Hi There,

My name is Kim and I'm a 36 yr old man from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I am 6.1 and my weight is 341.

After years of trying to convince myself that I was happy "just the way I was" my weight gain seemed unstoppable. Just like most of you I am very familiar with the "Fat is back with a vengeance" story.

Sometimes my wife would tell me that I stopped breathing in my sleep, I thought she was nuts. Maybe she didn't listen good enough... I surely didn't think there was anything wrong. Ok, I lack energy and have been fighting panic/anxiety attacks for a few years. But I guessed that the low energy had to do with being morbidly obese.

But my wife kept pushing the subject and I had it checked out. Of course she was right (a nasty habit that wifes seem to have, LOL) and it turned out that I have severe sleep apnea, AHI 68. That was quite the shock! I tell ya, it was scary to wait for my CPAP machine that would help me breath. Three weeks I had to wait for the CPAP, knowing that there are people out there that die in their sleep because of apnea.

From that moment on I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I've known for a long time that my big body isn't that comfortable anymore. The feeling of relieve when I sit down after a few hours of shopping. Putting on my socks while holding my breath. Sitting down on the floor to fix something, OMG. Run to catch a bus to the citycenter is an absolute no no (Amsterdam city center is not as car friendly as most places in the US).

I realized more than ever that I had to do something. I've had my weight steady at around 340 for about two years. The doctor from the hospital where I was tested for sleep apnea advised me to think about talking to the obesity clinic connected to the hospital. She explained that a lap band could really help me out. That planted the seed.

It took me a while to get ready for this decision but in early January I went to my GP to get a referral for the obesity clinic. It's insurance policy over here to get this referral. I got an invitation for a seminar with eight other people. Nothing new to learn there... I already found all that information on-line. Then you have to go through a screening. A morning filled with meetings with; a dietitian, a physical therapist, a psychologist and a GP.

These people have full authorization from my insurance company. They will decide if I'm eligible for a lap band. And when they give the Ok, I do not have to request permission from my insurance. So that saves a LOT of work, good system!

Now I'm at the point where I'm waiting for their decision, it could take up to eight weeks (no idea why this stuff has to take so damn long) but I'm already four and a half weeks in so... fingers crossed!

I hope to get my band before the summer and start a new phase of my life!

So now you know my story. I'm glad that I will now be part of this very supportive community! I've got your back! All the way from Holland!!

Greetzzz,

Kim

Get the insurance companies to pay out money for something that hasn't happened yet? What? How shocking!

Heh, yeah, insurance companies are annoying. I guess their reasoning is if you haven't died yet (or got something seriously wrong with you that they will actually pay out for) then there's always the chance you can get better without their input. Maybe. So yeah, basically wait until you get worse, then pay. Though you'd think that it'd cost them less to get the band -first- than wait until you've got diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, all that fun stuff that you're dealing with on a long term basis (medication, etc).... Plus the band if you then decide to get it. Who knows...

Hang on... Wouldn't you need to be approved by the specialist to get the surgery in the first place anyway? For the specialist to go ahead and do it on you? Or if they don't approve but you make enough of a fuss and say you'll pay will they then go ahead with it anyway?

I suppose in the grand scheme of things I wasn't really that bad - BMI was under 40, somewhere between 35 and 40 anyway (I just remember noting that I wouldn't be allowed to go to Antarctica on medical grounds, haha) - but I definitely know about the whole lose 5, put 10 on type of 'not-really-weight loss' and it didn't look like THAT was going to change no matter what I did.

No! This will be my first Queen's Day! I'm looking forward to it, haha. Though I'm meant to move apartments around then, so trying to figure out when I'm going to do that - hopefully NOT on the 30th. Just missed it last year - got here on May 5th.