amymina

I personally do not smoke, but my surgeon will not operate on anyone that smokes, he does a nicotine test, and if u do not pass it, he will cancel your surgery. He is not trying to be cruel, but it can be a problem if you still smoke with healing after the surgery especially.

Alot of insurance companies up front will tell you what you need, so it is something that you could always call and ask them. Before I even went to the first open seminar, I called to confirmed that it was covered and see some of the steps that had to be done.

As someone who works for an insurance company and on the team who appoved/denies surgeries, even though that isn't my main job, I would call the insurance company yourself and ask to speak with them if possible. Each insurance company has to have a policy, and the policy of your insurance company may be that they only cover the full bypass or the band, you may want to check with them and see what their policy is on the matter, if you didn't already.

I can imagine how you feel, I had to wait three weeks for the information session, and now have to wait another month for my initial consultation and I feel like it is taking forever!! I still have to see the counselor, nutritionist, have an EGD done and get approved by the insurance company. Keep your head up, get in a support group and surround yourself with people who support you, find something that makes you excited about it again!! You have come so far, don't give up now!!

@nomorethickchick- I am sorry for the health conditions you are dealing with, in my time as an RN I have seen many people with this condition, and it can be tough! I would suggest you really have a heart to heart with the doctor, find some people who have had it and talk to them with it. I know three people that have had it personally in my life, and two had no nausea, and one is just a few weeks out with some light nausea. There is medication they can give you for that can dissolved under the tongue if you can't swallow it. My daughter had to take it before and it worked wonders for her. I know with the sleeve they state that you don't loose as much as the gastric bypass and you can always adjust your diet to prevent that as you need to. Also, if there is a good support group in your area for people getting gastric surgery, I would highly recommend that you get involved. I hope you are able to make up your mind and find some peace with your choice!

From what I have heard that is true, also u have to remind urself to drink something. Be very careful to get the required amnt of fluids in, as I saw someone that didn't and it caused great health problems

I am just starting the process of getting approved and having the surgery done, but I can tell you that I talk with people day in and out as part of my job that have had this surgery done or are planning to as part of my job as a RN. I recently talked with someone who was doing this with a friend and backed out because she didn't feel ready to do it and wanted to try is again on her own. This is something you need to be sure you want to do, you need to be at the end of your rope, and know that you don't to end up as a statistic down the road. If you need to take pause and weight a few months or a year until you are comfortable and sure it is what you want to do, that is better than going through with it before you are ready. But I can tell you that almost every person that I talked to that has had the surgery said that they wished that they would have done it sooner.

Congrats! That is sure alot to go through to get approved, so sorry you had to go through so much...

Unless someone in the family has had a massive weight issue and been willing to admit that they have a weight issue, it is hard for them to understand. I have been willing to consider the surgery for about four years now, but in the time I went from 300 lbs down to 180 while working on a hospital floor, howeven once I left that floor and went to a desk job, I have now gained back 60 lbs, up to almost 240. Some of that is my own fault, and some if the fact that I cannot workout 3-4 horus a day to make up the time that I used to run around for a 12 hour shift. My mom is having trouble understanding that as she has never had a bad weight issue. I have spent the last month explaining how it works to her, always being hungry, and really having no off switch to stop me from overeating. She is very OCD about many things, and just lost my dad three years ago and I think she is afraid something is going to go wrong. But as a nurse and I have explained how many health conditions I can develop from the size that I am. I work with these people every day who have had heart attacks, strokes, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even more. Trying to help get her more information, I have invited her to the information sessions and sent her links to expain more. I think she is slowly starting to come around, but I am sure we will not have the support of some of my husband's family, and unfortuantely that is something that happens.