Julianne

Well, my PCP referred me to a surgeon yesterday and hopefully next week I'll get an appt for a consultation. I am between 35-40 for my BMI (probably a 37 today) with 2 comorbidities. I think the ins co might require me to do the supervised diet. :wink2: I'm wondering, what if I preemptively write a heartfelt letter to the ins co chronicling my struggle with weight over the last 20 years? I could include all of the diets I've tried and how it's painful to exercise much right now due to my ankles and lower back hurting. I mean, I know it couldn't hurt to write a letter... but would it help?? I'm tired of the sleep apnea, the metformin, the unexplained headaches.... I just want to move forward. You know?? Any thoughts would be appreciated!! :crying:

Loved the Chantix. Quit after 20 years of smoking. I think it's something like $160 out of pocket, but it's worth it in the long and short run. I was probably spending $100/month in smokes anyway. If you can take it, I'd take it. I've heard that the side effects that were reported have, lately, become not as pronounced with further trial. This may or may not be the case. I wish you tons of luck though!!! :001_unsure:

Yes, my PCP wrote the referral for this surgeon in particular. You definitely make sense! I am going to the seminar on April 1. The person who handles the insurance stuff at the dr's office deals with my insurance company all the time and said that they approve both surgeries. She also said that they are the fastest and most pleasant company to deal with. Anyway, thank you!!! :thumbup: I appreciate your help!!

Looks like I got hyperlinked to a Sleeve board! :smile2: How fancy! Thank you, board creators! :thumbup:

I have Blue Care Network - Michigan, HMO. My dietician visits are covered with a referral from my PCP. I was thinking about writing a plea because I don't want to bother with the 6 month thing -- I just want to get the show on the road! I think I'll have to anyway, though. Dfav - I'm glad I made you laugh. :smile2: I do have at least 2 co-morbidities. sleep apnea, PCOS (which, at my age, is a comorbidity and I have 6 years of infertility dx documented), and I'm insulin resistant with a recent high end of normal A1C reading. Looks, though, like the Dr I've been referred to (I have my seminar on April 1 and first appt on April 15) only does RNY and (my choice) the Sleeve. So I'm off to find a new forum unfortunately. Any suggestions? :thumbup: Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. And I think the 6 months will fly by. :w00t: :thumbup:

I was over on the Lap Band board until I found out today that the surgeon I've been referred to doesn't do them. So I'm here with the Sleeve people now. I'll be here a while as I have to do the 6 month diet. My seminar is April 1 and we're estimating my surgery will be competed before the end of 2010. I'm 35, married, roughly 37 BMI with sleep apnea, PCOS, infertility, an elevated A1C. I have Blue Care Network/ Michigan. So, hello! :thumbup1:

Hello! Yep, it looks like a Band isn't even an option for me with this surgeon. Which looks like it's a good thing! Looks like you guys have a ton of info here -- I'm excited to learn all about it! :thumbup1:

Hey, if it covers 50% of my costs, I'll make a video and pantomime it out for them! :wink2: In all seriousness, I can definitely see how that can be hard. I guess we'll see if my surgeon is going to require it. If not, I'm going to ask to do it.

Thanks for responding. :wink2: I can guesstimate the dates of these things, but I never imagined I'd have to write all of this down. I mean, they realize this right??

I'm trying to find a nice neat little section with the total cost of this.... can someone direct me? I have an HMO that says I have a $1000 deductible then I am responsible for 50%. Does anyone know roughly what my bottom line might be? Thanks! :sad:

I'm reading your blog now, btw. :thumbup:

Hi everyone. :thumbup: I am Julianne and I am heavier than I've ever been. I will be 36 next month and am really feeling that I'm less mobile than ever. It's very subtle, but walking hurts my feet and lower back with the extra weight I'm carrying. I have PCOS and UARS which is a form of sleep apnea. My A1C was a little elevated at my last dr appt and he sent me to a really skinny dietician that told me to balance my carbs. :biggrin: The only diet that has really worked for me was Atkins, but I think that was a stinky and unhealthy diet. Here's my thing, though. I mentioned the Lap Band to my doctor a few months ago (at the appt that he gave me to the dietician) and I think that over time he's been sort of giving me the right diagnosises (diagnoses?) to get this approved through my Blue Care HMO. I guess my thing is.... and can someone help with this.... I feel like I'm giving up on diets. I know I haven't been able to stick with it.... I feel lazy about it.... it hurts too much to do a lot of exercise in my joints and I know that is 100% because of my weight. I've done low fat, low carb, no carb, no sugar, vegan, weight watchers, grapefruits, Soup diets. I quit smoking after 20 years (yay me!) with Chantix and I have probably put on 15-20 lbs since then (it will be a year in June) and I'm sure that is part of why I got bumped up a little. I guess seeing the 200 coming closer on the scale (at 5'1" or so) has been my wake up call. I want to feel better. I don't want diabetes. My cholesterol and BP are ok for now miraculously. I've had fertility problems that I don't want to get into unless someone wants to hear them but it's been a long, expensive, and sad struggle and I think weight loss could help with that, too. So hello... and what do they want to hear in a psych consult?? What are the right things I need to say? I realize it's going to be work. I need to change. And I'm not doing well trying to lose weight on my own. Help!

Thank you for your response. :thumbup: Just like with quitting smoking and needing help, I'm realizing that I can't do this on my own anymore. I don't know if it's a food addiction or what, but I do think that I eat *healthy* foods.... I just also eat unhealthy foods sometimes. I guess I just don't think I'm "that big" but I know that it affects my self-esteem big time. And I know it affects my fertility. And just giving me some Metformin to try to regulate my ovulation isn't going to cut it for me. I just worry that my doctor will say "well we don't think that you tried hard enough at dieting...." If he looked in my cupboards and saw the different crap I've accumulated over the years (Nutrisystem, WW, Slimfast, Jenny C anyone?) then it would be pretty obvious. :thumbup:

To first answer someone's question -- yes, there is an oral appliance that can be worn to correct some *mild* apnea. I'm one of the lucky ones that had to go back to a bigger hospital to get a PES sleep study. They put a tube up my nose and down my throat in addition to the other stuff to also measure how much the back of my throat collapses. (Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, I think.) So I may not be having typical apnea, but I AM having a mini asthma attack when I am on my back. All night long. So, I wasn't a typical sleep apnea case, but my sleep architechture was way skewed. I dream all night long and never get to the restorative sleep.