Hi all, I signed up and have been lurking for awhile and finally decided to post

I have been overweight/obese/morbidly obese my whole life. Currently I am 33 and 267 pounds. I am a happily married (10 years this month!) mother of 5. I work as a secretary and have for many years - probably contributed to weight.

I have tried numerous diets and pills and programs over the years with success, but of course, not long-term. In the Fall of last year I began the documentation process via my primary doctor to be considered for WLS. She referred me for Lap-band®/gastric bypass.

I attended a WLS seminar last month through our local hospital who is also a bariatric center of excellence. They offer banding and gastric bypass and the class I attended covered both topics. The WLS place submitted my records and support letter from my primary for approval to have a bariatric surgery medical evaluation. I received my letter of approval in the mail on Friday, Oct. 1 from my insurance company approving me to be treated by the bariatric center and assume I will hear from the WLS place in the very near future to begin psych eval and all of the other numerous requirements.

So that is where I am at so far in this process. My insurance covers everything other than those overpriced Optifast shakes and some copays for a total out of pocket expense of around $600-$800 total between pre-op and post-op. My understanding is that most of the cost can be put on my medical flex spending card that I am signed up with at work. I have PHP/Plus of Mid-Michigan for health insurance. I actually had an appeal letter drafted because in the back of my mind I thought I would be denied...I am sure that is because I am use to being let down by weight loss efforts!

I look forward to getting to know everyone, so many of the stories I have read on here are so encouraging, I am really hopeful for the future and am looking forward to a healthier lifestyle for myself and my family. :smile2:

Hi all, I signed up and have been lurking for awhile and finally decided to post

I have been overweight/obese/morbidly obese my whole life. Currently I am 33 and 267 pounds. I am a happily married (10 years this month!) mother of 5. I work as a secretary and have for many years - probably contributed to weight.

I have tried numerous diets and pills and programs over the years with success, but of course, not long-term. In the Fall of last year I began the documentation process via my primary doctor to be considered for WLS. She referred me for Lap-band®®/gastric bypass.

I attended a WLS seminar last month through our local hospital who is also a bariatric center of excellence. They offer banding and gastric bypass and the class I attended covered both topics. The WLS place submitted my records and support letter from my primary for approval to have a bariatric surgery medical evaluation. I received my letter of approval in the mail on Friday, Oct. 1 from my insurance company approving me to be treated by the bariatric center and assume I will hear from the WLS place in the very near future to begin psych eval and all of the other numerous requirements.

So that is where I am at so far in this process. My insurance covers everything other than those overpriced Optifast shakes and some copays for a total out of pocket expense of around $600-$800 total between pre-op and post-op. My understanding is that most of the cost can be put on my medical flex spending card that I am signed up with at work. I have PHP/Plus of Mid-Michigan for health insurance. I actually had an appeal letter drafted because in the back of my mind I thought I would be denied...I am sure that is because I am use to being let down by weight loss efforts!

I look forward to getting to know everyone, so many of the stories I have read on here are so encouraging, I am really hopeful for the future and am looking forward to a healthier lifestyle for myself and my family. :smile2:

Welcome Tracy! Good luck. I am from MI too, and I was banded at the end of July. Almost 10 weeks out, and have lost 42 pounds, both pre and post op combined.

That is an impressive number, good work!