What would you ask 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

Rona: I will answer. I am pre-op. WLS is a specific exclusion to my insurance which is ODS. According to my employers, it is the "Cadillac" of insurance. Let me tell you, there are a lot of extras this "Cadillac" doesn't have. Anyway, I have had to undergo a lot of testing to get to this point. I now had to go to a cardiologist because I have uncontrolled Type II diabetes. I asked the cardiologist what he thought about the surgery and he said, "Diabetes is a horrible, horrible, horrible disease. It ravages every organ in the body. Now you have to make your own decision, but to me it would be a no brainer." I have five co-morbidities. The insurance company is going to pay for all the illnesses that go along with those co-morbidities. Doesn't it make more economic sense for them to pay for the surgery? I find the whole insurance process pretty frustrating. Fortunately for me I have a second insurance that does pay for WLS. I'm very lucky! Thanks for "working" for those with this awful disease because MO is an awful disease. Pam

Hi rona: Im am happy to see someone trying to make a difference! For your question: Well Mr or Mrs. Politician um well thank you for being hear today to listen on why I want to live, and remain working and functioning as a normal human being. As of right now I am what the doctors call morbidally obese. My insurance plan;(joint labor retail trust) has an exclusion to not help obese people in any way shape or form including diet pills. My disease will not let up every year on diets, and eating programs ,my body fights it and gains weight ,no matter what. Right now if I cant have the much needed surgury,(wls) I will not be able to work in a few years because I will be on disability, I want to work for the rest of my life, but my yoyo dieting and exercise is killing my joints and heart. I want to play with my kids physically, and have the much needed energy a normal person would have raising a family. I want to see my grand children. I asked my mom one day, "mom was I always an obese person?" She replied yes honey, every since preschool. Mr. or mrs politician, Is this my fault?? I knew all my life I was differrent I couldnt be like everyone else in my family even though i ate everything they did. Now after all these years, its not my fault I have a disease, and now there is a better tool, not another diet, not any more diet pills that effect my heart, but weight loss surgury.....something that proves to help this God forbidden disease. Please Mr or Mrs politician if there were a cure on any other disease like cancer wouldnt you jump to make sure insurances helped out even just a little bit? Thank you for your time and have a good day. Sincerely Marla Cook this is what I would say Rona.