Hi I am new!

Hello! Everyone.... no reason to say why I am here, because its obvious that I am seeking support. I just recently moved to Georgia- and I live in Savannah. I would love to talk to others who are having/ have had the surgery. I have just started the process, and in fact I go to a PCP provider tomorrow, to request a medical need letter. I am so nervous. First of all, I have dodge doctors for a long time. Every time I go, it was never pleasant so I stopped going unless I had a need. Secondly, my medical reason for having surgery are more preventive. I am morbidly obese- but thus far no serious, serious problems other than the fact that I have been overweight since I was born......I HAVE NEVER, EVER been a normal weight in my entire 30 years. I have severe depression regarding my self worth, and my weight is effecting my daily life, my husbands life, and most who are close to me. I do feel the strain on my legs - Only thing medically I have in my court, is that a year ago, my obgyn put me on metaphormin to help treat PCOS. I know someone who had weight loss surgery with my insurance ( Georgia Health Care Partners or maybe its Providers) ...she told me it wasn't hard at all to get approved. She said that you only need to be a 100 lbs overweight, or have 2 health issues. I pray she is right. .......anyone's thoughts? Can anyone relate? I look forward to joining this network! Michelle, in Savannah.

Michelle, Welcome! I myself am a newbie here. I finished my PCP appt last week and i am attending a seminar for Dr Duncan in Atlanta on the 21st so i am on my way. Like you i was expecitng a ton of stuff out of lab to back up my reasoning to have WLS but i was floored to find high blood pressure which dr would not give me meds for just said diet and high cholesterol. So weighing heavily on family history lost both parents to heart disease and 2 out of 3 siblings already had bypass surgery due to arteries being blocked so i can relate. And being over a 100lbs over weight. Anyway........... If i can be of any help at all to you along the way please let me know. sandy

Wow! How wonderful to have 3 replies, by the time I got to work! Thank you! Sandy, I am not expecting much from my lab work.. I really am physically ok- now... but why should we have to wait till we have a myriad of problems? My problems really are more physiological- Its effecting me more and more as I age. For example, last month I lied to a friend about not coming to her wedding. I didn't want to be seen- isn't that horrible? I lied- that's just not me, but I couldn't go through with it. I don't attend a lot of social things either- and I know that has to be affecting my family. My dear husband would never admit to that, but it has to bother him..... Well.. pray for me tomorrow.

Michelle, LOL I know what u mean about avoiding social gatherings. SInce my 3 yr old was born i have become more and more secluded. I myself have a wedding to go to next month and i don't want to go. Have spent months looking for something that will "hide" my weight well and make me look good. Found nothing so far. But it is mainly the emotional stuff from extended family i dread u know gee sandy u sure have blossomed. Hello i am not a flower! That kind of stuff i dread more than appering there and i am the youngest in the bunch (33) so my family thinks i should have a figure like one of those chics off of Baywatch. Anyway, if i can be of any help let me know ok. have a great day sandy

Hi Michelle, My name is Valerie Hyde and I am also new and on this journey. My surgery is scheduled for June 15th, so it is getting real close. I have my pre-op appt this Wednesday. The best advice I can give is make sure you keep copies of ALL your paperwork. Everything you do. I have BCBS and they lost a couple of my reports and doctors clearance letters. I had a copy of everything so I faxed it to them right away. Also once your paperwork is submitted to your insurance, call them and get a update on the status of your approval. If I had not done that, I would have been waiting longer because they won't approve without everything they require. Depression is also considered a medical problem associated with morid obesity, so that will be considered. I look foward to keeping contact with you. If I can help in anyway just let me know. I live in the metro Atlanta area, so I am not real close, but I have unlimited long distance on my home phone and my computer to keep in contact!! Hopefully we will be able to help each other!

Hi Val! What paperwork? LOL! I have made my decision and I hope that I dont have to go through a zillion hoops to get it done- I have decided that if they tell me no, I will self pay. Thats how desperate I am at this point. It's ironic because 2 years ago my OB talked to me about having weight loss surgery. I blasted him! I told him how could he give me a death sentence, and today I feel it's my only way to succeed long term. For the first time ever, I have given up. For the past two weeks, I have been eating whatever I want- and the funny thing is ... I have gained a few lbs... but nothing dramatic....!!! Now if I had been on my normal diet mode ( I think I started a new diet every Monday, for at least the past 10 years) I would be down a little- but as soon as I had a normal meal.. I would pop right back up. It's like I can never get away from the point I am now.... my body is so resistant. How long have you been on this Journey Valerie? Good luck with your pre op! I am excited for you! Michelle

Welcome to the boards Michelle I had surgery Feb 10th this year and so far I have gone from 284# to 217# (lost 67) and I can say for myself it was with almost no complications at all and I would do this again in a heartbeat (wish I had done it years ago!). I too had avoided doctors unless I was forced to go or on deaths door. Because of this I was really worried about my approval, because although I had attempted TONS of diets in the past, not one was medically documented, and I know almost all insurance will not approve you for surgery unless you have xx months of medically supervised weight loss attempts. If you have not done so, I strongly suggest you begin seeing a MD or nutritionist (or BOTH) and start your documentation to help you when you go to submit your surgery approval. Good luck to you! Kia 284/217/155 ish (-67 so far!)

Hi Kia! What wonderful results!! I am impressed! Thanks for sharing your story, and hearing that you have had no complications is music to my ears. I am so worried that I wil have serious problems and or die... but I am confident that these are normal fears. Thanks for the tips! I do have a couple of medically supervised diet attempts. One, being about two years ago, and the other 8 years ago. The Doctor, from 8 years ago- I can't even remember his name! Both times my Doctor's gave me phentenermine/ bonitrol. It worked short term (because I wouldn't eat!!) but when I ate anything of substance it came right back on. Also when I was a teen my mom had me in a program... but that was at least .. 15 years ago.... I did weigh****chers online as well- and I followed it to a T- but can you believe I gained weight- so needed less to say I tossed that out the window. I have found that for me to loose weight, I pretty much have to cut my calories down under 800, and eat low carb and low fat ( I would go weeks just eating chicken, salad, and low carb EAS/ protein shakes!). I have been told, and from what I have read my diet that I have followed off and on for years, is similar to the way I would eat after surgery! Well, I am ready then! Hopefully those will count for me. The thing that finally sold me on this surgery was when the surgeon asked me about the time I had been able to loose weight. Well, it was those times as I stated above! ...well then he says " I can solve the part were your miserable and hungry while doing that"......I was....!!!! SOLD!

Hi Michelle, I'm Michelle also live in Savannah. I had weight loss surgery 3-29-04 with Dr. Duncan in Atlanta. All insurance is different I had BCBSofGA PPo and I was approved in two days. I also did not have a lot of serious problems (health issues) but I was morbidley obese and at that time my BMI was 47.5. Every person and every case is different sometimes it's easy for people to get approved and hen some not as easy. But never give up and always look on the positive side of things. The first thing I did was call my insurance and had them fax me over the requirements for surgery, then I had to do my nutrition and phych eval's and then lab work, etc.... Everything worked out at the end.... Thank the lord........ Michelle

HI Michelle! Nice to hear from a local! Thanks for sharing.... I have Georgia Health Care Partners-or Providers... lol.... I have heard they are easy to get approved. I have started the process with Dr. Angstadt- my first task for them was to get the medical need letter, and some test for my tummy/ ulcers? ? So thats monday. I dread the moment that I have to get on the scale.. its so hard for me. Are you a Savannah native? I just moved here 6 months ago.