Starting the process

Hello all.  I am just starting the process of getting my ducks in a row for the big surgery.  I have fought my weight all my life and now that I am 272 lbs. I have lost the battle. My doctor in Hot Springs has sent me to a sleep study program (I do that tomorrow night) because he thinks I am not breathing good at night.  My body has started collapsing under it's own weight.  I fall a lot and my back, hips, knees and ankles are going out.  I was wondering if anyone has Novasys insurance for State employees and if they had any luck getting the insurance to pay for the surgery.  I have been told to start keeping a food diary and I am suprised to see just how little I really eat. Did anyone else keep this diary? My PCP is going to send me to a surgeon in Little Rock after the sleep study. I was thinking about Dr. Webb. I think that is the name I see on the message board. Can anyone tell me what is going to happen next. It is nice to talk to someone going through or has gone through all this.

Hi there and welcome to the AR board I'm sorry, but Dr Webb isn't a name I recognize. I'm a patient of Dr Mark Gibbs and had a RNY on 9/14/06 and have lost 96 lbs as of this morning. I'm sure someone will be able to help you with the insurance thing, there sure are a lot of State employees out there. So many of the insurance companies are paying for WLS now since they have realized the cost of the surgery is much lower than taking care of a member with the associated health risks of obesity.  Have you called your carrier? They should be able to give you some idea of if they cover it or not. There might be some info on the company's web site. I know that Dr Gibbs staff knows all of the ins and outs of this whole thing and can really help you through the whole process. Every insurance company requires different things. Also, you should go to a seminar held by the different surgeons. Most of them require you to attend one so you know what you're getting yourself into, and it's a good way to research the different types of surgeries offered and the surgeons who do them. Find out which doctors are on your ins plan and go to those seminars. There is also a WLS support group at Baptist Hospital once a month. In fact, one is being held tonight at 6:00. One of the nutritionists is speaking, so if you're at all able, this would be a great place to start, and a way to get to know some of us. There's so much information to gather it's impossible to get it into a thread like this. But it sounds like you're heading down the right track. If you'd like to chat with me about my experience, you can send your phone # through a PM and I'll call you some evening after work. Don't worry about the sleep study. I had one in August (Dr Kruelin), I had sleep apnea and now it seems to be gone. I'll go for another test next month to verify it, but chances are very good my weight loss has taken care of that as well as high blood pressure and acid reflux disease. Good luck, keep posting, you'll learn a LOT here!

Hello, I found out that I do have sleep apnea.  I am going back this Friday to be tested with the CPAP machine. I get so mad that I allowed myself to get like this. It's almost funny because my mom and husband blame themselves and say they should've done something but like I tell them "What were you gonna say" The simple fact is I did this to myself. Now it is up to me to fix it. Anyway my PCP is going to send me to one of Dr. Gibbs seminars. Does anyone know when the next one is? I don't know if my insurance will pay for the surgery or not. If they don't my husband and I have decided to take a home equity loan for the surgery.  Does anyone know how much it would cost if I paid for it out of my pocket?