Thin Blog

Posts Tagged ‘weight loss surgery’

Gastric bypass surgery and insurance AFTER the surgery is a question that a friend of mine had to have answered and the answer was one that was not a good one.  He had gastric bypass surgery on his spouse’s insurance and since then he has had a divorce.  Since he is a private contractor he needed to go out and get some personal health insurance.  He tried at many different places and he was turned down each and every time.  This denial of health insurance was not something anyone ever mentioned and now he has a problem with no solution.

As of now he is ready to give up and accept the fact that as an individual he will not be able to be eligible for individual health insurance.  He is so much healthier because of the weight loss surgery yet he is finding it impossible to receive individual health insurance.

This may be something worth factoring into your decision to have weight loss surgery.  It is one that we have not been able to research on the web because ALL search results only provide information about coverage BEFORE the surgery. 

If you are considering weight loss surgery then you need to ask questions about how your eligibility for health insurance will be affected two, three or ten years down the road.  How will your eligibility be affected if you change insurers?  We hope you ask, before you decide!

If you are overweight and really want to make a change in your life to become thin and are considering weight loss surgery we want to get your attention for a moment.  You are obese and you not only want to lose weight, you need to lose weight for health reasons.  You are considering the option of weight loss surgery and that is alright, but we really want you to stop and think for more than a moment.  Weight loss surgery may cure obesity in the short term but it may not cure you for the long-term.  In fact, weight loss surgery may create more issues than in the long term than you realize.

Not too long ago I went out to dinner with a friend of mine and he had weight loss surgery about 18 months ago.  Back when the surgery was recent he could only eat a nugget and a french fry with a few sips of water.  Since the time he has had the surgery he lost over 100 pounds and that is great.  It is what I saw next that really caused me to worry about the reality of weight loss surgery.  Not too long ago we were out to eat and I was shocked with the fact that he ate an entire meal.  He had a bit of bread, drank soda with a straw and ate a meal that anyone would be able to eat, surgery or not.

While we were eating he was still basking in the reality that he lost so much weight but he said that the weight loss had slowed down quite a bit.  He said it was normal for the slower loss but what was not normal was how much food he was able to eat.  It was obvious to me that his stomach pouch is expanding again and is getting larger with every meal.  I feel as if he is setting himself up again for weight gain and more obesity issues.

What we have learned over the years is that food is only the end product of obesity and the root cause of obesity is never merely food.  What we mean is that there is always an emotional issue that causes a person to over eat.  For some people there may be binge eating while others may have issues with eating as a relief for some emotional insecurity, such as suffering from lonliness. The superstar trainer Jillian Michaels covers this subject quickly on almost every Biggest Loser episode.  She is always clawing her way past the tears to reveal what causes the personal issue that is behind the obesity that her contestants deal with.  What is revealed so often is that obesity is only the end result of some emotional roller coaster ride.

As you consider the option of weight loss surgery you need to be aware that surgery is merely a business.  As nice as that doctor may seem you are merely a down payment on that new car or summer home.  Weight loss surgery will never be able to force you to put that fork down.  Weight loss surgery will not heal the emotional wounds that caused you to overeat in the first place.  These are the issues that need to be resolved prior to any weight loss diet, meal plan or surgery.

As with any diet or meal plan you need to be committed for weight loss surgery to work.  Do not think that by merely having surgery you will never have to be concerned with your weight again.  The fact is that after the surgery you will have to be very concerned with what you eat and how much you eat.  If you do not cure or deal with the emotional issues before you have the surgery there is a good chance you will be forced to deal with it after the surgery.

 If you are looking into weight loss surgery you more than likely know all about lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery, but you may not be as familiar with Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG), or Vertical Sleeve Surgery for short.  Vertical Sleeve Surgery is not nearly as common as other weight loss procedures and to date many consider it to be a work in progress as only about 20 doctors perform the procedure worldwide.  Some doctors have performed this surgery instead of laparoscopic banding.  There is one huge difference with VSG and that is that the process is solely through gastric restriction because it removes 85% of the stomach pouch.  What this does is that by restricting how much food is eaten a person eats less.  As a result of eating less the caloric intake rapidly drops which causes weight loss.

