Hello Ladies; I think,noI know I need a butt kicking

I have been really bad lately. I get so discouraged by all the twists and turns on this journey. I am still pre-op.thought for sure I would have had my surgery by now,but no.Medicare is my insurance and they never pre-approve the surgery, so the Dr. has to extra careful to cross all t's and dot all i's. I am aware of all this, but they could tell you all that you need up front.I started gathering info in Jan. sent it all in . Got a call in May to come in for a consult, did all my testing, thought I was all set.Now I need a 6 month supervised diet.Oh well, my PCP is going to help as much as she can, but I don't think I saw her in July which means I have 4 months to go.So I am back at it again eating all the wrong things and way too much. At this rate I'll weigh twice as much when i get to surgery as I do today. Somebody please, help me. Sometimes I just feel like giving up. thanks ladies. you are a constant in mylife I'm here every day and you all so caring and give such good advice. Carol

I hear ya! I struggled through the 6 month required diet too. I ate and ate and ate some more, it was a terrible time for me. Only by the grace of God I made it through and got my approval. Don't beat yourself up too much, you are only human!! You'll get through the next 4 months or whatever it takes! Please don't give up. I know it's hard. I think what helped me the most was keeping a food journal. It was a daily confessional on paper that I made my self admit to what I was eating! I wasn't sure if it was going to be turned in to the insurance or not but I figured it couldn't hurt. The look on the nutritionist's face as she was reading through it was pretty amusing! At one point she looked up and said "wow". But - I made it and you will too. Try to stay focused on the goal of getting that surgery date. I know 4 months seems like a long time but it'll go by quickly! Good luck to you, please stay in touch! Carol

Hi Carol, My name is Virginia. I am crazy pre-op gal who has felt your frustration many many times. For some reason, and I don't know why...the insurance companies must get their jollies by watching us fat people jump through hoops. I am where you are.....the infamous diet and with the added stress of everyone analizing your every move...no wonder we are on high stress mode...low self esteem...depression....and believe it or not.....weight gain on a medically supervised diet. Crazy huh?? I have posted here many a time when I felt like I was the only one that was going through all of those emotions at the same time. I have found, as you will too..that this messageboard has the BEST people. We all want to help each other get through the "rough spots" on this thing we call the WLS journey. I too turned in all my paperwork in June. I was pretty proud of myself. the program that I am in is through the hospital that my surgeon uses. After your first consulation with the surgeon, they give you a list of criteria that your insurance company requires. You then are responsible to get all your other visits done on your own, and turn in your paperwork for their office to submit. Things came together so easy for me. I was making appointments and each dr wrote letters of reccomendation and a big thumbs-up to wls for me. It took a long time (4 months) but I was busy and happy to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. As I said before, I turned my papers in to the surgeon's office in June..called both the ins.co and my dr's ins.office girl all the way into July when I got the call that the ins. co. needed a 6-month med. supervised diet. It was a criteria that was not a requirement originally....but I guess my diet history didn't show that I "suffered" enough and franklly it was a way to put me off, make me depressed and just forget about the surgery...just go away and forget it! I had my heart-break..shed allot of tears....I was ready to get a lawyer to help me fight this injustice!! But I figured, by the time I went through all the stress and $$ hiring a lawyer. The 6 months would be up anyway. I pictured all these insurance people doing the "high-five" and the "got rid of another one happy dance" That thought made me mad..but it also mad me laugh...it made me laugh!! And this website people here brought out the sassy, silly, smart a_ _ that I had been hiding inside. I realized that i was not the only one and the stupid diet thing suddenly became very impowering. My 6 month diet thing is almost up now. I have gained and lost and stayed the same. I know they can't deny me for the reason of not enough diet documentation now. There is no medical reason why you should be on a 6 month diet. They say it is to "shrink" the liver..but how do they know how big it was before?? I guess we'll never know right? Please keep coming by to ask questions or just to vent when your hormones are completely out of wack..I have and I have gotten so many kind words and advise from people who truly know my pain. We can't make the hoops the ins. co. is making you jump through...go away, but we can sure help the time go by faster. I use this website as a "reward" for myself for not eating that piece of candy etc. Keep your eyes on the Prize...and that is the wls!! Hugs to you! Virginia

