kittydream

I'm pre-op, have been going through the process since Feb. I am 19 lbs away from a 40 BMI. After multiple tests to see if I have one of the very specific co-morbidities that my insurance requires, it turns out I do not. I feel like the wind got knocked out of my sails (or whatever that expression is). I am 19 lbs away from not needing a comorbidity. 19 lbs. Has anyone heard of anyone gaining weight in order to meet the insurance requirements? I mean, I've *been* steadily gaining weight over the years, so I know I will get there eventually. Im just tempted to eat more bacon now.

I'm pre-op, have been going through the process since Feb. I am 19 lbs away from a 40 BMI. After multiple tests to see if I have one of the very specific co-morbidities that my insurance requires, it turns out I do not. I feel like the wind got knocked out of my sails (or whatever that expression is). I am 19 lbs away from not needing a comorbidity. 19 lbs. Has anyone heard of anyone gaining weight in order to meet the insurance requirements? I mean, I've *been* steadily gaining weight over the years, so I know I will get there eventually. Im just tempted to eat more bacon now.

Congratulations! Best wishes on your weight loss journey and I hope everything goes in rapid speed for you! I only wished that I would've done this at your age!

Ya'll I could just cry right now! I just got my insurance card and was finally able to pull up my benefits-not just the form that states bariatric surgery is a covered benefit...my surgery is indeed completely covered and on top of that it doesn't look like I'll have a million hoops to jump through! Requirements: Morbid Obesity, performed at a CME facilty and formal request for surgery to be performed.
The last insurance I got stated bariatric surgery was covered but when I finally got the benefit paperwork it only covered a quarter of the cost. I had hoped when I made this thread, but was holding my breath to be told I once again wouldn't be able to actually get it done.
10 years, this time will be different. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm so excited!

I had my surgery Aug 11th . Um I have been walking a lot but I still have pressure and soreness. I think I will puke if I taste or smell broth again. Oh and if one person tells me I'm taking the easy way out ... Hasn't had the bypass and need to shut the fuck up

Yesterday I finally got my approval for the sleeve. I'm 28 years old. I'm deciding to do this because I want to be there for my daughter and I just can't bare the thought of entering my 30's as I've lived my 20's. Time to enjoy life!
Find me on IG youre_notready
Ps. Anyone in South Florida?

I have BCBS, it took less than 60 days if I remember right, I got 1st letter approval. I had my 1st appt with the surgeon in early Sept 2011, and had my paperwork done and submitted fairly soon after, must of been approved fairly quick as I was able to be banded Dec 13, 2011. They paid for ALL of it, and im extremely grateful to them ! This was a 2nd chance for me and I was' nt going to mess it up, so I listened to my Dr.s rules and have done well so far. Im VERY happy I got banded !

It's official!!!!! Woo-Hoo:) I got my surgery date! MAY 19, 2014 finally!!!!

I'm pre-op, have been going through the process since Feb. I am 19 lbs away from a 40 BMI. After multiple tests to see if I have one of the very specific co-morbidities that my insurance requires, it turns out I do not. I feel like the wind got knocked out of my sails (or whatever that expression is). I am 19 lbs away from not needing a comorbidity. 19 lbs. Has anyone heard of anyone gaining weight in order to meet the insurance requirements? I mean, I've *been* steadily gaining weight over the years, so I know I will get there eventually. Im just tempted to eat more bacon now.

I started my process 2.5 yrs back and I was already diagnosed with co-morbidities myself but I was afraid I would still not get it approved cause I was not 40 bmi. I was like 5-8 pounds away from it so my doc said to gain weight. Which I did but still my insurance at that time denied me cause I was in nursing school and had NYU student health insurance. So I said to myself that once I start working I will start the process again. So last Nov/dec I started the process but this time I had already 40 bmi, a ton of co-morbidities and an excellent surgeon and insurance that got me my surgery. My insurance requirement was 4 visits with the surgeon and then approval. And thankfully it all worked out and had my surgery on march 31. The point is that if you need to gain the weight then just do it so you can get what you want. It will all work out in time...I really mean the time part.'

A few years ago I found a U2 t shirt at Old Navy. U2 is my all time favorite band, so I bought it even though I knew I couldn't fit into it. It was a very slim cut ladies' XXL, probably closer to a large in reality. I've kept it in my closet with the tags on it for over 5 years waiting for the day that I could fit into it. I tried it on when packing for our weekend trip, and it finally fit! In the words of Bono, "It's a beautiful day!"

