Question:
Should iItry to get approval

to have the surgery even though i've only been on the job for under a month, and FMLA and short term disability aren't available for me yet. I do have a 1 week of vacation, but i think i will need more then a week off depending on what type of surgery i have. Do you guys think that i should wait until next year to have it done or go for it now. I really want to get it done but i also don't want to lose my job. Any suggestions?    — Stacy I. (posted on July 25, 2002)

July 25, 2002
Stacy, I would wait a little bit longer, maybe not a year, but a while more. I don't think that trying to get approved for WLS now would cause you to loose your job, but having such a major "personal problem" so early may cause you to be passed over for promotions and raises and may hurt your boss' opinion of you as a worker. I suggest that you wait a few more months until they really know how great and reliable you are. Then they will probably be more than willing to work something out so that you can have the time off. As an employer, that's what I suggest. If your job is really important to you, prove yourself a little more first so that you don't frighten your employer into thinking that you are going to be sick all of the time. Then again, if your job is just a job and not really something that you want to do long term, that waiting wouldn't be so important. Good Luck!
   — Amber L.

July 25, 2002
I think you should get this started. By the time you get your consult, approval, pre-test and phych exam it will be several months if you are like most of us. Good luck. p.s. I thought about this last year and didn't do it..now i have 30 more pounds to lose.
   — Pam G.

July 25, 2002
Hi there. I had been working at my current job for about four months when I started my journey. If I had known earlier that I was going to take this step, I would have began it earlier. I'm curious about something- how do you already have vacation and insurance if you just began the job? I mean, lucky you, but I thought that all jobs had the standard 90 day waiting period for the insurance...Anyways, I would go ahead and start it if you can. The only thing I would be concerned about is how your employer would feel about you take time off when you just began working there. Some boss' seem really cool about it while others are not so supportive. Get a feel by talking to others around the place. You can do this without going into detail about what your plans are. But depending on the surgeon you choose, it could take months for you to actually have surgery so getting started sooner is always better! Best of luck!
   — karmiausnic

July 25, 2002
Start now, by all means. Depending upon what kind of insurance you have it could take a while. From the time I got my PCP to recommend this for me until I got actual insurance approval was from November 30, 2001 until May, 27, 2002. I'm scheduled for surgery August 15. My insurance required a 12 week physician supervised diet program that had to be in the last year, so we had to do that before I got approval. Start working yourself into the mindset to succeed at this. I started dieting and have lost about 30 pounds. I've cut out those things that I knew I couldn't do after surgery. I've experimented with protein drinks and vitamins so I could find the combination that would probably work for me. By the time you get approval, it could be a while, so get started now.
   — Cathy S.

July 25, 2002
<font size=+1 face="Helvetica">Stacy -- Congradulations on taking your first step for a better you. I encourage you to go ahead and start now. You will have <b>ALOT</b> to do, so go ahead and get started. Order your medical history from your doctor(s) - Primary Care, OB/GYN, any specialist, etc... Depending on how many doctors you have utilized this could take weeks. But any doctor that can document any co-morbitities it is worth getting their information. If your PCP is pro-surgery, you may want to go ahead and talk with him/her about a referral letter to your insurance. Also begin researching the surgeons in you area. Check with your insurance company to see if the surgeon(s) are "in-network" or "out-of-network". Check to see if the surgeons are a member of the <a href=http://www.asbs.org/>American Society of Bariatric Surgeons</a>. Check the profiles here at Obesity Help.com to see what type of feedback their patients have left. Email the people and ask them for honesty opinions. This could take weeks. But one you have choosen two, maybe three surgeons set-up appointments with them. Some doctors have six, eight, twelve week waiting list. After your consultation, you may need test(s) (ex: sleep apena, psych eval.), and this could take several more weeks. And don't forget that insurance can drag their feet. Some people get approved in a few days, some in a few weeks, and some even longer. But once you go through all of this and you are approved, you will be scheduled for surgery and this too can take weeks. I know there are people out their that have gone through this process (begining to end) in just a couple of months, but for most people, I don't believe that is truly the case (I began my journey in Jan '02 and I am still awaiting insurance approval). And once you have your approval, <b>most</b> approvals are good for a year. So if you don't feel that things are right for you to take time away from work, you can schedule your surgery for a few months down the road. Best wishes on your journey! Sue Joy</font>
   — Sue J.