One aspect of VSG is that it is not as expensive as some types of weight loss surgery because there is no intestinal bypass performed.  In VSG the stomach volume is decreased while the route the intestines take is left completely intact.  This not only reduces the cost but by leaving the intestines in place actually causes the procedure to be considered “investigational”.  As a result of this classification most insurance companies will not pay for this procedure.  As you search for information be aware of the risk that you will encounter in the insurance world after weight loss surgery is performed.  Sometimes the surgery itself could cause you denial of insurance in the future, when the weight loss surgery has actually made you healthier.

The end result of weight loss surgery more than likely will lead you to being a healthier and thinner individual.  Before you have ANY weight loss surgery you need to make sure your head is in the right place.  Your issues with eating do not go away and there are many people who gain significant weight back after losing even 100 pounds.  Make sure you are knowledgeable in the minor facts about needing vitamin shots for the rest of your life.  Did you know bread becomes a forbidden food?  Were you aware soda will not be allowed and the use of straws is dangerous to your well being?  Bariatric surgery is not a bad thing but emotional issues are not solved by the surgery.  Before you take the big step get as many books on the subject as possible and educate yourself on what it is all about.  Knowledge is power and that power will begin through your personal education.

So here you sit! You have landed on another website seeking knowledge on weight loss. You have tried and tried and failed and failed again and again. You have tried diet pills and fad diets and maybe even are considering some form of weight loss surgery. You may be suffering from depression and are in a “funk” about life and do not know how to pull yourself out of it. I am here to say you are not alone, you are just a stranger among millions.

The world is full of people just like yourself so do not despair.

Are you suffering from depression?

I knew a friend that was depressed because they were not happy with their weight. They went to the doctor and they had anti-depression medication prescribed. What was not known by my friend was that a side effect of the pills was weight gain. Imagine that! A person goes to the doctor because they are depressed from being overweight and a prescription is given to treat the depression that has the side effects of causing them to gain weight! Ironic huh?

Are you using diet pills?

If you are using diet pills you should be realizing by now that diet pills really do not work. (WOW! You have landed on a website that is not trying to sell you a diet pill.) Diet pills are pretty much a scam, no, I take that back. Diet pills are a total scam, save your money. It is hard to believe the billions and billions that are spent on diet pills and they do not even work. Save your money and DO NOT purchase diet pills. My suggestion is to go to my favorite website where the basic information is free and knowledge is not slanted by the desire to make a profit at your expense. You read it correctly I am suggesting you to NOT purchase ANY diet pills at all!

So now comes the big finish of this entry! If you desire to lose weight then you need to get up and do something about it! If you are fretting over being overweight then get going, get started and make a change. Do not make the change because of anybody else but do it for yourself. Do not be in a hurry because you are not in competition with anybody but yourself. If you have a stroke and die the ultimate effect will be to you! So what are you waiting for? Park further from Walmart. Walk up a few flights of stairs. Walk to the store instead of driving. Pull the bike out of the shed and go for a ride. Find the leash for the dog and take a walk. Skip the diets, skip the pills, skip the thingamajig weight loss gizmo. Learn how to change your life. Gain knowledge and empower yourself to lose the weight.

The one thing you do need to know is that you will lose weight only after you eat less calories than you burn off. It is that simple. The amazing part is that you do not have to go hungry, at all.

What you need is unbiased information to make that journey to true weight loss. Skip the diet, gain the knowledge. Skip the diet pills because there is no magic bullet. If you are depressed from being overweight then just mark on your calender and for the next five days get out and move that body of yours. Get out for just a few days and just move and something amazing will happen. You will start to feel better about yourself and life in general. Start getting up everyday and doing a bit more one day at a time. Soon the days will pile up and life will be better. Happiness awaits those who seek it, you just need to get up and grab it.

