thinner_thoughts
I believe that my story is similar to many of you on this board. I started out as a youngster being called a "big boned" girl. A lot of kids made fun of me for being heavy, although when I look back at my pictures now I realize I wasn't that big, I just wasn't a "size 2" like most. It didn't matter because I was convinced that I was a fat pig! Anyway, growing up I played softball a lot and was very active so I guess it kept my weight under control somewhat. When I graduated High School and met my (now) husband is when I started to gain. I think I weighed around 160 at graduation, but crept upward gradually over the years by going out to eat all the time. My husband loves to eat and everything we did just revolved around having a great time with food! I always had a bit of a problem overeating as a child, but when I met my husband....WOW!!!! That's when my addiction began. That was 21 years ago and it's been a downhill slide ever since. I have a good marriage mind you. My husband is not judgemental about my weight and NEVER ONCE in 21 years made a snide comment about it. I am very lucky to have a man that is supportive and loving no matter what size I have been. And there have been many sizes/diets!!! I have lost tons of pounds over the years only to gain them back again and again. Well, I am at the end of my rope and at age 39 ready to give up my addiction and start anew so here I go...
My WLS surgery journey (12-10-07)
I have been thinking about WLS for over a year now but never thought it was an option for me because my insurance book said that it didn't cover anything having to do with weight loss. Self-pay is not an option for me because I have a son that will be going to college next year. I wanted to research it but I figured why bother since I wouldn't be able to have it anyway. This May just out of the blue one day I figured I might as well call my insurance company to check and see if they somehow changed their policy regarding weight loss. It was the best thing I ever did!!! Right away the woman on the phone told me that the RNY was a covered procedure. I started crying immediately, the floodgates just opened! I couldn't believe that after all that time of thinking I couldn't have the surgery I NEEDED, that all it took was one phonecall to find out that it WAS a covered benefit. And so it began, I visited my pcp and he recommended me to my surgeon. At the end of May I went to a seminar he was holding and I just knew that this was my path to follow. My insurance required a 6 month supervised weight loss program, psych evaluation and a bunch of pre-op testing. The surgeon's office offered a program of their own to follow for $400, it was the best money I have ever spent! They told me exactly what tests I needed and when to get them, supervised me through my nutrition/weight loss classes and all I had to to was get every result of every test faxed to their office. Then they put together a package for me and presented it to my insurance company. I was approved in TWO DAYS!!! Who could ask for anything more? So now the next chapter of my journey begins...
