I've been absent from this site for around 10 or 11 months. Last year, starting in October, I started down the path of getting the sleeve done. Doctor's office said I was covered, and after loosing 25# and going through (and paying for) all the pre-op stuff, when they submitted me for approval in December, I found my employer expressly omitted WLS from their coverage.

Fast forward and in August, I started a new job, and was pleased to find that WLS is covered under their plan. A week later, I broke my shoulder in a MC accident, so it gave me the opportunity to get the maximum coverage, and maximum FSA for medical. Now in order to maximize my deductibles, I'm looking at - and currently (tentatively) scheduled - for surgery on 16-December.

I had done pretty well the first few months after being denied with keeping the weight I had lost off, but eventually I fell back into old habits. I didn't put it all back on - maybe around 10# of the original 15, but I'm not eating like I should. I'm not drinking nothing but Water the way I was, and the way I should. While I did get a letter from the surgeon's office Friday about needing to pay for the surgical assistant, I still don't know if I'm approved at this point. I had planned to call on Monday for an update anyway. I don't think the letter necessarily means I'm approved, and I think that's why I'm in the funk that I am. I know what I need to be doing, but I'm not motivated at all, feeling like I'm just going to get declined anyway.

I know where your coming from. It really got me down when I felt I was too far gone to lose the weight - the thought of the depravation, food cravings, and years it would take to get down to a "normal" weight level. It can get overwhelming and I figured why fight it.

After years of failing to control my weight and gaining more and more weight, I was, as Ralphie May said, "Way past a diet Coke fix!"

You have to hang in there and keep trying to get approved.

Hang in there. Getting approved for my surgery was a bit of a pain, in-between being laid off, and all the stress that was going on at the time. But I knew that this surgery was what I needed and I fought for it. I know my insurance coordinator at the surgical center thought I was a real pain in the butt, but I was unapologetic in getting things approved and done. Stay at it! You already know what it takes to drop some extra weight in advance so take the time to make those changes and fight for this! A year from now you'll be happy you did!