Need some words of encouragement....

I first looked into weight loss surgery June 8th of 2017. I contacted I doctor here in Phoenix and they told me they took my insurance I did the online seminar and then the consultation a month later. Only for them to call me and let me know that they made a mistake and don't take my insurance. I then switched to another doctor and completed my 6 month supervised diet and all other insurance requirements at the end of January. It took two months for the doctor's office to get an insurance approval. It was beyond a nightmare they never answer the phone or return calls then called me out of the blue wanting to do the surgery at the end of April. I ended up having some personal things come up and wasn't able to do it and told them I would call them back to hopefully get this surgery done in June. Now I've found out they have completely went out of business. I also found out that the original doctor is taking over the patients of the doctor that went out of business and is now accepting my insurance however they cannot get me in for a consultation again until August 9th. Is my insurance approval going to still be good? I'm driving them telling me I would need to go through another 6 months of a supervised diet.

You have been on a roller coaster ride trying to get surgery. Don't give up. It would seem to me since your insurance approved you once, you wouldn't have to go thru another 6 months of a supervised diet. Call your insurance company.

Hope you get some answers soon and get scheduled.

I also had to do the 6 months physician supervised diet, I didn't have to lose a particular amount of weight which is a good thing because I actually gained 15lbs. It took me about 13 months to get surgery. After the 6 months it was denied because my surgeon was not Center of Excellence certified, which is only for my insurance company United Healthcare. I tried other surgeons, and ran into other problems. Finally I was going to self-pay but my surgeon got it worked out so it was insurance paid.

I would talk to the insurance company as long as you have the 6 months in, and don't delay too long the approval should be good. But since the surgeon has changed you may have to resubmit for approval. It will normally take 5-10 business days.

I think they want us to give up, but don't do it. Do whatever you need to get the surgery, it is worth it.

Please call the number on the back of your insurance card. All insurances vary and someone should be there to help. I have a dedicated concierge who helped coordinate my doctors and appointments Maybe your insurance has a similar program. Hang in there it will all work out

I am so sorry that the last year has been so difficult. What a mess! Congratulations though on working toward better health. That is really what this is about, not just losing weight and getting skinny. Keep advocating for yourself and no matter how long it takes until you can get surgery, commit to being healthy in the meantime. Surgery is a wonderful tool, but it is only that. The real impact for long term success is your commitment to changing the way you live with the help of surgery. Start now to increase your activity, regular walking is great! Eat protein forward and drink as many fluids as you can. If you struggle with binging or stress eating, take this time to work on those issues. They won't go away with surgery or a restricted pouch. Surgery is just on your stomach, not on your head and your head is a powerful beast!

The other thing that I found very helpful in my journey was to write in a journal every day. I started before surgery and kept at it for the first year. I logged what I ate, my activity, my thoughts and fears and feelings. It really helps even now to look back and see where I came from and how things have changed. You can blog on OH or I chose to write in a series of pretty paper journals. It may not work for you, but it may end up being a great surprise.

All the best on your journey and stay in touch here for accountability and support. You might want to start logging in daily on the RNY menu forum. We have several people who have started before surgery and are now post-op and doing well.

You can do it!