I have my consult tomorrow and am very nervous!! I guess I'm worried the most about the insurance not covering it. My PCM gave me the referral for "morbid obesity" and I was excited! Kind of sad that I was excited to get a referral for that. I have tricare and have been told that they don't go by bmi but by weight. If they go by the lowest weight on the scale I am 100lbs over weight. But I don't know how they will figure it. I guess I just have to wait and see what the insurance says.

Sorry for rambling! Just kind of nervous. Does anyone have any advice for the first visit to the surgeon?? All would be appreciated.

Thanks

Amy

Hey Amy-

I don't have much advice to offer, but wanted to say good luck. I'm going to my consult on Friday and am also anxious, nervous, excited, etc...

I hope it goes very well. Keep me posted!

Jaime

Amy-

I have tricare too! Where are you at? My husband is stationed at lackland in San Antonio. Let me know how it goes! What is your BMI? Mine is exactly 35 and I am 5'8 and weigh 230lbs. I am hoping to get approved for the lap band as well. Let me know how it goes! I'm in the same boat I could lose 100lbs. and still be in my normal weight range just not at the top. Good luck, keep me posted and I will do the same!

Don't laugh, but I told my friend to wear ankle weights! haha!!! And I know a girl who actually did so she could get the surgery! Of course, I don't recommend this, but this was the first thing that popped into my mind when you asked! haha LOL

Carly,

My husband just retired from the Navy and we moved to West Palm Beach, Fl. My BMI is a little over 35, I'm 5'6" and weigh 222. I'll let you know how it goes. I just hope they approve me!! I'll keep you posted. Please do the same.

I had actually thought about wearing my ankle weights!!! I wonder if they check people for that stuff or not??? I might have to slip them in my purse just in case!

Good luck on Friday Jaime...keep me posted! I'll do the same.

Thanks everyone!

drinking a lot of Water before you go is more effective than weights, they can't check for that. just make sure they weigh you before you head to the bathroom.

My consult is tomorrow too. Good luck to us both!

Funny! I'm trying to gain as much as I can before my referral and subsequent consult. Thanks for the water tip, I'll definitely use it. I should gain like 5-10lbs. If that's what I need to do to lose 100 then I'll do it! It really sucks being so close to the min. requirement. But I have several co-morbidities! Hopefully they will see this and approve me! I just hope that I can get it done before we move!

I did a happy dance and called everyone I knew when I got diagnosed with sleep apnea! It was what I needed for ins approval and you would have thought I won the lottery. Anyway, on the way to my consult to ensure a BMI of 40 I stopped for a sirloin burger from Jack in the box, large FF and a Lage tea.....guarenteed to put on an immediate 6-7 lbs. Yes, it was weight sabbatoge....but it worked!! 40.2 BMI. Hey, whatever it took, I was willing to do it! Many people won;'t agree with me because it is contradictory to gain weight to have weightloss surgery and what does that say about how I will do after placement bla bla bla. I was willing to fight for years if I had to to get covered.

Good Luck

PS My doctor asked my height, they never even measured me so fudge about your height an inch or so and if they measure you then just play dumb. It worked fo me and made a HUGE difference in my BMI.

I will definitely use the water trick! I will feel better doing that than the weights! As sad as it sounds I have actually been trying to gain weight every since I made my appointment last week. I think I've put on a few. It's sad that I have to put more weight on when I'm already over 80lbs overweight. But I need the insurance to pay for the surgery.

Don't feel bad I'm doing the same! I only need like 10lbs to be approved for my insurance. It sucks because I have several co-morbidities yet they won't approve me unless I'm 100lbs over. I'm 90lbs over! I could understand if I didn't have any co-morbidities but I like have them all except the joint pain.

I don't understand why the insurance won't approve you if fall only 10lbs short of the requirements!! It's tricare right? So are you now waiting until you gain enough weight and reapply to have the surgery? Do you also have sleep apnea?

I do have tricare, and I've heard they are pretty strict. I haven't been tested for sleep apnea, but I think I do have it. I am borderline diabetic, PCOS, hypertension, have high cholesterol, recently had my gall bladder removed(cholecystitis), and family medical history is horrible! My dad had his first heart attack at 28. My dr. didn't want to believe me when I told her that. I said I would give her the name of my dad's cardiologist if she wanted to double-check. I'm 29 with 2 kids and I don't want to be like my dad. I don't want to have surgery (who really does) but to me it's worth being healthy for a lifetime.

Wow Carly, you really have a lot of health problems. I hope you're able to get the surgery done to help with your problems. I had my consult today and they are very confident that they can get me approved with tricare. They said that they have never been denied by tricare, but that I would be the 1st one for the lap band. I have my psych appt on Friday and my appt w/the dietician on Wednesday and the pre-op class on Wednesday. So they are very confident that they can get me approved. I'm very excited! They said that even though my BMI is 36 that because of the sleep apnea, knee problems, hiatal hernia, and the documented medical weight loss attempts that it shouldn't be a problem. I hope they're right!! But I'm not getting my hopes up too much until we hear back from Tricare. I'll keep you posted as to Tricares response. Good luck to you!

Hi, if you are worried about not weighing enough, Drink lots of water -and eat some salty things - this will REALLY help you retain the water - that adds major pounds to the scale. Good luck!

My doctor told me that because I have Type II Diabetes I will qualify even if I am slightly under the 100 lbs. Right now before I see the doctor for this I am eating like a freaking pig, figure that it won't hurt. LOL. Good luck my first group meeting at the hospital is 2/11/08

I wish I had advice but I don't go for my 1st appointment until Friday but wanted to say Good Luck and let us know how it goes!

Carly~ I'm in SA too and I'm trying to gain weight before Friday too, LOL. I thought I was the only one. I really need my insurance to cover this but I'm a couple pounds away from being 40 BMI, which I have to be for BCBS FEP.