peatie

if you're going out with the girls, do they qualify as telling them the truth? i would probably tell them or they'll find out the truth at some point anyway and wish you just told them from the beginning. The others who you don't necessarily have 'dining' relations with, i'd keep it mum until you're comfortable. I plan to let my close friends know after the procedure has been done.

I have kids and hate cooking. I would prefer to eat 'assembled' food. Think sandwiches, salads, anything i can just throw together. My husband does grill chicken a lot for me..so that helps in re-heating throughout the week. Crock pot is good, but it takes 'planning' which i hate. lol

I wouldn't if you're not comfortable or ready to talk about it. Just mention you're on a supervised diet by your Dr. That should solve any inquiries. Good luck! Other than my spouse and immediate family, i'm not saying anything (and i'm in nursing school!).

I had it done at a hospital in the same dept that does sleep studies. I needed to fast for 8 hrs so there was no artificial calorie burning. I just had to have this dome-shaped egg placed over my face w/incoming air. It creates a 'controlled environment' and measures my carbon dioxide output. I laid in a bed and the test took 10 min. Painless and easy. The bariatric center i am using started this test on all patients starting in Jan because it helps to address factors that may have an impact on weight loss after surgery.

Yay! Good Luck to you !! :001_tt1:

I love a big cup of joe in the morning as well. That will probably be harder to kick than getting the actual surgery for me. lol I like my coffee black. anything wrong with it then??

I have all the same fears as you... you are not alone in thinking this is another gimmick that we're willing to go thru to see if it works. It works. it's proven. We just need to change our mindset and WORK with the sleeve, rather than against it. I'm deathly afraid that i'll get lax after a year or two and revert back to 'old' eating habits. We are all here because WL in the past has obviously not worked. I too am afraid of being 'thin' only to find out my Dr wants me to lose less weight than I had envisioned because it's a 'more realistic' weight to manage for years and years. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to 'be a certain way' or look a certain way. Just look at being a HEALTHIER you... that's all anyone can ask. Good Luck!!

We're in a lot of the same situation. I have Aetna and it requires (per their bulletin) 2 yr weight history... My Dr's office said when they contacted Aetna to get the official criteria for my case, Aetna never once mentioned a weight history was needed. However, all the other Aetna patients in the Dr's office were required to have the weight history (5 years per the Dr. ??huh??). Anyway... it may be that my husband's employer doesn't REQUIRE the weight history... going off on a tangent here, but you might want to find out from your DR for SURE before you start down another path. Likewise... I consider weights from 2009 and 2010 to be two years, kwim?? Even if they were almost only 12 mos apart...i still considered it ON MY OWN to be within the calendar year of 2009 and 2010 so those are TWO separate years of documented weight history... You might want to find out from your Dr when you go for the RN appt. I was in the same boat. I could not wait until next summer to have the surgery so i'm doing everything NOW within my power (totally proactive here) to get the 3 mo hoop jumping completed mid-Nov so I can have the surgery in Dec during semester breaks too. You're still not too late in getting started on the 3 mo deal if you do all the first month appts in Sept. Your Dr's office will totally need to work with you on the timeline, but let them know you're a student.. mine totally worked with me once I communicated my issue with them. I was thinking about doing self-pay in Mx as well...but figured since i have Aetna... I might as well TRY to get them to pay for it first. Good luck!!! And sorry this was so long winded. lol

Ok, i know i'm totally crashing in on the guys party, but i'm a nursing student and have a question. I have taken care of obese patients with this issue so i'm quite familiar with it. My question is...at what point of becoming overweight does it begin to ... well... hide? Like what is the process? At 50lbs overweight is it halfway gone? All gone? what?? Just trying to understand the male body and appreciate all it's facets.

Where exactly does it state Aetna wants a weight history?? I have my copy of Bariatric Surgery criteria and I don't see ANYTHING which asks for weight history. Can someone shed light on this? I'm only hearing about this requirement on the forums, not in my paperwork. thanks!

