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hadouni

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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Everything posted by hadouni

  1. Congrats! I just got my approval news this morning too! On our way to being healthier moms! I can't wait to swim with my son somewhere other than my aunt's pool!!
  2. Way to go! You'll do great. I just got my approval so I'll be joining you soon!
  3. I'm in the boat with you! I've got fingers and toes crossed for us all!
  4. Great! I've got my fingers crossed to get similar news soon too!
  5. hadouni

    Omg My Boobs Have Disappeared!

    This is too funny. When I was younger I considered my hair to be "long" if it covered my boobs. Sometime in my early 30s I realized my hair WAS long again... and it was my boobs that were lower. That was a big reality check! I'm not worried as much about loosing my boobs as I am about having natural geographic boobs!
  6. hadouni

    Gastric Sleeve Surgery Denied!

    I have BCBS too and my case is going out for pre-approval. I'm 40 or 41 BMI and I really hope they approve it. If I have to have GBS I will, but I'd so prefer to have a sleeve. My surgeon's office has never said they thought approval would be an issue on any of the procedures. Fingers crossed!
  7. I'm in CA and have BCBS and they've been horrible - They have information posted on their website that is wrong and their customer service people quoted the wrong information to me too. I called to find out if the surgeon/hospital I wanted to use was covered and they told me no (person and website) and pointed me to three different hospitals as options (one of which doesn't do WLS any more). I went to one of the places they directed me to and was seen, only to find out that surgeon/hospital was NOT an option for me and that the ONLY local option for me was the place they originally told me I couldn't go! I called my employer's benefits office to get them to confirm things for me. I think things are back on track, or I hope!
  8. I have a bunch of things on my "to do" list too. I keep thinking I need to start grouping my smaller clothes by their sizes so they are together as I can fit back into them. I've been to the lawyer to update a few things (I'm a single parent) and I'd thought to buy some baby food fruit & veggies for some of the soft food recovery period. I have a leg wax appointment scheduled. I'm taking at least two weeks away from work although I might work from home the second week. I'm so excited! I just hope I'm approved quickly.
  9. Congratulations! I hope to have similar news soon too.
  10. Got a call from the surgeon's office this morning and they're sending my case in to insurance for approval. I might get my surgery scheduled for the first of 2012 yet. My first real appointment with them was back in September and I've always expressed interest in the sleeve over GBS although I was open to the experts telling me GBS was a better option for me. Last week they sprang an additional test on me (esophageal manometry) but today the surgeon went ahead and waived it because no one had ever indicated to me anywhere along the way (since September) that it was something I needed to do. I wonder if his interest in having band and sleeve patients do this test is research oriented? That would explain (to me) why he's willing to let go of the test rather easily. I recall only one other sleeve person indicating they'd had this extra test. I feel one step closer anyway and thought I'd share. Wish me insurance luck!
  11. 170 lbs in a year is incredible! Congratulations. It's so inspirational to hear someone's hard work paying off so big.
  12. Congratulations! I have a 3yr old son and he's a *huge* part of the reason I'm doing this. We went to DL last spring and I was able to do some things with him but my fondest hope for the next trip is to be able to do more and not to have to worry about "fitting" everywhere!
  13. hadouni

    Esophageal Manometry?

    Hi All, I just talked to the nurse (I think) and she said this is just standard for their group. I asked if there were any medical indicators specific to me telling them this was necessary and she wasn't sure if the conditions they're looking for have medical indicators or not. They've made the referral so now I'll wait to hear from the hospital or maybe I'll call their billing unit to see if I can get some info on cost. They did tell me even if I have to wait to do this procedure until early January, I could still be up for surgery in January. A few week delay shouldn't be the end of the world! Thanks all!
  14. I just called to follow up with the surgeon's office to see if the blood work I recently had done had been received and if my info was ready to go for approval to insurance. I was asked what procedure I was planning and said sleeve (which has been my plan all along although I've never totally ruled out GB) and she said I still need to have an Esophageal manometry and that they'd start the process of referring me for that. WHAT??? This is totally new and I've never heard of it before! I looked it up online and it's another tube down the throat... has anyone had this? Will they put me out like for the endoscopy? She said they'd get the referral out by tomorrow and she said I was still on track to have surgery in early January - even that she'd schedule a date once I had this done. Now I wish I'd followed up last week! Just when you think things should be ready to go!
  15. I found out I have to do another test before my surgeon will schedule surgery. I'm going to see if I can talk to one of the Nurses or support Drs. to find out why this additional test as it's my surgeon's requirement, not an insurance requirement. Here is my dilemma: if I have to have this test its financially prudent for me to have the test first thing in 2012 and let the surgery push a little later into 2012, maybe as late as early February. I've so had my heart on doing this first thing in 2012 but if push comes to shove it's much better for me to accrue the expense for the new test in 2012. I've contacted my ins to see if they can give me a more accurate cost estimate on the procedure but if it's more than $100 to me, then I really think I'll be waiting... bummer.
  16. hadouni

