PATCHELTON

I am 62 and hoping for a surgery date in February about the time of my 63rd birthday. It is good to hear from the over 60's and their experiences. My sister had gastric bypass over a year ago and has lost nearly 100 pounds, but when I started thinking about wls I decided I was more comfortable with the lapband. I will come back with updates when I know more.

My BMI is around 38/39, but I have sleep apnea, high blood pressure, esophageal reflux, high cholesterol, bi-lateral knee arthritis, everything but diabetes, as my bariatric doc pointed out. I would LOVE to give you a few of mine to help you out, but, trust me, be glad you have none, and trust that you will be approved. My coworker had borderline sleep apnea, borderline high blood pressure and she was approved by Blue Cross. I am nearing the end of my 6 month "diet" required by insurance (they want you to lose weight so they can deny you, the bariatric team doesn't want you to lose weight so they can do the procedure) after which I take paperwork for signoff to my PCP, then that goes back to the bariatric office, at which point it will go to insurance. I am still hanging like you, but if my coworker was approved, I surely should be. Keep the faith. We are pulling for you.

Your post caught my eye, because I am pre-op for the band with Dr. Singh at St. Agnes, just waiting to finish my 6 month documented diet requirement for insurance. Hoping to get banded in January. I am a food inhaler, so chewing everything 30 times is going to be my big challenge. I don't know if the Sun chips will cause problems. You might want to confess to Arlene Swantko, the dietician, and see what she can tell you. It is easy to preach to someone other than yourself (my issue is portion control) and I love salty Snacks like chips and pretezels, so I totally understand the temptation. My concern, even if it causes no problems with the band, will it lead to more surrendering to temptation. That is the enemy. I eat heathily some of the time, and other times I am embarrassed to admit what I eat and how much. Maybe we can hook up at the group support meeting and talk. I am going to them now, and learning a lot. Hope to see you there.:ranger:

My insurance (as well as many others) requires a 6 month documented weight loss attempt, or TWO 3 month attempts. My coworker went to a dietician and did Weight Watchers online AT THE SAME TIME, and the insurance okayed her. My 6 months is up in mid December. Hoping to get banded in Jan.

I am pre-op, hoping for January. I read your comments with interest. After I decided I didn't care who knew, I told anyone who might be curious. I have gotten comments suggesting that I put my food on a smaller plate (well-meaning but misguided). I live alone; who is to stop me from getting seconds? My cats? I haven't gotten too many comments but some are slipping through. Yesterday a coworker saw me eating lunch (tuna salad on whole grain from Panera Bread) and she had to remark on how many time she had noticed me eating healthy recently. She stopped herself before "If you ate that way all the time you wouldn't have a weight problem" could slip out. She previously told me my Curves workout was light exercise (I have added walking in a nearby park weather and daylight permitting-usually on the weekend). A new YMCA has opened nearby so I joined that, but I have to have a fitness orientation by appointment to learn how to use all the fancy equipment (appt is 11/25 at 4pm). I even had a post op bander (I go to the support group meetings now) tell me I didn't look heavy enough to qualify (I am 5'7" so it has farther to go, plus I have every co-morbidity except diabetes). I think some people feel threatened when you successfully lose weight because you are a constant reminder of what they should be doing, or if they are thin they think you will steal their boyfriend/husband. At age 62 that is the last thing on my mind. People are going to judge; it is human nature. I figure they will think what they want, and it's their problem. I refuse to make it mine.

You are lucky with only 12 weeks. My insurance requires a 6 month weight loss attempt, plus BMI over 40, 100 over ideal weight, and if BMI between 35-39 you must have one or more co-morbidities (diabetes, HBP, high cholesteral, sleep apnea, esophageal reflux (GERD), arthritis in joints affected by weight, etc) I have everything but Diabetes, so I feel certain I will be approved. The 6 month diet is a joke. The bariatric team doesn't want you to lose weight for fear you will disqualify yourself, so they tell you they don't care if you lose, just don't gain any more. I have to email my weight every two weeks to the dietician. That will be finished in mid-December, and I think then they submit the papers to insurance. Hoping to get banded for my 63rd birthday (2/12/08).

