I am pre-op awaiting final approval from my insurance provider. It was recommended that I consider lap-band as my cormorbidity is sleep apnea. Fortunately, I am not being treated for any other issues. I am having real problems being considered / labelled morbidly obese. Have others had problems coping with the word obese?

Thanks in advance to all of you.

yep it is an ugly word, but don´t feel discouraged, there is an answer to your problem....and all of us have chosen the best way to handle our weight problem......so be positive and take the challenge, you will love the end results!!!

I am also morbidly obese and it is an ugly terminology, but I got my band on 8-17-10. I went to mexico because my insurance covered only RNY and that was not for me. I could afford it in mexico and did my homework. Dr Corvala did mine and i am doing well, still on my clear liquids and next tuesday I get to go to full liquids GOODY! a change of food choices, and today my entire system is working again. All my plumbing is now in working order. If you are 100lbs overwt they call it morbid. Hang in there and try really heard to take off some wt before your surgery.

I hate the word obese too, but here is how i chose to look at it. They could call me fat, obese or "pleasingly plump" as my mother used to call me. It really did not matter because when they looked at me they all saw the same thing, rolls of fat, heavy breathing, sweating, and clothes that never really fit. What they could not see was the diabetes, apnea, high blood pressure, arthritis, etc.

I got my band in April and I have lost over 60 pounds. I am off my diabetes meds, cut my high blood pressure meds, am having my C-pap recalibrated, and have gone from a 2x couch potato to a size 14/16 person who exercises daily. I feel better, I look better, and they can call me whatever they chose. I call myself happier, healthier and thinner. I have a long way to go, but I will get there.

If you choose the band, read a lot and get prepared. There is a lot to know and be ready for. It is quite a journey with wonderful results. My appeitite is MUCH diminished, my energy is up and I am achieving all the results I hoped for.

This forum is a great place to find out all about the ups and downs of the band. Yes, there are downs, but overall, for me, it has been up, up, up.

I love my band!

I'm not sure if I understand the question...but I found the term "obese" and "morbidly obese" very frightening, because I knew the increasing danger I was in. I wasn't insulted, as it was in reference to a medical condition that I obviously had, not a definition of or insult to me as a person.

It IS An ugly word... and reading it on the hospital papers after I gave birth to my son made me feel even worse, but it def set me on the right path towards deciding on weight loss surgery.

So, no, it may not sound nice, but think of it as a warning to get a kick start on the road to becoming healthy.