kczar

Awesome post! I've been checking out this board for a few months and started my six month supervised diet in February. I've gotten a wealth of information already but your post contained things I didn't know (like NSV meant). If it hasn't already been, this should be stickied so everyone can see it.

Congratulations! Keep us posted on your progress.

LOL, I just had to do this for a colonoscopy and that's exactly how I described it! Mi, I would recommend getting some feminine wipes or those cleansing cloths. Things get a bit rough after you've made six or seven trips to the bathroom! Good luck.

I'm in the second month of my six month supervised diet program before I can be approved for surgery. Not being able to drink before, during and after my meals was my biggest concern, believe it or not. But I started cutting down on the amount I drank with my meals on the first month. My goal this month is to only drink half a glass with a meal. I've been surprised at how easy this has been so far. I'm the girl that always has 3-4 refills so I'm pretty pleased that it's not as difficult as I feared. Of course, I haven't gotten to the point of no drinking at all... I'm really enjoying this forum. It's very helpful for those of us considering/preparing for VSG. Thanks to everyone who shares here!

That's great, Candice! Since you'll be getting the paperwork to them after the 15th, your coverage will probably start May 1st. They'll send you a letter that you can use as proof of insurance because it sometimes takes a while to actually get your ID card. They also offer a "health partner" feature where a nurse contacts you on a regular basis to help you set goals to improve your health. Pretty much everyone I have spoken to there has been very helpful. When I was looking for a WLS, their website only showed someone in Louisiana (I'm in Texas). But I called them and they were able to give the name of several surgeons that were in the network. Good luck!

Thanks so much for the input! Hopefully, I'll be able to schedule my surgery for the middle of the week and start back part time the following Monday/Tuesday. @traceyc, sitting at a desk all day is the hardest part for me, too. I wore sweatpants the first week back just because the pressure of the jeans caused a lot of discomfort. And they weren't even hitting any of my incisions!

After a lifetime of losing and gaining weight, I think I've made the decision go have the surgery. I'm 50 and was thin until the age of seven. I've yo-yo'd back and forth but have never been under 185 my entire adult life. At my biggest, I was around 305. I'm currently sitting at 283 and feeling more uncomfortable than ever. I finally got insurance at the beginning of the year, primarily because I needed to have my gallbladder removed. It turns out that the costs associated with the surgery will meet my maximum out of pocket expenses for the year. So...that means that I could have the VGS done for free! I started the supervised diet in February, as my insurance requires a six month program. I actually like that there is a delay because it gives me plenty of time to really think about if I want to do this. I'm really leaning toward doing it. I've read many posts here and seen the good and the bad. I truly think this is my best chance to increase my life span. I've been fortunate that the only real health issues I've encountered is sleep apnea. But I don't know how many years I can dodge the bullet before it catches up with me. Anyway, that's my story in a nutshell! I appreciate everyone show shares their experiences on this board. I can tell this will be a great source of support going forward.

The coverage varies from state to state (and not all states are included), but I went with the standard option. At the time, I wasn't really thinking about wsl. I needed it primarily because I hadn't had insurance in 10 years(!) and needed gallbladder surgery. I took the difference between the two premiums, multiplied it by 12 and then compared that amount to the maximum out of pocket. In my case, it made sense to go with the higher deductible. I just had my gallbladder removed and that should cover my out of pocket maximum for the year. If that's correct, the vsg surgery should be covered 100%. They do require six month's medically supervised diet and exercise program, but I think that's a good thing. It gives you time to mentally prepare yourself for this change in lifestyle. Anyway, good luck to all those that apply. It was an extremely easy process and I was covered within 45 days of sending off the paperwork. I don't regret it a bit! Just keep in mind that this plan is supposed to go away in 2014 when major health insurance laws go into effect. But we all know a lot can change in that time.

I've been reading this forum the past week and decided to register to give you some information. I've been without insurance for years and needed to to get my gallbladder removed. After doing some research, I found the pre-existing insurance plan. It's a government program available in certain states. Go to www.pcipplan.com and check it out. The only requirements are that you have been without insurance for at least six months and either have a pre-existing health condition or a letter showing you have been turned down for insurance (not hard to get - I got turned down strictly because of my BMI.) It's a PPO plan and I pay about $300 a month. They require a six month diet and exercise plan but otherwise it looks like they cover it. Good luck!