Pam2011

I am waiting to hear from my insurance also. I have a surgery date for June 11, 2012. They sent all my paperwork in on 4/13/12 and said it usually takes 1-1 1/2 weeks to hear from my insurance co. I started this process Feb 2012 and I after all my appointments, co pays, lab tests, and other stuff they approve it. Good luck to all that are also waiting to hear from their insurance!

Mine is June 11, 2012! I just found out earlier this week. Now I am just waiting to hear about insurance approval. Hopefully will know something in the next week or so. I could have had my surgery in May but due to work projects, June was better. I am so excited. I started the WLS process mid Jan with Memorial Bariatric Services in Springfield, IL. They have a team approach of nut., psych social, phyiscal therapy, once you meet team approval by all then you can get your surgery date. I have lost 28 pounds since mid Jan and still trying to loose more before the surgery. Dr. Orlando J Icaza will be my surgeon. I plan to take two weeks of vacation from work and then come back working only half days (8am-Noon) that first week I am back. I have a desk job so it isn't alot of physical activity or lifting of things. Glad to be with the June 2012 sleevers!!!

Ok, at my last Nut visit a couple weeks ago, my nut. advised me not to get my next depro. shot (birth control) in mid April since it stays in my system for 12 weeks. She said I could possibly get a surgery date in the next few months. With the bariatric program I go to, you have to be hormone free from birth control 30 days before and after WLS due to the risk of blot clots. I called the surgeons office to verify this and didn't get an answer and was told to talk to the actual bariatric program office about it to see where I was in the process. They meet every 2 weeks to go over all bariatric patients in their program to see where they are and what they need to still do to get a surgery date. She did say to see if I could get a shorter term depro shot (they don't make one that is effective for less than 12 weeks) in case I would have surgery in June or July but wouldn't tell me I might be having surgery then! I then call the gyn office and told them the issue and they said the depro shot doesn't cause blot clots. I told her that the bariatric program locally makes everyone be hormone free for 30 days pre op and post op. She is gonna call the surgeon or bariatric program and get back to me about it. I was told I wouldn't be able to get the depro shot post op due to it being known to make people gain weight. Now I don't know what to do! Almost all b.c is with hormones except the paragard IUD I think. I know some woman are on the depro shot after weight loss surgery and it was ok with their surgeons but this program I go to is against it. HELP! Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

My GYN called yesterday and said either the Mirena IUD or Paragard IUD would be best for me. I go in next Tuesday to talk to her and then switch over if that is what I decide on. I told her on the phone Mirena had hormones in it but she said a small amount. I looked in my bariatric binder and it says Mirena IUD must be removed 30 days prior to surgery in bold text so I guess that is out. Looks like it is the Paragard and from what I have read online I am not for sure I want to go that route with super heavy periods and severe cramps for months on end. But that is the only non hormonal bc out there besides less reliable methods you buy over the counter. I wish my bariactric program would make an exception and I could stay on the Depro shot but they are super over cautious about people getting blod clots while in the hospital or after surgery at home so that is why they make their patients stop hormonal birth control 30 days before and 30 days after surgery. Thanks for everyone's suggestions!

I've done ok on the depro shot. I did gain some weight after I started the shots but it was more from being on Weight Watchers and then I got off the program and started back to bad eating habits than the actual shot. My Gyn told me I could gain 10 pounds on it though when I first started it. I have looked online and the only non hormal bc is the paragard IUD besides just over the counter prevention that isn't as reliable. I hope my gyn office gets back to me quick, my next shot is 4/19/12. I hope I can stay on the depro shot but I guess if to have this surgery I have to go off it I will. Thanks for all the suggestions/comments. I've done ok on the depro shot. I did gain some weight after I started the shots but it was more from being on Weight Watchers and then I got off the program and started back to bad eating habits than the actual shot. My Gyn told me I could gain 10 pounds on it though when I first started it. I have looked online and the only non hormal bc is the paragard IUD besides just over the counter prevention that isn't as reliable. I hope my gyn office gets back to me quick, my next shot is 4/19/12. I hope I can stay on the depro shot but I guess if to have this surgery I have to go off it I will. Thanks for all the suggestions/comments.

