Jigboy

I am home and doing good. Just a little sore. I have started drinking some Crystal Light being careful not to get sick. Hope everyone else is doing good also.

I have surgery tomorrow at noon. Little nervous but that is expected. Starving because I can only do clear liquids today. I will let you know how it goes.

I have been doing the 6 month diet plan and have lost 14 pounds this first month. I guess that is good, but still worry how insurance will react at the end of the 6 months. My biggest worry is after the 6 months, getting turned down. I am at a 46 bmi but do not have a many medical issues yet. I have sleep apnea (like that was a surprise) but my cholesteral and blood pressure are pretty good. I do have aching joiunts in my ankles and knees but that is about it. I know this sounds dumb, but I worry that I am not ill enough yet. When I turned my medical records for the past two years over to my surgeon they asked if that was it because I had one visit to the doctor and that was to do blood work and to have something to turn in to the surgeon. Any thoughts would be great. I know all the bad medical conditions are coming but I am trying to head it off before I have all the problems. Everything I read talks about all these serious conditions but I don't have them yet. Should I be worried? I would certainly rather have the surgery before having a heart attack or having to stick myself everyday to test my blood sugar. Help!!!!

I also have to wait until September. I started my diet about two weeks ago. I also have tons of test like stress test, pulmonary, blood work and others. I was at first made and upset a few months back when I found out that I would have to do the 6 month wait. The thing that made me mad was that they would not let me start it until I got in for my first visit with my surgeon. That delayed me almost a month and a half. My primary care physician is going to mark down that I have done the diet for a month on my first visit on the 25th since I really have been doing it. He thinks the whole thing is stupid anyway. This will move me up to September instead of October so that helps out a little. Anyone have a clue once you paper work is approved by the insurance how long it takes usually takes to get the surgery scheduled?

To be honest, I love hunting and fishing but I want to live even more and I need the surgery. My six month date won't end until September 25. Once that is turned in I am still going to bet it will take 6 weeks. I would probably back it off another week to the week of Nov. 10th because of the hunting season and I have a trip to India scheduled that I need to go on. Hunting for me starts in September and last up to the end of December, but like I said, the surgery is more important. The best part of the season will be over by the time I have surgery anyway. It would be nice to have the surgery before the holidays anyway.

I got rejected today but it was what we were expecting. Humana is for sure making me do the 6 month diet plan. I was not upset with the fact that I can't do anything about it but diet. I actually started about two weeks ago and has been going well so far. I am supposed to get all my labs and stress test done once I get to the 5th month so we should be fairly close to ready on the 6th month. My fear is that after all this, I will get rejected again. I am upset that my deer season is now in out the door but I did it with a broken leg and arm, so maybe not.

Well I had my appointment today with Dr Jeff Allen. It was nice to see hime since we palyed football together in high school. I did find out the my blood pressure was 150 over 100 which is not good at all. They said that they have heard two different stories with Humana. Some people have had to do the six month deal while others have not. Bottom line is, they are turning it in and seeing what Humana has to say. I am sure they will reject it and I will be seeing a doctor for sim months, but I can get all the other test done and continue to enjoy a large piece of pizza every once in a while.

This all makes me feel a whole lot better. I wanted to just about die when I found out that I had to do this and then could still get turned down. I will be honest, one of the main reasons I haven't been dieting this year is I want the surgery. In April of last year I got down to 310 and then headed to Hilton Head. Me and the all you can eat crab legs had a field day and that ended the whole diet deal. By July I had made my call to get into a seminar but didn't get to go until late September. The whole process is real slow but is going to be so worth it. I really do want to go ahead and lose some weight because my knees never hurt me until I got up to my current weight. It will be nice to lose about 40 or 50 before the surgery anyway. Thanks for posting back to me.

