DivaSoBlessed

Thanks @@Nurse_Lenora, I called yesterday and they emailed the policy with the requirements to me. After reading everything over it looks like I qualify based on my BMI alone I am above 40 at a 53. I also have hypertension. So I am guessing that the next step is this information session in order to be able to meet with a surgeon to discuss my options.

@@livvsmum Thank you! I am looking forward to this journey. It certainly has been a long time coming. I am prepared to fight for a better life now than more than ever. The pst few hours have been quite emotional. I still have to get approval from my insurance but I am hopeful tht it will be approved. I had them send me a copy of the requirements for medically necessary surgery and without even thinking about my comorbidity's my BMI alone is high enough for approval but I also have a few other ailments that make me eligible. So now its on to the required information session. [emoji4]

Thank you @ThePostOp. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. As you said. One hurdle down, and I am ready for the next. I debated attending this information session a day before Thanksgiving because usually we are home prepping for the holiday but I want this enough to give an hour and fifteen minutes of my time. I weighed in at my largetest eeight ever last night 361. I can feel the difference too my stomache feels awful after I eat almost every time that I eat. I went to bed in mild pain while trying to nurse my type II diebetic husband through a tooth ache. Thank goodness for clove essential oil. That stuff works like a charm. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Thank you @@Nurse_Lenora I am experiencing so many emotions right now that I don't know what to do with myself. I'm excited too.

So after a grilling session with my PCP he agrees that surgery is the best option for me but only because I am turning 40 next year. He knows of my desire to lose the weight and start a family. I had a break down right there in front of him. This PCOS has me like a darn Water faucet all of the time. He told me that he had a 21 year old attempt to do it and he was thinking "get your but out of my office you are young and have time to lose the weight" . He finally said yes to writing her a letter and due to her age and maybe her BMI they denied her. He is big on getting in consistent workouts and eating healthy but I tried to explain to him even on my most compliant days I would feel defeated because the PCOS makes it that much harder to lose the weight. Anyway I am attending a information session this Wednesday which is required before you can even schedule an appoint to meet with a surgeon. This is the start of my journey and although I am nervous it feels good to know that my primary doctor is supporting my decision to do this.

Thank you so much @ThePostOp! As for the hubby I couldn't go through this journey without him. He has been my supporter since day 1.

Hi @ThePostOp Thank you so much for responding. I am at the same resolve that I am not walking out of that office without his being on board with me doing this surgery. Because of having PPO I don't think that I need a referral to see a surgeon but I do want his okay. That is simply because as you said he will indeed have to be the doctor that I see well beyond having surgery. When I originally started this journey back in 2004 I went into it not being as prepared for all of the pitfalls that go with what is suppose to happen during the process of having WLS. Today I am well polished and I'm like a bowling ball ready to knock down any pins standing in my way. I am refusing to take no for an answer and if he isn't on board I don't have a problem switching PCP's. I would rather not do that because I really like my doctor and I can tell that he really is truly concerned with my overall health. My husband and I have the same doctor and I usually show up with my husband to all of his appointments and he usually shows up to mine. Because he has type II diabetes and the doctor originally didn't believe that he was working out on a daily basis until he started seeing the weight loss for himself he wanted me with him as a witness. I didn't show up to his last appointment beacuse I knew that doc would be on me about my weight loss. He sent word back with my husband that he wanted to see me within the next 90 days. He hleven told my husband that he was going to piss me off and light a fire under my ***. Well he doesn't have to wait 90 days becauae I am going in full throttle with my shiny bowling ball for a strike lol! I have not contacted any surgeon yet but I know where I want to go for my surgery. I will go and see my PCP first and take everything from there. I will let you all know how it goes. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I truly appreciate it.

Hi @@WorkinOnMe These are great suggestions. I thought that my appointment was tomorrow but its actually today so I am going to give BCBS a call asap. I am prepared with many questions and I almost feel like I need to write them down so that I don't forget anything. I also have paperwork for previous attempts at weight loss dating back to 2004 along with food journals that I accidentally found in a box on one of my closets. I am hoping that this will get him on board. I will definitely let you all know how it goes. Congratulations on the success of your journey. I know that having so many ailments before starting your journey were hard to deal with because I am there now. Stay tuned. Fingers crossed.

Hi @@Kitty112415 First off Yay!!!!! Congratulations on your surgery. I am so excited for you. Please do keep us updated on your progress. I am praying that my doctor will be as supportive. It definitely helps when you are trying to go through the process. I am still a bit nervous but this is my life on the line so I am going in well prepared. I appreciate your response.

Hello @@shriner37, I agree with that a lot of PCP's are generalists and may not have a lot of knowledge on a specialty such as bariatric surgery. I found a YouTube video of an interview that my doctor did for the hospital that he is affiliated with and his main points were about overall general health and fitness which he is into and has previously advised me to do. The problem is that I don't think that he is aware at the severity of me having PCOS. It doesn't matter how long I exercise and attrmpt to eat clean the weight that I lose always returns and more. I suffer daily from many ailments due to having this condition and from my research one of the best alternatives to effectively dealing with PCOS, high blood pressure, and pre-diabetes is gaving this WLS. I decided that I wanted to do the sleeve because I have seen that there are a lot of people who are having to go back in for revisions due to complications and outside of that there is too much maintenance with fills that I just don't want to deal with. I am also aware of the risks associated with getting the sleeve as well. I am going in knowing that he is either going to be supportive of my choice or that he may not be but I am not leaving his office until I get a definitive okay from him. Thank you so much for shedding some light on the situation because it helps me to remember some key points going in. I really appreciate it.

