Hello all!

First off, I hope I am posting this in the correct spot! If not, I apologize! The whole concept of forums and message boards is pretty new to me so I'm just now learning the ropes!

I looked online as one person who replied to my greeting suggested, and read what my insurance expects before they will cover the lap band. My heart dropped. It states that there needs to be a weight loss attempt supervised by a doctor as one of the pre-requisites, or what have you. I keep hoping I raed it wrong! I've never had a doctor supervised weight loss attempt. I would tell my doctors about my weight, but no one ever really put me on anything specific - just would ask me about my weight and weigh me when I went in for other things! :frown:

I am really kind of discouraged and sad now... I'm thinking they might make me try weight watchers or something for a certain amount of time before they'll let me have the surgery. It isn't that I mind trying to lose that way, it is just that I always gain back. I've been on everything from Advocare to Metabolite, to carb blockers, to Slim Fast (about 3 times for that one)to the six small meals a day, to the green tea, to the Atkins,....oh gosh you name it I have probably tried it!!...but never supervised.

I probably sound so whiny. I'm sorry about that! Here I am brand new to the forum and already spilling my guts like this! I'm sitting here with a stupid lump in my throat and tears I'm trying to fight!!!

I just was really excited about the surgery and am now feeling a bit disappointed...and already too! My seminar is on the 22nd so I am going to go anyways...I'm a little afraid to go because I'll probably want to get it more, then be turned down!!!! I called the place I go to for the seminar and she told me that the other diets count somewhat, so to go ahead and write them down. I wish I'd kept exact dates but didn't. All I know is, I try and fail, try and fail try and fail...etc......

Did anyone else have to try something different first and how was all that?

I'm sorry for the long post...I will try my best to keep all others shorter! God Bless and I'm anxious to hear from anyone with anything to say about this! I've been reading through some of these and every single one of you sound like the neatest people!!!!

-ready_2_live.:tt2::wink_smile:

Thanks, Kathy and Angel. I will hope for the best. I am not nervous about surgery, just all this red tape. Thanks for your patience.

It's only natural. Once you decide you want somehting so much, that fear of denial is going to be there until you actually see it about to happen. All you can do is know the insurance company's requirements, do everything you can to amke sure they are met, then cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Hello All! I've been reading all your post and I know what you are all going through w/ the Ins company. After finding out what the ins will cover and won't...I got really discouraged. My BMI= 35 w/ no comorbidity. Which means that I would have to balloon to BMI=40 before the Ins will cover (after the 6mth dr supervised diet). So finally, I just deceided to pay for the Lap-Band procedure myself. Finally, found a good hospital and good Dr. I have my Dr consultation next Wednesday to see if I will qualify. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED!

Well, I was there just about 6 mo. ago. I researched lapband for several months, decided it was for me, went to a seminar and was told my insurance would pay. I got so excited. I was ready to go. What they really meant was, my insurance would pay for it if I jumped through all the hoops, one of which is a 6 mo. supervised diet. I felt like had been kicked in the stomach. I felt sick and let down. I didn't think I could wait six mo., but what choice did I have?! Everyone on this forum said it would go by quickly, even at three months, I didn't feel it was goin by very quickly. My last appointment is 5/30, and looking back, it did go by quickly. Now my demons are telling me I won't get approved anyway, and even if I did, it's probably not going to work for me, so you see, at each stage it's always something new and more to worry about. Damn those demons in my head!! All I know, is to not give up hope, and never stop trying, and to Hell with the demons in our heads.

I think the fear of failure is the worst of all because we have ALWAYS failed. I know it has been for me. Part of that failure includes being denied by insurance. The fact is, long-term success IS possible with the help of the Band!! Yes, some insurance companies make it hard for approval. If they make you go through a 6 month diet before they will approve you, who cares if it means ultimately you WILL get approved?? It is only 6 months, and chances are you have been fighting your weight a lot longer than that already. Plus, once you get approval and have surgery, look how much farther along you will be on your weight loss! It is just so frustrating to me when people say they are going to give up on surgery because of that 6 months. In the big scheme of things, 6 months is nothing more than a tick on the clock.

Good luck to Cakegal. Glad you stuck it out and are almost there!! Let us know when you get that approval!

My insurance did the exact same thing.I had to do six months of a supervised weight lost program. I just completed the weight watchers.My first appoint with the Dr. is on June 13th and on the 17th I see the nutritionist and do the psyic evaluation. I was frustrated at first because of the same thing.

Good advice from everyone. I've decided to use this time constructively. Yesterday I started practising the tiny bites and chewing until food was liquified. Interestingly, it's not as easy as it sounds, so it will be good to work on that. Because of that, I couldn't finish my dinner, although it was small. Normally, I would think this was a good thing but I dare not lose a pund until my initial consultation. How strange! I'm also going to use this time to gather my supplies, since I most likely won't feel like it post op, and DH is like a visitor from another planet in a store! Started working with small weights for my arms...shouldn't make me lose weight and may make for less baggy arm skin. I heard today that a guy who works with DH and had the full Gastric bypass did not have to do the supervised diet. That would sure be a blessing. But either way, I'm moving forward!

Don't feel too bad, My insurance requires a year of a Doctor supervised program. Very upsetting to find out.