I go Monday to a required seminar (Q&A I am assuming )and they said you can schedule your first appointment then. I am 36 y.o female - and although I haven't weighed in awhile I am guessing I am around the 340/350 range - being only 5'4 that's put my BMI over 50. I just recently got insurance , haven't had it since I was in high school under my parents plan. I have thought about the surgery route for years off and on but it was only a pipe dream at that time because of the insurance thing. I am to the point now in my life that it is getting hard to take care of myself- and here I am supposed to be taking care of my disabled mother. I want to do this not only for me but for her, there is no reason why she should go without meals because I am too tired to cook for her and go to the grocery store. I am tired of just surviving/ I don't leave the house for fun/ only for chores / and it is a chore. I don't have the energy to clean the house- just a little bit at a time- if I over do it I am down for days in so much pain I can't do anything . So I am so excited and nervous to get this started - from what I understand I will have to do the 6 months supervised diet plan - I have healthy Indiana plan through anthem . Nervous that insurance will deny, obviously terrified of surgery and the pain afterwards. Knowing that I HAVE to quit smoking- but right now the excitement outweighs all of that . I just wanted to say Hi, maybe I will get lucky and someone in the early stages will read this and we can be moral support for each other.

• Nerdyscared1
• I can related to many things you said in your post.

Why do you think the insurance will deny you? I think you should qualify based solely on your BMI. Do you have any co-morbid conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apena? If so and you jump through the hoops, you should not be denied. I am anxiously waiting for a decision from my insurance at this moment although I am not too worried. It would definitely cost them less money in the long run by not having to pay for all of these meds due to my obesity. The 6 months absolutely goes by fast. Use the time to research and learn as much as you can.

If you do everything required by your insurance there's no reason they should deny you! Really embrace those 6 months, use it to kick some bad habits and make small changes while you have your doctors and nutritionists as your support system. It went by so fast for me but it was great to have an entire team of people to help me along the way. You'll do great! Good luck!

Thank you so much yeah I figure if I can get an appointment sometime in February (I don't know how long it takes to get appointment) 6 months later is August - my birthday is at the end of August - it would be incredible to have it done as I enter my 37th year- the rate I am going I don't even know if I will make it to 40 - maybe not even 38 - couldn't think of a better present I could give myself - I could be 4 months post op by Christmas - I know I am totally jumping ahead. Yes I will use that 6 months to my advantage , because I don't want it to be January 9 2017 and me sitting on my exhausted butt wondering what if - advance warning I do ramble a lot - I don't have much in the way of real life people to talk to.

I applaud you for taking the first step. I think most of us would agree that there comes a point that a change must come and that change must be fought for. Regarding the insurance, my surgery was delayed for two years because of insurance issues, I would suggest that you follow all requirements and make as many phone calls as you need get the information you need. Insurance companies are known for jerking people around. What should make you nervous is a future in which the necessary changes are not made-- not the surgery.

@@Nerdyscared1, welcome to you. The prospect of weight-loss surgery, any surgery, in fact, is nervous-making. There's no way around it, so it's just part of the package. You have a lot going on there and there are ways that you can get some help and support. I'll just toss a few ideas out in brief.

Find out at the seminar about the practice's support groups. They are for people who are pre- as well as post-surgery. Usually a monthly event, they are great for sharing information and experiences and for company. I was fortunate to make a good, personal friendship in the process. Other practices in your area probably welcome outside patients to their groups., too.

Respite care. You should be able to find this either through a non-profit human and social services organization or the city, county or state health dept or dept of social services. Usually it means day activities for the disabled person so that the caretaker can have a break for other things. It may also involve someone coming in to the home to look after the disabled person.

The latter can alternately come under the heading of home health care, in which a health aide comes in a pre-determined number of hours per week to provide personal care for the person, some basic cooking, grocery shopping, laundry. It may vary by agency.

Therapy may be something to consider for yourself. I'd prefer that I'm misreading between the lines, but a number of things you've written suggest it.

Take a class in something that interests you or identify another activity that is interesting and would put you in with people.

You're saying that you have to stop smoking strikes a chord. Who wrote "The Book of Have to" and "The Book of Should?" I think that if we switch to "want to," the task is so much less daunting. Wanting to is a choice, while having to feels imposed by an outside force. Not that I always succeed at it, but I try to operate under "wanting to" and, when I get my mind there, I do much better. As an aside, my late, beloved internist, a brilliant clinician and communicator, told me that, if losing weight and quitting cigarettes were too much to take on at once, it was more important first to stop smoking.

