fumplins

Hello!!
I don't want to give out a lot of personal information but i wanted to come on here in the buddies section to hopefully find some friends around my age that are going through the same thing as me. Don't get me wrong, I'm actually an 18 year old with the mind of a 70 year old cat lady. We can chat about progress, encourage each other in like, I dunno, a group chat! (because lord have mercy on my lazy soul I NEED encouragement) I don't mind friending older people, please dont think thats how im trying to come off. I figure a lot of older people wouldn't want to hear about my ridiculous youth antics haha! I'm also seeking people on the internet because my program everyone is 30+. I do believe i'm the only one in my group without my tubes tide.
Ya know if not, it's fine,

@@Bufflehead Thank you so much for responding! I already talked to my insurance, I am eligible thankfully! I recently signed up for a seminar where I can meet and schedule with a surgeon, so fingers crossed!
@@Inner Surfer Girl - I am totally aware I'm impatient, I get this a lot. Thank you for your response
@@KristenLe - Hello thank you! In my area, there's also a pediatric surgeon. They do bariatrics on teens and even recommend it sometimes so age isn't really a bother; its just personal preference. (along the lines of dieting pre-surgery) My hospital actually has you start monitoring diets with support groups etc ( I think that's why it takes so long) so I think it should be really helpful, again thank you for your response!
@@nmf0318 Thank you so much! I think I'm just an antsy person so 6 months seems so gruelingly long! I'm totally fine waiting the 6 months, but if there was ever a way for it not to take so long I wanted to know if someone did, so your response is very insightful, again thank you

@@Bufflehead Thank you so much for responding! I already talked to my insurance, I am eligible thankfully! I recently signed up for a seminar where I can meet and schedule with a surgeon, so fingers crossed!
@@Inner Surfer Girl - I am totally aware I'm impatient, I get this a lot. Thank you for your response
@@KristenLe - Hello thank you! In my area, there's also a pediatric surgeon. They do bariatrics on teens and even recommend it sometimes so age isn't really a bother; its just personal preference. (along the lines of dieting pre-surgery) My hospital actually has you start monitoring diets with support groups etc ( I think that's why it takes so long) so I think it should be really helpful, again thank you for your response!
@@nmf0318 Thank you so much! I think I'm just an antsy person so 6 months seems so gruelingly long! I'm totally fine waiting the 6 months, but if there was ever a way for it not to take so long I wanted to know if someone did, so your response is very insightful, again thank you

@@QueenOfTheTamazons - Hello, thank you for responding! The hospital, and insurance does offer my surgery at my age thankfully. I totally I get I'm super impatient, but it's worth the 6 month wait so I'll have to put on my big girl pants
@@LipstickLady - Thank you so much!
@@ocgirl15 - Thank you! That's actually really cool, I know some family friends that wished they knew about the surgery before and got it then instead of waiting for so long. Thank you for the support!
@@heidikat72 - Thank you for your response! My mom actually also agreed to counseling throughout most of the journey also! You definitely have a lot of great points, thank you so much for respondong, very informal

First, I applaud you for wanting to get your health under control now and not waiting. As for the 6 months - I also had a 6 month medically supervised period required by my insurance. I'm thankful for it. It gave me time to get all the testing done (testing that will give the surgeon all the info he needs to make sure your surgery goes safely) and let me work on starting the lifestyle changes before surgery - both eating changes, activity changes and mental/emotional changes. Trust me - that will make your recovery process so much easier (I was 442lbs last december when I started the process and then had surgery this past june). You can do your 6 months medical weight management with your PCP, but if your bariatric center is close it might be better to do it through them especially if they have a registered dietician on staff that you would meet with every month. The bariatric center will know exactly how each of the monthly visit reports needs to be written up to satisfy the insurance company. And meeting with a registered dietician will let someone with some knowledge review your food diary and help make suggestions.
Start using a program like myfitnesspal now just to see what your baseline eating habits are. Some people don't like to log, I find it valuable for me. It helps me be accountable to myself! and when you see it there in front of you, it makes it easy to see the things you need to cut out of your diet or things you need to adjust. Logging and meeting with the dietician monthly (as well as starting some very mild activity) helped me lose 78lbs before surgery.
And finally, this is as much a mental change as it is anything else. If you can find a counselor who works with obese patients or bariatric patients (your bariatric center may have some they can recommend) start meeting with one. They can help you work through the root of your overeating as well as help you come up with different coping mechanisms other than turning to food. Plus, going through this process in general tends to cause a lot of other emotional issues to come to the surface so you'll need someone to help you through that.
I am so glad your family is supportive - it is important to have at least a couple people in you life supporting you on this lifelong journey!

I had a very good friend that had bypass at 20. She is now 40. That operation allowed her to LIVE! I also encourage you to pursue it. These hurdles and obstacles are just part of the process for most of us. The regret I typically hear from WLS patients is that they wish they hadn't waited so long. I am also happy you have so much support from your family. That is awesome!

If there is any way to get it done, DO IT. Jump over the hurdles, dive through the hoops and take this chance to improve your life NOW. Many insurance companies require two years of documented weight loss attempts. Start that NOW. Even if you can't get surgery done until you are 19, you are still way far ahead of the game.
You are young enough to get this issue under control now. I am rooting for you!

There have been surgeries and at least a couple studies done on younger people having surgery. Seems the results were quite positive.
As the advice given already, check with the insurance, check with as many docs and programs you are able to. They will give you the criteria and help you from there.
Best of luck!