I am new to this board, too, and going through the pre-op screening. I have Blue Choice Insurance(Maryland). The first thing I did was find out what was covered. When I learned that both Bypass and Lapband were covered, I then made an appointment with a bariatric team (St Agnes Hospital) that my sister used. She had gastric bypass and has lost around 100 pounds. My insurance required a referral for the surgeon consult (got that from my PCP--if yours is not supportive I would find anothe PCP, as they have to refer you, plus send records to the bariatric team--yours may not want to if he/she doesn't support the idea--mine, luckily does--she has been after me to lose weight). Blue Choice requires pre-authorization (different from a referral) for surgery, but the bariatric team in my case will take care of that. They also require a documented 6 month weight loss attempt by dieting, which is what I am doing now (ends middle of December). You can also have two documented 3 month attempts. My coworker went to a dietician, and did Weight Watcher's online, at the same time, for 3 months, and the insurance accepted it. The bariatric dietician told me she didn't care if I lost weight, but I shouldn't gain any more. So the diet is a joke, but you have to do it. I email my weight every two weeks to her. When this is done I get paperwork to take to my PCP for signoff, and then I believe the paperwork is submitted to the insurance. I had to pay for the dietician (only $35 for the 6 month diet) and the psych eval (she was out of network), but the surgical consult with referral was my usual specialist copay. I will likely have to pay for the consult on pre and post op eating ($150, same as the psych consult) but hopefully the bulk of the Lapband cost will be covered. My BMI is around 38-39, but I am around 100 pounds overweight, with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, GERD, knee arthritis, just about every co-morbidity but diabetes. I started this on my own (my sister never once tried to influence me) and am hoping to get approved sometime in January. I am 62 (anyone under 18 or over 60 is evaluated on a case by case basis) and have no designs on becoming a glamor queen by 70, but who knows? I joke about getting my bills paid off so I can save for my body contouring surgery. Stay tuned. The journey is just beginning.

I am in the 6 month documented diet that my insurance requires. I use diet loosely, because they said they didn't care if I lost any weight, just be sure not to gain any more. I am eating pretty much what I want, and emailing my weight every two weeks to the dietician. After that is done I get paperwork to take to my PCP for sign off, then I think everything goes into the insurance company. Had to have a stress test (I have a lot of cardiac risk factors) and my PCP wanted an echocardiogram. Done them and passed with flying colors. Once approved and after I get a surgery date, I have two weeks before and after surgery of liquids (before is to help shrink the liver for surgery, but with my appetite, I don't look forward to it). They suggested Atkins, EAS Advantage, broth, sugar-free popsicles, stuff like that. I warned everyone at work I will be mean and ugly because I will be HUNGRY!

I am new to this board. Have not been approved as yet. Waiting to finish the 6 month "diet" required by insurance. That will finish up in mid December. I didn't tell everyone at first (skipped my older sister who has the "just eat less" attitude--my younger sister has lost 100 pounds with RNY) I go to Curves and when I shared with a friend there her well meaning suggestion was to put my food on a smaller plate. There is no fooling my brain with that trick! I explained that doesn't work for me. I live alone and there is no one to stop me from getting seconds. I can't even stop me! My BMI is not high but I have enough co-morbidities for 3 people (HBP, cholesterol, knee arthritis, reflux, and sleep apnea). A post op Lapband patient told me I didn't look heavy enough to need surgery. I am 5'7" and started the 6 months weighing 252. That is at least 100 pounds too much. I changed my response which is closer to the truth, to the fact that I am trying to reduce or eliminate co-morbidities and the medicines I take for them. And that is only if they question my decision. I am at the point where I don't give a hoot what other people think, but I am not putting an ad in the paper either. You have to decide what your comfort level is. It is nice to hear that you don't look heavy enough to need surgery, but you know better, and you do what is best for you. This isn't about anyone else.