortion. Immediately afterwards, I knew I could never go through with, or put myself in that position EVER AGAIN! This is when I really saw my weight balloon, in what I now see was an effort to make myself undesirable by men. If no one was attracted to me, I wouldn't have sex, so I couldn't get pregnant, and would never again face abortion. This is when I graduated to morbid obesity. I had gained around 80 pounds within a year. My family excused the weight gain by comparing me to other family members who were large. It seemed natural to them, that because I was becoming a woman and there was a family history of obesity, the weight gain was unavoidable. No one relized that I was filling an emotional hole with food. No one saw the isolating behaviors I was exhibiting. Thirteen years later, at age 29, after having had four children, married and divorced, I had come to know God and started a process of recovery from all of my past hurts. Since then, layer upon layer of pain has been peeled away, and I am truly a new person! I won't say that the weight is the last thing I need to peel away, but I can say that I am ready to work on this part of me now! I had thought about gastric bypass many times over the years, since 1999, but never with the healing behind me and the mindset I have now. For me, shedding this weight is symbolic of breaking free from the shackles of all the pain that was holding me back. Thank you for taking the time to read my story!

McLenz, my insurance's (is that a word?) UM department also has had the wrong date. Turns out, for me, that the surgeon's office just submitted a tentative date & it didn't really set anything in stone. My scheduler told me that once you're approved, you're approved. They could perform the surgery the next day & the insurance would have to pay because they approved it. I hope this is also true for you and your surgery will not be postponed! Good luck!

Just got approved yesterday, finally! It feels so much less stressful, knowing that I am really, seriously approved. I guess the third time (submitting documents to my insurance) was the charm No more insurance battles! I was originally hoping for a May surgery date, then I was postponed to June, & now July. The scheduler is going to call me on Weds with my date. Really, really hoping for a July date. If she says August, I think I might have to scream!

I'm in the same boat. Just got approved today!

Well, I have hung around in this May Surgeries thread all month & clearly not going to be having my surgery in May! I did speak with my insurance today & the dr. apparently submitted my pre authorization with a surgery date of June 1st. There was never a date mentioned to me, but knowing that they are trying to get it approved quickly makes me feel a little bit better about the whole situation. My case nurse forwarded my file to her supervising physician & is sending him a request to expedite it. It's feeling more & more real every day!

Well, I have hung around in this May Surgeries thread all month & clearly not going to be having my surgery in May! I did speak with my insurance today & the dr. apparently submitted my pre authorization with a surgery date of June 1st. There was never a date mentioned to me, but knowing that they are trying to get it approved quickly makes me feel a little bit better about the whole situation. My case nurse forwarded my file to her supervising physician & is sending him a request to expedite it. It's feeling more & more real every day!

Exeter, California, US

It's a small world after all! I don't know you, but I always see Meg tag your name in facebook posts. I know her from grade school in Exeter!

Congratulations! I thought I'd have had my surgery by now, but no such luck for me.... yet. I can't wait to join you!!!