Infernored

My carrier, Independent Health does cover Vertical Sleeve, and my BMI is certainly high enough (50+). They do require a pre-surgery weight loss of 5% starting weight. Last time I was at the surgeons office he gave me a hard time because I barely lost anything. I am journaling, exercising, and have been eating right. I keep getting depressed because I'm so afraid that when I go back on february 17 that he'll put me on the backburner and make me wait forever. Self-pay for this surgery, including the hospital stay and necessary consults is $29,000. If I can't lose this 5% by then (it's been 3 months of dieting like this), can I ask him to make a petition to my insurance company to see if they will cover it anyway? I've been jumping through hoops for this surgery since May 2010.

Thank you for posting this.

I'm 29 and I can't tell you how much I regret not doing this sooner. I looked into it 4 or 5 years ago and got talked out of it by my hubby. My only hope is this surgery now and I try to imagine how awesome the rest of my life will be and how much more I'll be able to enjoy it.

WOW!!!! I have been jumping through hoops for the doctor and insurance companies since last may!!! Maybe if I told them I'd pay for it things would go faster. How much is it for self-pay?

Thanks Caliblonde! I can always use a buddy!

I'm a nurse at a hospital and we crush meds in applesauce or pudding. and then wash it down with water or something.

I am having that problem too. My doctor says he won't do the surgery until I lose 5% of my original weight. I need to really lose another 10 pounds before february 17. my weight normally fluctuates about +/- 8 pounds day to day. uuuuughhh... I am having such a hard time. I basically follow southbeach phases 1-2. Halp!

Hi, I have always weighed alot, and have always had a problem with will power when it comes to eating and exercise. Initially when I went to meet with my surgeon I was resolved to get the Lap-Band, and when I met with him he said that my insurance now covers the VSG and he thinks I should do my research on it since it would work well for me. I am currently 327.2 pounds, and my highest at new years was 344. I am working very hard at eating right (per South Beach) and increasing exercise, but my weight still fluctuates up and down 5 pounds. I need to be at least 322 by february 17 to get scheduled for surgery. I told my husband 2 nights ago that I was researching it a bit and he flipped out. He thinks it's a very risky surgery and it sounds like the easy way out. We have been back and for the past 2 days, and I told him, I'm not an idiot, and it's my body. I told him that I will make a decision and I'd like him to support me. Well, even after going back on the Lap-band boards today, I'm still not satisfied. I really need to lose at least 150 pounds to be "healthy". My aunt had the lap band and she was in the same place as me starting, and she still hovers at 225-230 after 2 years. I wouldn't complain much about that, but I wouldn't be fully satisfied. Right now I am trying to get a hold of the counselor I had to go to as part of the application process and see if she does marital counseling. He needs to realize that it is my decision and I need to take care of myself, once and for all. Heather

Yeah, I can totally see how he is out of his element. He is 6 feet tall and 175-180ish. My gram calls him a "tall drink of water" or something like that! I'm just going to stay motivated and keep forward. I'm still working on losing my 5% before the surgery is scheduled. I have to be about 320 on the doctor's scale, and I went up over the holidays. But I'm doing better than ever now.

The first 10 pounds are the fastest to come off due to water weight. If you've struggled with your weight for a very long time, then I would say to consider the surgery. Many insurance companies require you to lose 5% of starting bodyweight before getting approved. I'm working on that now and it is so hard. Good luck!

Doctors Posner and Hoffman at Buffalo General Hospital are good.

I'm 29 years old, I am a Registered Nurse, I am married, I have been fat my whole life. I went to a WLS seminar in 2006, and walked away from it because I thought I could really do it myself. 4 Years later I went back, heavier than ever. I have everything done for my Surgeon besides losing a few more pounds to be approved by the insurance. I go to see him again in 2 weeks. My brain is on fast-forward. I'm dreaming about a year from now.

I love everyone's NSVs! It's so inspiring! I can't wait!

My husband, Tim, and I went to a counselor for an outside opinion on monday. She is a very good listener and I like her. I had to go to her for my pre-surgery psych consult. (I'm sane apparently!). Anyway, she said we're just going to have to agree, to disagree. He will support me, but he's not happy about it. I think he'll feel better when it's done and I start feeling alot better. I have my next appointment on february 17 with my surgeon. I have to lose another 3 pounds by then, and it sounds easy, but I keep hitting 325 and then I bounce around a few pounds above it, and go back. I am aiming for at least 5 more off since doctor's scales are wacky.

