itismyyear

Peoria, Illinois

I first tried to start the process for WLS a year ago, but my insurance didn't cover it. This year, we got new insurance, and it is covered! So yesterday I finally met with the surgeon for the first time. My BMI is 44.5, and I have no other physical health issues, so they seemed to breeze through everything with me. However, they informed me that my insurance requires a 6 month supervised diet before they will approve surgery. My question, though, is what if I lose too much? Will they then say sorry, your BMI isn't high enough? I was getting so much information at the appointment yesterday that I didn't think to ask. I don't want to lose so much that I'm no longer considered for surgery, but I need to show them that I am serious about losing weight. Did anyone else have to do this? Since I have no other health issues, I think my BMI may need to be at 40 to qualify for surgery, which means I can't lose much weight. The good news is that I don't have to do anything else besides this diet, the psych eval and attending some meetings/support groups. No sleep study, so that is good!

That's true. I've lost weight many times and gain it back. So I'm looking at this surgery to help me long term rather than this up and down I've done for the last ten years. I met with my doctor to start this diet and am feeling much better. I thought she'd want me to do a calorie restrictive diet but she's having me focus on limiting different things, changing habits, and starting some moderate exercise. So she's not really looking for a big loss. That's a relief.

I am a worrier to begin with... I will be over-analyzing everything, which is my reason for joining RNY Talk. I have a million things that run through my mind, so I like to see what others have to say. Thanks!

My company got new insurance for 2013, so I will (hopefully) be able to have surgery this year!! I started the process last year only to find bariatric surgery was not covered. I think I should qualify through the different requirements. I have some worries, and maybe they are dumb, but I'd love feedback! I am 30 years old, 5'3" and weigh 250 lbs. I've never been smaller than a 10. But at a 10, I still seemed to have a lot of extra flab. Especially my upper arms, they have been disproportionately large my whole life. So I worry that when I lose weight I'll have all of this extra skin on my arms. Or my arms will stay fat and never be normal size! Has anyone had their arms done? If you have, do you have a long scar? I also have always felt embarrassed about my weight and I don't discuss it with people. I'll need to be out of work at least two weeks after surgery, but I don't even want my close work friends to know.. I work for a large company and see many different people daily. I don't want to have everyone know and talk about me behind my back.. how have others handled this? I know everyone will want to know what surgery I'm having. I know these sound like trivial worries when the surgery will be so good for me health-wise. Weight has just always been a sensitive subject for me.

Going to HR is a really serious process where I work, so I'd hate to put anyone through that. I guess I need to just get over it--people will talk. I'm really not interested in being a RNY spokesperson, though. So I'd like to just tell even my close work friends that I had to have some sort of intestinal/bowel surgery. That will pretty much be true, I just won't be sharing why. Thank you all! I really do need some supportive words. My mother is against the surgery and one friend that I have told is always telling me the things that could go wrong! So in my personal life I only have one friend supporting my decision.

I think if you are still sick come surgery date, they won't operate. No surgery is done when people are sick unless it's an emergency. If your immune system is down, you'll want to wait anyway. Your health is most important!