MelindaH

Who do I believe? I went to my preop and they tell me to increase my multi Vitamin to two a day. Then I went to my anesthesia appt and they tell me no Vitamins all next week. My feeling is mixed; I trust my MD and his staff but I also trust the anesthesia staff because they are putting you to sleep and you want to wake up. I will clarify this with my surgeon's office tomorrow but I hate getting mixed messages. I have to get PCP clearance because of a recent infection. The surgeon was a little anxious when I told him I was finishing antibiotics. I do not think it will delay surgery though. PCP was able to see me on Monday. I wish the Ca Petites could have been opened. I should have bought them yesterday but will go back to WM tomorrow as I have to get Protein drink for Friday. Any thoughts? Melinda

Grider, I am so glad that it has been received by BCBS. I would think that you might have an answer by Tuesday or Wed of next week. I imagine that they will be off for the holiday until Mon. They might work tomorrow but I doubt it. Keep me posted. I am rooting for you! Happy Thanksgiving. The next day I start my Protein shakes and one meal a day routine. Melinda

All the best to you hon. It sounds as though you would really benefit from the surgery. I had my pre-op today and will have surgery for me. It has been a six month journey working with a Center of Excellence but so worth it. I have learned so much. There are always risks with anesthesia and I don't take it lightly. But like everyone has posted, the risks of doing nothing are greater than that. I am almost 55 and am a medical nightmare. I hate to think what I will be like at 65. Set a goal. I want to live to see my children become responsible adults and my husband and I enjoy a modest retirement. I want to see every national park west of the Mississippi and my husband does too. I have only had one person express negativity. I consulted with each specialist I see and they all encouraged me to go for it. I have told a lot of friends and received their support. I have not told my sisters who live out of state because I do not feel that I would receive their bleesing. You need to develop a support team both online and face to face. Drink a lot of Water. Begin to eat high Protein and low carbs. Try to take a walk each day. Remember that parking farther out from the store counts as well as climbing stairs. Little things add up to big things. It is worth it to get a gym membership. It has been so beneficial to me. If I can be of any help. please feel free to message me. All the best to you, hon. Melinda

Let us know what the outcome is, hon. I am very curious. I was not aware that sleep apnea is a requirement. And what one insurance company requires, anothter one might not. The offices' reluctance to submit it is BS in my opinion. It is no skin off of their back and that is what they are getting paid to do. I wish you all the best in your journey to good health. Melinda

Hi, I meant to say that my pre-op is today, I will be happy to expound in a later post answer your questions about the pros and cons but I am jammed for time currently. hoping that others will chime in Melinda

Hi, and welcome, You are well on your way. You need to be eating high Protein and low carbs. Drink lots and lots of Water. At least try to get a short walk in everyday or get a gym membership. I know, your days are crammed and perhaps you already do. It is usually about a three to six month process depending on your insurance and surgeon requirements. Use a center of excellence if at all possible. I wish you well. I have my preop. Feel free to message me if I can help you further. All the best to you, Melinda

Hi, I almost bought a bottle of the petites yesterday for post op and probably will in the near future. My surgery is the 2nd of Dec. Did you do the liquid calcium immediately post op? At the class last night we tasted several and the only chewable I could stand was the caramels made by Bariactic advantage. I am thinking of getting a pill crusher and just crushing them in applesauce. Any thoughts? Sorry I am going around your question and would love to see the answer posted. As far as the multi Vitamin, I went with Centrum. She said not to use the silver as they do not contain Iron. All the best, Melinda

Hi, put me on the roll, please. I have surgery on 12/2. I start my pre-op diet on Friday. I am having surgery in Eugene, OR at Sacred Heart Riverbend.

Hi all, I was approved by BCBS (I didn't even realize it my case had been submitted) the first week of November. I lost to my goal weight and my surgery is scheduled for Dec 2nd. I had one pre-op class last Monday and have the final one tomorrow night. I am able to eat thanksgiving dinner but will have a small one. On Friday I start the pre surgery diet for six days and one the seventh it is Clear liquids only. Friday the second I have to be at the hospital at 5am. I appreciate the wealth of information and support that I have received from this board. I am excited yet anxious as there are always risks with anesthesia. Hopefully they will repair the hiatal hernia that I was diagnosed with several years ago. I am so ready to get rid of the huffing and puffing syndrome as well as all the other reasons that got me to this place. I hope I can at least cut my med list in half. Melinda

I have been on nexium for several years now and am hoping that with the surgery and hernia repair I can come off of it.

My insurance acepted tha fact that I had done WW as fulfilling the requirement for stating the effort that you had put towards losing weight in the past calendar year. But they also required that I attend monthly nutritional and dieting sessions for three months. I have BCBS federal standard. Lots of good wishes to you in your journey to good health, Melinda

I used to work in insurance. Who is it with? Is there a customer service number you could call? Obesity is a medical condition. Just because they won't pay for the surgery does not mean that they wouldn't pay for the testing. Have the MD office at least bill it for you. Nothing to lose. I am so sorry that they won't pay for the surgery. All the best to you, hon. Have you tried WW? Melinda

jennifer, congratulate yourself on the weight you have lost. Ad the fact that you hit the gym four days a week is favulous. For thanksgiving, use a salad plate and fill it up with protein and vegies and fruits. Eat the protein first. Are you taking your vitamins? You can do this, hon. It is a marathon, not a race. Pace yourself, drink lots of water, and count your blessings. Dec 5th will be here before you know it! All the best to you, Melinda