Yesterday my Dr said Aetna didn't ask for weight history as a requirement, but all their other patients w/Aetna were required to provide a 5 yr history. I ended up gathering all my own medical records (ran around to the various places and got copies for myself) and gave my Dr the copies that indicated weights from 2007 on. I'm sure it's adequate but until I see their big 'approval' stamp i'm cautiously optimistic. :thumbup1:

I have that same page and combed it. This is all i can find: presence of severe obesity that has persisted for at least the last 2 years (24 months) and in the 'background' section, this: Requirement that Obesity be Longstanding (Present for 2 or More Years): Obesity surgery is not indicated for persons with transient increases in weight (Collazo-Clavell, 1999). According to the Guidelines of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American College of Endocrinology (1998), “Surgical treatment of obesity may be considered only in carefully selected patients [where] … obesity has been present for at least 5 years.” So...... ???? History, yea or nea? Doug, how many years did your Dr say?

I hear ya! We're having the holidays at our place this year so i'll get to hang out watching everyone feast! But it's only food... not like i don't know what it tastes like.

Hey! When do you plan to have yours done? I told everyone in my Dr's office I want to be penciled in for the 8th NOW. LOL I think they're taken back by how 'prepared' I am with this.. And it's all this board reading I do!

Hmmm. To be honest, it sounds like a lot of 'fudging', if you know what i mean?? We're pretty similar. I'm 5'1 and my BMI is 36, but I was actually diagnosed w/sleep apnea via a sleep study (and I would have SWORN up and down I DID NOT have SA, so you never know!!!). I am able to fulfill all criteria as required by Aetna, but i'm still nervous they'll deny me. If you don't have any comorbidities or weight history over a 40 BMI consistently, I'm not sure they'll go for it. My advice...have the actual sleep study done. It should be covered by insurance (mine was). You just NEVER know what might be the outcome!! And if you ARE diagnosed w/SA, you definitely qualify with less than a 40 BMI so it's worth a try! Good Luck!!

i think it depends on your plan. My deductible is $650 and then a max of $1500 thereafter..so no more than $2150 total. I have however already met my $650 and already paid several hundred toward the $1500, so (crossing fingers) hopefully when i get the sleeve done this Dec, my out of pocket will be close to $1000. But again, that's MY Aetna plan. It all depends on what your deductible and yearly Max amount is. If you have issues with your out of pocket, there are some finance companies that you could work out a plan with. Good Luck! april

Hmm...i always thot the hernia was in those who got the band to sleeve revision. Crud. Now i gotta do some reading up on that too. :thumbup: Thanks for the heads up..

Welcome! I am sorta new too and just had my first consult last week. It's exciting isn't it?

Hi, I'm planning to be sleeved in December and glad you asked this. I had no idea on the gallstones so you better believe i'm off to do my research now. good luck to you...we're on the same timeline.

Proteins are the building blocks that our body needs to regenerate new cells and help us heal. Without it, our body feeds off our muscles rather than fat and in the long run, you have now lost muscle which is what BURNS the fat. That's why, it's almost more important to do weight lifting/training after having the surgery rather than just walking.. your body will naturally lose muscle thru the weight loss, so building it/keeping what you have is imperative to long term weight loss success. and it all can't happen without getting in your daily Protein. crazy stuff.

I have a BMI that barely makes 35 and had to 'pad' myself at my initial consult to be sure i weighed enough. I'm short (5'1) so any amount of weight looks worse on someone like me. I'm tired of being on the yo-yo train as well. My Dr said as long as you eat your recommended grams of Protein, your hair loss should be minimal. But i guess like anything, it does depend on each individual. Good luck on your journey!

If you have a Costco nearby, the Premiere chocolate RTD protein drink has 30g protein in 11oz. It has only 5g carbs and 1g sugar.

*added* What do the weights need to indicate? What if two are considered over a 35 BMI and one is about a 33 BMI? Do all the weights need to be 'within' their value (35+) ?? I moved 3000 miles just over a year ago, so don't have records from just one doc on weight history. I have something from my OB in Dec 08, Endocrinologist in June 09, and current PCP in Feb '10. Do you think just the face page copy of my visit indicating my weight is good enough for them? Thanks for your help! :biggrin2: april

I'm not a big drinker (maybe one beer/mo)...after VSG, are you able to drink any type of alcohol again? And i mean like 6mos down the road kind of deal? Thanks!

I'm a lightweight now... I drink one beer and I have googly eyes. lol :confused1: