ObesityHelp

11/15/03
I am SO ashamed that it has taken me so long to update this information. Before my surgery, I would spend hours and hours, reading everyone elses' profiles... hoping someday I could tell my story about how wonderful weight loss surgery was... Well, it IS wonderful. I have lost 140 pounds and I feel GREAT!!! I have so much energy and LIFE now. My quality of life has drastically changed. That five year old I spoke of in my first post is now seven and my biggest fan! We have a support group in NW Arkansas (St. Mary's Hospital, Education Auditorium, Rogers) that gets together the second Sunday from 2 to 4 every month. If you have had surgery or are interested and want info.. there is usually 30-50 of us there to help you. Please feel free to join us. If you have any questions, email me. I so desperately want to "pay it forward" and help everyone I can who is wanting to have GBS. I am one of the lucky ones that can tolerate any food (including sugar) and I have yet to dump.. knock on wood. My ONLY regret is that I did not have the surgery YEARS ago!!!

02/05/03
It's been six months since my surgery already. I have lost 80 pounds and feel great!

09/04/02
On July 18 I rcvd a call from my Dr.'s Office and was informed that, after my Primary Care Phy. sent a letter stating I had been coming to her on a diet plan for six month with no weight change.... the insurance approved my surgery. I was then scheduled for July 30! Not much time to prepare or get scared. The surgery went great. I would recommend Dr. Ozment to EVERYONE. He is fantastic. To date, I have ate everything I have tried (which is about everything except sugar and red meat)and not thrown up or dumped once! I feel great I have lost around 40 lbs (I started at 310) and wish I had done this 5 years ago! If you are having insurance problems, don't give up. The way I see it, I got a $15,000 raise this year, because I had made up my mind that if the ins. did not pay, I would take out a loan and pay myself!


01/04/02
The insurance company denied my appeal, giving the reason that I do not have a doctor's supervised failed diet program. I am still fighting and will not give up!

11/30/01
Today the insurance company denied my request. I am appealing so keep me in your prayers. Any tips would be appreciated.


I am a 42 year old mother of a fistey five year old. I have a very demanding job, which required 11 hrs usually six days a week. I am ssoo looking forward to having this surgery and being able to run and play with my daughter (and hopefully find a job with less hours. I am waiting on approval from the insurance company.