Today was my first appointment on my journey to surgery. I had all my tests/labs and met with the pysch. for my eval. I went from having 4 appointments this month to 9. She said I have to go to 4 group counseling sessions to discuss my binge eating (which she said I don't do. That I am a 'grazer') Also that I have to attend one substance abuse group. When discussing if I ever drank I said yes about 3 years ago, for aobut 3 months on the weekends. After my divorce I went through a short partying phase with my friends. So now I am considered an alcoholic? I haven't touched a drop since Dec 09. How can someone become an alocholic in a few weeks and never touch it again? I haven't drank since I found out I was pregnant. I honestly feel that this is just to collect on insurance.

So, I am a grazing non drinking person who has to attend binge eating and substance abuse classes? I don't get it. I drive 2 hours each way and it costs my approx $40 in gas. x 9 = $360 That's just insane. Plus gas to drive my child back and forth for to daycare.

Now I feel like I'm going to get rejected by insurance for surgery

Plus $90 total for parking. Also I was told that to expect to lose over 75 lbs was not realistic.

That sounds CRAZY!!!

Well, my doctor requires EVERYONE to attend three sessions with an eating disorder therapist. I was SHOCKED how important these sessions were for me. There are WLS patients who transfer their food addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, compulsive shopping. It sounds like your doctor is just being very conservative.

Your doctor sounds crazy! I am so sorry you have to go through all of this.

Oh no, Honey, don't worry. Where I am going, everyone has to go through those four courses, although I don't understand the alcohol one... You will be banded. No worries!

Wendy

Ok I was really concerned! I'm glad Im not the only one who had to go through it. My fiance was so mad when I told him because he KNOWS that there is zero concern that I am an alcoholic much less a drinker. We bought a bottle of wine 2 years ago and it was never opened lol. I was so afraid that somehow the insurance would think that I was some sort of risk and not approve me. It's scary to think of spending $500+ in one month in driving, hotel and parking expenses to get denied. (not that there isn't that risk in general........)

Thanks again guys!

Glad we could help!

Wendy

I had to have an EDG, and upper GI, Heart Scan Calcium Test, Stress Test, Pulminary stress test, see a cardiologist for surgery release, Echocardiagram, Psyh. eval, nutrionist twice, blood work, chest x-ray. I think everyones journey is slightly different. It's a lot of work to get to the end of that tunnel, but you will get there. Just go through the process and put a check mark when you complete each requirement. It all made my insurance approval go very quickly. Got approval in less than a week. My surgery is scheduled for Sept. 11th!!! Don't let it get you down, it will be worth all your time. Keep us posted.

Sometimes you have to jump through these hoops for insurance and sometimes for the hospital or the surgeon. If your final cost isn't much and you get banded and drop all the excess weight, it is well worth sitting in on some alcohol and eating disorder classes.

In my case, there were no pre-op hoops to jump through .... nothing. There were no classes and no testing. I just had to do a 2 week Atkins pre-op diet. The one very large hoop I had to jump through was paying $10,000 cash.

Either way I think it is well worth it. If I had insurance that would have paid for the surgery I would have done whatever the insurance required.

another concern I had about it was that it would always be in my record that I had to take a substance abuse session.

I am at the very beginning of all of this. I just got a call from my primary care office to tell me that the Bariatric Clinic should be calling me to set up my appointment. So, I'm a bit nervous about what is needed. My primary care physician did tell me that the Clinic I am referred to is doing a study. So, that makes me wonder what hoops I will be required to jump through but, my physician says that this Clinic is the best in our area and I trust my physician so, Hoops, here I come!!!!!!

The sessions and classes are normal and we did discuss what I would do with the addictive urges once I couldn't put them into eating. It is normal but mine were not quite as extensive as yours. As far as the loss I lost 105 in less than a year. Then I plateaued and now I lose 2-3 pounds a month instead of 2-3 per week. That is normal too. Losing is losing don't knock yourself down before you get there and remember its a tool not a cure, you still have control over you !

It may be that they are concerned about transfer addiction. When you stop being able to turn to food you start looking for something else, and if you have drank in the past it could be alcohol, could also be shopping, hopefully it will be nothing! But they want you to understand addiction a little better in any case.

Thanks guys. I guess I won't stress too much over it anymore. Sounds like this is pretty normal even if I don't like it.