I’m 53 years old and recently retired as a result of foot problems associated with the work I used to do. I was a nurse for over 26 years with the remaining 10 years in an ER setting. The 12 hour shifts, coupled with a constant run the whole 12 hours and a torn ligament in the bottom of my foot put me off work for over a year with surgery resulting in neuropathy which prevented me from pursuing my nursing career any further. After the surgery and all the other tests, counseling  and drugs I have to take on a daily basis, I found myself out of work, disabled and overweight, which according to my doctor, may have a lot to do with my current condition. I’ve had to give up my previous medical insurance and took on my wife’s insurance company, which turns out to be a PPO. Presently weighing out at 255 lbs, I heard about the ’lap band’ surgery on the radio and several TV commercials. Talking with friends who had the surgery and seeing the results, has inspired me to look into the procedure.

                I called and made the appointment with the Lap Band Company. The initial consultation was of course free. They went over my insurance and were informed by my wife’s PPO, that the procedure would be covered, and thus we continued with the rest of the paperwork and consultations expected for this type of procedure. A psychiatric evaluation, sleep study and a 6 month waiting period was the next steps. The psych evaluation was no problem and the sleep study was a bit weird to say the least, but I made it through the night with a couple hours sleep and then waited for the results. According to them, I had a moderate sleep apnea, but no one could tell me what one thing had to do with the other. I was there for a Lap Band, due to the excess weight, not depression or sleep apnea. The next hoop was a colonoscopy. According to them, due to my age, I was expected to have this procedure done in order for the rest of the evaluation to take place. Okay, I set up the exam and had the colonoscopy performed. Everything was great, no problems detected and the next procedure was an endoscopy. This procedure was 60 miles away and I had to have a driver, but after it was all over, everything in that end was okay also.

            After the sleep study and the information that I had sleep apnea, the doctor kept insisting a CPAP machine for sleeping. Again, no one would tell me why I had to have this machine, but I was led to believe, that if I refused the CPAP, then the lap band would be a no go, so I gave into the CPAP and an appointment was made for a respiratory therapist to deliver and set up the machine. Now, you would think a therapist with any education on specific respiratory devises would have some knowledge on sleep apnea and the effects for weight problems, but when I asked what one had to do with the other, she had no answer and thus continued to go over the operation of the machine. Being curious and getting no answers to the questions I was asking, I went online and out that there are two hormones that are involved with lack of sleep and weight gain.  Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.
So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus states in his report. The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.
            I was pretty satisfied with what I found on the web, and thus continued the CPAP on a daily basis. I found that it takes quite a bit of getting used to the machine and my wife commented that she couldn’t sleep because my snoring was what allowed her to sleep and by not snoring, as a result of the CPAP, she found herself awake and checking to see that I was still breathing. The machine has helped in that respect, but again, I was skeptical about the whole thing and came to the conclusion, it couldn’t hurt. To me it was just another hoop to jump through for the end results.
            It was nearing the 6 month mark when I finally got the phone call from the people at the weight loss program. They had submitted the request to my insurance company and the procedure was denied. I was furious to say the least. This was all pre-approved and I just went through nearly 6 months of testing, procedures and stress to find out that this whole scam was to get money from insurance companies and their clients deductibles. I jumped through hoops and bragged to friends and family members that I would soon be free of the excess weight, to be able to enjoy the kids and grand kids and maybe even live a little longer as a result of losing the weight and thus be able to maybe go back to school and find something that I would be able to do for employment. All this really ended up doing is adding more stress to an already bad situation and I haven’t been able to lose a thing. I am presently at the wonderful weight of 260 lbs. and don’t see any future in losing the weight. Other than the fact that I now know I have nothing wrong with my throat all the way to my anus and I only snore when I don’t wear the CPAP, I have gained nothing but more bills to pay, I still currently am unable to play soccer with my kids and my life expectancy is probably back to 65 years, give or take a few years.

How is it possible for the government to allow people like the Lap Band Company to mess with people’s lives like this? Why is it that only certain PPO insurances are able to offer a procedure that will change a person’s life completely and who made it possible for these people to get away with picking and choosing who will live and who won’t? I personally have been on one diet after another and have been overweight most of my life. I have never been able to run any long distances since my tour in the Marine Corps. I think the government should have something to say about companies that set rules, make promises they can’t fulfill and offer solutions to the public that could change the lives of so many obese people in world, and make a killing on the monies they make from the hopes of people that see a way out. I think the Lap Band is a good thing and I believe that if an insurance company says they will approve a procedure, they should be held accountable for that initial approval. Everything the insurance company requested was done; nothing came back as to say the procedure would be a detriment to my health. I was led to believe I was approved from the gait and I was let down by my insurance company. So, from my point of view, the lap band is nothing more than a scam to get PPO companies to pay for all the hoops people have to jump through in order to maybe- possibly be approved for the lap band.