Starting the long process....

[Kloudyday]

Hello! I found this forum last week and I can't say enough how much it has helped me and answered so many of my questions. I've been thinking about WLS and discussing it with my doctor for a long time but I keep chickening out! I've finally decided that I can't keep going like I have been and that I needed more help. My health, and my family, are too important to me to keep putting this off. So last week I spoke with my doctor and she sent the referral to the surgeon and now comes the insurance issue. After all of this waiting and putting it off apparently I need to see my doctor once a month for 6 months to discuss weight loss, dietary issues and physical activity. I even tried to make an appointment today so that it would be in January but my doctor isn't in today...

Okay, I realize that getting depressed about this is a bit crazy, after all, I'm super lucky that my insurance will even cover this! But, after finally making up my mind, I really want to get started now!!! I've discussed this with my doctor a lot over the last couple of years but we haven't "officially" discussed my Morbid Obesity (why does that have to sound so horrible???). It's hard enough to decide to do this with all of the negativity and flat out attacks I've been dealing with since I've decided to do this, but to have to wait now is torture!!! Okay, I guess I'm being melodramatic. But after reading a bunch of the stories on here and seeing how supportive everyone is it's really hard to not want to be a part of that!

So, I have 6 more months of dr visits to look forward to before I can even talk to the surgeon... That's okay... every journey has to start somewhere, right???

[swimhard4]

Time will pass by quickly! You need to use this time to realy concentrate on weight loss. A good preop diet will help you in the end. You will be much better prepared for surgery

[gonnadoit]

guess I am going thru same thing.....I think this is another way the dr makes sure that this is right for you (us) and we are serious. I am in same boat and the more I think about it the more afraid I become, but if I could do on my own, it would have been done. Been working on eating healthy, taking smaller bites, eating less, I am sure this will better prepare me for the future. Don't like it but then again, I am changing my life and it takes some time. Good luck to all of us.

[noelle85]

i am going through the same thing ladies i had the semiar on january 24 and grabbed the first available appointment for january 30th i had the first consultation and met with my nutritionist. i now have my next visit set up for feb 17 to do my blood work my ekg ultra sounds xrays heart monitor and my nutrition class and now my psych evaluation i am soo excited. after this visit i have 4 more months

[gonnadoit]

go to doc tomorrow, will let you guys knows how it goes I shudder to think I would have to wait 6 months when I have been working on this 2 years oh well didn't get this way over night not gonna change overnight

[mike_mcginn]

I went through the monthly visits to qualify for coverage by insurance when I first
started this journey. Didn't work out for me in that the insurance company changed
what was covered before I could have the procedure. What I did learn it that it is
very important that your doctor puts whatever diet plan and progress in his visit
notes. Not just a check up. Also don't miss any months. One miss can trigger a
restart of the continuous visit requirement.
You surgical doctor's office will have someone who is insurance wise. Follow
everything to the letter.
The insurance company is always looking for a reason not to pay.
Take the delay to get coverage for the surgery as an opportunity to become
as healthy as possible.
I lost interest in trying to diet because I always regained and more. With the
hope of the help of the surgery, it made the pre-op dieting easier.
There seems to always be something to wait for. I am now in limbo waiting
for the call on scheduling my TT.
/mike/

[Kloudyday]

Thanks for the advise everyone! I'm going to do my best to take advantage of the time to start my journey off right!

I spoke to the coordinator in my surgeons office yesterday and she told me that my initial appointment in January should count toward my six visits so that'll save me a month! She said we will probably be able to schedule my surgery for August or September... seems like a really long time but I guess I've been dealing with this for so long already I can wait a few more months! I'm scheduled for my orientation and first (?) support group meeting on Tuesday! So excited to be getting started!

It's really helped me a lot to read everyone's stories here... I'm becoming a gastricsleve.com addict

Have a great day!!!