BABEwiththePOWER

I'm on day 19 post-op, and I've been steadily losing about a pound a day. But recently, when I went to input my weight on my weight tracker online, I realized I'm only down 16lbs post-op. I have only lost 1lb in the last few days. I'm on mushy foods, and I'm trying to get out and walk everyday. I'm not back in the gym yet, because I want to wait a bit longer to really let myself heal before I go too crazy with workouts. I'm getting in all my Protein and cals. I have my first check-in appt with my surgeon on Thursday, and I really wanted to be down at least 20lbs by day 21. Am I crazy? Am I doing something wrong, or is this the infamous 3rd week stall??? HELP!

Thanks everyone for your insight... I know this is a very common topic, I myself have even posted on it before =) UPDATE: I spoke with my Dr, and he said I could try sips with meals. He said it may give me heartburn if anything, but probably wouldn't make me throw up. Yesterday, I tried a few small sips while eating egg salad and again while eating cottage cheese. No heartburn, no nausea! Wahoo!

Ok, I'm a few days into week 3 post-op. So far, I'm doing great. No nausea, great energy, eating "mushies" just fine. But I'm DYING to take a sip of Water or SOMETHING while I'm eating! ESPECIALLY since it takes so long to eat so little! I was eating egg salad earlier and dying to have a sip of water. But I know I can't eat and drink right now... I'm sure this topic has been discussed a lot, but does it ever change??? Will I ever be normal again, and be able to eat and drink at the same time???? This really is the hardest obstacle thus far, for which I am very grateful, but I'd still love to know there's an end in sight

so is it just because you'll feel fuller faster? I don't see that as a problem I guess... I was just worried it would cause vomiting...

It still feels like a dream. There are moments where I can't believe I did this, and then I see my incisions, and go "oh yeah." I've lost about 7lbs since the surgery date, and even though that's great, I somehow am telling myself it's not enough. Like I needed to be 20lbs down by now! Crazy, huh? The good news is, I was finally approved by Cigna...which took going all the way through to an independent review board decision...but it was approved, so that was a load off. The hospital stay was great, and my surgeon, Dr. Gregg Jossart, was nothing but perfection. I've had no nausea, hunger, etc. He repaired a hiatal hernia that I didn't know I had, and that has been the most painful part of the recovery. I get those sharp shoulder and chest pains from that. My incisions are fine, my largest one is probably the most sensitive, but overall, they're ok. It's so weird, I'm not hungry, but man do I salivate when I see good food! Like I miss the taste, texture, etc of it. It's hard right now, because I'm almost half way through the 14 day liquid-only phase. I'm totally bored with my options. I swear I feel like I could totally eat a bowl of chicken noodle Soup (without straining it), but I know I can't. I've been drinking the Premiere shakes from costco, which are GREAT btw, and having Mio in my Water, and doing broth here and there. Occasionally, I add-in some SF popcicles or Jello, but I am dying for more variety. I know time will pass, and I'll be able to eat mushy, then normal food again, but it feels like it's just creeping by, second by second. Anyway, just wanted to share where I was at. If anyone has any "liquid" ideas that are yummy, please share! Thanks for listening

I fulfilled all of the requirements for Cigna, but they still gave me the runaround. They "claimed" they never got the required information my dr's office sent them, even though they did. Rather than looking at the SECOND fax my dr's office sent over, clearly outlining the info they said they didn't receive, they elevated it to IRO (Independent Review Organization). That basically means that some other random group of people get to make the final decision based solely on the info that Cigna gives them. Luckily for me, they decided in my favor. The hard part was waiting. The IRO doesn't have a deadline, so it could take weeks/months. I heard my decision 5 days before surgery. Whew! My dr's office even said that they think Cigna was being totally shady. Oh well. Don't want to bite the hand that fed me (so to speak) Good luck!

Thanks for your well wishes everyone! And Kiwi - keep your head up, and keep on top of your insurance. Don't let them screw around and waste your precious time - call them daily and keep a log of your conversations. It really is about the "squeaky wheel." good luck!

