What would you say to a politician who could help you???

What would you say to a politician who could help you??? Hi Friends! It's me again, your trusty pest, continuing to ask you for info that will aid in my lobbying the government on a local, state and national level to eliminate obesity discrimination AND to make insurance coverage for surgical weight loss a mandatory benefit. Even though I'm in Alabama I am working to lobby all 50 states. It's pay it forward time..........can you please, please help me by answering this question. If you could sit face to face with anyone in power and make a difference.....what would you say to them about WLS and how it will change or has changed your life? Hugs, Rona Your Bari-Godmother

HI Rona, First of all "KUDOS " on what your are doing. If I could sit down and talk with someone I would tell them that even though this surgery is so costly it would save the Insurance companies money in the long run. Surely they can see now just how many co-morbidies that obesity causes. They just need to read all the success stories to see how many people have been able to quit taking meds for high blood pressure and high blood sugar.. not to mention all the other problems that are corrected with the surgery. Also look at the cost of meds for GERD. Most are at least, or close to 100.00 a month. If the insurance companies pay all but 15.00 of it just calculate how much that would be over a 10 yr period. The list just goes on and on.. In my case I had ovarian, and uterine cancer in 2001. The number 1 cause of this type of cancer is obesity. I have been obese since about 1982. Had I have been able to have this surgery several years sooner the insurance company may have been able to save the cost of the surgery, hospital stay, and all the radiation treatments. Not to mention the CAT scans , and bone scans that I had to have as a result of the cancer. Then on top of that there were anti depressent meds which are not cheap either. All of which my insurance co. paid for. O.K. so now I am cancer free.. Every time I have an ach or pain I run to the dr. because I am afraid the cancer is back. So far everything has been obesity related. If the excess weight was out of the picture and the weight related ailments gone then I would not spend as much time at the dr. office. That would mean less for the insurance co. to pay. As you can see, if I were to sit down with someone they would not be getting up any time soon....lol.. I would give them an earful... I hope this has not been more than you were asking for, but I guess this has turned into my new band wagon . I have not had my surgery yet. I do have the approval , but not the money to pay for my portion yet..

Hi Rona,I would ask that they help me get healthy.If I don't have this surgery soon I need someone to take care of me.I don't want to live like that.I can't do to much housework.My husband comes from work and does a little here and there to help me.But it is not right.He works in the heat all day and comes home to help me.I would like to be able breathe.It is hard to walk and breathe.At night I would like to sleep without the pain in my knees,hips,back,and shoulders.I would like to breathe easier as I sleep.The most important thing I would ask is would they please help us the mobid obese to get healthy.Sarah