If you are considering weight loss surgery we want you to know that you can lose weight through a gastric bypass or lap-band surgery.  Many people have been able to lose the weight as demonstrated by people I have seen in my daily life.  When looking into whether or not you should have the surgery you really need to give the entire situation alot more thought because the end result is that weight loss surgery is not something you can change your mind about once it has been performed.  Before we get started into this overview we would like you to take a few moments and glance through these short videos from uTube that briefly provides an overview on gastric bypass for you.

Health Care in your future?

One thing you really need to be aware of is that once you receive the weight loss surgery it becomes difficult for a person to receive new health insurance.  A close friend who had the procedure (successful) was involved in a divorce about 13 months after the operation was performed.  When he had the divorce he was no longer under his spouse’s health care plan.  He had to go to great lengths to find a company that would provide him insurance.  He was able to find some but it was a long process and it was not inexpensive.

Adjustment of eating habits

After a person has received a gastric bypass they need to be aware that food can no longer be to them what it once was.  Trips to the restaurant will be a waste of time and having lunch as part of a date will need to be no more than a 5 minute excursion.  At first thought a person thinks that is great but once you have to live the reality, it becomes a different issue completely.  No longer will you be able to have a date that involves a trip to a restaurant because if you go, the food order will become a nugget, one French fry with a sip of water.  This can become an embarrassment while your now uncomfortable date settles into eating their burger, fries and a coke.  The social ramifications of starting a new relationship with non-gastric bypass recipients can be difficult at first.  As a person who receives a gastric bypass you need to know that you no longer can eat fresh bread.  You should never drink soda because the carbonation will cause your now shrunken stomach to expand and this will cause you to eat more.  By drinking soda your stomach expands and if you do not tear the staples, you will be setting up your now smaller stomach pouch to be able to accept larger food portions which starts the obesity cycle over again.  Did you know that you have to stop using straws when you drink?  If you do not stop using straws you will cause damage to yourself internally.

Surgery does not solve emotional issues

If you do not address what has made you obese in the first place then you need to educate yourself by reading specific books.  A person needs to ensure they are emotionally secure in them self because becoming obese again is a very real issue that many weight loss surgery recipients deal with.  All too often stellar results are achieved at first.  People lose 100+ pounds only to find themselves struggling with obesity 2 or 3 years down the road.  If you are the type that does not stop eating when full then what makes you think that will not be an issue 2 years after your surgery?    Then emotional factors of what made you obese in the first place do not magically disappear after the surgery.

Basic risks of surgery

As with any surgery there are risks when going under the knife.  A person can die from having surgery and a gastric bypass is no different.  There can be complications from the anesthesia or you can merely receive an infection and get sick and die.  Also the fear of internal bleeding is always there.  If you doubt this then you are not ready for surgery because proof that you can die from a weight loss operation is as close to you as a Google search right now.

Before you commit to having weight loss surgery maybe you can stop all of the diets and start a true weight loss plan.  Maybe you can make effective use of FullBar or even Sensa.  Both of those products have their naysayers but there also have been positive results.  The good thing is that if they do not work for you there is no risk of getting sick and dying.  If you stay obese you run the risk of dying so it is suggested that you need to do something.

What is that something?

If you really desire to lose weight then you merely need to do it.  You need to eat less calories than you burn in a day.  It is mere math and it is that simple, so why is it so hard for so many people?  If you are a healthy person then losing weight should not not be rocket science.  If you have trouble tracking your weight loss and calories then try FitDay or use BodyBugg.  Both are proven technologies that work when used.  If you desire to lose weight then stop all of the diets and start to deal with the emotional issues that made you obese in the first place. Those emotional issues need to be identified and you can accomplish that through gaining knowledge and then applying that knowledge in your everyday life.  Stop trying diets and educate yourself, get a bit more active and learn to live.

Weight loss surgery can work for you but it does contain the risk that you may die.  If you have the weight loss surgery and do not die, then you still have to deal with all of the emotional issues of what made you obese in the first place.   Before you make the leap to surgery try to deal with the emotional issues first.  Gain the knowledge and education you need to allow yourself to return to that skinny and healthy person you have always dreamed about.  Weight loss is ultimately calories in and calories out.  It is simple math and if the numbers do not work for you then you need to discover the true and underlying reason.