Just getting started...

Just getting started, I have my seminair on tuesday but am hearing a lot that my insurance may drag there feet (ATNEA) and have been so mad at myself for the weight I have been carrying that I have not been to the doctor but for when I broke my ankle in the past 5 years. what do I do

The best thing to do is to start making regular visits to your primary now. If you have NO documentation from any medical provider and this is something that your insurance is going to want to see, you need to start now. No other medical professional seen in 5 years? ER visits? Alternative medicine? Good luck and don't loose sight of the goal here. It can be very daunting, you can do it. Dre

Tammy, You need to have a complete physical so that it can be determined if you have some co-morbidities. These are things like (but not limited to) Type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), sleep apnea, high cholesterol, joint deterioration, etc. These will unfortunately make it easier to have a determination FOR the WLS. Also if you are more than 100 lbs above your goal weight this too will help push your insurance to approve you. Good luck and keep us posted!! Trisha

Wow! No doctor, huh? Then you're going to be put through the ringer. You'll probably need a complete physical and gyno exam. To be covered by insurance you'll need five years of documented weight history (with a BMI of 40 or more or 35 and higher with comorbidities). You'll also need to go on a medically supervised diet for at least 6 months. I don't envy you. These are all hoops the rest of us have gone through (unless we were self-pay or went out of the area). So, although what we say sounds negative, again, its because it is what the insurance companies require and it is what most of us have gone through. Heck, I don't think there's been a year when I haven't seen a doctor for some reason or another. But, then again, I've not been in the best of health. Good luck. Lori