I had to go to my psych social visit yesterday and she told me I have "graduated" from having to see her. I saw her a total of three times. I have one person on the bariatric team who thinks I am ready for surgery! Yea! At the local bariactric program it is a team approach, all members on the team have to agree the person is ready for surgery before they can get a surgery date. I started the process of this mid Jan and have an 2nd indiv. nutritionist apt tommorrow and group nutrition classes on 3/8/12 then another visit with the bariactric physical therapist 3/29/12. A person doesn't get a surgery date for 6 months to 2 years so I am hoping I am one of the 6 months people and will get a date this summer like in July! Trying to stay motivated while I wait. I don't have to do weight loss visits through my PCP due to my insurance but the bariatric program still requires them. I go to my 2nd one next Fri. I can't wait to get a surgery date!!!

That is great news! I hope you get your surgery date soon! Congrats!

Glad to hear your pt apt went good and he is sending in the paperwork quickly for you! That is great! Hope you get your surgery date soon!

I asked at my nutrititonist apt yesterday if Biotin would help with hair loss after surgery. She said not really. She said hair loss after surgery is due to a person not getting a enough Protein so it's very important to get all the protein in post surgery and also there are hormones released when a person looses weight that can make a person loose some hair. She told me if I would suffer with hair loss they would do lab work to see what is going on and from there. Just wanted to let you know what she said!

I have been on an stationery exercise bike at my physical therapy appointments the last two times now and my bad knee has tolerated the exercise. I am thinking of buying an exercise bike for home. I don't want to spend a ton of money on it and was wondering if any of you have any suggestions? I have been looking on CraigsList and the local paper for used ones but so far no luck. I looked online at WalMart and Target and they have a couple under or around $150. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Thanks everyone! It's is a long time to wait but I hope I can be one of the ones that gets a surgery date right after 6 months so maybe July of this year! Trying to stay motivated and change things I can now before surgery so it will be easier after surgery to be sucessful with the surgery!

How did your pt appointment go yesterday?

Thanks for asking this question, as I was wondering too about hair dye. I haven't had WLS yet but wondered about coloring it. I have it colored every 2 months. I am worried about it falling out though after surgery. I think I will start taking the Biotin (I think that is what some one recommended) that helps with hair loss. I was at Sam's Club recently and saw a bottle of it but didn't buy it. I have an indiv. nutrionist appointment tommorrow and I am going to ask her about it and see if taking the biotin now will help some and in the future!

Congrats! You look great! Keep up the great work!

I have had knee problems for about 9 years now. Mainly the left knee, I tore the meniscus while doing dog agility training with my westies but waited 2 years to have the knee scope. That helped alot and was only getting a cortisone shot in it about once a year. Well, about 2 weeks ago I did something to it I guess and woke in severe pain and got into the a physcian asst at my knee dr and he took xrays and said I need a knee replacement. They gave me a cortisone shot in the knee and it is much better but it is only temp as I know that isn't gonna cure it. The structure of the knee is off and there is no cushion between the bones, its bone on bone. I am doing physical therapy for it now and off pain killers. I am worried this will allow me to not get a surgery date! I was told I have to be able to exercise and can't be on pain killers to get a surgery date. I don't know if I should go ahead and have the knee replaced and then have the WLS or have WLS first and then the knee replacement! UGH! I have started doing my usually one mile walk to dvd in 15 minutes the last three days and done ok. It doesn't hurt much but I can hear/feel it popping and worry it is gonna hurt!