    The Cons Of Gastric Sleeve Life! :-(

    Coops - I hear you! I can't wait until I can stop dousing myself with baby powder to soak up some of the sweat. You can put on more clothes to get warm but cooling down when your heavy is no fun!
  17. hadouni

    Esophageal Manometry?

    Thanks so much for your reply! Do you happen to remember how much the whole procedure cost, if I might ask? I'm trying to figure out if I can afford to do this in 2011 or if I should wait until 2012. My cost of the endoscopy procedure was pretty close to $250 (I pay 20% after insurance "savings") between the facility, Dr. & lab fees. This sounds sort-of similar so I'm imagining the costs to be close. I've been so set to have surgery first thing in 2012. I know I'll hit my insurance out of pocket max in 2012 with the surgery, so the financially smart thing for me to do would be to wait and do the manometry in early 2012 and do the surgery as soon as I can after that - probably a month later. I just don't want to wait for surgery! This is something the surgeon's group requires for all lap-band and VS patients and I can see the importance given the fact that they can't change things once the bulk of the stomach is removed!
  18. I really hope things work out for me to have surgery first thing in 2012 and I hope that surgery goes off without a hitch! My biggest goal for post-surgery is to wear a bathing suit and swim with my son in summer 2012! I think that will mean at least 60 lbs... What else am I looking forward to? Wearing my way back down through my wardrobe to size 14 clothes!! Why is it I've saved all my thinner clothes and can't wait to donate the fat clothes? I swore to myself I'd bought my last fat pants earlier in the fall.
  19. hadouni

    Completely F*%King LOST

    You have summed up my fears for post-op life! I hope to have surgery in early 2012 and I'm TERRIFIED that I won't be able to conquer the head-hunger. When I first talked to my PCP about WLS he wanted me to try anti-anxiety meds (welbutrin) before surgery. For the first three months or so it really helped, even on a really low dose. I didn't want to up the doses and I think my body adapted to it and old behavior over-wrote the effectiveness of the drug. If you are in a larger urban area, you might check out overeaters anonymous. Someone above mentioned 12 step programs too. I spent a decent amount of time in OA when I lived in Los Angeles and it was helpful for me to have a network of people who I saw regularly who had the same issues I had. The meetings I attended were always very welcoming to newcomers and I attended for a long time without getting a sponsor. I treated it sort-of like group therapy. Local meetings lists can usually be found on the web and different meeting groups have different vibes so it might be useful to check out more than one if the fist one isn't a good match. Thank you for being so honest about your struggles. I can totally appreciate your pain and live it every day.
  20. God and the Universe willing, this will be my last pre-sleeve Thanksgiving & Christmas! My house is the new neutral territory for my (small) extended family so I'll be cooking turkey and some of the sides. I've typically been able to make it through the holidays without gaining so my plan is to stick to my treadmill walking (recently started) and enjoy my last few weeks with starch!
  21. Hi All, I go in for my endoscopy tomorrow. I'm possibly more anxious about this than I am about the actual surgery. I flirted with bulimia for years and have a pretty sensitive gag reflex going on. I just hope they put me pretty far out before they try to put something down my throat!!
  22. Congratulations! I finally got the treadmill out of the box and set up and I've walked for 30 minutes the last four nights in a row. I'm hoping to keep that off and maybe loose some too before surgery (hopefully in early January).

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