For those of you with a starting BMI of 50 or more, how long was the wait?

[Donegirl4life 39]

Hello everyone,

My name is Tamika, and I am from Michigan. A little bit about me, I am 35, engaged to be married (8/20/16), work in information security, and have been on a weight loss journey most of my adolescent and adult life. I have normal cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar/A1C, and no heart issues. I do have polycystic ovarian syndrome, and suffered reproductive issues. I did lose about 100-200lbs on my own in spaces, but have been hovering between 275 and 368 for about ten years, with the last two years essentially at a stall in weight loss (most likely due to PCOS). I finally decided I need help through weight loss surgery. I was thinking of the sleeve originally, but may entertain the gastric bypass since my BMI is over 50.

I am in the beginning stages, my initial appointment is on Monday, January 17th with Beaumont Weight Control Center. I did the seminar on 1/7. I was told by my insurance company they will cover surgery and the 6 month requirement of a weight loss program is waived if the patient's BMI is over 50 (currently at 58). The requirements for Beaumont is to lose 5-10% preoperatively, do some medical tests. For those of you with a similar BMI, how long was the wait from initial appointment to surgery?

Thanks,

[Dub 9,922]

Howdy, Tamika.

You're story sounds really familiar.......as in just like my younger sister's story and like my own.

Little Sis was the smart one, though......she had bypass surgery when she was a year or two out of college and went from around 370 down to 140......had all the plastics done and became a new person. It was a transformation like nothing I've ever seen before or since.

She then met a really cool guy who I respect and enjoy hanging with. They were married and have had a wonderful marriage and have two of the greatest kids you could ever imagine. Respectful, energetic and really well-rounded.

Then.....there is me. 9 years older than her. Football from 6th grade through 12th. Weight lifting and wrestling team to support football......both knees wrecked and surgeries ended football dreams by September of my 12th grade year. College letters of interest ceased immediately. Figured out a way to get to college and somehow graduate.....and had way too much fun along the way.

That fun didn't stop after marriage........and it translated over to more weight piling on every year.

Still was very active in hunting, golf and fishing. Golf ended in 2011 when I ripped ankle-foot tendon and had to have it repaired. Hurt like a beast being way too heavy and healing after that surgery. A couple hernias from doing stupid stuff in the woods and weight room required a couple surgeries, too. Being heavy during the recovery hurt like crazy.

I've lost and regained so much weight over the years that it's incalculable. A heap of it. Lost.....but always found.

Battled this way for a long time. Weight and desire to still do all the stuff I enjoy took it's toll on my knees....but ultimately a herniated disc knocked me down for several weeks and I had lots of time to think and reflect.

I decided then that doing the same things I'd always done would lead to the same results. I entered a local bariatric plan.....then transferred over to another local bariatric plan....a center of excellence. I was dead certain that I was going to have a bypass.

I began all this in June 2015.

My BMI was just shy of 60.

My new surgeon said that a bypass was not a safe surgery for me in my current state then.....tall and heavy and had a ginormous umbilical hernia that had to be repaired during the surgery.

You can see it really well in my profile pics.

He was concerned with the repiping done by bypass....routing near the repaired hernia.....stretched due to my height......probability of hernia repair blowing out and involving the already taunt repiped plumbing.......bad juju. He was emphatic that I should have the sleeve.

He also was persistent the the sleeve would allow me to continue taking the highly effective NSAID's that help with my knee arthritis.

I caved in but was worried that I'd not loose the weight I wanted to lose.

He was not yielding and said if I wanted bypass I needed to lose more weight. I'd lost 55 pounds by this point already and knew I was running out of gas......back wasn't healing and it be even harder to lose more in the state I was in.

I'd already chosen to self fund the surgery and we agreed on the sleeve and set the date for just 3 weeks from that appointment. He did my upper endoscopy a week later and the next day I started my 2 week pre-op liquid diet.

The surgery went really well and he said my sleeve was "textbook" and that my hernia repair was rock solid and should hold well into my old age timeframe. All music to my ears in the recovery room.

The weight loss has been steady and it feels freaking great.

Every day is a new opportunity to enjoy life and every aspect of it is better.

I am very, very grateful for my sleeve and can see how it will be a tool for me to use for the rest of my life.

My only regret is not doing so much sooner.......like my wise little sister did 15 years ago.

