Story from OAC Member Sue G.

I have lived with obesity for as long as I can remember. As a child growing up in the 1950s, I was the chubby baby, the chunky child and eventually the “fat kid.” 

When I was 12 years old, my weight reached 184 pounds, and my mother took me for my first evaluation for obesity. I lost 45 pounds through a highly restrictive diet, but that was only the beginning of a lifelong cycle of losing weight, regaining it and feeling like I had somehow failed.

For decades, I tried almost everything.

I joined weight-loss programs in my early 20s, but I dreaded the public weigh-ins. Later, I lost more than 50 pounds on another, only to develop gallbladder disease that required surgery. Sometimes I lost significant amounts of weight. Sometimes I kept it off for a while. But eventually the weight returned. By the time I reached my highest weight of 308 pounds, I felt defeated and I convinced myself this was simply who I was.

In 2018, I joined an online weight-loss program and lost 70 pounds. I maintained that weight loss for two years before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the routines that had been working for me. Later, after a total hip replacement, my weight gradually began to increase again. That belief stayed with me even when my primary care physician suggested GLP-1 medications in 2024. I resisted. Part of me believed using medication was somehow cheating or taking the easy way out. 

I wanted to conquer obesity through determination alone. Eventually, I decided to give it a chance.

My physician prescribed semaglutide in late 2025, but my insurance denied coverage, and the medication would have cost about $1,300 a month. Like so many others, I simply couldn’t afford it. Then, in 2026, I learned about the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program.

My eligibility was confirmed in May. My doctor prescribed oral Wegovy in early July, the prior authorization was approved and my prescription was filled just a few days later. After spending decades searching for another answer, I finally had access to a treatment that had been out of reach. I’ve only recently started taking oral Wegovy, but so far I’ve had no side effects. I’m still following the healthy habits that have helped me over the years. 

The medication hasn’t replaced those habits, but it has become another tool to support them.

At 72 years old, one of the biggest changes has been letting go of the idea that needing medical treatment somehow means I wasn’t strong enough. I now understand obesity for what it is: a chronic disease. Just as we don’t expect people with other chronic diseases to rely on willpower alone, people living with obesity deserve access to treatment when it’s medically appropriate.

As I begin this next chapter, I’m grateful for another opportunity to improve my health, stay active and enjoy life with the people I love. My hope is that others who have spent years blaming themselves for obesity will know they don’t have to carry that burden alone.

Visit the OAC’s Medicare Bridge Resource Hub to learn more about the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program. Our Hub allows patients and caregivers to find the resources they need to navigate the Bridge program at any stage of the process.