My fear of insurance denial is really just that ! fear- having some person that doesn't know me in an office somewhere- they could just be having a crappy day- be like nope- she isn't getting it - haha -

I have been watching a lot of sleever videos - and overall they have been successful - and without regrets (except for maybe the initial shock)

Yes- as this ball gets rolling I will be looking into finding a local support group- I live in a small town- so driving weekly to one in Indianapolis just isn't practical-

My uncle and aunt have both had bypass surgery. As well as a cousin. I know it gave my uncles life back- he was rather large - and looking back at pictures of him it looked like he could explode any minute /- if that makes sense- my cousin is near my age, I don't know her stats but if I would have to guess I would say she topped 300 at the time , she is tiny now, had a baby, and tiny again. My best friend had the lapband- so that's why i know 10000% that I do not want the lapband. She didn't lose that great with it until it messed up on her/ so now has gastroparieses (and i know I slaughtered that spelling ) so now she has lost a lot but it has been because she throws up every day and becomes dehydrated because sometimes she can't keep liquid down-

I'm sure I could benefit from therapy - I mean none of us are here because we have a healthy relationship with food. Luckily I don't suffer from depression or have to cope with a mental or an emotional illness. I am a homebody- hopefully they don't consider that an illness. I'm just not a social butterfly- and even after surgery I still see myself doing stuff solo- like walking - we have a trail in town that I would really like to go to- no reason to now, we also have a beautiful park that I would love to just go to and lose myself in it exploring for the day. Just thinking about being able to walk /stand on my feet without pain is surreal. See what I said about rambling -- especially if I'm excited - I can go on and on. Thanks for reading

Just thought I would give my update- I went to the required seminar. They say my insurance is 7 months of classes and then there will be roughly another 3 months after approval for other test etc... So it is looking like November/December might be around the time - if everything goes well. My insurance apparently wants 5 years of weight history but since I haven't had insurance I don't have that , and they didn't seem to be too concerned- so I guess that's not a requirement just a want. My appointment with surgeon is on Jan 25. Next step will be seeing my PCP since I haven't seen him yet. Feels like the ball is starting to roll

My new insurance also wants 7 months of classes im on month 5 honestly its gone by super quick I can't even wrap my head around how fast time fly's between appointments. I really think your gonna do great you have a good attitude about all of this

Congrats on having a plan and working toward it.

I would strongly encourage you to consider that you are "on the journey" starting today. As you learn about the new eating / living behaviors you're expected to acquire and practice, you can decide to start practicing those behaviors long, long, long before your surgery.

Although I wasn't as heavy as you when I started, I remember just how immobilized (compared to now) I was and felt when I finally committed to get my act together. I started counting my steps (didn't even have a Fitbit then). And how little I was walking a day was just pathetic!

Here's the secret to getting better: Do the best you can today. Whatever or how little that is. And tomorrow do just a little bit better.

That is all you ever have to do. Time will pass, whether you fight to get your life back or not. And in a year or two or three if you have done every day what you could do, you will have bettered your life more than you can possibly imagine right now.

And I say that at 18 months post-op, feeling like I have experienced miracles.

Very best to you!

Thank you both- yes I have seen where a lot of people say the time really does fly by quick ! I am guessing after my appointment with surgeon I will get set up with my first class etc... I am getting ready to research some of the better 0 nicotine juices for the vape - I have been reading a lot about acid reflux and how some surgeons say no to the sleeve if you have acid reflux - so now I am going to be worried about that. Although I have read a lot of people that had the sleeve no longer has acid reflux - so I'm confused. The RNY scares me more , rerouting the intestines- I know someone who has very bad dumping syndrome to the point of seizure like activity. Passes out, soils self, even bit tongue to the point of not being able to talk normally. For now focusing on my nicotine !!

Have to brag on myself- got a new ecig /vape device / whatever they are called - so much different than my old one- old one was just a cheapie blister pack pen type- and I also got some zero nic juice which I have almost used in 24 hours- vaping a lot but not smoking and doing pretty decent - I am having some cravings - trying to up my water to help flush out my body - living with 2 smokers not helping but I'm doing it! I want this surgery!!!!

Another update from me -- went to my surgeon consult today- my first nut is next week -surgeon seems nice enough - going to be a long 10 months - I'm still working on trying to raise funds for Tijuana - I want sleeved by dr carlos Altamira cano - and obviously I don't want to wait 10 months! Still not smoking! Almost 2 weeks non smoking !!!! Yay for some positive steps!!