Hi Everyone, I'm Vanessa and I am 24 years old and a year ago on April 15th, 2023 I had gastric bypass. This was a very big decision I made for myself. I started my journey weighing in at 270lbs. Today I am 164lbs. I have lost 106lbs. I am very pleased and excited about this. I havent weighed this much since middle school. Now that my one year is coming up I am scared about staying on this path. I've been noticing that I am able to eat more and some foods I shouldn't be eating. I am young and have plans for myself and my husband to start a family soon but scared about the weight I will gain and how it will affect me in the long run with the weight. I guess I will worry about that when that comes. I am loving my new body, clothes, and confidence I have gained through out this journey. I hope everyone else is doing remarkable! Just wanted to share a little bit about myself. Hope to meet and make some new friends!

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So in sticking with my plan for the last three weeks, it was Friday morning and "weigh day". I was happy to see another 3 lb. loss to make 40 in 6 weeks. Then I took my measurements as I have done on weigh day and compared them with pre op measurements. I have lost 23 inches!!!
I felt so good about me, that after hiding my body from my husband for about a year or so, I walked from the bedroom to the clothes hamper in the utility room stark naked twice!!! He just smiled and asked me if this was a parade or an invite!!! LOL

I'm pre-op but leaning towards the bypass. For one thing, my doctor said the sleeve is not as good at helping with reflux as the bypass. I also want the best chance for great success and the bypass has better long-term stats. I'm also attracted to (in a weird way) the dumping syndrome you get with bypass. I need that additional "feature" to help control the sweets/carbs... I know those will be a challenge for me and I need all the help I can get for it.
Good thing to discuss with your surgeon.

How cute are you??? Excellent Job!

I had a BMI of 40... After 3 years of fighting, my doctor finally got me approved because of arthritis and IBS. With my insurance you have to have a BMI of 50 if you aren't diabetic or sleep apnea. I think the insurances are staring to see the value in this surgery.

I agree with the above statements that I would hold my head high and keep my eye on the prize even if they never understand why you want this surgery which would be to be healthy. I wish you the best of luck and congrats on your choice to be healthy.

All of mine weren't either. I had a hard time and then I told myself no more stress just determination. I sure showed them, you will too. As long as you have us and support yourself, you are golden. Later Sunshine. Stay determined

I understand completely where you are coming from... But here's what I think the fat acceptance is trying to accomplish --
EVERYONE has the right to be happy. Regardless of their size. Yes, you could resolve a lot of medical issues by losing weight. Accepting your size doesn't mean you can't be committed to a healthier lifestyle, these aren't mutually exclusive things. But as humans, we all come in different shapes and there's absolutely no reason that anyone should be shamed for it.
I do think there is a difference between "I'm fat and I love being fat!" and "I'm fat and that's okay." But still, to each their own. If someone is happy being 500 lbs, then it's not up to me to tell them they shouldn't be.
I feel like obesity is the last thing that's socially acceptable to discriminate against. An airline doesn't make gay people buy two tickets so their gayness doesn't offend the person sitting next to them... Our society makes any other form of discrimination socially unacceptable, but it's still funny to ridicule a fat person or okay to treat an overweight person like an animal. It's not fair, and the fat acceptance movement, to me, is about getting society to see that no matter how big you are, you're still a human who deserves respect.
No matter how big or small, it's not up to me to tell someone else how to live their life, even if it's under the premise of "it's about your health". Skinny people are just as unhealthy as fat people are, but they don't get shamed for eating potato chips or enjoying an ice cream cone and that's really just not fair.

DANG! @piercedqt78 you mean all this cottage cheese skin won't turn into butterflies ???

Hi, M!
Thank you for asking. I usually don't even open the e-mails from the WLS sites anymore, but for some reason I opened yours :-)
I'm doing better. I'm finally gaining weight so now the fear of being "huge" again is scary. I still love food . Unfortunately, I've come to realize that one addiction leads to another. If you don't figure out why you over eat in the first place , have this surgery it's not uncommon that we substitute food for something else . My late brother in law , same surgery, Sam ages and had surgery one year after me found alcohol which damage his kidneys more and costs him his life. I turned to drugs. Thank goodness I got caught. I actually came out on my own. What a relief. It almost cost my marriage, my family, my kids . I've lost so many cars from wrecks. My husband left me. We are working on saving our marriage. So far it's going well, but it hasn't been long. But I'm determined and have a wonderful support system. My parents and older sister have been my ROCK. I WOULD NOT BE HERE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEM. I was at my breaking point but no one knew. Suicide was ALWAYS on the brain.
Lost all self esteem , due to my on going dental issues. Missing most teeth when I use to beautiful teeth. I wouldn't look in the mirror even while putting on make up or brushing my teeth. Much less want to talk to ANYONE. Which led to wanting more drugs.
Luckily, I have the MOST INCREDIBLE PARENTS. I'm over coming having all my rotten teeth pulled and dentures made THANKS all to my mom and dad. They are a HUGE BLESSING.
I appreciate you asking . That was nice. Made me think maybe my story can help just one person and that I should keep up with this more. Especially since my REAL story doesn't end just at the take down surgery. There's more complications that go on that are hidden very well from some some. It's a very dark and lonely place.
Again, thanks.
Michelle
*SORRY FOR POSTING THE SAME PICTURE OVER AND OVER, IT KEPT SAYING IT CRASHED SO I DIDN'T THINK IT DOWNLOADED!

