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@@Frenchie1977 I just started the program. I have an appt to see my surgeon on August 5th. I wish that day was tomorrow since I am impatient to get the ball rolling. I am not sure how many months I have to have a supervised diet/weigh-ins because my insurance (Tricare Standard) doesn't specify. It just says that I need to show proof of failed medically supervised diets with your PCP. I hope I only have to do 3 months or less. Crossing my fingers lol. Good luck on your journey!

To get a consult with my surgeon. WOOT! WOOT! It is Aug 5th. I hope the next couple of weeks go by fast. So excited to start this journey. Once I decided the first week of July that I wanted the gastric sleeve surgery I was ready to go immediately lol. So now it is just a waiting game on my future appointments and hope that I do not have to do 6 months of supervised weigh ins. Hopefully it is smooth sailing from here on out. I am ready to get my healthy/skinny on.

Thank u, Fredbear! Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

Thank u for replying, Lindsey.I know a lot of people who have UHC but not through Tricare and everyone has to do a 6 month supervised diet/weigh-ins ins. So I just wanted to make sure and see if Tricare was the same or not. I know that on the website it does not specify the amount of time. I hope my surgeon only has me do 3 months or less lol. I called tricare to see if my authorization to start the bariatric program was approved and it was. The agent told me my approval dates are for 7/20-1/16. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone, Has anyone had the vsg surgery through United Healthcare Tricare West region? If so, did u have to do the 6 months of supervised diets or weigh ins? Were u approved quickly? Any info on UHC Tricare would be greatly appreciated.

U look so happy, refreshed, and beautiful. I am truly happy for you. My highest weight was 360. Right now I am 338 and I feel miserable. And just like you said I am only existing and not living life. I can not wait to start living life because at the weight I am right now it doesn't seem possible. Thank u for being an inspiration. I can not wait to get this bariatric program rolling so that I can get my surgery.

I found out the other day that my primary insurance was my United Healthcare Tricare west region not My United Healthcare Community Plan with AHCCCS. So I called my UHC Tricare Insurance company today and the agent told me that my authorization was approved on 7/20. YAY!! He also told me that my servicing dates were from 7/20/16 until 1/20/17. Has anyone's insurance company told them that before? Does that mean that I will have to have my surgery before that date? I was told from my PCP that I would have to do 6 months of medical weigh ins and also from the Bariatric Patient Advocate. Hopefully that has now changed since my primary is with tricare and not the community plan/ahcccs

On 7/11 I went to my PCP to get a referral for wls. He said I was a perfect candidate because my BMI is over 40 and I have high blood pressure. He told me he was sending out the referral to his referral department that day and it would take 7-14 days to hear back from the insurance company. He also said to call in a week and check up on the status. So I called Monday and of course I get someone who does not usually work in the referral dept. UGH!!!! She said that with my insurance, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, takes up to 2 weeks for approval and that she did not know when it was sent but that she would write a note to see if it was sent already. I am impatient right now because I want to get the ball rolling with starting my 6 month supervised weight ins. How long did it take for you all to get your referral approved to start your wls program??? I'm just hoping I get a call in the next few days. Crossing my fingers

I called my insurance company and the agent told me that my authorization was approved on the 20th to start the bariatric program. He gave me my approval number and told me my servicing dates are from 7/20 - 1/16/2017. Did u Tricare ever tell you when your dates were? That must mean then I don't have to do 6 months of weigh ins if I have until the middle of Janruary 2017. Heres to wishful thinking lol

So I have two insurances. My primary is United Healthcare Tricare Standard and the other is United Healthcare Community Plan. Does anyone have UHC Tricare and have u recently had the vsg surgery? I know tricare west recently changed to UHC and there has been some changes to the policy. Did u have to do the 6 months of weigh ins before u were approved? I checked the UHC tricare website and it does not say how long I need to have weigh ins. These are the requirements: So if anyone has had the sleeve with UHC Tricare Standard I would love to hear about it. I have called my insurance company and asked what are the requirements but they just say I need authorization and nothing else. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

Thank U @LoseItKacy....When you had the surgery was Tricare Standard with United Healthcare? I know a lot of people with United Healthcare insurance said they had to have 6 weigh ins but I wasn't sure if it would be different with UHC Tricare or the same. How did you eventually find out how many weigh ins you needed?

My PCP has sent in an authorization to my insurance company to see if I can start the bariatrics program. As of now I do not have a surgeon.

Congrats Kimba!! That is just around the corner. how exciting. Can't wait to see your progress. @@busybeebug, I didn't need a referral to go to the info session for wls but I do need one to get my first consult with the surgeon and to start the program. I went to the info session last Tuesday. Now I am just waiting to start the whole program and get on with the weigh-ins . 6 Months just feels like forever. So, I just called my doctors office again today and they had yet to work on my authorization to send it to my insurance for a referral. It's been over a week. So angry! The guy said that he will work on it today or tomorrow and send it in to my insurance company. I sure hope so!

U look absolutely fantastic. You do not look too skinny, u look healthy.

Hi Tracy!! A lot of your biggest worries are about the same as what I worry about. I have been watching youtube videos of people who've had vsg surgery and they are very informative about what to expect after surgery. Some get down to the nitty gritty and brought up stuff that I would've never thought about. Here is a link to a woman who goes into detail about the ugly truth of vsg 2.5 yrs post op the good and bad. Check out all of her videos And this woman talks about 10 things she wished she known that would happen after u have vsg surgery, i would fast forward to the minute mark lol. I hope this both will help u on your decision. I would highly suggest watching quite a few of their videos and others peoples as well.

@@rydersmama Your hard work has definitely paid off. I am definitely gonna try and do the same thing.

I weigh around 330 lbs and I am about to start my journey again for the millionth time. I have lost weight many times only to gain it all back plus more. I am mentally tired of my weight yo-yoing and most of all my body is tired of it. My body hurts just doing the simplest of tasks. So, I've decided on going forth with weight loss surgery. I'm not gonna lie, I've always thought that wls was the easy way out and I pushed the thought of it out of my head because I've lost weight many times before naturally. But after reading a bunch of posts and lurking on this site and others for the last week, I've come to realize that wls is just as hard as losing it the natural way or maybe even harder. I have made an appt with my doctor to get a referral on Monday and Tuesday is the bariatric seminar that gets the ball rolling. I am really excited about it all. I have already filled all of the paperwork that is required before I can get an appt to meet with the surgeon. If it was up to me I would have this surgery next week but unfortunately my insurance (UHC Medicaid and Tricare Standard) requires that I have to have 6 months of medical weigh ins. UGH! So my questions is....can u lose too much weight on your medical supervised diet/weigh-ins and not be approved by your insurance company? I want to lose as much weight as I can in those 6 months before I have surgery. My body needs this weight off now.

Thank you for the input, ssflbelle. I will find out more next week and I hope that my insurance will only count the first weigh in. If not I will make sure not to get too close to 40 BMI. I have found that after I had a baby and turned 30 it has been harder to lose weight. In my late 20's I had lost 88lbs in 7 months by exercise and calorie counting. I am just looking forward to the day when it doesn't feel like a chore to walk around for more than 30 minutes without my body screaming for mercy or just cleaning up around the house. Everything is so exhausting. Congratulations on your journey. U have done an excellent job. What do u feel has been the hardest part for you so far?

Wow!!! Such an inspiration. Your weight loss to onderland was so quick. Did u incorporate exercise into your new lifestyle? I weigh around the same as your starting weight.

U look awesome!! Fantastic job...how do you feel?

U r right! My BMI will not be close to 40. Right now my BMI is 53