It's taken me a long time and alot of thinking but I've decided I want to go for the lapband surgery. My question is, what's with the need for "approval"? Is that just an insurance thing or does the doctor have to actually approve you for surgery? If so, what is involved in the approval process? I'm not going through insurance, I'm paying for it myself. I'm 25 years old and I currently weigh 335 lbs. I don't have any health conditions (yet) stemming from being overweight, just a bad back and arthritic knees and difficulty doing common physical tasks. It also aggravates my asthma. I have tried SO incredibly hard to lose by myself and I really gave it my all this past year... I lost 30, gained 35 back in under 3 months. I'm now finally convinced I need the help only surgery can give me.

Hi Madscientist,

Yes, the approval most folks talk about is from the insurance company. I'm sure doctors can turn you down if your a self pay but that would mean them giving up lots of $$$$.

Good luck with the process

may i ask - why aren't you even considering insurance? is your company one of those that just won't cover it? or is there something else going on?

I'm not trying to "change" your mind but while you tried last year, you were actually able to lose a good amount of weight on your own. You gained it all back, was that because you went off the diet and ate like you normally would?

I did not and will not have WLS because I know I can do it myself, some people cannot do it themselves so really surgery is the last resort. However, many people tend to gain all of their weight back (even plus some) because they see it as a miracle cure. You still have to permanently change your eating habits. You will never be able to go back to old eating habits again if you'd like to keep it off.

Sorry but I was just trying to give you my reaction on what I read. Maybe someone who has had and is maintaining after the surgery can jump on in. I was just trying to point out that the surgery will not work unless your eating habits are permenantly changed.

I don't have insurance at all.

And my reaction to your post is that you're second guessing my judgment without knowing a single thing about me and I get just a WEE bit sensitive when I think someone might be insinuating I wasn't doing well enough or don't know what it takes to lose weight or that I didn't try enough times. We're complete strangers and my situation is exactly that --mine. My doctor will decide if I'm ready for this or not because I've made up my mind. I've lived with an obese body for 23 years and I'm DONE. It has taken enough of my life, I'm not letting it take anymore.

I wouldn't call 30lbs in a year successful for someone who started out at 330lbs, worked out an average of 9 hours a week and ate healthier than ever before. I made weight loss my #1 priority and let the rest of the aspects of my life sit on the backburner for an entire year. I felt like I was killing myself by doing so much. I was working out at Curves, going on walks with my husband, using workout tapes and I was hauling this big, fat, 330lb *** of mine up mountains at elevations of 8000 -11,000 feet in the Rockies two or three times a week. I've seen the thin girls gasp for breath and take rest breaks up there in that thin air, but I was doing it anyway whether I felt like collapsing or not. And I didn't have crap to show for it.

So I cut my exercise down to doing Curves only and eating according to Weight Watchers. I've gained back 40lbs now and counting... because I'm not killing myself trying to lose the weight. You can't tell me that's normal, and you can't tell me that it's because I didn't do enough or stick with it or didn't have the determination or didn't make the necessary lifestyle changes or all the usual accusations I've heard all my life when I fail at losing weight because this time, that's ALL I did and I think I'm still living a healthy lifestyle. I'm exercising and following a healthy diet and I'm at the freaking end of my rope here with this weight and my completely uncooperative body.

So pardon me if I'm overreacting but I'm more than a little fed up with the rude, and unhelpful comments about how I need to try more, and the warnings about WLS surgeries and generally trying to tell me what to do about my own weight that I've struggled with for TWENTY THREE YEARS.

good for you, madscientist! no matter what, we each have to make the decision for ourselves, based on very very personal experiences. we get a lot of people who stop by, with the best of intentions, but no real understanding or appreciation of the life experiences that have led us to this point.

Never say never is my motto.

Thats what I used to think...... but after 30+ years of dieting and getting heavier each time I tried... I opted for surgery.

I wish You much success.


Mad, your not overreacting

Many thanks, ladies!

Madscientist - I personally opted to try to attack my weight problem using non-surgical methods...but I think that EVERYONE makes that decision for themselves and it is very personal. You go and do whatever is right for you, and use the support here (both from those of us who have had surgery and those who haven't) to help you get through the life changes that the surgery will bring.

I wish you the best of luck! Keep us posted!

Thank you! I appreciate your support and understanding.

Wow, I see you've lost alot of weight! *envious* Go you!

I have 3 very good friends who have been enormously successful after having the lap-band surgery. I am sure you will be another success story.

Yes, we all have to do what's right for us. Only you can possibly know that. I wish you all the luck in the world.

MadS Good on You for sticking up for yourself and making a decision for you!
I didn't tell any of my friends until the night before my surgery I have one very soapboxy GF who's mom is a dietician. It's your body and your decision. I will say having WLS was the best (& longest) decision I ever made for me!
I hope you're solution whatever it may be is the one that you and your doc feel is best!
Kier

You don't have to justify yourself to others I am glad to see another person here who enjoys hiking despite your weight. I really love hiking and being active. Weight loss is so personal and I struggled for many years. I thought about going the WLS route many times but in the end I decided it was not my path. That doesn't mean that for others that it isn't their path.

I have a very good friend that had lap band surgery a little over a year ago and she says it's the best decision she ever made. Her weight went from 214 to approx. 130 in about 6 months. She is now on maintenance and as far as her eating goes, when she first gets a fill (if she sees the scales moving up more than she wants she will go get a fill, this seems to me to be what makes lap band better than by-pass, because you just get another fill and you start losing weight again and no stretching the stomach back out) she can't eat very much but after about a week she can eat more and after about a month she can eat anything including bread. So as far as never being able to eat anything you want again, I don't believe this is true.