Hello.
For years I have considered weight loss surgery but finally started the process in July of 2013. My surgeon is Dr. Robert Quinlin at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV. My surgery is Monday, January 13, 2014. Quinlin and his team have been phenomenal so far.
My highest weight was 334lbs in July. I have since lost 14lbs and am at 320lbs. I am 5'6" and 41yrs old.
I have been big most of my life but that never kept me from participating in life nor were there any limitations until the past few years. When I weighed 270 five years ago, I began to realize the consequence of aging and carrying the weight and gained 60 MORE pounds. This last 60lbs has basically left me exhausted and miserable. It's all I can do sometimes to get to work, keep the house clean, and ...exist. The limitations happened within 5 years and then I was faced with the reality of consequence of working night shift, convenient eating, eating at night, sleeping during the day. It sounds silly but one day I just looked in the mirror and wondered when and how did this happen? Or better yet, how did I let my weight get so out of control?
I am a food enthusiast, not so much sweet things but more drawn to bread and doughy things. And soda!
This week I am on the pre-op liquid diet [high Protein, sugar free Jello, sugar free popscicles, and broth]. It has been very difficult but it is almost over. I made it! Tomorrow morning it's Clear liquids only. Kudos to those of you doing two weeks of liquids.
99% of the people in my life are supportive of this decision. The others think I can lose the weight on my own. But they cannot possibly imagine the convergence of misery that has resulted in this decision. Sometimes I even think "oh my god, you are really doing this!?"...then I nod and think "YES I AM!"
My parents are my biggest support. I thank the Lord everyday that they are here for me.
My anxiety comes and goes. I find myself more anxious in preparing...having the dogs taken care of for three days, the packing of the hospital bag, having clean sheets on the bed for when I arrive back home but I am sure Monday morning I will battling my inner frenzy. Even so, I am ready. Whatever it takes. Fall down seven times, stand up eight.
Tomorrow I will do before pics. And maybe I will figure out how to get a profile picture.
Thanks for reading. It's truly wonderful that technology at least provides this channel of support, experience, sharing, and understanding.

Thank you everyone for clearing up the story and avoiding some people who need this life saving surgery from being scared or turned away because of the bad stories. While I am sorry for the people who have had terrible side affects, it does not mean everyone will have a bad experience. It is the horror stories of surgery gone bad that deter people from moving forward with possibly saving their own lives. If it were not for those horror stores I read on this site, I would have done this years ago when I wanted and was in a much healthier place in my.life. It only got worse for me. So I say, do your research, listen to your heart and your doctors recommendations and no one else, not even family. Good luck.to all.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience but that doesn't mean the surgery is wrong. Researching the doctor and hospital where it's being performed is key to avoiding problems and no surgery is exempt from possible things going wrong. Even if I never reach size 2 or some other dream weight, my diabetes is already gone and if I fail it will be my fault for falling off the rules. And I think in the past decade a lot better techniques have been developed. Sorry yours didn't work out but there are so many more success stories, and if your health is failing as many of ours is, it's worth the low risk of something going wrong.

I know we are all very focused on our individual weight loss journeys. I know for me, it was a rollercoaster of highs and lows emotionally. Physically, the changes can seem daunting as we embark on exercise routines which find ourselves being screamed at by an over the top Zumba instructor. Some days, mentally, I am drained. I believe it is important to stay focused on ourselves early out. This is our time. We have committed to making a fundamental change with our relationship with food.
At times it has been easy for me to slip into a funk. I become restless, irritable and discontent. Someone wiser than myself suggested to me that when I find myself suffering from R.I.D., it is time to make a gratitude list. I focus on the things that I am grateful for in my life right now. It doesn't have to be a task which occupies you, but I do recommend actually writing them down. They can be things as simple as being grateful for having a full tank of gas, or having a comfortable chair. Don't be surprised to have your thoughts hijacked by negativity while working on your list. Try to re-route your thinking to things you would be sad to not have in your life right now.
Keep this list handy and review it before you go to bed adding things you see fit. This can be a tough journey emotionally and I have found this exercise keeps me focused on the things in my life that are important. If you are not sure how to do this, Google Gratitude List as there are many different methods for doing this. Religious folk may take a different tack than an agnostic. Men will also take different approaches than women, young versus old ...
Type A personalities will believe they are on everybody else's gratitude list ... ;D ... giggle, snort
Take care and don't forget to love yourself.