barbi1281

I'm up and anxious and even a little nervous! Scheduled for 12:30 but have to be there at 9:30. Heading out soon because DC rush hour is horrible. I can't believe how fast today got here! Can't wait to join you all on the losers bench!

Can someone please help me? I posted a few days ago about the migraines that I’ve been getting on the pre-op diet and I’ve determined that they’re definitely related to a lack of food (this was figured out by process of elimination – i.e. my migraine meds have a good amount of caffeine so they weren’t from that and they weren’t responding to my migraine meds but they were definitely migraines and then once I ate rather than drank my meal the headache I was experiencing eased up and went away with meds). I called the nurse at my surgeon’s office to see if it was ok if I followed the guidelines of the pre-op diet (less than 1200 cal, less than 125 carbs, 70-100g of protein) but did it with the addition of lean protein and low carb veggies and his response was “if you can’t do this now what are you going to do for the two weeks post-op when you have no choice”… I explained that right now I’m working at least 15 hours a day so that I can take off for surgery and for the two weeks post-op that I’m on liquids I’ll be home and can sleep when I have the migraines which is not an option today. He told me that he could not advise me and to email my surgeon, so I did. This morning – two days later – I finally got a response which basically said the same… “what am I going to do post-op” and that he needs to talk to me so that we can discuss this. He did give me approval to add in lean/low carb foods as long as I stick to the guidelines but now he wants to “talk”. I’m concerned he’s going to tell me that he’s not going to do my surgery (which is scheduled for Tuesday) because he doesn’t think I can handle the two weeks of liquids post-op. Is it seriously as hard post-op as it is pre-op to stick to liquids only? If so, how did people who really struggled on the pre-op deal with post-op? Or do they just give up and die young (I’m 30 with 2 school age children and the weight made me sick fast b/c I was never overweight until about 6-7 years ago when my thyroid failed)? I’ve worked really hard to get to this point and I can deal with the headaches if I’m home in bed… I just can’t deal with them doing 15 hours of mental work…

That's awesome to see! You started at about the same BMI as me so I hope I do as well as you. I'm going on a cruise in late February and I'd love to be an 8 by then! My surgery is this Tuesday.

I am so glad you said that b/c that's one of my biggest fears right now... it seems like everyone around me is sick! My coworkers are sick and my oldest daughter is just getting over bronchitis and I'm also scheduled for the 16th!

I'm scheduled for Tuesday so I'm on my preop diet and I'm wondering if it's really that big of a deal if I eat solid food as long as it's healthy, low carb solid food. It seems that everyone's diet is different and the diet I was given didn't have a true list just examples that didn't include solids and guidelines to stay under 1200 calories, under 125 carbs, and to take in 70-100 g of protein. Day 1 I really stuck to consuming only the items on the example menu and I had the headache from he!! by 2:00 and was in bed by 8. Day 2 was yesterday and I had to work and I stuck to the list all day and by 2:00 I had another full blown headache (I get migraines when my headaches don't break so this is no fun)... I ended up going to the ER last night for an unrelated matter and not getting home until nearly 11 p.m. and at that point despite the 5:30 protein shake and 2 doses of prescription headache meds, I was in full-blown migraine mode. On the way home from the ER my husband stopped at McD's and got himself dinner and I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo and then tossed the bun (so I ate only the chicken, lettuce, and tomato). Is that ok or a big deal? Today is day 3 and I brought a Campbell's Soup at Hand (100 cal drinkable soup) for lunch and a protein shake (I'm at work and I only get 45 min for lunch). When I went to heat up my soup, the entire thing had a freak moment and spilled all over the microwave leaving me no lunch. Since I only had 8 minutes left by the time I was done cleaning I didn't have time to go buy another one. Instead I went to the deli next door and made a side salad with about 3/4 cup romaine lettuce, 4 cherry tomatoes, 2 slices of cucumber, 2 pcs of broccoli, about an ounce of chicken and half an egg (white only) - also no dressing just a splash of balsamic vinegar. Once again, if the idea is to cut carbs and calories and up protein to prepare our bodies and shrink our livers then in theory, I didn't screw anything up, right? I seriously cannot have migraines every day and I cannot go to bed at 8:00... I know it's only a week but I don't know what to do. I can deal with plain salads and lean meat... it seems to be the no food at all that's giving me the headaches and I'm not sure why.

