Regarding Medicare

Hi everyone, well, I just found out from my surgeon's coordinator that Medicare requires 3-5 years of documented Dr. supervised diet attempts and losses. The will do the surgery without the documented weightloss attempts in rare cir****tances. I have to call Medicare back on Monday. I don't have any documented diet attempts with Dr. supervision. The Veterans hospital doesn't do them unless you are diabetic or have real high cholesteral. So I might be allowed without having the dr. supervised weight loss attempts. I was on several like Nutra system, but they don't count if there are no Dr. supervising the program and keeping track of the weight loss. But because of my lungs shrinking, I am now on borrowed time. So please pray that Medicare will allow it to be done without the supervised documents. I won't know anything until I can get a hold of Medicare on Monday. I have always tried to remain upbeat thru all the disappointments but I don't know if I will be able to deal with it, if Medicare totally denies me because I don't have documented weightloss. I wasn't that big until summer of 99, when I found my fiance dead on my bed and just talking with him one hour prior. I was put on nerve medication, and two different antidepressants. One started causing me to gain weight, but last year when the Dr. discovered that my over active thyroid was now underactive that really did it. They have already increased my medication for it 4 times in the past 12 months. An underactive thyroid, affects certain hormones, you gain weight real fast, and everytime they increase the dosage, the more weight you put on. Having to be in a wheelchair for a year because of breaking my hip and pelvic hasn't helped. My Heart and Lung Dr.'s have been pushing for me to have this surgery last year. I may live another year without surgery, with surgery I could live for 5 years. I have already lost a year just thinking and doing research first. I'll be 51 in two weeks, but my lungs are shrinking so fast and no longer can expand because of the weight and this x-file growing inside between my naval and the breast plate, that they are now about a 5 year old lungs. I can only get short breaths, no longer can take a deep breath. The longer this weight is pressing on my lungs I have less then a year without this surgery. Weeping, yeah, I am that at the moment. Now have to wait two days to contact Medicare of how urgent this surgery is. I am not going to go down easy on this, but right now so much as been happening lately that it's catching up to my emotional side. I'm a woman, guess I'm allowed to cry when i am told I can't see my 2 year old grandson anymore, and my other son is due to become a daddy first part of October. The Dr. denials, now this. I feel like Dawn at the moment. If Medicare won't do it, Blue care won't touch it because they are secondary insurance. Hard to find a Dr. in TN to do the open rny with just Blue Care. Thanks for letting me ramble. Love y'all Kathy

Oh Kathy, I am so sorry all this is happening to you. I pray all will work out for you. Insurance companies can be unfair at times. I hope and pray all will go your way. You will be in my prayers tonight and you have been so sweet to me.. Lisa