a note to those that are starting their journey
Hi all! for you people that have started their journey, congratulations on making one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make in your life.......to take back control of it. One of the things that went through my mind as well as many others is the 4 - 6 month diet plan prior to submitting your paperwork to insurance companies.
the big question during this phase is "Do I HAVE to lose weight in order for the insurance to approve the surgery?" from an insurance point of view the answer is no. the reason you have to go see the dietician/behaviorist for the 4 - 6 CONSECUTIVE months is to show them that you are serious about this decision and that you show a better chance of sticking to the very difficult regiment when you finally become post-op.
However, with that said it IS to your advantage to lose as much weight as possible before the surgery because it betters your chances against having any complications prior to surgery and many surgeons prefer you lose some weight prior to surgery so your liver shrinks a bit so they can maneuver around it while doing your surgery. if your liver is still large and fatty because you didn't lose any weight, your chances of having an OPEN procedure increases and let's face it....the open procedure is not a nice one to have because recovery is longer and it's more painful.
the big question during this phase is "Do I HAVE to lose weight in order for the insurance to approve the surgery?" from an insurance point of view the answer is no. the reason you have to go see the dietician/behaviorist for the 4 - 6 CONSECUTIVE months is to show them that you are serious about this decision and that you show a better chance of sticking to the very difficult regiment when you finally become post-op.
However, with that said it IS to your advantage to lose as much weight as possible before the surgery because it betters your chances against having any complications prior to surgery and many surgeons prefer you lose some weight prior to surgery so your liver shrinks a bit so they can maneuver around it while doing your surgery. if your liver is still large and fatty because you didn't lose any weight, your chances of having an OPEN procedure increases and let's face it....the open procedure is not a nice one to have because recovery is longer and it's more painful.
Thanks for the info. :) I know my surgeon said that he wants you to lose at least 5-10% of your current body weight before he will do the surgery. I know my mom had to have her surgery the open way and a year and a half later she's now starting to have some complications from it so i'll do whatever it takes to not have it done open.
yeah that was my hugest fear was having to have mine done open but the two week liquid diet prior to surgery reallyhelped me out with that. My surgeon said that my liver was very easy to maneuver around when he was in there so I urge you to do it at all costs to improve your chances of having it done laparoscopically.
Hello. My name is heather & I have been here for over 2 years, however I have been a lurker for the last several months. For those of you who know me {Cira, Moe.....HI GIRLYS!!!!!} I was denied WLS in the early stages due to an insurance exclusion. Now, I do have coverage & have began the journey again! I am 5 months into my 6 month supervised diet with my PCP. Since January 2008, I have lost 31 pounds! However, I have had a very stressful year and I contribute my stress levels to my weight loss. I have my appointment with the NUT tomorrow......I have my consult with Dr. Schweitzer on the 9th........I dont have my psych appointment yet tho. I am soooooo excited!!!!!!!!!
I understand the post was about the supervised diet.......but my burning question is about the pysch eval........if you have suffered from depression & you are honest about that, is that a hinder or a problem when they make their decision to clear you for sugery?
I am glad to be back here & am looking forward to being a LOSER soon!!!!!!!
~heather
I understand the post was about the supervised diet.......but my burning question is about the pysch eval........if you have suffered from depression & you are honest about that, is that a hinder or a problem when they make their decision to clear you for sugery?
I am glad to be back here & am looking forward to being a LOSER soon!!!!!!!
~heather
Most Active
Recent Topics
