I'm not sure of anything!
I'm 21 years old and have a 3 y.o. son. With the insurance I am on I have to go through at least 1 year of weight loss programs before they will approve me for surgery. Another catch is, with this insurance, that I have to have SO MANY problems such as Diabetes (I don't), Arthritis (I don't), Degeneragtive Disk Disease (I don't), and some other stuff I don't have..yet. I'd rather catch the problems before they happen, if you know what I mean. I don't understand why I have to be at risk of losing more than just my health and emotional well being before I can get the help I need. I had one family doctor tell me I am just lazy and need to quit eating and exersize. That hurt. I walk up and down my road in the evenings with my son in a wagon, I walk up stairs instaed of using the elevator if I'm not going too far up, I park at the end of the parking lot and walk to the store, I stretch and do easy yoga. I've been eating healthy, only consuming 1600 calories MAX a day. Am I doing something wrong here? I haven't decided on surgery yet. It would take me away from my son, who is very much a mama's boy and rough and tumble, making it difficult to care for him alone for a while as I have been. And I want to have another child or two a little later on in my life, so I'm worried what surgery to choose or if I should go through with surgery or just find a high-impact weight-loss program.
~I am worth more than I tend to give myself credit for~
First off, welcome! Second, deep breaths! :-)
I have a feeling most of us on this board could have written what you just posted, so you are in good, understanding hands here. I have 2 1/2 year old son, so I am with you when you say that you want to be around for him but at the same time are worried about the surgery itself. Truthfully, you have to look at it in the long-term. 1 week without mom is better than mom (because she's morbidly obese) not being able to walk him to his first day of school, teach him to drive, play with grandbabies, etc. That was my wake up call. I also possibly want to have another baby down the road and I don't believe my surgery has compromised that at all...in fact, I'm sure it's probably helped.
Shame on whatever doctor told you that you were lazy. I hope you took that with a grain of salt. I've always been a big exerciser, even when I was at my heaviest ...so such a generalized statement, especially coming from a medical professional, is so off base. I have no doubt you try to do everything you can to be heathy. It's hard! Heck, it's hard for me almost 9 months post op. I wish I could stay in bed and not go to my gym classes everyday but I know I have to because otherwise I"ll be right back where I was. We have to prioritize and decide what's important in our lives....my belief is that we can't enjoy much if we don't have our health.
There are many on here who have also had to do the 1 year supervised diets, so you will find support for that if that's the road you choose. Maybe you'll discover you will be sucessful without surgery (which is great) or that you need the extra help that surgery provides (which is great too). The decision is yours but regardless of what you do, it's going to take lots of hard work and determination on your part (like I said it's hard, I'm there with ya!) but you can do it and the payoff is amazing! Read all you can about surgery, stay on the boards, talk to others who've had it..make an informed decision that you will be willing to live with.
Again welcome and try not to be overwhelmed by the process of surgery, even though it is horribly so. Just take everything day by day.
~Emily~
I have a feeling most of us on this board could have written what you just posted, so you are in good, understanding hands here. I have 2 1/2 year old son, so I am with you when you say that you want to be around for him but at the same time are worried about the surgery itself. Truthfully, you have to look at it in the long-term. 1 week without mom is better than mom (because she's morbidly obese) not being able to walk him to his first day of school, teach him to drive, play with grandbabies, etc. That was my wake up call. I also possibly want to have another baby down the road and I don't believe my surgery has compromised that at all...in fact, I'm sure it's probably helped.
Shame on whatever doctor told you that you were lazy. I hope you took that with a grain of salt. I've always been a big exerciser, even when I was at my heaviest ...so such a generalized statement, especially coming from a medical professional, is so off base. I have no doubt you try to do everything you can to be heathy. It's hard! Heck, it's hard for me almost 9 months post op. I wish I could stay in bed and not go to my gym classes everyday but I know I have to because otherwise I"ll be right back where I was. We have to prioritize and decide what's important in our lives....my belief is that we can't enjoy much if we don't have our health.
There are many on here who have also had to do the 1 year supervised diets, so you will find support for that if that's the road you choose. Maybe you'll discover you will be sucessful without surgery (which is great) or that you need the extra help that surgery provides (which is great too). The decision is yours but regardless of what you do, it's going to take lots of hard work and determination on your part (like I said it's hard, I'm there with ya!) but you can do it and the payoff is amazing! Read all you can about surgery, stay on the boards, talk to others who've had it..make an informed decision that you will be willing to live with.
Again welcome and try not to be overwhelmed by the process of surgery, even though it is horribly so. Just take everything day by day.
~Emily~
"Tis better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not"
Hi!
Welcome! :) I'm pretty new here, too, but thought I"d post, as we have some things in common.
I have a 6 month old baby, so I understand you're wanting to be there and have more children in the future. My insurance is a lot like yours--must have HBP and be on 2 medications for it and it still must not be controlled, diabetes, sleep apnea......and the list goes on....I have none of that. I do have HBP, and am on 1 medication for it--have high cholestoral but not on medication. Anyway, long story short, I'm not sick enough for them to cover it (did apply got denied, did an appeal and got denied again). I really dont' want to wait 3 to 5 years until I'm actually sick and can't get around as easily anymore.
I have decided to be a cash pay patient. We took out a home equity loan and are going to pay cash. I know there are other places that will finance, but my Dr. doesn't accept them. So, I am now scheduled for RNY on September 17th! :)
Good luck to you in whatever decision you make for yourself and your son. It is really a personal decision. I know for me, I've tried diet and exercise for 15 years and it didn't work for me. I felt that I needed this extra tool to assist me.
Ask away on this board, the people are really helpful and I've learned a lot!
Good luck!
Amanda
Welcome! :) I'm pretty new here, too, but thought I"d post, as we have some things in common.
I have a 6 month old baby, so I understand you're wanting to be there and have more children in the future. My insurance is a lot like yours--must have HBP and be on 2 medications for it and it still must not be controlled, diabetes, sleep apnea......and the list goes on....I have none of that. I do have HBP, and am on 1 medication for it--have high cholestoral but not on medication. Anyway, long story short, I'm not sick enough for them to cover it (did apply got denied, did an appeal and got denied again). I really dont' want to wait 3 to 5 years until I'm actually sick and can't get around as easily anymore.
I have decided to be a cash pay patient. We took out a home equity loan and are going to pay cash. I know there are other places that will finance, but my Dr. doesn't accept them. So, I am now scheduled for RNY on September 17th! :)
Good luck to you in whatever decision you make for yourself and your son. It is really a personal decision. I know for me, I've tried diet and exercise for 15 years and it didn't work for me. I felt that I needed this extra tool to assist me.
Ask away on this board, the people are really helpful and I've learned a lot!
Good luck!
Amanda
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