I am 23 with a BMI of 47. Ridiculous, I know. Anyway. I started the journey for the lap-band 2 years ago and I stopped going to my doctors appointments because I couldn't afford all the co-pays and what my insurance wouldn't cover for every little thing I had to do. (Nutritionist, sleep study etc.) Recently I learned that the Indian tribe I am apart of offers the band or the sleeve at no cost to me. First I have to lose about 10lbs to even be eligible because they only take people with a BMI of 45 or less. I'm fairly certain I can accomplish that. I will have to drive an hour each way just to visit a physician that works for the Cherokee nation, multiple times a month and then an hour and a half once a month to the hospital where the surgery will be performed for a weigh in. I will have to have the EKG, blood tests, sleep study, nutritionist and all that jazz, which is fine. I'll have to keep a detailed journal of whatever I eat. Join a support group. And then the bariatric team will review my case and if they feel I'm "worthy" basically then they will forward it on to the surgeon and he decides my fate, so to speak. I know it seems like a no-brainer and I should just do it. But it's a little frustrating to me to know that there's a 50% chance that I won't get approved. Then I'll feel like there's all those months wasted.
I don't really have a lot of co-morbities. I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea. I snore loud (my husband has recorded me) and I never wake feeling rested. I don't have high blood pressure. I don't have diabetes. I don't have asthma. I don't have any thyroid problems. I DO have a stomach ulcer that causes a lot of trouble for me.
Basically I'm just feeling defeated and I haven't even started yet.
Anyone else been through something similar? And maybe everything worked out?
I guess you could say I need a little encouragement.