Thanks. The interesting thing though is that one of my migraine meds has caffeine in it (1 pill equals about as much caffeine as a can of coke) and despite taking 3 pills (a dose and a half) on Tuesday, it's not touching these.

I actually eat in my office so I'm alone... it's not as much that I'm hungry or bothered that others are eating as the headaches are killing me. I have to work up until surgery and I'm working at home at night and on weekends to get things done and I have a mental job (I'm a financial analyst) and I can't perform with migraines. I actually had to schedule my surgery/recovery around my deadlines so I don't have any flexibility right now .

My BMI is 37 but he gave me the standard diet he gives everyone and I don't drink or anything. Maybe I'll call the nurse and ask him.

I'd love to come hang out at some point... I'm getting sleeved next week so it will be a while though . Right now I'm unhappily STARVING on my preop diet wondering why exactly I can't have lean Protein when other people can on theirs .

BTW - side note... I've been under general anesthesia three times and I've had the chronic obstructive asthma since birth (the cough variant is new after a bout of pneumonia this past winter). This last time was the first time I've ever had any problem and it really was a mild attack.

I have pretty severe asthma (think max dose of pretty much every med out there severe and I carry a portable neb) - both chronic obstructive and cough variant and I had general anesthesia for my EGD. I carried my rescue inhaler into the OR and explained that I had very severe asthma and it needed to be available immediately when I woke. I didn't have any major problems. I had some minor difficulties when they woke me but it was nothing that my rescue inhaler couldn't handle. I've had worse attacks at home with unknown triggers. As a fellow asthmatic, I recommend you make sure you take ALL of your asthma meds as usual leading up to surgery and you make sure to carry your rescue inhaler and inform ALL staff that are working with you (especially your surgeon and anesthesiologist) so that everyone is aware in case you have an emergency. Above all don't worry terribly - you're more likely to have an attack from emotions LOL than the anesthesia - or at least I am .

Good luck!

Hi! I'm 30 and a mom of 2 (11 and 8). I'm in Maryland and scheduled for Oct 16th. Started my preop diet today.

I'm finally approved and scheduled! I have battled with Cigna and I do mean battled for my approval. I have spent more time on the phone with Cigna and my surgeon's office than I have spent with my children in the past 3 weeks and I am the queen of complaining and getting things fixed! After being denied twice I even cited the Maryland law mandating coverage for this procedure with no luck. Finally, my surgeon had a peer to peer yesterday and now I'm scheduled for October 16th with approval! If anyone tells me I've taken the easy way out, I may just punch them . Liquids start Monday and I'm looking forward to finding a spot on the losers bench!

Good luck! My best advice is to follow the rules perfectly and keep meticulous records... that way if you have to fight like I did it's easier. My surgeon told me that most people aren't like me when dealing with the insurance and it takes twice as long and twice as much work to get the denial overturned on his end. I used to work for United Healthcare so I knew what I was dealing with going in .

I finally got my answer from Cigna and it was "denied" because "medical necessity was not established" since my "bmi was only between 35-40" and I had "no comorbidities"... Oh and apparently I did not do the required supervised nutrition/diet program. Notice all the quotes? Because I'm pi$$ed! It's a bunch of crap... only between 35-40? I'm 5'0 and staring at 200 lbs... on a small frame! I'm built small... was small until I was 24 then packed on lots of weight... that's HARD on the body. In addition to my back and hip problems (at 30 years old!) my right knee has started to hurt when I stand or walk - but dear me - I only have a BMI of 37! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the no comorbidities... I'm on 8 asthma medications b/c I like shelling out 300 bucks a month for copays and God knows the nebulizer that I have to carry is an awesome accessory . Even better is the narcotic cough suppressant that I've been on for 7 months b/c of the type of asthma that I have and the nasty looks I get because I have to park in handicapped. I know that's not enough but maybe the GERD that has me on daily meds and still eating TUMS like they're a food group might qualify. NO? Ok ok how about the fact that I'm prediabetic and prehyperlipidemic while both of my parents are full blown both! I know to the insurance companies those things don't matter... but d@mnit I even had the gold star of sleep apnea (otherwise that doc lied to me to get me that fancy elephant looking machine ). SO WHERE EXACTLY DO I NOT HAVE ANY COMORBIDITIES?!?! To answer the obvious, yes I did my nutrition and yes it was sent in - I don't know what Cigna did with it... they probably have it but overlooked it. And if I didn't do it then I want the money I paid for it and the hours I spent there back! I'm so mad right now b/c it's Friday night and my doctor cant do anything about anything until Monday and I'm a fixer so I am trying to keep myself from calling these morons and telling them that they need to look through the paperwork again

