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Lori  Suffield, CT, USA Hoping to have surgery - BMI: 44.1 Member ID: P1032892347 Contact: Click here to send a Personal Message Surgeon: Carlos Barba, M.D.

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10/10/02 I AM FINALLY GOING TO ATTEND THE "INFORMATIONAL SESSION". I AM EXCITED AND HOPE TO FIND THE INFORMATION I NEED TO GIVE AN INFORMED CONSENT. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD EVER BE ABLE TO BE HELPED. I HAVE EVEN THOUGHT THAT OBESITY MIGHT BE WHAT ENDS MY LIFE SOMEDAY. MY CO-MORBIDITIES INCLUDE, SLEEP APNEA, GERD, PLANTAR FASCITIS?, HIP PAIN, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS. IF ANYONE OUT THERE KNOWS WHEN I GET TO HAND IN MY PAPERWORK, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. (THE PATIENT ASSESSMENT FORM AND THE 2 YRS OF MEDICAL RECORDS.) I WILL BE SEEING DR BARBA AND MOST LIKELY DR LORENZO.

10/22/02 TEN DAYS AND NO CALL FROM THE SURGEONS OFFICE YET. I EXPECTED THEM TO CALL ME IN A WEEK OR SO. THAT IS WHAT THEY SAID THEY DO, AT THE INFO SESSION THAT I ATTENDED ON 10/11. I AM STARTING TO GET NERVOUS ABOUT MY APPOINTMENT WITH MY PCP ON 10/31. I THINK HE IS A DOCTOR WHO THINKS OLD SCHOOL. I THINK HE THINKS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN CONTROL WITH SIMPLE DIET AND EXERCISE. MY CHART HAS PROVEN THIS DOESNT WORK. IN THE 7 YEARS I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THIS PCP, I HAVE ONLY SEEN HIM ONCE. THE REST OF THE TIME I HAVE SEEN A NURSE PRACTIONER. THE LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH HER AT MY PHYSICAL, SHE THOUGHT A GOOD DIET AS DETAILED BY THEIR DIETICIAN WAS ALL I NEEDED. APRN IS ABOUT A SIZE 2 WHO HAS NEVER FELT WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE OBESE AS I HAVE BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE! 

Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: Carlos Barba, M.D.
I met Dr. Barba tonight and I was impressed with his wealth of knowledge and his successful case histories. I am interested in the Gastric Lap Banding. I just want to do the right surgery. We also met with his dietician, who was pretty much textbook, as well as his APRN who explained about office procedure as well as insurance. Risks of the surgery were well advised, as well as the aftercare program. Overall, my first impression of Dr.Barba is a good one. He appears to be smart, friendly, and has a good sense of humor. He also spoke with people individually after the program, which I thought was very nice. So far So good!
Insurer Info:
UNITED HEALTHCARE, SELECT PLUS POS
I SPOKE WITH 2 FEMALE REPRESENTATIVES AT UNITED HEALTHCARE AND THEY TOLD ME TO BASICALLY STOP NOW AS THERE IS A WRITTEN EXCLUSION IN MY EMPLOYER PROVIDED POLICY THAT STATES WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY IS NOT COVERED. THAT'S THAT. HOWEVER, ON MY THIRD PHONECALL TO THEM I HAD THE PRIVELEDGE OF SPEAKING WITH A GENTLEMAN. I CALLED THIS TIME TO REQUEST A COPY OF MY HEALTHCARE POLICY. THEY STATED THAT A COPY MAY BE OBTAINED THROUGH MY EMPLOYER. I ASKED THEM WHY THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ME WITH A COPY AS I WANTED TO KNOW THE SPECIFIC WORDING IN REGARDS TO EXCLUSIONS REGARDING WLS. THIS MAN TOLD ME TO HAVE MY PHYSICIAN SEND THE INFO IN SO IT COULD GO TO THE MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD. I FURTHER TOLD HIM OF MY PROBLEMS WITH OBESITY AND HOW IT IS A DISEASE AND ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE SECONDARY TO THE DISEASE ITSELF. I HAVE READ MANY TESTIMONIES AT OBESITYHELP.COM, OF PERSONS WHO HAVE ALSO HAD UNITED HEALTHCARE AS THEIR INSURER AND THEY RAVE ABOUT THE EXCELLENT TREATMENT THEY ARE RECIEVING. I AM SORRY TO SAY, THAT IT IS MY GUT FEELING (NO PUN INTENDED), THAT UNITED HEALTHCARE IS GOING TO GIVE ME A RUN FOR MY MONEY WITH THIS. 

