Kourtney Richards

My name is Kourtney and I have been overweight a majority of my life. I have never been happy with my weight and I am doing something about now! I have been thinking about weight loss surgery for about 2 years now and doing research. It is definitely a chore trying to find answers through all the advertisements and information out there on the internet. What is just as frustrating is trying to figure out how to pay for this surgery! In the two years that I have been checking into weight loss surgery, I have NEVER had insurance that would cover it! Why would any insurance company in their right mind not cover the surgery for someone who has health concerns that are expensive and life threatening that would be reversed with sustained weight loss? You think about the expenses associated with weight induced health issues and any company would be a fool not to cover the surgery. According to the American Diabetes Association, "The total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2012 is $245 billion, including $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity." Wow! What a statistic! ARE YOU LISTENING INSURANCE GIANTS? Bariatric surgery for those individuals suffering from debilitating conditions that could otherwise be reversed or lessened by receiving the surgery is a no brainer!

Ok, now off my soapbox and on to my story. After two years of research (and a horrific divorce that made me realize how much I had neglected me for 11 years), I have decided to do something for myself and for my kids. I decided to bariatric surgery. How did I come to this conclusion. I would like to say that I finally realized that it was time, or that my insurance covered it. But simply put, it is now a necessity for my life! I found out in 7/2014 that I have Lupus. I have probably had Lupus for many years (possibly all the way back to when I was in my early 20s). Lupus was not only causing me to be in constant pain, but it was also putting strain on my kidneys. Between the Lupus and my other comorbidities (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, stress urinary incontinence), it was time to do something to save my life! So now I start my journey of weight loss with the assistance of a Gastric Sleeve.