Living Well Question

Hello all. I just finished my required 3 month Living Well program at OSU. It was a fabulous program however, I had some issues. I started of well and lost about 15 pounds. Then, I quit smoking. This is a great health thing but I started gaining immediately!! Then I went on a 10 day vacation in the islands and ate, and ate and ate. I ended the program at the same weight as I started. I am at the stage now where things are submitted to insurance. I have Aetna and am scared to death that they are going to deny my surgery since I didn't loose weight at the end. Does anyone have any experience with this? I did end up with a much better fitness report at the end. I did very well with that part of the program. Thanks, Shellie

Hey! I do believe they are just looking for you to complete a program and follow it through. I am not sure what they require as far as weight loss goes. Or if they even have that. Most insurances are not looking for a lot of loss, just your committment to follow it through. I think the living well program is ok, it is better suited for post op maintenance than anything, but until we can get our insurance people to see that we need a whole different type of presurgery education and training, we will be stuck with taking classes that seem to be doing more harm than good. My hubby had to take 6 months of it!! He just about lost his mind. Good luck with your surgery! Just so you know, I live in Grove City, and I work at OSU, and do a lot of volunteer speaking and spend a great deal of tmie with the support group. Did you know we had one? It's great. You should come to the meetings if you get a chance! Take care, and if there's anything I can help with, let me know. Valerie

Hello shellie. MY NAME IS ADRIENN PHILLIPS, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE INSIGHT ON WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH W/ OSU LIVING WELL PROGRAM. I TO LOST WEIGHT IN THE BEGING, THEN GAIND ALL BUT 3 POUNDS BACK OF WHAT I LOST. I WAITED LIKE YOU AFTER THE PROGRAM THINKING THEY WHERE GOING TO SEND MY STUFF OFF TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. SHANNON CALLED ME AFTRE A WEEK AND LEFT A MESSAGE ON MY VOICEMAIL TO CALL HER BACK, I WAS SO EXCITED BECAUSE I KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO TELL ME I COULD START MY 4WEEK CLASSES AND GET SET UP FOR SURGERY. BUT NO..... SHE TOLD ME THE COMMITTIE HAD THERE MEETING AND FELT AS THOUGH I WAS NOT A CANIDATE FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY. THEY FELT I HAD PROBLEMS KEEPING WEIGHT I LOST OFF, I DIDNT CHANGE MY EATING HABBITS, AND A WHOLE BUNCH MORE. SHE TOLD ME THAT DOCTOR MAKAMII WANTED TO MEET W/ ME, AND AND I COULD HAVE ANOTHER SHOT FOR SURGURY IF I SAW A PHYC FOR 3 MONTH. I MET W/ THE SURGON AND HE LET ME KNOW HOW BAD HE FOUGHT FOR ME IN THE MEETING, HAVE NOT KNOWING ME HE FELT ME AS A YOUNG (23) SINGLE MOTHER OVER WEIGHT SHOULD HAVE A CHANCE @ LIFE. HE LET ME KNOW THEY WHERE GOING TO JUST TELL ME I COULD NOT HAVE THE SURGURY THROUGH OSU, BUT B/C HE'S THE SURGON HE SAID HE HAD A BIG PART IN THE END RESULT. I WAS SO PLEASED I CRYED AND THANKED GOD , AND HIM( I KNOW I LEFT AN EMPRESSION ON HIS MIND B/C 3 MONTHS LATER AFTER COMPLEATING SESSIONS W/ A PHYC I MET HIM AGIAN FOR MY DATE AND RIGHT AWAY HE KNEW WHO I WAS, AND TOLD ME HE WAS SORRY FOR MAKING ME CRY) LOL... BUT YES I COMPLEATED ONLY 2MONTHS OF SEEING A PHTC AND MY PHYC FELT AS THOW I WAS READY, SHE SENT A LETTER TO SHANNON, AND HERE I AM TO DAY 9 MONTHS LATER. MY DATE IS JUNE 23 2005! I DONT WANNA SCARE YOU. MY POINT IN ME LEAVING THIS MESSAGE IS TO LET YOU KNOW, DONT GIVE UP NO MATTER HOW LONG THE STRUGGLE IS. BEING BIG A FEW MORE DAYS ,MONTHS WONT HURT ANYMORE THAN TODAY ,AS LONG AS YOU KNOW IT WILL BE OVER SOON. GOD WILL BE THERE THE WHOLE WAY OF YOUR STRUGGLE AND KNOW IF YOU TRUST IN HIM , HE WONT LET THE STRUGGLE BE LONG. TRUST IN THE LORD. GOD BLESS YOU HUNNY AND HOPE EVERYTHING WORKS OUT FOR YOU!!!!! love adrienn-