I posted another thread on this a while back when I was awaiting the decision from Cigna on my first appeal... well, that appeal was denied...on the basis of me "not providing documentation of a physician supervised 6-month weight loss program." Funny thing about that is, I DID! My doctor's office even kept records of what they sent, and it was part of the packet. In fact, I waited to resubmit my appeal until my 6-month program was completed and documented. After going round and round in circles with literally dozens of Cigna people, my doctor's office got a fax number of someone in appeals who was willing to look at just the "missing information." So, they faxed it over, and were told it would be another 2 weeks before we would hear if they accepted the documentation...Well, when I called to check in on it, they said it was pending, and to call back the next week. I did. That's when things got crazy. They told me it wasn't pending at all, and in fact, it had already been elevated a level, and they were waiting on ME to sign an IRO form (Independent Review Org), so they could release my records to the external reviewers. Seriously. Just because they SAID they didn't receive the info the first time, and they apparently couldn't just look at the information when sent to them AGAIN... holy crap. Anyway, I finally got in touch with the woman who sent me the IRO forms, (to the wrong address, no less), and I immediately emailed the signed docs back to her. She said this was the final final final verdict, and whatever the IRO decided, was what Cigna would have to uphold. Oh yeah, and it could take weeks before I heard back. Luckily, I had this woman's personal Cigna email, so I was able to "check in" with her every few days. I had just basically given up on all of it, even though I rescheduled my surgery for 4/19, for other reasons, I didn't think Cigna would pan out in time, or even at all. On Monday, I emailed the woman there, and didn't hear back. Well, Tuesday morning, at 4:35am, she emailed me and said I was approved. Seriously. APPROVED. I couldn't believe it. But man, am I glad I jumped through all the hoops. I really think they expect you to give up, after they deny you for whatever arbitrary reason, even a reason that was completely false, like mine. I took this thing all the way. Even though it was a pain in the butt, in the end, it worked out. And, I saved myself $17K. whew. Long winded story, but really, take it as an inspirational one. Cigna has the worst reputation when it comes to VSG approval, but just don't let them off the hook. Take it all the way. Make them do their job. Make them pay! Good luck to all the others out there going through insurance approval hell. I hope for a good outcome for everyone.

I heard back from my appeal last week, and Cigna denied it on the basis of not receiving documentation of a 6-month dr supervised program. The only problem with that is that I did the 6 months, and that's why I resubmitted when it was complete! The drs office assures me they sent it, and after my twelfth transfer at Cigna, someone finally read the documents sent to them, and couldn't find the 6 month program...hmmm. I called back the drs office, and they had copies of what they sent, and assured me again that it was all there. Well, now it's "they said" "they said," and that's exhausting...but not enoug to drop trying to get covered. Long story short, Cigna told me I was at the end of their appeals process and if I wanted to continue further, I had to hire and external review board, blah blah blah. Luckily, my drs office called Cigna again, and by the tenth person they talked to, they got a fax number to fax just the "missing" info to, and they'd take a look at it. No word yet, but here's hoping!!!

What are your thoughts on appeals with Cigna? I posted another topic earlier about what was deemed an "appeal" because we were resubmitting the request with more documentation (the 6month dr checkups) - I thought it would just be a new claim, but it was submitted by the same surgeons office, etc. I called today and all Cigna could tell me was it was pending and they go as fast as they can. The woman was pleasant, but didn't offer any further info. The appeal was submitted on Feb 15th, and my tentative surgery date is April 2nd. I sure hope it works out in time...

I am using the same surgeon. He submitted my WW info with the rest of the documentation the first time around about 3 months into our 6 month journey. I was seeing him monthly anyway as a precaution. He had a peer-to-peer review with the medical reviewer at Cigna, and was told I would need the 6 month check-in to be approved. I called Cigna myself today to see if I could get a status update on the review, and they said it was pending dr review on the Cigna side. The lady I spoke with was very nice and optimistic, saying they do their best to get these turned around asap for people. She didn't speak to a 45 business day timeline or anything like that, so we'll see... staying hopeful

So about 2 months into my journey, I submitted all the required paperwork to Cigna. They require a 6 month, monitored weightloss program within the past 5 years. I submitted my weight watchers paperwork from before my first pregnancy about 4 years ago, knowing it was highly unlikely they'd accept it. But, I thought there was no harm in trying, since my dr wrote a great letter about how she's been on this weight loss journey with me for years, and cited several weights, etc. Well, I was denied. My surgeon even had a peer-to-peer review with the insurance person, and couldn't convince him. The insurance guy said we had to have 6 months of dr supervised weight loss counseling, where we weigh-in once a month. So, I've just finished my last month of weigh-ins, and was excited to re-submit a claim. Well, the dr's admin told me it's actually considered an appeal, since we're making the same claim with different info. She also said it could take up to a month! We have a tentative surgery date of April 2nd, and I'm thinking we're cutting it kinda close. But, that's the only time my hubby could take off work to help out, so we're basically forced into that timeframe. My question is, is there anything I can do from my end to help speed up the process? The appeal was submitted 2/15. My surgeon's office is handling it all, but I'm kindof in the dark, and wonder if I should call Cigna myself, or what? Has anyone else been through this? Any ideas? Thanks!

Argh. I have been so pleased with Cigna up to this point, I really hope there's some hope for me...sounds like that's not the norm though Has ANYONE had luck with Cigna appeals???

