How will I get through the next 51 weeks?

First topic message reminder :

Hi guys,

I have only JUST taken out PHI last week and it's driving me nuts, knowing that I can't have my sleeve surgery for 12 months.

Are there a lot of you that had to wait this long? How did you cope?

I am going to try Tony Ferguson (again) in the meantime, but every time I try, I don't end up sticking to it.

Woe is me lol

Hi Dream4life - I too had the long 12 month wait for PHI to kick in, for me its 31 October this year - Im getting a bit excited now, but the wait is killing me :(

Dream4life, I was you 12 months ago to the day. It is a long, arduous, pain in the arse wait.. but when you're time comes you will be so ready. Use the time learning all you can and getting your head right. I get sleeved tomorrow and at times I thought the wait would never end, but it does. Chin up!

Thanks Eki and Mabrahmz, well at least I dont feel so alone any more! I thought about the bank loan but decided against it as I'm a full time student and doubt I would get approved unfortunately. Also thought about self-funding but at about $20,000 thats out of my reach! I dont even have that much super :(  BUT now that I know there's a few of us waiting I feel much better!

I have an appointment this week with the nurse practitioner that works with the surgeon, I asked if it was too early to get the ball rolling but they didnt seem to think so. At least I'll get a yay or nay for the surgery. I guess for the next year I'll try to lose some weight pre-op, I'm going to be housebound as much as possible until then. I'm so sick of myself!

Hi dream4life, same boat here as well, I think it's getting crowded :D  My PHI kicks in 2 June next year but I have to get a lap band removed first, then wait about 3 months.  Wish I had of taken it out earlier as well, but the way I look at it, oh well it's done now, so now I'm on the downhill side toward it.   It only gets better from now on.

Dream4life im in the same boat. My phi kicks in on the 3rd of june 2015. Im now considering getting a bank loan. I keep putting on weight. Ive developed reflux, my knees and ankles hurt sometimes. I have hardly any energy so it is hard to get up early to go walking or to crossfit. And mostly, i want to live my life....not have to rest and sit down all the time due to the excess fat weighing me down. 7 years of paying a loan back? Interest adds about $7000 to the cost of the op. About $100 a week for 7 years. But can i put a price on quality of life? Im very tempted to get the loan...a lot can happen in 12 months. I want to start living!! Quality of life now or in 12 months? Life is too short...ahhh!! Decisions...i really dont know!

Hi everyone, I haven't posted here before. My PHI doesn't kick in until June 2015, I don't know how I'm going to wait that long. I'm so ashamed of myself and avoid social situations because of my weight, and I know now that I have to go through it for at least another 12 months! I wish wish wish I had hospital cover already, I'd give anything to get it done now.

chereign wrote:

I too have been toying with the idea of having the sleeve, but waited until I was positive it was for me before I decided to get PHI :( I wish I had of signed up 18 months ago when the seed was originally planted..... Not to worry, I too am with HCF, seem fairly good so far :)

Good luck with your info sourcing

OH me too! I actually was booked in for the sleeve in May 2013...over a year ago, and had a loan in place to pay for it...I ditched the idea and the loan...Kicking self for not at least getting phi!  I got it today. 365 days to go :-)

JJW wrote:

Awesome advice ladies :) 

Counting down! It'll fit in well with September school holidays next year I think. I can see myself getting very addicted to this forum!

Hi JJW,
Maybe we will be having surgery at the same time??
Nez

JJW wrote:

Awesome advice ladies :) 

Counting down! It'll fit in well with September school holidays next year I think. I can see myself getting very addicted to this forum!

Its a great forum, I joined a few months before and looked and read and asked before deciding to go ahead with it all, have had 2 appointments with surgeon now and also had my dietician appointment, going on holidays to Europe in 2 weeks then when I get back have 5 weeks of optifast to do then surgery, will be here before I know it

Awesome advice ladies :) 

Counting down! It'll fit in well with September school holidays next year I think. I can see myself getting very addicted to this forum!

