SymphonyOfDreams

I suppose a low acid coffee might be good? Can check with your surgery team to see if you can stay on one of those? https://www.livestrong.com/article/13772299-low-acid-coffee-brands/

You know, I keep forgetting that each policy is based on what a company *wants* to cover, and Cigna is different depending on what the companies pain level is for premiums and costs. I know this because for my current employer, I have had the same BCBS. Each year they tout how they have not raised rates, and we should be happy. HOWEVER, my family has been impacted by our insurance not covering procedures that were covered in the previous year. The company lowered coverage in order to keep the premium costs the same. Great for people without health issues, not so great for the rest of us. Thanks for reminding me of this!

Seems like meeting a nutritionist would be an important line of attack for success... Weird that insurance did not cover that!

I do have to have the Psychiatrist visit to see if I am a good candidate for success. The therapists (not Psychiatrists, who are MDs, but Psychologists and certified therapists) will be ongoing to help me with my eating disorder(s) that have resulted in 50+ years of being overweight and being unable to keep weight off after one of my many weight-loss diets. I think therapy is going to be a huge help, giving me the mental tools to help me overcome my bodies need for the dopamine hit that comes with eating. And it will help me keep the weight off--ever little tool I can find to help me win this war is welcome. But OSU Bariatrics did not even give me a list of therapists that they recommend for eating disorders and bariatric patients. A little disappointing.

Almost 100% sure I will get the bypass. I keep playing mind tricks with myself, maybe I can lose the weight and keep it off if I try hard enough. But after 56 years of life I know me, and know when I'm lying to myself. The surgery will help me for sure. I know it is not a cure-all, and I still need to work on everything else. But I believe the surgery will give me the edge I need to actually succeed this time for the rest of my life.

Thank you so much for letting me know. OSU has an amazing reputation! Maybe if I lived closer to Cleveland (I am in Dayton) I would have gone with the Cleveland Clinic (really really hard to top the clinic in my opinion!), but OSU is definitely way up there! Still an hour drive from me, but so worth it!

That is awesome to hear, thanks for letting me know this!

If I am required to see a therapist, then I want to actually get some benefit out of it instead of just randomly choosing a therapist. Does anyone have a therapist they recommend that: Accepts insurance Specializes in Eating Disorders and Bariatric patients Does sessions via Zoom/Teams/etc? Thanks!

I recently discovered these forums and I am super excited to explore and learn and hopefully help others, too. I have been overweight my entire life. Even when I was in elementary school. My dad gave me nicknames to try to get me to stop wanting to eat. Fat in the can, the Crisco Kid. He was funny and I love him dearly, but he had no idea of the forces behind my eating problems. And an old-school way of tough-love (never physical, but jokes, which can be bad too). Anyway, In '92 I enlisted in the Army Infantry. Yes, I lost enough weight to get in, and Boot Camp took care of the rest. Then slowly gained weight back while I was in, despite all of the running and pushups and "pleasant nature hikes." Weight became a problem and I was called out all the time. But I always passed my physical fitness tests, and always did my job and stayed out of trouble, so I was mostly left alone. Fast forward to today. Heaviest weight after the Army was 315 pounds (I am 6'2"), and now I am 275 pounds. Constantly up and down up and down. Discovered Engine 2 and stayed on it for 6 months, was down to my 250s, then simply could not stay on that diet, and pushed back up to my current 275. Finally went to Ohio State University's (OSU's) Bariatric program and in-processed trying to use BCBS. BCBS requires the last 5 years of weight history. I am apparently supposed to be under a medically supervised diet for 6 months. See a Dietician (end of this month) and a Psychiatrist (end of this month), and find my own Therapist and start having sessions. So no surgery until next year some time. HOWEVER, I changing jobs in a few weeks, and will now have Cigna Health Insurance. My OSU coordinator looked up Cigna and said they did *not* have a 6 month supervised diet, so if things go well I should be able to have surgery before the end of the year. SUPER excited! Going with bypass, not sleeve, because I became diabetic this past year (only taking Metformin to control), and have routine bad heartburn. It is a better fit. Anyway, that is me, and hopefully a new me is around the corner. I cannot wait for a fresh start in life, albeit a difficult start. Thanks for listening