My name is Sandi and I'm a few days away from 43. Today is the beginning for me. My first appointment with Dr Slayden at St Lukes is in an hour. Journaling the process here seems like a good idea for reasons of accountability and support. I've read so many stories already and I can't wait to get started.

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Two starbursts isn't too bad. I wish that's all I'd had! It's not so difficult to avoid chocolate if it isn't in the house, so I'm glad there isn't another candy holiday until Halloween. Were you able to hop back on the wagon?

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Two starbursts isn't too bad. I wish that's all I'd had! It's not so difficult to avoid chocolate if it isn't in the house, so I'm glad there isn't another candy holiday until Halloween. Were you able to hop back on the wagon?

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Yeah. Like you said, it's easy when it's not in the house. I actually eat a fair number of carbs now that I'm training for a half marathon, so eating two pieces of candy didn't spark any new cravings or anything.

Had my hematology appointment today. As I dreaded, I will have to go home with Lovenox shots for 10 days. I told the doctor about my past experience with Lovenox feeling like liquid lava spreading under my skin and the dinner-plate sized bruises the shots always leave, and she thinks I'm allergic to it. She's going to try to get an alternative injection approved, but it's more expensive and she's worried Cigna may not be willing to cover it. I have an extremely high pain tolerance, so the burning lava sensation is not me being a wimp. I'm not afraid of needles, so I am fairly certain I can inject myself, but I'm not sure I can do it with burning lava.

My first NUT appointment is this week and apparently it's a group appointment. I also go to the required support group this week. After that, the only appointments I have left to check off are the two additional monthly NUT appointments.

I haven't come up with a plan to cover the deductible and OOP yet, but I'm not giving up. I need for this to happen. I want to actually live some of my life.

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I really really hope things come together for you to be able to pay for this. There has GOT to be a way to make it happen!

Thanks Jamie, I keep telling myself the same thing.

I attended the first NUT appointment. I had no idea it would be such a long appointment. We were there for over two hours. People were asking questions that they could easily have answered themselves through research and I was surprised by how little some of them knew about this process having already decided to have surgery. One woman asked about drinking every individual type of diet soda and the NUT kept saying over and over, nothing carbonated.

I learned a few things about my particular surgeon's process. He allows puréed food immediately after surgery and won't require a liquid diet before surgery if you are close to dropping below 40 bmi. I'm currently at 40.6 and am very worried about dropping below and no longer qualifying. Somehow I have to manage to maintain this weight without gaining an ounce or losing more than a couple of pounds for an undetermined amount of months.

I also got more bad news. They handed out papers stating that we have to see the NUT for four months for the three month requirement. I thought the initial visit with the surgeon counted as the beginning and that was a month before this visit with the NUT. That puts me at not being able to submit paperwork until the beginning of July whereas I thought it would be the beginning of June. Considering how often Cigna denies the procedure, I figure it could take an additional two months to obtain approval and then the surgeon's schedule is apparently generally two months out. This puts me out to November. I was hoping to be 60 pounds lighter by Christmas, but now I have to maintain this exact weight all the way through November. Not sure if that is even possible. So many things keep stacking up against me. It is getting frustrating.

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I can imagine how frustrating it must be an still having so much uncertainty. All you can do is just keep plugging away and hope for things to come together in the end.

Thanks Jamie, I keep telling myself the same thing.

I attended the first NUT appointment. I had no idea it would be such a long appointment. We were there for over two hours. People were asking questions that they could easily have answered themselves through research and I was surprised by how little some of them knew about this process having already decided to have surgery. One woman asked about drinking every individual type of diet soda and the NUT kept saying over and over, nothing carbonated.

I learned a few things about my particular surgeon's process. He allows puréed food immediately after surgery and won't require a liquid diet before surgery if you are close to dropping below 40 bmi. I'm currently at 40.6 and am very worried about dropping below and no longer qualifying. Somehow I have to manage to maintain this weight without gaining an ounce or losing more than a couple of pounds for an undetermined amount of months.

I also got more bad news. They handed out papers stating that we have to see the NUT for four months for the three month requirement. I thought the initial visit with the surgeon counted as the beginning and that was a month before this visit with the NUT. That puts me at not being able to submit paperwork until the beginning of July whereas I thought it would be the beginning of June. Considering how often Cigna denies the procedure, I figure it could take an additional two months to obtain approval and then the surgeon's schedule is apparently generally two months out. This puts me out to November. I was hoping to be 60 pounds lighter by Christmas, but now I have to maintain this exact weight all the way through November. Not sure if that is even possible. So many things keep stacking up against me. It is getting frustrating.

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So far, for me the presurgery process was the most difficult. If only I had known for SURE that it would come out in the end, it would have been easier! When I got the diagnosis of diabetes I went straight to the next initial meeting for surgery - that would have been February 2015. Well, I went through all the hoops but had an elevated WBC, and investigating that issue meant that it was a year until I had surgery in February 2016. What I am trying to say is I know it is discouraging - and I know it is frustrating - I mean I could be at goal now rather than just beginning the weight loss! but hang in there - the results are worth the process. I hope we will soon hear that you are on track with a surgery date.

Edited April 10, 201610 yr by Christinamo7

After two and a half months of working hard toward the goal of sleeve surgery, things have taken a bad turn. I had been doing so well cutting out carbs including my love affair with Dr Pepper and I was very ready for this change. Unfortunately, I was admitted to the hospital unexpectedly Thursday evening. I went the the ER with abdominal pain and was diagnosed with a portal vein blood clot. I'm still in the hospital and have been told I'll be on blood thinners for the rest of my life. Surgery is now out of the question this year and my insurance changes to an even worse policy next year, so there is really no way for me to work this out. I'm not only exceedingly depressed about not being able to have this surgery that would have changed my life, but am also now looking at a life on blood thinners and with constant blood draws. I just thought I'd give this last update since there have been a few very supportive people who've commented on this post and I wanted to say thank you before I leave. Good luck to everyone.

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@@Sandi73 I am so so sorry to hear this news. If it's true that WLS just can't be in your foreseeable future, then there are still steps you can be taking (like you already have) to lose weight and improve your health. Will it be hard? For sure! But you have such a great attitude that I really think, if anyone can do it, it's you! I also want to say that you should never say never. Right now, the situation looks grim with your current insurance and the changes in your policy next year. But things change. Who knows what might happen down the road. More and more insurance companies are seeing the long-term benefits of covering WLS, so their policies may change over time. You might get access to new insurance at some point. Hell, eventually you'll be on Medicare which can/does cover WLS. So don't think that this is the end of the road. It's just the beginning of a different journey. It may not be the journey you had in mind, but it's still within your power to make the most of it.

Don't give up! Things always look worse when we going through them. Maybe you could put your students loan in forbearance, which would allow you to put some money aside for the surgery. My heart goes out to people who can't achieve their health goals due to insurance regulations and financial struggles. Be well

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