I take all costco Vitamins. I have the Centrum chewables, and CaCitrate chewables on hand for the surgery. I asked the dietician about Costco vit and she said they were fine after a couple of months. I take a multivit, a B-100, vit B-12, vit D, 500-1000mg of vit c and am just finishing a bottle of CaCaltrate, The main reason I take B-12 is for neuropathy in my feet. I will get a bottle of the sublingual today. Hopefully I can escape having to take Iron as it does a number on my stomach. The online stuff is just too expensive for me and I was glad to hear that I will be able to use the costco ones eventually. Melinda

Congratulations on a job well done. I love your sense of humor! Melinda

Personally, at my age (54), I would rather have time than money. But I wish you all the best in whatever you choose. Do you have a commute at 3? Would you at 4:30. Melinda

Michele, You have received some very good advice and I agree with Glove. Hon, you are so young and have so much life ahead of you. See what you can do on your own. Have you tried Weight Watchers? Keep increasing your activity level, stay focused on losing weight and educate yourself on proper eating technigues and nutrition. I bet you can do it. Drink at least 64 ounces of Water a day. Do drop in often and keep us inflormed on your progress and ask us all the questions you want. All the best to you, Melinda

Hi, Congratulations on being approved. It isn't possible to do them all in one day. I had to do all of the above listed by Corrigan and it took about six weeks from start to finish. If you work, and have a time crunch, I have heard of people being able to work a couple of appts in in one day. All the best to you. I can tell you are excited! Melinda

Hi Roseanne, I have BCBS standard but as a general rule for surgery you should expect a surgeon's bill, an asst surgeon's bill, a hospital bill, anesthesia and possibly pathology, and xray interpretation fees. That is all I can think of. I do not know the terms of the BASIC but have had several surgeries and these are pretty standard costs. All the best to you on your journey to good health. I would be interested in how much you pay out of pocket as open season is nigh. Probably will stay with what we have but curious about how Basic members feel about their coverage. Melinda

Hi and welcome to our forum I am still pre-op hoping for a December surgery. I started by attending a seminar in late April, filled out a twenty page questionaire, and then my surgeon visit was the end of May. So it is almost six months for me and will probably end up being close to seven. I had to do three months of nutritional counseling, write a letter stating weight loss attempts over the last year, provide two years proof of obesity for the insurance part of it. My surgeon required that I lose five percent of my weight, get cardiac clearance, sleep specialist clearance, hematology clearance because of a previous pulmonary embolism, an endoscopy and manometry test, a referal letter from my PCP supporting the surgery and stating that she would follow me after the surgery, have lab work,.and lastly, I think, I had to have psychological issues which was not given until she had talked with my mental heallth providers. I have lost weight very slowly as I am restricted on exercise due to back and joint problems. I gained weight the first month and was mortified but they were very understanding. All I have left are two pre and post op classes and lose about three more pounds. Then my case can be sent to the insurance for approval and after that it can be scheduled. I am very nervous about the approval process but the insurance co-ordinator says not to worry about it. That workup may be a little over the top for most people. I have several issues (co-morbidities) and I believe my insurance requires two. I won't bore you with the details but am hoping that I can cure some of them and reduce the medication list I have significantly. The lap band is the only weight loss surgery that I am comfortable with. My surgeon has one and has been successful at losing seventy pounds over a two year period. I have about eighty five pounds to lose I really recommend that you use a Center of Excellence if at all possible. My pre-op care has been outstanding and am so grateful that we have one here in Eugene and I didn''t have to travel. Start drinking lots of Water, learn to sip, working on eating less and chewing everything at least thirty times. Walk as much as you can. Try to get a brief walk in everyday. I know it rains a lot up there like it does here but I broke down and bought a raincoat this year after surviving seventeen years without one. Obviously didn't walk much, lol. Feel free to message me if I can help answer questions and concerns. Lastly, I will say that I am glad it has taken this long as I have received some invaluable information along the way. All the best to you and your husband as you begin your journey to good heath. Melinda

I have no interest in the RNY or sleeve. I do not want to risk malabsorption issues. My insurance until recently would not cover the sleeve. I also have less than 100 pounds to lose. . My doctor, staff and I feel that the lap band is the right choice for me. The surgeon is a lap band patient and has done really well. I am almost to my goal weight before my case can be sent for approval. That part makes me really nervous but the clinic feels that it is a no brainer because of the co-morbidities. Once it is approved, I am hopeful that I can be squeezed in by the end of the year. I start my preop clesses on the 14th and the final one is the following week. Hope everyone is having a good weekend, Melinda

Thanks for the reply, Corrigan. I went to the website and searched for thirty minutes and could not find anything. Melinda

Every BCBS plan is different. I would check with them. It depends on your bmi and how many co-morbidities they require. Check with them. All the best to you, Melinda

Hi, as far as I know, medicare will approve the lap band if you meet certain criteria. I rarely use mine as I have it as a secondary. But I was told by my ins co-ordinator that will pay for it. I sure there are a lot of hoops to jump through and that it has to be pre-authorized. Go to www.medicare.gov and use the search thing and type in weight loss surgery and see what you get. In the meantime, I will do some research of my own and post it if I can find it. Good luck, Melinda

Personally, I would keep plugging away.....do you have co-morbidities? Hopefully your husband can get coverage for you in June. Another thing that bothers me is that you had to pay a program fee. Did you go to a Center of Excellence. Not sure where you live, but if you can, use them. They do not charge a program fee. At least the one I am involved with doesn't. All the best to you, hon. Where there is a will, there is a way. Keep us posted. Melinda