Has anyone gone to the seminar and the first visit or two and been approved right away without having to be on a medically supervised diet? I go to the seminar this next Thursday, then meet with the advisor of the team. I'm hoping that I get approved fairly quickly. I know a co-worker who was approved almost right away because of her back. I have a very bad back along with several co-morbidities.

There is a lot of things that will factor into this..

First your surgeons requirements. My surgeon for instance required his patients to follow a 7 month monitored weight loss program. This included monthly education classes, visits with a nut, psych evaluation and physiologist. If I missed one class, I had to start over.

Second your insurance requirements. They may make an exception for you but they also want you to be successful and committed. Call them and see what their requirements and exceptions are. Every insurance/dr is different.

Good luck!

I was a cash pay which is an expedited process at my surgery clinic. It still involved a pre-surgery consult, EKG, psych visit, lab work, nutrition class and an EGD. The surgeon also required a one or two-week pre-op liquid protein diet right before surgery to reduce liver size. All in, it was about a month from the time I signed up to surgery.

Edited January 23, 201610 yr by shriner37

Thanks everyone. I've researched/thought about/followed friends WLS. I am ready to do this. If I have to go to medically supervised weight loss, so be it. I just want this heaviness on my body gone.

I've gotten to where if I try to lose weight, I'll only lose 5 to 6 pounds or so and stop. It gets so frustrating and hard to stay motivated. I know everyone here has gone through the same thing or we wouldn't all be here, right?

Stay tuned!

@skepford. I'm about 2 weeks out and the months I spent doing all of the above went by so fast. Keep your eye on the prize and you'll do great!