@@animallover1247 Thank you for responding. I don't think that BCBS requires the six month supervised diet anymore but I am praying that he is on board with me wanting to have the surgery. Sounds like you made the right choice in choosing another PCP and as for your psychiatrist it almost sounds as if she was trying to scare you out of doing the surgery. As long as she sent you an approval status for your surgery I would pay her no mind. Congratulations on getting this far into your journey and I am wishing you a much better experience from here on out. Lets keep in touch to see how you are doing with your progress and I'll update you on mine. I knew going into this that there would be some opposition but I am ready to fight through it all. As I sat going through old documents from surgeries, emergency room visits, wls dietitian appointments, I counted that I attempted my journey in 2004 and was defeated by change in insurance and doctors not being very helpful. Today is a new day and I am fighting for it. I'm not taking NO for an answer.

@@BigDaddyJG You look amazing! Congratulations on your success.

Congratulations ladies! Best wishes on your upcoming surgeries.

@@Nurse_Lenora Thank you so much. That is awesome news and I am happy to know another Chicago girl who is also on the same path to a fresh start at a new life. Please keep in touch and keep me posted on your process. I and sending hugs and prayers your way. I wish you all the best on your upcoming surgery in the new year.

My Story: I'm from Chicago but now live in a suburb just outside of Chicago. I've been dealing with being overweight since my sophomore year of high scool. Prior that I was the skinniest kid in my home. My weight gain started with taking birth control to regulate my periods and from there it was all down hill. I am 39 with a husband and a step-daughter who just turned 18. I've been in her life and help to her raise since she was five. My husband and I have been trying for 13 years to get pregnant with no success. After going through surgery to remove my gallbladder I paid a visit to my new Gyne for the first time quite a few years back and I was prepared with tons of information on what I thought I have. After two sentences she looked at me and said "You have PCOS". All of the symptoms were in plain view including the embarrassing dark ring around my neck, horrible acne, and coarse facial hair. Finally I had a doctor who had a concrete answer for why I was feeling like crap and experiencing these emotional highs and lows. Fast forward I attempted to ask my PCP about Bariatric Surgery and she looked st me with a stern cold expression and said you'd have to be on a six month supervised diet and your insurance may not cover it. I was already having enough of a hard time so feeling defeated I gave up and kept suffering through attempting to lose the weight only to gain it all back and then some. Moving forward its been eight years since I've seen that PCP and I've been with my new PCP a couple of years. He keeps pressing me to lose weight and I want to but it is hard having PCOS. I am now on two blood pressure medications and Metformin for my PCOS. So thats infertility, insulin resistance, borderline diabetes (Pre-Diabetes), and high blood pressure that I am dealing with and all with a BMI of 51. Tall and wide is definitely not the look that I am going for. I just want my life back. I have alienated all of my friends, and most of my family. Most of the time I lock myself in my home and comfort myself by sitting behind a computer learning computer programming languages. I breakdown inside every time I see a baby and pray that its not too late for me. I recently looked back into having Bariatric surgery and discovered that BCBSIL no longer requires the six month supervised diet. With all that is going on with me I am not even sure which surgery is best for me. I don't know where to start or how the process goes but I am going to schedule an appointment with my PCP to discuss my options.

@@Mountaingal Thank you very much! It feels good to have a place where you can receive support and advice. I will definitely continue researching as much information as I can. Happy Sunday!

@@jane13 Thank you so much! I definitely will. I am still learning how to navigate the website but so far I am glad that I found it. There is nothing like having support from someone who has been or is on the same path as you. Happy Sunday!

@@_Kate_ Thank you so much for the warm welcome. it feels like yesterday when I was looking into getting this surgery done for the first time and it amazes me just how quickly time flies. I feel like I should have fought more when I first started looking into this but I was dealing with so many emotional highs and lows during that time that I just needed a break from it all. Now I am back and moving full steam ahead. I can't believe that I will be 40 soon and have let so much time pass without giving it a second thought. I wished that I had done this sooner as well but I am sure that I won't regret it either once I am on the post-op side of things. I will definitely keep you all posted. Happy Sunday!

@@BLERDgirl Thank you so much for providing me with these helpful links. I am going to take a look at them. I have spent this entire week looking into what steps I need to take and just moments ago I looked at our insurance policy. According to BCBSIL they do cover the surgery if it is medically necessary and approved coverage can only be provided at Hospitals permitted by the Claims Administrator (Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery). So it looks like I will be scheduling an appointment with my PCP first after he returns from his vacation. I do have a few places in mind and the closest location to where I live is a accredited Blue Distinction Center. This is both exciting and scary at the same time because for the longest time all I have wanted to do is stop just existing and start living again. In doing so I can regain full control over my life again and hopefully one day start the family that I have been dreaming of with my husband. He has type 2 diabetes and has lost over 100 lbs with consistent exercise and eating better but there is room for improvement. I have felt guilty because my weight has been stagnant while he continues to lose but it is so much harder for me because of this PCOS. This surgery will help me to help myself in getting the weight off learning how to keep it off. I will keep you all posted. Thanks again for welcoming me. If feels good to know that I am not alone.

@ Thank you so much for welcoming me and congratulations on your new life as a beautiful you! I must say that I can't wait until I am on the road to new me. It has certainly been a long time coming. I have been reading inspiring posts from many here who are now happy to be on the road to being a new beautiful them and I'm sure that feels amazing. I know that I must do the work and that this is not a fix-it-all surgery. I would be lying if I didn't say that a part of me isn't scared but I know that it comes with the territory. I wish you much continued success in your journey!