I have Humana and have been told I have to have a six month diet plan with someone like a doctor, dietician, or weight watchers after I meet with my doctor on Friday. Any suggestions on which to use. I am leaning towards setting up appointments once a month with my primary doctor just because my co-pay will be the same as paying for weight watchers and I can't right that expense off and I can write off a doctor bill. Can anyone tell me what kind of a diet plan you have with your doctor or whomever you are using. I am still frustrated because I know I will lose weight over the next six months. Usually I can get the weight to fall off. The problem is I can never keep it off. I start getting to hungry, to many headaches, and feeling horrible to continue. One piece of pizza becomes two and then three and so on. I am still afraid I will get turned down eventually by Humana if they see me lose some 40 pounds or so over a six month period, when we all know I will gain it back eventually. Help!!!!!

I don't remember what you call the plan but my wife and I both work for the government so we pay very little towards insurance. For that reason, we picked the best they offered. I actually don't meet my surgion until the 29th of this month. I will talk to him and see what he thinks also. I didn't push real hard yesterday when I spoke to Humana because I was just real upset. Bottom line is, I am geting the surgery even if I have to pay myself. I work as a state plumbing inspector and wonder do they take your job into consideration. It effects my job being so over weight and in some situations makes it not very safe when I have to climb down ladders to check piping being installed in basements. I am just reaching and trying to figure anything out I can to help my situation. Another question I have is would it be adviced to get my fathers records. He is currently in the hospital trying to save his leg because of infection from diabetise, or am I still reaching. It is all going to happen to me. I am just trying to head it all off.

I have a question. I just found out yesterday that because of changes in Humana's plan as of January, I have to have the six month supervised diet. Am I wrong in guessing that this whole process is a set up. If I do this and actually lose weight, why pay for the surgery when he has proven he can lose. If I don't lose anything, why pay when I show no effort in losing weight. I now understand why so many people go to Mexico or self pay. I am very large and weight around 375 lbs at 6'3", but besides that I do not have a lot of medical problems YET. I do have the sleep apnea, slightly high blodd pressure and slightly high colesterol. My joints hurt in my legs but I have never seen a doctor about it because I know it is because of my weight. Diabetise runs big time in my family but I am not there yet. Heart desiece runs in the family with my dad having by-pass at 55 years of age. I know it is all coming but I don't suffer from a lot of bad stuff yet. I feel that if I do lose some weight and drop my BMI down to less then 40 I could really be killing myself for the surgery. Any thoughts?

I am so glad and upset that I read your thread. I have Human, and was told twice back in September and October that I did not have to have the 6 month diet plan with a doctor. Today I read your threat and checked again, and was told that I was wrong and needed it all along. I was told that I could not even start the 6-month diet until after I met with my doctor. I started this process in September and don't meet my actual doctor until the 29th of this month. I have met everyone else from dietisions, sleep doctors, phyciatrist and primary care physician, but not the main mam for two more weeks. I rescheduled my vacation in April and canceled a fishing trip because of the timeline I have previously been told. I am more then ticked off and understand why people go to Mexico for the process. Now I have to wait till this fall during deer season to have the operation instead of this spring. The only good news is, the fishing trip is back on for sure. I guess my big question is, who is dumb enough to actually try to lose wait during this 6 month period. I know I can lose the weight. It is keeping it off. If I go and lose weight and get my BMI down in the 35 - 39 range, I have to have all sorts of medical reasons for the surgery, and besides having slightly high blood pressure, joint aches, and sleep apnia, I don't have a ton of problems yet. So I guess I look forward to eatting my butt off for another six months and continue to slowly kill myself because that is what we all are doing.

I don't understand the six month diet deal because I first heard about it back at the seminar and imediately called Humana and they said no, that they got rid of that in 2006 for my plan. I then heard from the doctor's office and they said I would have to have it. I again called Humana and they told me the exact same thing they had told me before. Maybe it is different for different plans. My wife and I are both government employees so are insurance is very cheap, so we have the very best plan you could get. I hope I don't have any insurance problems but I will deal with them as they come. One good thing is the Dr. I am using is an old high school friend and we played football together. Maybe he will try to help a little more but who knows.