Thanks for your honesty teambrown... I do hope it goes better for me, since we're doing exactly what the medical reviewer told my surgeon I needed... but who knows! I am prepared to self-pay, but obviously, I'd rather have insurance pay the 15K if at all possible. I don't think I'll let a denial stop me, or make me wait. I need to do this NOW. thanks again, and I'll keep you updated =)

So I've been on Wellbutrin XL since the start of my last pregnancy, about 2 years ago. My OB prescribed it because I was having extreme anxiety and stress, and she didn't want it to effect the baby. I started seeing a therapist in addition to that, just to keep my head screwed on straight =) I think, actually I KNOW, that my body has extreme sensitivity to hormone fluctuations. I basically lose it. Anxiety, depression, stress, etc are common for me during hormone changes. I've had similar experiences with birth control pills, and a prior pregnancy. Anyway, my OB recommended I stay on it until I was done nursing--just until I had normal hormone levels in my body again. Well, my son just weaned himself, earlier than I expected, and I'd like to get off the meds. My surgery is tentatively scheduled for April 2nd. I've contacted a few Psychiatrists to give me a consultation regarding meds through this journey, but it's been a real pain trying to get one on the phone for an appt. So, I guess I'm just curious about people who've been on anti-depressants through this journey? The thought occurred to me that I might want to stay on them, due to the surge of hormones released with rapid weightloss, but in a perfect world, I'd like to not be on any meds going into this. Also, my surgeon suggested giving me Phentermine for the last month before surgery, to help with getting a couple pounds off prior to surgery. This would be super helpful now that I'm not nursing anymore, but I'm also worried about drug interactions with the wellbutrin. Has anyone out there dealt with any of this? Thanks in advance =)

sunnyd- my gut tells me that if it was recommended I stay on them through nursing, I should definitely stay on them through this journey. I'll take anything that helps with the hormone flux aftermath, and if staying on wellbutrin will help, then I will probably leave well enough alone =) thanks for sharing, and I'm glad the meds helped you

wow, I didn't even think about the whole "swallowing the pill" part of the show! luckily, the wellbutrin is super small...so maybe it'll be ok...

christin, thanks for the feedback. I'm sure my dad is in the same boat - just nervous about coming through the procedure ok. I know that when I am healthy, happy, thin, and fit, that will show him it was the best thing for me, and he'll be on board. best of luck on your recovery and the awesome journey ahead =)

Just told my dad that I finally have a surgery date - (APRIL 2nd whoo hooo) - and his response was "oh, you're actually going to do it?" wow. He said he didn't agree with what I was doing, but he'd support whatever makes me happy. His whole argument is why permanently change something in your body that's part of a system you use every day? It's not like removing tonsils or a gallbladder that you don't need, but part of a vital organ that you use all the time. I get it. he's concerned. I just don't want to get into a back and forth with him, or any of my family for that matter, but I feel like I could use some helpful soundbites that worked for anyone else as they were telling friends and family they were going through with VSG. Any suggestions? thanks =)

Ha! No worries! I'm sure there are great groups up here too, I just haven't joined any yet =) Seriously though, this site is the MOST valuable tool. I feel like people are really honest and open here, so it's been a HUGE help.

Lissa, thanks so much for your candor and insight. I totally hear you about how your health can change overnight...good point. I'm glad your surgery was a success and you're on your way! I know I will have the support of my family, and my friends. And, I know I'm very fortunate for that, as Ive read in here many times that thats not always the case for people going through VSG. It's just a bummer to know that some may still disagree my choice... Oh well. It's not about them, right?!

Lissa, thanks for your advice. I have said all the above to my dad and others, but my problem (or lack of) is that I don't actually have any other issues at the moment other than my weight. Granted, I have sore joints, and depression, but no high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, sleep apnea, etc. I'm just 32, a mother of 2 small kids, and miserable with how I look and feel. I've lost the weight before (when I was single and on diet pills going to the gym 2 hours a day), and I've tried every diet and cuckoo program out there since. I'm 130lbs overweight, so it's definitely an issue though. My mom is overweight, and she's a miserable person. I love her, but she's generally unhappy most of the time, and she attributes that to her weight. I told my dad I'm doing this NOT to become my mom. She has no co-morbidities, but she's depressed, has bad feet/knees, etc. Anyway, he didn't understand why a generally healthy person would do this to themselves...

I'm sure this has been asked before, but for some reason I'm having a hard time finding it in the forums... I know for the first bit of time after the surgery, you're not supposed to drink liquid with meals, but, is this a FOREVER issue? Or, can you eventually have a glass of water/wine/etc with a meal? Some things are too dry or too spicy for me, and I totally depend on that sip of liquid to get me through a meal. Is this something I will have to give up forever? Also, is the "not drinking with meals" a medical issue, or is it just so that the liquid doesn't take up space in the sleeve where you want your Protein, etc to go? Thanks for your insight =)

Hi all, So, I'm trying to prepare myself for the post-op recovery and pain, etc. I just had a c-section in March, and that's pretty major. I know I wasn't knocked out, so I can't compare the general anesthesia issues, but overall, I wonder if the recovery is about the same amount of pain/work? Has anyone on here had both a cesarean and a sleeve? Can you speak to which was better/worse or what the similarities were? I'm just trying to gauge what to expect, and I guess I figure if I made it through the c-section ok, and handled the pain, recovery, incision, etc, that I'll be totally fine and prepared for sleeve recovery... thanks for your insight!

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone! I feel much better about what's on the horizon re: sleeve recovery =)