[catwoman7 11,215]

I had to do the six-month supervised diet, but I already had it out of the way before I started the program. I had my initial appt the second week of Jan (2015). I was told I could probably schedule my surgery in March, but I waited until June because I work in education (i.e., waited until school was out)

[elizabeth105 44]

Hi Tamika, welcome! I'm a newbie like yourself. You bring up a great point about expediting due to a high bmi.

My bmi is currently just a hair under 51. I'm going to double check the medical policy and talk to my surgeon, but so far I have been told I still need to follow the same requirements for both. I initially started my journey in March 2015. Surgery will finally most likely be April. But I had newly discovered endocrine issues that had to be addressed in the summer before I could proceed.

Excited for you that you don't need to wait! Good luck on your journey

[CHM 1,009]

My BMI when starting was 55.6, but it didn't expedite anything, even with accompanying high blood pressure, fatty liver, and history of complex endometrial hyperplasia. It's awesome that your insurance does that. Mine still required the 3 month supervised diet. My first appointment was Sept 22, 3 month follow up where we submitted to insurance on Dec 21, now surgery on Jan 25 - so 4 months total in my case.

[dhrguru 1,238]

Hi Tamika,

My bmi was 53 to start. I did not have to do 6 months of monitored weight loss. My initial consultation was 3/1/15, surgery date was 4/28/15.

[ladyperro2 10]

My BMI is 51 and my insurance company does not require a supervised diet. I did my doctors visit, NUT and psych evaluation the week of Dec 2nd. approval came Dec 15th and my surgery was initially scheduled for Jan 20th

[jj7481 363]

My BMI was 51 when I started this process. The insurance company didn't expedite their process for me either. I was required to attend the initial seminar, have my initial meeting with surgeon/nutritionist/PT/psych before I could start my 13 wk fitness program. This was a minimum of 3x 30 min sessions for 13wks in coordination with the wellness center. During this time I also had to meet with my nutritionist 4x.

I was subject to a specific diet, nor did I have to lose a certain amount of weight. Matter of fact, I actually stayed the same weight as I was when I began my 13 wks. The different was my lean body mass increased by 12lbs.

All-in-all it took about 6 mos to complete everything once I attended the initial seminar.

[Donegirl4life 39]

Thank you all for responding. You all have done so well in your journey so far. I really appreciate your help!

[jj7481 363]

You all have done so well in your journey so far.

You will too!

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

7 or 8 weeks. It only took that long because of summer vacations of various professionals delaying pre-op tests.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

Hi tamika! I had to wait 90 days per my insurance plan from the initial consult to being submitted for approval. I had 3 NIT visits and a psych eval and that was it really. No sleep study, no X-rays...nothing. Originally, I didn't want to go that fast and had made up my mind that 6 months would be great, but in the end, 90 days felt like forever and I worked my butt off to lose weight pre op so that I would have a better outcome than at my starting weight of 429lbs. I was 386lbs on surgery day. The only requirement I had in regards to weight was not to have a net gain over the course of the 90 day program which of course I didn't.

[Donegirl4life 39]

Hi tamika! I had to wait 90 days per my insurance plan from the initial consult to being submitted for approval. I had 3 NIT visits and a psych eval and that was it really. No sleep study, no X-rays...nothing. Originally, I didn't want to go that fast and had made up my mind that 6 months would be great, but in the end, 90 days felt like forever and I worked my butt off to lose weight pre op so that I would have a better outcome than at my starting weight of 429lbs. I was 386lbs on surgery day. The only requirement I had in regards to weight was not to have a net gain over the course of the 90 day program which of course I didn't.

Hey there! I feel like it's forever! But seriously, I did a stress test, bone density, body mass composition, started Iron and Vitamin D, and losteoporosis about 12lbs without being told to do so. I have a second nutritionist,doctor visit, and the psych eval. Hopefully I'll have a surgery date for March.

[Nicole Anderson 16]

My BMI is 50 and my paperwork was submitted two weeks ago to the insurance company and I was just informed today I was approved for surgery on 2/8/15 I'm currently waiting on my surgeons bariatric coordinator to call me back with my date. If I start the pre-op diet this week that puts my surgery at the end of the month.

I started my journey in November 2015

Psych eval

3 months of weight loss classes

EGD

Pulmonary clearance

Cardio clearance

Letter of support from PCP

Surgery scheduled for 2/25/15

Edited February 10, 2016 by Nicole Anderson

[Donegirl4life 39]

That's awesome! Good luck to you. I meant to say in my earlier post I lost 12lbs (now 15). Silly predictive text on smart phones....

I'm hoping I'll hear something more positive next week after my doc appointment.