Hi everyone! I have been lurking for a couple of weeks now and just joined a couple of days ago. I am 5'6" and 265 pounds. I'm tired of being fat! I used to be "merely" overweight, by about 3 pounds, and thought that was the worst ever. Boy, was I wrong! I was a teenager and constantly picked on by a step-father who enjoyed making cruel comments and pig noises at me. Now, I am 34 years old with two children and zero energy. I look at pictures of myself as a teen and wish I still looked that cute. For a long time I used to view every bite I took as an "Eff you" to the ex-step-father. I have made peace with my past and realize it was his issue, not mine. (FYI his comments to his sister, and apparently also his current wife, have made them both anorexic. That really helped me realize he is a small man, and I am worth so much more than him.) Unfortunately, now I am terribly obese, and cannot lose the weight. For years, I considered weight loss surgery but did not want to be re-routed. I also did not like the thought of a band stuck in me. I recently discovered the sleeve and I know this is the best option for me.

I lost my job two years ago, which meant losing my insurance, too. I just qualified for Medicaid and view this as an opportunity to finally get the surgery I know will help me. I am pre-diabetic, have PCOS, high cholesterol and heart disease runs in my family. I am not living the life I deserve. My children are not getting the mom they deserve because I have no energy.

Medicaid is a new thing for me! I have contacted the bariatric center I will be using and the *** (I had to choose an *** through Medicaid, so I chose Coventry Cares because they have an excellent dental plan). Can you believe Coventry has no actual criteria? They view each case separately which is scary! My first appointment with my PCP is October 2 and I am hoping I can convince him to make my case look like I badly, badly need this surgery. I suspect I will still have to do the 6 month medically supervised diet. I was hoping I could get that cut down to 3 months since my sincere wish is to be back on my feet financially and off Medicaid by the time the 6 months are up. I guess my health is worth waiting a few extra months!

Has anyone else had any experience with Coventry Medicaid in Pennsylvania? Or any of the Medicaid HMOs in PA? The bariatric surgeon I will be seeing is Dr. Neale in Wilkes-Barre, so any advice to this newbie would be so very welcome.

I apologize for the novel!

Interesting. I never would have thought that the acronym for Health Maintenance Organization would be asterisked out.

I don't have any answers for you. Best of luck on your journey! I had hoops to jump through for my insurance but I got approved and will be sleeved next Wednesday.

Congratulations on your approval!

Welcome to the party! It's a bumpy ride, but the people on this forum are wicked uber nice and supportive. You've come to the right place.