Use the time to research and get a head start physically and mentally. And enjoy life, it flies by no matter what we do

JJW wrote:

Hey guys!

I've just taken my PHI out with Bupa, bring on the next 12m! 

I've called Dr Greenslades office after reading many good things on here and I'll be calling back in the new year to book the first appointment.

I'm excited!

It will go fast, Ive had to wait 15 mths and ive only got 2 months to go now

Hey guys!

I've just taken my PHI out with Bupa, bring on the next 12m! 

I've called Dr Greenslades office after reading many good things on here and I'll be calling back in the new year to book the first appointment.

I'm excited!

Thanks everyone for the help and advice and kind words.

As far as the gap goes i have rang a few surgeons and even with top cover (if i go that way and even with no excess) they still are saying they dont have a gap BUT out of pocket expenses they call it of ranging from $1,500 up.

I cant access super as i have none to access i didnt work for years due to raising my 4 kids who are now all adults and with their kids.

When i did go to work later in life i had a work place accident in 2002 in which i broke my back and stuffed a knee. (fell down a man hole grr lol ) It took me a yr to be able to walk again but i did it but now i live in chronic pain due to the damaged vertrebra and bulging disks. But i live with it so its ok. But it limits me greatly on exercise which then sends me into depression from weight gain, no working life anymore but mostly sad from my son fighting cancer.

But i need to try to get some control back of my life its something i can try to do. You ladies ...an few guys ive found on here are wonderful and great fund of information and support.

I rang up iselect and the person on the phone seems to think i should join HCF fit and free. I have never had health cover before in my life and i wondered has anyone had experience with HCF.

IM in Adelaide in an i am looking for like most of us i guess the surgeon who is good but also one is the less money extra also i want to ensure my cover would enable tummy tuck or boob lift etc after if needed. As im scared of ending up like ive seen on tv as im 5ft 6 and currently 125kgs.

Thanks once again for the help and support. Im still looking into it all.

stormyandthunder
so very sad to read about your son, sounds like a very difficult time for you all, you are right, you need to take care of yourself so you can be the best you can for him and your other loved ones.

I hope even now that you're being easy on yourself and doing things to nurture yourself and try and take each day/hour at a time.

I too have put on an excessive amount of weight over the past year and it feels so awful and so not me. I've been a yo yo weight all my life, had finally got down to a size 16 and now I'm back up in the 20s again and I'm kicking myself.

Are you able to do any exercise/walking now? good on you for making it through the past 12 months.

Anyway hang in there and keep in touch :-)

Yes lin1970 is right, I think you are hearing about the excess for the hospital, mine is $450 with HCF, could have been lower but the premiums would have skyrocketed. Surgeon will charge a gap, just on here I have seen from $2500 to about $4000... Then the gas man can be up to $2000 depending if he charges full cost or gap..... It adds up BUT if you can prove you can't afford it you can access super

You will find that the $500 is the excess for the PHI. Surgeons will charge a gap. Call around.

Thanks very much for the leads people have given me on here. I think i will join a Private health insurance its just a matter of working out which one i need lol. Its a bit of a mine field out there. I have heard how with private health u can get a gastric sleeve done after your 12mths wait for $500 maximum outlay. That is the way i need to go I just need to find a good surgeon to go to go from there.

Im on a disability pension due to breaking my back in 2002 it took me 12 mths to be able to walk but woohoo i did it. since then i had gained weight from not being able to exercise much an the last 12mths i had gained sooo much more due to is being the worst 12mths of my life.

Sadly my son who is only 30yrs old got diagonised april18th 2012 with agressive bowel cancer which has also gone to his liver. I eat when im stressed and watching my son go through this horrible hell of chemo and radiotheraphy and major surgeries etc is the worst thing ever imaginable.