 Moving right along, an appointment with the MD's RD.  I have an appointment date set, and I won't be into the month of April yet.  My only stumbling stone so far, is my insurance not covering the psych's that he normally likes to utilize for patient evaluations.  I am hoping that the office can suggest someone that my insurance will cover.  If not, I will have to pay for it out of pocket.  So far, so good.  In my heart, I am thinking of the month of June very strongly, but I don't think it will happen that quick.  I just need to set myself free, to live again, without pain and without feeling like I am carrying me and another person all the time.

 I have an appointment in March.  I have never made it even this far in the past.  I hope with a BMI of 50 that my surgeon can qualify me as "medical necessity for the treatment of morbid obesity.
I know it will be awhile until I have surgery, but time is on my side.  

I was just checking out all my old  info on obesity help from 2002 when I first considered this as a treatment mode.  My BMI was 42 just 7 years ago.  Talk about progressive illness.

 OK SO I HAVE BEEN HERE TWICE BEFORE.  ONCE IN 2002, THEN 2007 AND HERE I AM AGAIN BACK IN THE RACE AGAIN.  MY INSURANCE HAS AN EXCLUSION, BUT NOW THE WORDING HAS CHANGED.  

HERE IT IS:  42. Weight Control. All services, supplies, programs and surgical procedures for the purpose of weight control; unless Medically Necessary for the treatment of morbid obesity.

I HOPE THIS IS NOT ANOTHER EFFORT THAT I WILL MAKE ONLY TO HAVE ALL THE WIND TAKEN OUT OF MY SAILS AGAIN.

I attended the informational session last night and when the time came to talk about insurance, the group was informed that if their healthcare insurance had a "written exclusion" regarding WLS then the only recourse is to have my companies benefits coordinator add the WLS rider.  I am going to request it in writing, but I am not feeling too upbeat about this.  Such a let down.  I was in the same perdicament back in 2002 when I tried to have WLS.  Self pay is out of the question as I do not have $20000 and I don't want to mortgage my home to have surgery.  So, for now, I am officially out of the game.

So.......once again I start a weight loss journey....like I have so many times before.....with only short lived success.  This time has to be different.  i am at the middle or beyond of my life.  I am not happy in my "fat suit" anymore.  I do not need to hide away.  I have found acceptance.  There is nothing for me to protect anymore.  I have someone who cares enough to protect me.  My job is to become healthy.  My addiction must be brought into control!
I need to: ~feel attractive
                 ~ be able to breath better
                  ~feel lighter in my shoes
                  ~take a ride on my husbands motorcycle with him, without 
                    feeling like the bike will do a wheely with me on the back.
                     ~be more confident   
                                    
                   ~have great sex
                  ~be able to fit comfortably into an airplane seat
                  ~put on a bathing suit and feel sexy
                  ~get naked in the daylight
                  ~feel good about me
I am going to continue this list as I have inspirations to do so.

I have made the mistake of telling 2 of my friends that I am considering WLS.  One of them is 35 and in supurb physical shape, even after giving birth last April.  The other friend is my Supervisor at work who thinks I am wasting my time with this as she has been turned down twice from the insurance company as she isn't much overweight and she doesn't have any comorbities.  She is 42.  
I have made a decision that is ABOUT ME.  Nobody but myself has to deal with the things that I desire for MY life.  My husband, physician, and immediate family are encouraging me.  My Dad who is a nurse tells me he will come and stay and take care of me after my surgury.  I guess he has been with me and seen what being obese my whole life has done to my spirit.  I guess I don't even know myself somedays.  
My life has been one of taking care of everyone but ME and i need to change that soon.  I am now a grandmother.  I want to be able to keep up with my grandson.  I have all I can do to get out of bed and walk into the gym 2 days a week.  I know that my insurance company is going to give me a hard time about the surgery.  I know I will have to appeal their decision.  If I had stayed with the game back in 2002, I would probably be posting my success story instead of whining about all the junk I am today.  Next Tuesday is the informational session that I have been waiting to go to since the beginning of July.  It seems like eternity, but that is ok.  Hopefully I will get some paperwork so I can get the process started.  To all my OH friends, say a little prayer for me that God feels I am worthy of this endeavor.  Thank you.

I guess my story is pretty typical.  I was born a mere 7lbs-9ounces and I was 20 inches tall.  It has just gone up, up and up since then.  I was a "fat little girl" in school.  I had my heart broken over and over because of my weight.  Pretty much all through my life.  I am depressed because of my weight and it has caused me a lot of problems in my life.  I think the depression just adds to it and makes me miserable.  I am the mother of one child, which was a God send considering I have had polycystic ovarian disease since I was a very young adult.  I have had 2 failed marriages and I am on my third one.  Let's hope the third time is the charm.  Both of my prior husbands cheated on me and the 2nd one came right out and said, "I don't want to be with a fat woman."  I was overweight when we met, so I wasn't sure why the suddenchange of heart, after 18 years.