new and worried...

i have no friends  and so many worries... i have been in the big girl world my whole life and the thought of getting out is BEYOND exciting!!! but what if im not fat ENOUGH??? who would have thought THAT would be a problem (ask Elle magazine and im sure they would approve my surgery ASAP!) even still i dont have any of the comorbidities (yet) and add insult to injury, i havent seen a  PCP in years...  i dont have a chance do i? i would love to hear stories about how this worked out for any of you.  its so awesome to have a place like this to come to, with people who understand...

Do you know what your bmi is?  If you don't have co-morbidities you will need a bmi of 40 to be approved.  There are several calculators here and elsewhere online. If you're one of those right on the cusp of 40, you're considered a "lightweight".  We have a board here on OH for our special issues we face. I did not have any diagnosed co-morbidities but I knew I was starting to get sleep apnea.  My surgeon said I was also very borderline high-blood-pressure.  My starting bmi was 43.  I had not seen a PCP in years either.  insurance wanted 5 years of documented weight but it didn't necessarily have to come from a doctor.  I was pregnant in 2005 and that was my only documentation from an m.d.  Others came from 2 years at the gym (they make you do an annual evaluation), and 2007/2008 came from my WLS surgeon himself.  They told me they'd also take something like a weigh-in from Weigh****chers or anything like that. My surgeon's office was PHENOMENAL in processing all my paperwork for me, and dealing with the insurance.  If your doc's office is on the ball and really knows what they're doing, they can help you get approved even if it seems ridiculously complicated. Best wishes

I was lucky to not have any comorbidities either...but still a high enough BMI to qualify for a DS (which requires a higher BMI than the other surgeries)....I also hadn't seen my PCP in a long time and had just moved to Cali so didn't have a new PCP out here yet...my surgeon did not need a letter from my PCP...in fact, he wrote a letter TO my new Doctor out here explaining why I should get the surgery and urging her to support me through it.  It was pretty awesome.  I think it's an insurance thing though, and my insurance did not require a letter from my PCP... I would get a consult with the surgeon and they should be able to give you more info. on what your options are...different docs do diff surgeries for diff BMIs... :)  Good luck!!! 

I also didn't have any co morbidities and my BMI was 40ish. I hadn't seen a doc in a year and that was when I had my baby. So not all hope is lost. It just seems daunting to get the ball rolling. I would offer advice of some kind. But I didn't have insurance so I have no experience in dealing with them. All I can offer is encouragement. Good luck! Stay strong and be determined if you have decided that WLS is the path you want to take. Lina