I feel really good today and it's been less than 72 hours since my surgery.
"Today is January 28, 2009 and I took a huge step today that may change my life." That is a journal entry I made after first meeting with my bariatric surgeon to discuss the possibility of weight loss surgery.
I had spent the previous 45 days contemplating the possibility of having weight reduction surgery after attending a seminar in December. It was during this time that I spoke with several friends and acquaintances who had gone through the procedure. I also did some research on my insurance company to see what would be covered. I found that several procedures were covered under my Cigna plan, including the lap band and the Roux-En-Y or gastric bypass; however, there were three hoops that I needed to jumped through first.
- My BMI or body mass index needed to be 40.
- I needed to have documented proof that I had been overweight for 4 years.
- I needed to participate in a 6 month, Physician supervised diet.
The first two were no problem, but number 3 really ticked me off. I saw it merely a delay tactic by the insurance company. I was mistaken. Participation in a 6 month Physician supervised diet is not used to prove that the patient can loose weight without surgery. It is not a stalling technique. It simply proves diligence on the part of the patient and their commitment to the process. Consistent weight-loss should be shown during this period. The added benefit of this tedious process, is it allows time for the patient to fully understand the choice they are making and to be sure that they are making the right one.
One of the concerns I had was that I would loose too much weight during the process. I thought my BMI might drop too low, and the insurance company would deny the authorization because I no longer met one of the criteria. In fact my BMI went under 38 during this period, but I was still approved. Don't be afraid to loose weight during this time :) I went from 269.2 to 239.6 in six months.
-Angela
I think it's wonderful that you took that step to better yourself and to better your health. My prayers are with you for a good recovery. I've actually been looking at different options too. Prior to my accident I was doing pretty good with loosing weight on weight watcher (slowly but surely) I'd park down by the water in the morning (free parking) and then hike up that big hill and I was making good progress. Then came my accident, broke both of my legs and gained all my lost weight back plus some. It's been a rough road... prior to my accident I hated running but now I just wish I was able to. I so wish I could hike up hills and be active like I use to, jump, skip and balance. I love walking across logs and rocks to cross a river but I'm just not physically able to and it sucks. We went camping on Labor Day weekend and I was able to fish on one side of the river but everyone else was able to get to the other side of the river to the good spot becuase they could balance on the logs. It was really depressing. I am determined to be able to do that again someday... but that little voice in my head keeps saying... will it really be fully possible... for safety reasons. So anyway, long story shortened... I was looking around for different weight loss options and I found SonoBello, I had heard alot of great things about it so I made an appt... the consultation office is actually right by Davita, down by the water... near where they had the Tall Ships. The procedures seem to be really good!! They use lasers to melt away the fat and then drain it through a tube and you can go back to work the very next day! I think it's a really good procedure and I'm defiantly interested in it but unfortunately CIGNA doesn't cover it so I'll be saving up my money. The lower the BMI, the cheaper the procedure is.
ReplyDeleteI wish you the very best. My prayers are with you. :) Take care - Terisa