I have decided i need to get control of my life and health back so i can be of more use to him and be stronger for him and my self.

Everyone has a story thats just a part of mine sorry for getting off track just hard at times.

Have a great weekend

I too have been toying with the idea of having the sleeve, but waited until I was positive it was for me before I decided to get PHI :( I wish I had of signed up 18 months ago when the seed was originally planted..... Not to worry, I too am with HCF, seem fairly good so far :)

Good luck with your info sourcing

I'm not from Adelaide but for the Health Insurance I went through iselect, you can choose what benefits are most important to you (including WLS), and then it gives you all the comparisons... I would then of course call them and double check! I ended up with HCF top cover and i am covered from August 15th (called again the other day) Don't do what I did, started seriously considering it in Jan 2012 but didn't decide until August 2012 and then got the health insurance! I could have knocked 7 months off my wait. If you decide it's not for you, you can always cancel the insurance.

I had Dr D'onofrio as my surgeon, excellent surgeon. PM and I can give you details. I am with Australian Unity, top cover, I got a 5% discount through my credit union. I would recommend contact your banks or super fund as usually you can get discounts.

There is tons of information here that I read through to help me work out what to do.
If I was you I'd type Adelaide and tick posts into the search and find out what surgeons others have used.
Then read through the posts in the Private Health Insurance topics from the home page.
I phoned up the surgeons office that I was thinking of using and asked
them for some ideas of what PHI to use and the medicare number of the surgery.
As soon as I signed up with PHI I made an appointment to see the surgeon. [I had to wait over a month for an app] I too was a bit concerned that I wouldn't be eligible for the surgery and thought that if that was the case I could cancel the PHI and only one months payment wasted, but if I was eligible then that's one month less I have to wait.
I called the PHI to check they covered that surgery medicare number, I checked before signing up, I checked again after seeing the surgeon and I'm going to get it in writing as people here suggest.
I have a 12 month wait as it's a pre-existing condition.
So I should be getting done in early 2014 and am not really enjoying the wait.

HI everyone im new to this site an im looking into getting gastic sleeve done.

My questions being im in adelaide can anyone advise who gives the best private health cover and any suggestions on surgeons to use.I dont know do i need to have appts first to see if im ever a person who can have it?

Sorry for the questions but im new as im sure you can all tell.

thanks deb

good ideas: start exercise slowly, building up ad if you feel like doing more one day go for it. Following an eating plan like WW is good, as it helps eat better. Every positive step is a move forward and if you fall down just get up, dust off and keep going forward. Good on you guys

ps - and I do binge from time to time, I'm working on it

Hi Gruggy

Ive started following the WW plan again, only been 1 day though so see how i go with it, I need to do this as im feeling more and more useless, getting so big now Icant do a lot of things and thats making me feel worse as well, hopefully I can stick with this and lose a little and feel a little better for it

Veronica

gruggy wrote:

How's anyone/everyone?
I've had a few nasty, enormous binges but am planning [a flexible, easy enjoyable plan] what to eat everyday and making it easy to follow.
I've found a great article/book that's helped me feel good about exercise and now I'm back to planning a short gentle workout plus walk each day and if I zap it up or go longer I feel great instead of planning a longer tougher workout and feel I can't achieve it.

I'm hoping to get appointments with a local/visiting dietician and psychologist to help with my issues and keep me more accountable.
I'm reading and writing more on this forum to feel connected with others.

How's anyone/everyone?
I've had a few nasty, enormous binges but am planning [a flexible, easy enjoyable plan] what to eat everyday and making it easy to follow.
I've found a great article/book that's helped me feel good about exercise and now I'm back to planning a short gentle workout plus walk each day and if I zap it up or go longer I feel great instead of planning a longer tougher workout and feel I can't achieve it.

I'm hoping to get appointments with a local/visiting dietician and psychologist to help with my issues and keep me more accountable.
I'm reading and writing more on this forum to feel connected with others.