Yeah, but that was high school. we all used to look odd. hahaha.

I took adipex in 2004 for 3 months. my primary doctor was very wary about it, but I went in frequently for checkups while I was on it. #1, it makes your heart beat faster, like double your normal resting, and even higher when exercising. #2 you have no appetite, probably consume only a couple bites each meal. #3, almost no sleep and it makes you very jittery. I didn't have too much of a problem with all that and along with exercising 2hours a day , 5-6 days a week, I lost about 55-60 pounds in 3 months. I also gained it back rapidly after taking it. I asked my doctor about it last fall, to assist in losing weight pre-op, and he said he wouldn't ever prescribe it to anyone again due to health risks.

I don't want to sound conceited, but I rarely complement myself. All I can say is I can't wait to see what my face will look like. I can make fat look pretty, at least somewhat from my chin up, and I'll feel so much better afterwards. I've been very self concious of my droopy chin too, so that will be great! BTW, the picture on my profile is an old picture of me, about 120 lbs less than I am now.

For everyone who had their surgery without losing much or any weight, was your surgery covered by insurance? My surgeon says I need to lose 5% for the insurance company to approve it. So of course, like the rest of my life up until now, I'm having trouble with losing it. I've got 3 weeks to make some progress!

I work in a hospital too. I am afraid of people knowing. I have a coworker who had the band in last spring and hasn't lost anything because she's noncompliant. I'm saving up my time off and I plan to arrange my work schedule around it. I would rather work through it than have people speculating about me behind my back. I love my coworkers, and they mean the best, but I think it's important to keep it close to home for a while. My family knows. More of them than I want, but I can deal with them.

Well Tiffykins, I sure and hoping for all the best for you. I know I'm thinking positive, but I'll try not to give up either. I had all kinds of blood work for the screening for the surgery, and everything came out ok with my thyroid and everything. I had been to my gyn recently and we did the clomid/provera thing 3xs with no results. They also did a hysterosalpingogram, which is a really horrible test to check out my fallopian tubes and that came out ok. Sperm count on my hubby is ok. Worst comes to worst is when I do lose the weight, we may have to look into in-vitro or something. Eitherway, losing the weight will definitely help since my mom had complications with my brothers and I, and had problems with blood pressure, as mine is higher now than it ever has been. Thanks for your input! You guys are so good about keeping me motivated!

Hey, I have been having trouble trying to conceive since 2008. I tried provera and clomid, since my cycles are so out of whack. No luck. I am just in a holding pattern now, waiting to get the surgery so I can lose the weight enough to get pregnant. I end up having my periods lasting anywhere from 1-4+ months of consistent bleeding. I have been considering asking my doctor for the birth control pill to see if it will regulate it better, but I would also like to see my body regulate it self as I lose. I really try not to think of pregnancy anymore since all I do is get sad or stressed. But I am positive that after the surgery, I will feel hope again. I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling like this.

Hey everybody, thanks for replying. Yeah my husband printed up a comparison between the two and we talked about it. We've decided to take it to a counselor as an independent party. We are going on monday afternoon, and I'm really looking forward to it. I really have settled on the sleeve. I went back yesterday and tried to get excited about the band and found that, while it might get some of my weight off, it will be slow and I will not get everything off without having the troubles I have now. Not saying the sleeve is going to fix me overnight, but I believe it's the right choice for me. So until my appointment with my surgeon on feb 17th, I've been trying to follow the south beach diet he wants me on, and increase my exercise. It's at that appointment where if I have lost the 15 pounds the insurance people recommend that I tell him which surgery I want and we would schedule it.

Thanks for the reassurance. I know my husband is concerned about me, but I think he should be concerned about me not losing the weight either. I'm relatively healthy besides the weight. So I'm not really worried. I would really be upset if I chose the band and didn't lose properly and needed another surgery. I've been lurking on these boards for a couple weeks and I am happy with what I have seen so far.

Hi, I am a nurse and I've taken care of patients with TPN. If you have had it for any extended amount of time, the doctor should order routine bloodwork to check electrolyte and Protein levels. If they have been doing lab work, then I would feel confident that you were at an acceptable level to be taken off of it.