It all depends on your insurance company so that is the first place to start. That being said...
If they say 6 months they mean six months. I started my bariatric process with a surgeon who was 1.5 hours away. Because of this i asked to do my preop diet plans with my pcp. I went every month. When it came time for my approval, that 6 months was what held me up. My chart notes did not have the specific verbiage the insurance company was asking for, so they denied me. It took two months of fighting to get an approval.
Moral of the story. Do what the insurance says is required... even if you dont like it. There are no short cuts. You need to obey their guidelines to the letter, so they cannot find a reason to deny you.
Also, there is a good chance they will not perform the surgery on a minor. You may have to wait and start the process at 18.

@@Bufflehead Thank you so much for responding! I already talked to my insurance, I am eligible thankfully! I recently signed up for a seminar where I can meet and schedule with a surgeon, so fingers crossed!
@@Inner Surfer Girl - I am totally aware I'm impatient, I get this a lot. Thank you for your response
@@KristenLe - Hello thank you! In my area, there's also a pediatric surgeon. They do bariatrics on teens and even recommend it sometimes so age isn't really a bother; its just personal preference. (along the lines of dieting pre-surgery) My hospital actually has you start monitoring diets with support groups etc ( I think that's why it takes so long) so I think it should be really helpful, again thank you for your response!
@@nmf0318 Thank you so much! I think I'm just an antsy person so 6 months seems so gruelingly long! I'm totally fine waiting the 6 months, but if there was ever a way for it not to take so long I wanted to know if someone did, so your response is very insightful, again thank you

Like others have said, first obstacle would be seeing what your insurance is willing to cover (unless you're paying cash). You can check your plan benefits and call your insurance company for their requirements. Second barrier would be what your surgeon is comfortable with. As far as the 6 mo wait is concerned, it's not always the case. My bariatric center just has testing, nutritionist, exercise therapist, psychiatric requirements that have to be met; but these can be completed asap and surgery can be scheduled 2 mo out from first visit. As far as dieting requirements, that can depend on your insurance and your surgeon's program requirements. For me, my surgeon just asked about diets I've tried and my successes and failures. As far as needing a pcp to coordinate with your surgeon, I only need a letter from my pcp saying that I'm able to have surgery. It wouldn't be a bad idea to meet with one and discuss your desire to have bariatric surgery. Good luck with everything!
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Just had surgery Monday. My first seminar was January then met Dr in February. Started 6 month weight management appointments in March. Looking back I remember thinking 6months that is gonna take forever, but it flies faster than you think. They may see you now depending on how close you are to turning 18. I'd say its truly worth it. I lost 40 lbs just doing the managed weight classes. Just remember it's a lifestyle change, this is just a tool to help
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@@fumplins Congrats on taking this step to improve your health! There's a Pediatric Bariatric Center in my State (RI) and may be in your area as well. It will most likely take 6 months - but that's not a bad thing. You can use this time to prepare yourself for living post WLS. This is not a magic wand - either Bypass or Sleeve surgery is just a tool for you to restrict portion sizes - you still have to do a lot of work and eat healthy. This is as much mental as it is physical. I strongly encourage everyone (but especially someone your age) to get counseling to work on any eating issues (boredom eating, emotional eating, mindless eating, binge eating, etc.). Many Bariatric Programs will have someone onsite to work with you. You will also have to meet with a Nutritionist. Not all Programs or insurances require you to go to your PCP for a medically supervised diet - I went to the Nutritionist at my Program. She went over how I will need to eat post surgery - and prepared me for that. 6 months will go by fast - and it's worth the wait - you'll be better prepared for living after WLS. Best of luck on your journey!!!
Here's some info on Adolescent Bariatric Surgery that may help..
http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/adolescent-bariatric-surgery.html

Even if your surgeon requires you to be 18 you could start the process now. You will be 18. I know for someone your age, 6 months or even a year can SEEM like an eternity. But, it will take time to prepare mentally and physically for surgery. The pre-op requirements are designed to make sure you are prepared and to put you on the best position for a safe and successful surgery.

My surgeon requires patients to be 18 so you may have to shop around for a doctor that does not have that requirement

My insurance requires a patient be 18, but they are all very different. Best of luck to you!!
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It all depends on what your insurance requires.They really vary a lot. You should get a copy of the member benefit handbook or "plan document" and review them with your mother or whatever adult in your family is best at working with bureaucratic/legal type stuff. Unless, of course, you are planning to pay for the surgery yourself, in which case insurance requirements won't matter.
Once you have your insurance documents, make a few appointments with bariatric surgery centers to discuss things like insurance coverage, whether they are willing to do surgery on someone so young, and what surgery might be best for you.
I do think surgery can be an excellent option for some teens, but I don't know you so I can't say whether it is right for you. I know that surgeons when looking at surgical candidates at any age, but especially for younger people, want to find people who really understand the commitment to lifelong work, changes, and good choices. Good luck in your decision!

Hello!
I'm so incredibly new to this so hopefully I'm placing this in the correct area! Anyway, I am 17 and severely overweight. I recently decided I wanted to peruse surgery. My mother is supportive, my brother wants to do it with me, and my grandmother (whom opinion mattered the most) thought it was a great idea.
I am in the 400 (yikes) and feel like I genuinely have no future for myself if I don't lose the weight. I want to go off to college and I want to be someone and I feel as if this weight is holding me back.
I recently called to attend a seminar and a meeting with my pcp on oct 24th.
I'm worried; it takes 6 months plus a wholeee bunch of tests. I never really kept up with a pcp, I was a very introverted child and pushed doctors away because I didn't want to accept my weight. So I have absolutely NO history of tracked diets. (I did them but never kept up or have evidence of them).
Do you think it will actually take 6 months?
Will I need to track my diets with a pcp? ((What if I fail them?? Can I not get my surgery then?)
Having my age AND WEIGHT in consideration is this a good idea?
Can they decide surgery isn't for me after 6 months?
Sleeve or bypass?
I really want the surgery so I'm at a loss
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