Neanie in Texas

Congratulations and wishing you a blessed day tomorrow for your surgery. Keep us posted on your progress. Neanie

My doctor told me I would have an NG tube for the first day. I am an RN and have put in many NG tubes. This one should not be bad as it will be inserted during surgery. It will stay in until after the swallow test the next morning. Then if you past the swallow test, they will remove the tube. The purpose of the NG tube is to take away excess acid and Fluid that might collect after surgery. It help to prevent you from having nausea. It will be worth it. I hate the thought also but I can stand anything for 24 hours. If it will keep me from being nauseated, I will do it. I really was not given a choice and will do what I have to do. YOU CAN TOO. Just think it goes in during surgery, you rest, sleep most of the first day with walking every hour. That way 24 hours will go fast. Hope this helps with your fears of the NG tube. Neanie

Well, thought I was about finished all the requirements to get a surgery date and then the PCP records arrived and put on the brakes. My PCP did not have adequate documentation of weight loss supervision to qualify for the insurance company to approve me for surgery. You go to a doctor and he has prescribed Adipex and monitored my weight and exercise and diet but fails to document in his records. I was just appauled. Now I have one month that will qualify for the documented weight loss supervised doctor visits. Now I have to go through 5 months more before I can get a surgery date. The good thing is that I have everything else taken care of and do not have to repeat anything. So as soon as the visits are done, will submit to insurance company for approval and get my date scheduled for surgery. Just an FYI from someone that learned a valuable lesson, when you are trying to get your physician supervised weight loss visits documented make sure that the visit shows that you are there specifically for a supervised weight loss visit. You will need to have documentation for your means of diet, exercise, and what the supervision consists of. If I had had this I would be having surgery next month, now it will be June. I will do what ever I have to do in order to have the insurance company pay for my surgery so for a few more months I will just keep on going on. I will make it as I am determined to make my goal. Neanie

I felt the same way. I had spoken to my insurance company and they did not tell me about the 6 supervised visits. BUT, I cannot write the Dr. or hospital a check so I need the insurance company to pay so I will do what they say. I only lack 4 more visits. Time goes by too quickly anyway so I will make it. I have a lot of things I want to get done around my house so I will concentrate on that prior to surgery. You will make it too. Find something to do to occupy your time. Follow all of their rules and we will be on the other side of surgery before we know it. Neanie

I would like to have a copy of this also. You can email to mjschliesser@live.com Thanks for sharing. Neanie in Texas

Hey Fellow Texan, I am also in East Texas. I am seeing Dr. Stephen Hamn in Plano. Who are you using? I have been through the Psych eval. Dietician consult, and now doing the 6 months of supervised weight loss Dr. visits for the insurance company. No one told me about that until after I was well in the process. I am hoping to have my surgery in June. I am ready. Am exploring different kinds of Protein drinks, and trying to get all the post-op stuff in line so I will have what I need after surgery. Try to stay in touch and keep us Texas folks in touch. Neanie

I would like a copy also. Please email to mjschliesser@live.com. Thanks for doing this it will be wonderful. Neanie

I had my Psych eval and Nutritionist visit today. PCP medical records and letter in and NOW, just waiting on the insurance company to give approval. I am really excited now. Hope it does not take forever to get approval. Lots of information today with all the food information for post op. Lots to do and lots to take into consideration prior to eating. Just hope I do not spend so much time figuring it out that I do not get in all my Protein. Have to take calcium citrate, Vitamin B12, and Multivitamin with Iron. Now playing the waiting game. I have lots of "stuff" to get together prior to surgery to be able to be ready for nutrition after surgery. So will be working on getting Protein shakes, etc. together so I will be ready. Please give me any suggestions on Protein drinks, recipes, etc. in order to be able to have variety in my meals. Thanks to everyone for your support, comments, and encouragement. Neanie

I have my Psych eval and Nutritionist appts. tomorrow. The final steps prior to my insurance company approval. Then, we can schedule surgery. I cannot tell you how excited I am. This road is very stressful and I am ready to have the surgery behind me and get on the road to healthy life. Trying to be patient, just very hard. I will make it and appreciate all your encouragement and prayers. Thanks and good luck to all the other people in this process. WE WILL MAKE IT AND WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. Neanie

