Newbie Here and a ?

[M2G 1,836]

Welcome JC and Jamie...thanks for sharing your thoughts too. This is a huge decision, and I think we are all right to give this lots of thought, and lots of consideration. I too, feel like this is a last resort. Obviously, working out on a consistent basis was not a magic bullet for me (don't get me wrong, I KNOW it has been really good for me, and I plan on always finding a way to make it part of my life), and obviously the healthy eating choices that I am making are not a magic bullet either. Which has brought me to surgery.

And thank you Chilo too, for your thoughts. I do agree with you about being honest. And I am being honest about never having binged or purged in my life. That is the simple truth. Yes, I have over-eaten, gotten that TOO FULL feeling, eaten too much of the wrong food, had dessert twice in one day, etc. But to me bingeing is eating an entire box of Cookies, or carton of ice cream or whole pizze all in ONE sitting and have never done that. Purging is throwing up the food you've eaten to lose weight, and well, honestly the fact that I personally hate to throw up, is part of the reason that I'm choosing the sleeve over the band. You are right that obese and healthy don't go together, just as skinny and healthy aren't equal either. We all have our own personal struggle, and there is no one reason FOR obesity, likewise there is no one answer to solve it. It is different for everyone.

What I have learned as I'm moving through this process of surgery, is that there is a LOT of judgement surrounding weight loss. We judge ourselves harshly, we are judged by others but yet offended at someone else judging us. This is when you really have to listen to that inner voice and intuition about what is right for you.

Jamie, as for getting insurance to cover this I'm sure you will find a million different ways that it can be covered or denied. I will just share my experience so far to give you one exmple. Our plan is a high deductible plan, so after we meet our deductible $5,500, then our insurance will cover the leftover amount at 90%, and we pay 10%. We have to do an entire list of requirements both from the insurance and from the surgeon (minimum of 6 months worth of nutritional counseling is just one of the requirements, but its the requirement that takes the longest to complete) and once everything on the list has been completed, THEN all paperwork will be submitted and we just cross our fingers that we will be approved. I haven't prepared myself for denial yet (being optimistic!) but I do have a bariatric case manager and a baratric nurse FROM my insurance company that have helped me the whole time that I've been completing things, so I can call them with questions and they have both been wonderful about answering all my questions. So that is why I'm doing the positive mental attitude that I will be approved!

Hope that helps!