New here, half way through

[PurpleMomma 0]

Hello all! I’m very excited to find this forum for questions and support. I started my journey towards WLS in January. My insurance, at that time, required 180 days and 7 dietician visits. I did well with the first 2 dietician visits and the counselors appointment. Then COVID hit. My March appointment was cancelled, and I didn’t hear from my surgery center for a little while. I reached out to them at the end of March to see if I could start virtual visits, and they said that they were transitioning to that. I met my surgeon virtually, and I’ve had 3 virtual dietician appointments. Aetna changed their qualifications for WLS surgery in May, so now I need 12 appointments, but there’s no weight gain rules. The office is having me do 3 appointments a month to try to keep me as close to my original end date as possible. Some things about me: I live outside of St.Louis, Mo, I’m 37, am a mom of 3, 11 yo boy and 9 yo boy/girl twins, I have 4 cats and 2 dogs, all rescues, I’ve been married 13 years and together 16. My family is very supportive of my decision to have surgery. I am 5’10 and 290lbs. I have a few medical issues, but nothing comorbid to my weight, so I cannot lose too much weight before surgery or I will disqualify myself. I’ve been able to lose a little since my first appointment, but they want me to maintain now. I’ve had my upper GI and an abdominal ultrasound to see if I can have my gallbladder removed durning surgery, and it looks like I can, but my surgeon hasn’t confirmed that yet. It is slightly enlarged and I have sludge, so I’d like it gone.
Anyways, I’ve rambled long enough. I’m happy to be here, and I look forward to getting to know y’all!

[Hop_Scotch 1,634]

Hello and welcome.

It's good your office is being helpful with your appointments, it's a shame your insurance company is making you and others jump through even more hoops.

Time goes quickly, it will be surgery day beore you know it!

[GreenTealael 25,579]

❤ Welcome ❤

[Lily66 425]

Welcome PurpleMomma! I remember feeling SO happy to find this site and community, too😊! Our surgical teams are wonderful, but there’s nothing like the experience of others to help us. This site has such a great blend from veterans all the way to newbies and everything in between. Someone here will likely have experienced whatever issue you encounter and be more than happy to support you. The archives are great, too.

It sounds like you have your ducks in a row and a stable support system at home. I was about 35 or 36 BMI with 2 comorbidities at initial surgeon appt. They told me I could gain in the pre-op coming months But couldn’t lose or I wouldn’t qualify. No one had EVER told me I had freedom to gain weight but not lose. That weekend, hubby and I enjoyed a dinner out with friends, including dessert. The next day I got ahold of myself and said “Self, you are in real trouble if you take this as some license to eat for 3 months. It tells me you’re not serious about losing weight and GETTING HEALTHY. Who are you kidding, self? Even if they say you can gain for 3 months, you’ll still have to work to lose it, and your half heart tells me this food relationship is far from ready to clean up!”

After that tough self talk, I maintained my 217 weight number all 3 months of pre-op weigh in. To prove to myself that I was committed, I diligently did not allow that number to go up, nor down. It was the beginning of true change for me. The very thought of creating more fat inside of myself nauseated me!

All this🙄to say, Be True to Yourself and keep that smart head of yours so determined to embrace a New You that nothing can derail you! It is still a daily work in progress for me, as my skinny hubby has so many treats around and not my place to deny him his choices. After 30 years together, we offer encouragement but allow each other to decide things for ourselves.

I want to feel and look my best MORE than I want a measly 15 minutes of pleasure in my mouth!

Welcome! We look forward to your exciting journey😍!

Edited June 8, 2020 by Lily66

[Abigail123 1]

welcome ❤