Weight gain - questions for those who are farther out

THANKS  this is great. I love this forum its way for me to think about what I never thought about. LOL

Do all insurances make you pay for the additional surgeries or are they covered if they are needed?  I have pretty good dual insurance.  My primary does not cover WLS of any kind my secondary covers RNY.  I wonder if I need an additional surgery like hernia repair that is not related to the WLS just found because if it if my primary covers.  

I still don't have approval so I am not even sure of the out of pocket costs will be.

Anything that is medically necessary and justifiable is covered, of course, even if it is a result of the RNY (my hernia was an incisional one from my open RNY and it was covered).  For someone like me, though, who has to pay 15-20% of the allowed portion of every medical bill, an additional surgery can easily be $1000 out of pocket!

Also, some insurance companies will not pay for things like a dietician visit or the required pre-op psych eval.

Lora

I absolutely don't mind at all!

There are other costs to consider. Some are inevitable, and some are by choice.

1) Supplements.  You are required to take them for life.  It comes with a price.  I take daily: 6 calcium tablets, 2 multi vitamins, 2 stool softeners, 1 vitamin C, 1 B complex, iron, and 1 dry D3.  Weekly I use B12 nasal spray (that alone is $50 per month). Not everyone has to take what I take, it depends on the individual and your levels.....but you should be prepared for this.

2) Clothes/shoes.  ALL of my clothes/shoes had to be replaced-several times in that first year.  I have a professional job, so I had to dress for success.  Then, at goal, I've had to build a new wardrobe. $$$$ Fun, but costly.

3) Unforeseen issues.  Some people have complications (it is rare, but it does happen).  This could result in more medical spending, and loss of income from your job.

4) Food.  Being honest here, I am a food snob now.  I invest in quality cuts of meat, good cheese, fresh fruit/veggies and nuts.  All of these come at a price.

5) Plastic surgery.  No, not everyone HAS to have it.  But you might want it.  And if elective (which much of it is), it is pricey.  So worth it though!

Please continue to ask as many questions as you like-I'm here to help any way I can.

I concur with the other vets; there are cost that come up later on that you may not have initially thought about.  Labs are a big one for me......my insurance will not pay for many of them and usually they've only covered the basics ONE TIME a year, I like to have mine done twice especially if I see some trends I don't like.  I had a saving grace at my PCP last year when his office started doing labs in their office (Quest) and it's billed directly by the PCP office NOT Quest.  This saved me $650 out of my pocket, yes I had to pay that the year before for labs.

Also as your labs dictate you may have to add additional vitamins and those can get expensive especially if you need LARGE doses and/or the dry vits are a little more costly and you can't find those BOGO. 

It really is a true statement when said that the choices you make have to be different right from the start. I personally changed the way I was eating two months before the surgery.. Change in your mind set as a whole is a great way to keep the weight off

I do not believe in the theory of “bounce back weight”. Every post I have ever read about this most feared event is that the person who has experienced it has also admitted to eating too much, indulging in trigger foods, etc. 

I am one of the fortunate ones who have never experienced a stall during the weight loss phase. I lost 200 pounds in 20 months. I am very diligent in my eating plan and I have never swayed from the rules. I am accountable to myself for every morsel that enters my mouth. Since I have worked so hard to lose 200 pounds, I put just as much effort into maintaining this loss.

I also want to add, I have never been able to participate in a formal exercise program due to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. I am a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian. 

I eat 2000 calories a day. I eat 3 main meals plus protein snacks. I eat every 2 to 3 hours a day. I allow myself a 5 pound range for normal weight fluctuation. In fact, if I wanted to lose more weight (which I don’t), I can still do so. 

Don’t live in fear of the what if’s! Go forward following the rules and enjoy your new life. Just understand this is a lifestyle change. New experiences and discoveries await you! Enjoy each moment of your day and take time to smell the roses! 

I wish I had a LIKE button for everyone HELP!  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!   And thanks so much for spelling out stuff in your signature.  I could figure most of the abbreviations SW  - which I thought was starting weight :P  but I did not consider consultation weight.  Its nice to see all the numbers.

Sarah

I have not been out a full year yet but there are cost savings in the surgery as well. I spend less in restaurants over all as I eat out much less. I can buy clothing cheaper in the small sizes and do not have to buy new every season. The clothing is less likely to get stained or torn then at my heaviest of 287. I can buy used if i want.

I spend less on the good food then i did on the junk food before. I also eat less volume of food.We save a lot because I pack snacks for the whole family when going any where since i need to have mine.

I live in Ontario and OHip pays for much of the testing. The rest is much cheaper then the Diabetic supples I was buying.

Exercising has become or family activities most of the time ad after the first equipment buy is cheaper then what we did before.