TheSweetesThing84

I called my insurance myself to find out what I needed for approval and looked it up on the internet. Sometime you can't go solely off of what your doctors office does. Many docs have additional requirements aside from what your insurance wants. I started my 6 mths w/ pcp before I even had a consultation with the surgeon. And I work for a hospital, my insurance is Aetna, so my company tweeked the requirements a bit, but its pretty much the same as the standard requirements. Be very proactive...I question everything the doctors office tells me to let them know I am doing my own research as well. I was upset about the 6 months at first (which is really 5 months with 6 visits), but their going by so fast, I have one more appt in October and I will be ready to apply. I have only lost 9 lbs....Good luck on your Journey and stay positive, to me this 6 months is a test!!

CONGRATULATIONS! KEEP US POSTED!

When I met with my surgeon he said the Bougie he uses is a size 34....I really have no idea if that's something I should be worried about or is it average in size with most VSG surgeries. Is it too small? What size Bougies are your surgeons using, or if you've already had VSG what size did your doctor use? Should I have an option?

My physical wasn't required, but I was do for a one when I started my 6 mth supervised diet and I had it with my pcp. He pretty much did blood work for diabetes, cholestorol, etc , a urine test, ekg, ears, throat, blood pressure, checked my breathing with a stethoscope, weight and anything I may have had a complaint about. I think it depends on what kind of doctor u go too, because with my GYN, she is more in depth, like breasts, vaginal swab, stds.

I say do whats right for you! How can an unhappy woman make a happy wife. And sometime its not losing the weight thats the problem, its keeping off! If this is really what you want to do stand firm. Like the above posts, Maybe you should educate him about the procedure, The death rate is very low, plus you have more chance of dying due to obesity and all the diseases it causes. Like you said your husband has always been physically fit, so will he really every fully understand and if he doesn't I say for him to support you regardless. If he sees that this is something you are serious about do what you have to do. A man comes a dime a dozen, but you only get one life! In saying that, this is your husband, he needs to be a bit more supportive outright saying NO is not an option, unless its your decision. In the end just make the best decision for you....Good luck!

Hola!!! I just had my 3rd appt yesterday and also hoping to be sleeved in November. I considered weight loss surgery in November last year my weight was 279, I lost and got down to 239 thinking I could continue on my own and now here I am 9 months later at my highest weight ever. I am sooooo ready to be done with these requirements. Would love to keep up with your progress! I am 26 Female 5'4 300lbs BMI:51.5 Aetna Insurance Had surgeon consult, Upper GI and will have my psych eval in September

I know exactly how you feel. I'm in my 4th month. During my second month lost 5 lbs and went back third month and gained ten....This is the story of my life everytime I lose weight I gain twice that back. I am also a stress eater, so the pressure Im feeling in the 6 months is not helping at all. But as long as the doc is notating well you should be good, but some insurances do have a stipulation of 10% weight loss...Call your insurance company and ask. I like to get the info straight from them and call twice to make sure Im getting the right info. Good too you and just stay Prayed Up!!!

Hola everyone! I am currently in my 3rd month of my 6 month supervised diet and my next appt w/ my PCP is on Wenesday. Well, back in May he wanted me to start Weight Watchers and he put me on adipex as well. So, the problem is I haven't been persistant with either one and my last visit I lost 5 lbs and when I got on the scale this morning it looks like I have gained that back plus another pound. I am so embarrased to even go back to his office having gained weight. How can he really list what I have been doing in my medical record when I clearly haven't been sticking to the diet? I would feel like a fool saying that I have been working out and staying on the plan, but at the same time if I tell him the truth I fear I won't be approved for surgery! Did anybody else go thru this and what should I do? I feel like my only option is starving myself for the next couple of days so I can at least get that 5lbs off....PLEASE HELP!!! What should I do?

ok, got cut off there.....as I was saying Thx all for your encouragement! It makes me feel alot better knowing I am the not the only one who was having this problem. I have to admit, during this time I am learning alot more about habits I didn't even know I had. I eat extremely fast, drink as I eat and I don't stop until I am full to the ABSOLUTE MAX. So when I see my pcp I am gonna let him know what's been going on and make it known that this is extremely important to me. I have never been so adamant about anything in my entire life. This is my time to shine and I'm not letting anyone take it from me! @ lovePINK I have a history of palpatations and the adipex has been know to cause this as well so after taking the adipex for 1 month, I notice it wasn't working for me anymore and my pcp said that since it is a narcotic my body may have gotten used to it so, he told me to take it for a week and stop for a week and so on. Well, honestly my mind is bad and after that week of stopping I forgot to start it back up again and not only that when I stopped it I gained all the weight back. But as of Friday I have gotten back on track and placed an alarm on my phone everytime I need to start back. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Thx all for your encouragement! I have to admit, during this time I am learning alot more about habits I didn't even no I had.

Hey all! I'm currently in my 3rd month of the 6 mth supervised diet. My surgeon is Dr. Kuhn @ Medical City Dallas and I have Aetna insurance. I am so anxious and just praying I get approved. I have been trying so long to lose weight and keep it off, but when I lose I always gain it back, plus some. I am 26 yrs old and used to hold my weight well as some would say, but as I get older and the more pounds I pack on, it isn't holding up very well, lol. This surgery means so much to me and would completely change my life and bring out the "real me". I just wanna love the skin I'm in! I wish you all well...congrats if you've already had surgery and if you're still in the process...STAY PRAYED UP!!!

I am also in my 3rd month. I had my consult back in May, They weighed me, did some lab work, met with the Surgeon and talked to the insurance coordinator and she told me exactly what I what needed to do for insurance approval and what my out-of-pocket portion would be. Here are some of questions I asked... Surgeon: 1. What size bougie do you use? 2. How many Sleeves have you done? 3. How do you re-inforce your staple line? 4. How long do you keep your patients in the hospital? 5. How long is the pre-op diet? 6. What type of meds do you prescribe when discharged? 7. How long before I can return to work? 8. What pre-op testing do you require? Insurance Coordinator: 1. How long does it generally take for you to submit my paperwork after I've completed it?

I'm currently in my 3rd mth of the 6 month nutritional diet, but what I have read is that they look at your weight when you started your physician supervised diet and they base your bmi requirement on that.

1. Don't want to run out of breath just from walking anymore 2. No more ankle and back pain 3. Want to take a picture with my daughter and not just think about how fat I am. 4. Go clothes shopping and comfortably fit whatever I try on. 5. Tired of being the "fat girl" of the group with the pretty face. 6. Go to class and fit comfortably in a student desk. 7. No more visiting friends who lost weight and want to give me their fat clothes 8. Wear a high heel shoe without my shoes being too tight. 9. No more double chin! 10. NO MORE STRETCHY JEANS 11. NO MORE SIZE 22/24 12. FIT ON THE RIDES AT SIX FLAG & THE STATE FAIR

Well, I haven't had my VSG surgery yet, but the Doctor I chose is Dr. Joseph Kuhn @ Medical City of Dallas and I'm on the 3rd month of my 6mth supervised diet. When I had my consultation with him there were alot of people there for f/u appts and talked about how much they loved him and the main thing that stood out was how he listened to them and was very compassionate, which is what I had already seen in his reviews before choosing him. He has also been voted one of the Top Doctors in Dallas, in Texas and in America and has lots of experience. My consult was great he answered the majority of my questions before I even asked them. His website is www.wlsdocs.com you can read more there as well, as links to videos he has.