I attended the seminar and had my first surgeon consult today. I was really glad I had done as much research and digging to find out all about the surgery, side effects, complications, etc. I have to remember that we are dealing with surgeons and they do not like to hold hands and pamper their patients, they just want to operate. Being a retired operating room nurse, I should remember that. Everything went well. I have my Psychologist Evaluation and Nutriionist visit next Wednesday. All I have to do from there is get medical records from my PCP and send all to the insurance company and get their final approval. A little bit concerned that the insurance criteria states that they want 6 months of consecutive months of documented physician supervision of my weight loss supervised by my PCP. At the time I was striving to lose weight with medication and exercise, I was not considering surgery. Now I am. So I might not have the consecutive months of supervised visits like they want. I was really wanting to have my surgery next month. I was told by the insurance company that my surgery would be covered like any other surgery. They never mentioned criteria to be approved for surgery. So we will see what they say when they get my records. If I have to have 6 monthly visits, then so be it. My only problem is my blood pressure has become high and I cannot take the Adipex any longer and my arthtitis in my knees keeps from doing vigorous exercise. So it will just be 6 months of office visits without much activity toward weight loss. Kinda stupid. I would save them some money by just having the surgery. Anyway, I am on the road to surgery be it February or six months from now. Thanks for this website. I knew enough information to teach the seminar. I had very few questions and was not shocked by some of the information. You have to research for yourself. If pays off in the long run. Will keep you posted on the progress. Neanie

You sound like you are doing great. I am hoping to be sleeved in February and very jealous of you right now. Ready to have mine behind me and on my way to recovery. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Wishing you a smooth course and just walk and sip. Keep us posted. It encourages all of us coming behind you.

I am hoping to have my sleeve in February also. I have my pre-op visit on 1/5/2011. I have to coordinate things with my daughter for time off since I keep her babies while she works. But eveyrthing should be taken care of in order to have my surgery in February. Excited, nervous, ready to have it behind me and moving downward in my weight. I have tried every kind of diet, workouts, starving, etc for thirty years. Nothing worked. If it did it was temporary and I have gained the same 40 lbs over five times now. Ready to have control of my life again. Ready to feel better. Ready to be off of medication for arthritis, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, by cpap which I wear at night for sleep apnea. See this is a good decision because I am a mess and only getting worse. I need all of you help, encouragement, and stories to help me through this. This is a wonderful website and unless you have been through it, you cannot know what it going on. Thanks to everyone for your support, kindness, and love as I move through this journey to join all you skinny people. YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I am so proud for you. I decided to get past the holidays and all the hassel of holidays and have my pre-op visit on 1/5/2011. I am excited also and am ready to go. I have read everything I can get my hands on. I am also very excited and ready to get moving in a downward direction with this weight. Wishing you all the best and will be thinking about you on Monday. Keep us posted. Neanies in Texas

So excited for you. This is the first day of the rest of your life!!!! Positive thoughts, encouragement and prayers coming your way. God will have his guardian angels placed around you. Keep us posted with all your thoughts and happenings.

I am a pre-sleever also. I have done my paperwork also. I am also an RN and by law those are questions that health care faciities and providers have to ask you. It has to do with Living Wills, Advanced Directives, Medical Power of Attorneys and other documents that health care facilities need in order to take care of you in the event that you have some sort of complication or adverse event. This is not just for the sleeve surgery but any surgery. All these documents do is give you a voice of how you want to be cared for in the event anything was to happen that you needed life support, feeding tubes, etc. to sustain life. If you read these documents, it states that it gives you voice in how you want to be cared for in the event that you cannot voice your wishes. You can designate a family member to make these decisions for you. If you do not have a Living Will, then the State in which you live will have a line of authority set as to who can legally make these decisions for you. Please do not be freaked or uncomfortable. It is a formality. I have one, my husband has one, my parents have one. In time of need, you will feel much better knowing that you made the decision of how you want your final days to be taken care of. You have the power to make your own decisions by completing one of these forms. Please let me know if you have other questions, please do not put off this important surgery by being uncomfortable with legal forms. Just formality. You go girl.

WOW!!!!! Congratulations and you go girl!!!! I am hoping to have my surgery in February and next year it will be my turn to buy skinny clothes. I can hardly wait. All these fat girl clothes are gone. Thanks for sharing. Need to hear this. I guess you feel wonderful also. Thanks again and way to go.

I am in the early process of getting ready for sleeve surgery. I would like to have several of you tell exactly what pre-op tests you had to have. What did your doctor require and what was your experience with the testing? I am a surgery RN and I know too much and need to have all my ducks in a row. I want details. Nervous but my decision is made. I will have sleeve surgery and I will live a much healthier happier life. This forum for asking questions has been great. I just joined last night and this is my first question, I am sure there will be more. Also, I am using Dr. Stephen Hamm, Plano, Texas anyone else have any experiences with him. Thanks for your comments. I just want the facts going in.

Thanks so much for your comments. You are really a new sleever then. How did your surgery go and did you have any problems post-op? Any drains, tubes or any problems? Sorry for so many questions, but the best place to get information is from the ones that had the surgery. Thanks if you can answer, I am sure it will be helpful. Neanie