Johnna VinZant underwent bariatric surgery in hopes of losing enough weight to enjoy her life and alleviate her medical conditions.
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VinZant lives in tiny Soldotna, Alaska and is planning a move to Minneapolis. She has three kids and a husband who does painting and drywall work. Paying for the surgery on her own would have been impossible.
Her father, Skip Dove, is a school custodian and he couldn't afford the roughly $30,000 surgery either.
But he's paying for it anyway on a credit card with a 22 percent interest rate.
"It's a bad idea," he said. "And that's why the strategy is to get the house refinanced and get some of the equity and put it in the credit card."
He worried his daughter would die without the surgery. He'd watched her deteriorate year by year as her weight went up while her ability to do the simplest things vanished.
"More than I can express on camera," he said. "I think their decision to not sign on for this procedure after they, as my understanding they initially approved it, is abominable."
At the age of 35, VinZant spends her time sitting, lying down, going to the doctor and not much else. She said the smallest amount of movement had become excruciating.
"Yes it's very overwhelming," she said. "There's days that I'll just sit down and cry. It's hard, it's very hard."
It's hardest of all on her 10-year-old daughter Shelby and 12-year-old son Adam. VinZant's father blamed the insurance companies.
Bariatric surgery has become increasingly routine, but not without complications for VinZant. Adam, mature well beyond his 12 years, takes care of his mom and does most of the work around the house for her.
"It's very risky," he said regarding the operation, "and if something goes wrong she could die."
VinZant was worried too -- but desperate.
"I'm ready to give up anything for this," she said. "To get back to being with my family and doing activities with them again."
Two weeks later and 4,000 miles away in La Jolla, Calif., VinZant was headed for the operating room.
VinZant had hoped her insurance would come through at the last minute. It hadn't. So with her mother by her side, and credit card at the ready, she headed in for gastric bypass surgery.
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