Everything was submitted last Friday... I talked to the rep from Cigna on Monday and she told me that it takes 5 days and I should have an answer on Friday. Yet I have an overwhelming urge to call today. Do I call? Do I wait like a good girl? OMG this is painful! HELP please sleevers who have been in my shoes! I'm going

Hi, I haven't been sleeved yet but in prep I've checked out a few books from the library to be familiar with what I can and can't eat post sleeve. Maybe you could do that. Another option is purchasing them on Amazon if you cant find any at the library. My favorite book that I borrowed from the library was Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy... by Patt Levine. If you do a search you'll find a ton. There's also a food and nutrition section on here that might help and I know some fail safes are eggs, tuna, ground meat, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, sugar free pudding with protein powder mixed in, the dreaded shakes, and most seafoods. Hope that helps some :-)

So here I am… I’m finally getting around to starting my blog on here after lurking for a few weeks… commenting on a few posts and making a few new friends (virtual ones if nothing else). We all have a story right? How’d we get here? I got here courtesy of an angry failed (I guess you could call it the black sheep of the family) thyroid and a b!tchy thin doctor who told me I just needed to eat less and walk more as I packed on weight (my underactive thyroid was discovered YEARS later by another doctor when I’d finally given up – she was reviewing the old lab results). It’s been almost 7 years since it started failing and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still bitter… I’ve gained somewhere between 80 and 100 pounds since then. I’ve lost as much as 50 of it and gained back nearly all that I’ve lost. About two years ago my doctor told me to have surgery (she had Lap Band in Mexico before it was approved in the US) and I joined Weight Watchers instead… I was convinced I could beat my thyroid if I just worked hard enough… I worked hard for my less than a pound a week losses only to find that when I stopped WW I gained it all back! Last year the same doc told me that at 29 years old, I was prediabetic , prehyperlipidemia, and that pain I was having was degenerative joint disease because of my weight and I had to lose weight immediately… Less than 10 years before that I was in the military! Needless to say I dieted a ton after that and regained everything immediately when I stopped… This past winter I was doing a couch to 5K program (not losing weight though LOL) when I contracted pneumonia which was not a fun mix with my asthma. After the pneumonia was gone my asthma became severe and the steroids to keep me alive caused even more weight gain. As my medicine cabinet became more and more full between the asthma and other conditions I realized I can’t keep going like this and my doc was right two years ago – If I’m going to get to and maintain a healthy weight I need to have surgery and if I’m going to see my daughters become adults, I need to get healthy…. So that said, here I am. I’ve done everything and now I’m waiting on the insurance company and a date. I’m here for support and to be someone’s support. In my life I’m strong for everyone and I always have been and the downfall of that is that for the first time I need people being strong with me and for me and I don’t have that.

I just want to scream right now! I'm done everything I need to do... have been finished for nearly two weeks... and when I met with my surgeon last Wednesday, he told me that my packet would be with the insurance coordinator by Thursday and off to the insurance the same day... so why is it Tuesday and not only has nothing been sent off... no one answers their phone or returns calls?!?! I did actually talk to the insurance coordinator yesterday who proceed to tell me that she wasn't sure what to do since I had double coverage and this is being covered by my secondary since it's an exclusion from my primary (I called and informed her of that on her voice mail on THURSDAY morning when I asked her to call me so we could discuss this and how to submit it)... She told me yesterday that she'd given it to the bariatric surgery coordinator and that I needed to speak with him - I left him a message yesterday morning and have called several times since - no return call. Finally today, fed up I called and requested to speak with the office manager only to get her voice mail as well... all set to leave a message but her voice mail is full! You'd think I'm talking about some small mom and pop operation but NO - I'm dealing with MedStar which is one of the biggest medical operations in the MD/DC/VA area! I even started to give them benefit of the doubt - maybe they went ahead and submitted to my primary insurance company without calling me back... so I called my primary to find out - NOPE! They can't submit without a surgery date and I know we haven't scheduled it because they're still passing my file back and forth and no one's calling me back! I'm seriously one more unreturned call from finding a new surgeon! I'm so pi$$ed because this whole fiasco has potentially set me back weeks and my whole thing was that I wanted this to be done by the end of September so that I could be 100% myself by Thanksgiving which is when we start decorating for Christmas in my house (Christmas is a HUGE deal to my family).