Hi Carol, My name is SipeleK... I don't think I have talked to you before and I looked at your profile... still a little bare, dear. I would love to know more about you and your journey. I am 5'5" and weigh over 500lbs. I have been on my journey for about 5 years and for one reason or another have finally decided to have my surgery. I know it is a long... rough process and dealing with the testing and pre-surgery dieting has got to be the worst part of it for me. Are you on meal replacements or what kind of med sup diet are you on??? I chose to do meal replacements for the fact that I don't have to go to a store and try to make healthy decisions... been there... tried that... failed big time! I also have nothing in my home but these replacements... so I have no other option but to eat healthy. I know this doesn't work for those that have kids in the house but if its just you... its a thought. The program I am on delivers right to your home and the cost of my eating out alone is more than the food. I will give you the website, I am not saying you SHOULD try this but it is another option if your current plan is not working. My REAL words of wisdom to you are this: When your hungry... TYPE! Go to your profile or onto these boards and type your heart out. Get mad... get sad... laugh at these characters on the SMO board... just try to put that feeling in your stomach onto the computer screen. Some of the best profiles I have read are the ones that you get their true emotion of that moment that they are typing... it's real... and you can truly relate to them because you have been there too. I bring in a huge cup of ice and just start typing... when I'm finished I feel so relieved.. so powerful that I don't feel that hungry feeling anymore... my cup of ice is gone... but those are zero calories... they won't add 20 pounds to my belly. For more personal things that I don't feel comfortable putting out there on the internet I keep a private journal... anyway you want to do it. What ever you do don't give up!!! Everytime you eat more or eat wrong you are telling yourself you're not worth it... that you don't deserve to be happy... that you should not get the joy that others have waking up each morning and "LIVING" in this world... and that just isn't true. Insurance companies feed on the fact that people are weak and if they make us overcome obstacle after obstacle... and drag their heels... eventually... we will give up. Don't be weak... stay strong and know that I am here... the SMO gang is here... and we all want you to succeed. Whether you need a late night pick-me-up or a few people to vent your problems to... that's what we are here for. Good luck on your journey, Carol. SipeleK my email: [email protected] HMR Website: www.yourbetterhealth.com

Hey Carol, I can tell ya now that there is not one person that will be reading this and say, "that was me or still is me". We all have the feelings you do of eatting. Like I told my pchyc dr. this week when went for clearance. He asked me how will life change after I have the wls and I told him straight up... I WILL ALWAYS BE ADDICTED TO FOOD... but need the surgery to live long enough to make a difference in my life. I weigh right at 400lbs myself and was told this week to lose 60lbs and come back in two months... They said this like it wasnt nothng.. So BELIEVE me, Im sitting where you are. And listen to Sipele, she is my Dr. Phil ... She has pulled me out of the slums this week to.... SHOUT OUT!!!! SIPELE SISTER!!! hang in and we are ALL here for you... Hugs Margaret

This little face does not even begin to describe the smile on my face after reading your post. Thank you! ((((((((((GREAT BIG BEAR HUGS)))))))))) SipeleK

How easily I could have typed my name at the bottom of what you wrote. I think many of us here could. This rollercoaster has been my life these last 9 months. Jumping through hoops and over hurdles both from the doctors office and the insurance company. The nutritionist I saw recommended a food diary, which as she said it would, shows my food weaknesses. There were 2 times during the 6-month documentation that I stopped writing, and the scale showed an increase at weigh-in time. First time was when I was told I needed a stress test, four months after I had cardiac clearance. Second was when I had to have a heart cath done. Fell of the wagon big time! It proved, yet again, that I am an emotional eater. I started out at 416 pounds. As of Thursday I weighed 392.7! Not great, but I will take it! All documentation is now with my pcp to write up and submit for insurance approval. Even he thinks what they ask of us SMO's is ridiculous. I was denied once already because of the diet documentation, so hopefully this time it will be better. Come here and talk to us..... scream, yell, vent, cry, laugh... we all need to do it sometimes. Thank goodness for OH and this SMO board or I may not have stuck through with it this long. Hang in there Carol. We are all here for you, and each other! Huggs, Ruth

Hi Carol, I refuse to "kick your butt" for being normal - lol. I know it's easy to get discouraged with all the hoops they make you jump through. I did many times. I certainly wasn't perfect when I was on my supervised diet, but I took things slowly and tried to keep my eye on the "prize" so to speak. Listen to what everybody has to say - everyone here has good ideas. I had to put signs up on my refridgerator and cupboards basically reminding me to think before I ate. You've worked so long and so hard for this... don't quit now; once you get that approval and you're on your way to surgery, you'll be so proud of yourself for hanging in there. At least that's the way it was for me. Take Care, Tanja

How awesome is this thread now!!! I just read through everyone's responses and they are beyond wonderful! This just goes to show what a wonderful group this is, not only on the SMO board but the entire OH family! The compassion and understanding seen here really makes my heart smile! Keep on keepin on family - and as Jamie Lee Curtis' character says in the movie Freaky Friday - "lets do this thingie"!!!! Much love, Carol V.