I haven't had WLS yet but have quit drinking diet pepsi. I slowly weaned myself off it. I used to drink a glass with lunch and a glass with dinner. I do not buy it anymore and when the last of the liter bottles was gone that was it. No more! I didn't drink any water before either but am now drinking 80 oz a day! I feel lost when I go to the grocery store and don't go down the soda aisle! LOL! I am slowing switching off reg. coffee to decaf coffee. Right now mixing 1/2 reg coffee and 1/2 decaf and doing good. I was told no soda after surgery and no coffee with lots of caffine in it so I am trying to do these things in advance of when I do get a surgery date!

I went to my bariatric physical therapy assessment appointment yesterday afternoon. She was very nice. Asked me questions about my activity level and if I had barriers from doing certain activities like bad knees and stuff like that. She went over exercises that need to be done in the hospital after surgery to prevent blood clots and then had me to write down my activity goals for after I had surgery. She calculated my ideal heart rate that would burn fat/calories during exercise and gave that to me and I told her I had a fitness watch so I now I know what to shoot for heart beat level to loose weight. She also had me to walk around the large room and she put a thing on my finger (can't think of the name of it) that measures your pulse, oyzgen level, and heart rate. My ozygen level wasn't as good as she would have liked so I have to go back in a month to have that rechecked. I think it might be cause my hands are cold alot and she said the same thing. It was about an hour long and interesting. I enjoyed going there and learning more. I do think they do this to make sure the person realizes that after surgery and even before you need to exercise to loose the weight and it just isn't the surgery alone. They also see if a person is able to do any type of exercising. I've been doing 1 mile in 15min to walk to dvd or 2 miles in 30 minutes for the last few months. I have only been doing a mile the last few days since I messed up my left knee and am going to physical therapy for that.

I've been looking at the fitbits but haven't bought one yet. I picked up a fitness watch at my local TJMaxx that will calculate how many calories burned when doing exercise. I think since it is a pedometer it will only work for walking or running. It was a little complicated to figure out but it does ask for your height, weight, age, male/female. You have to put your baseline heart rate when resting (they say to do that when you first wake up) and to do that you just put two fingers on the watch and it measures your heart rate. For $20 I think it will work for me. I tried using it yesterday when I walked alittle to my walking dvd and I did about 10 minutes of walking and it said I only burned 34 cal but that could be about right since I read it takes 15 minutes of walking to burn 100 cal. I hurt my left knee so I haven't been able to do my exercising like I usually do the last week or so but tried to do some walking after work yesterday. Going to try to work back up to my one mile in 15 minutes or 2 miles in 30 minutes to my at home walking dvd and hope my knee can handle it.

The local bariatric program I am going through, Memorial Bariatric Service, requires a physical therapy assessment. Mine is next Monday. I think they do this so they can see how mobile a person is and that a person will be able to exercise pre & post op. I think it is a good idea. WLS along with exercise will help a person successfully loose and keep the weight off.

I have Health Alliance of Illinois. They used to require 4 months within a 6 month period of medically supervised weight loss visits but recently got rid of that requirment. But, my bariatric program, Memorial Bariatric Services does still require the visits. Their process takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to get a surgery date also. They have a team approach and all the members of the team have to approve that the person is ready for surgery before they submit the papers for insurance approval and to get the actual surgery date.

I've been on the list for about a week now but haven't really introduced myself. I am 48 years old and currently weigh 255, I have lost 15 pounds in the last month or so tracking food on myfitnesspal.com I looked into the lapband in Jan of 2011 but at that time I had lost 70 pounds doing Weight Watchers on my own and was down to 232 and hadn't gained any of it back. I got off track last year and ended up gaining back about 38 pounds. I decided to look back into Weight Loss Surgery Jan of this year. I had thought about the sleeve and when I found out my health insurance covers it now (Health Alliance) I was thinking it would be the best route to go. I am going through all the appointments and stuff like now. Had the Medical evaluation, psych social visit, indiv. nutrition meeting, schedule for group nutritional classes in March 2012 and have physical therapy assessment end of Feb. My insurance doesn't require the 4 weight loss visits to my PCP in 6 months like they used to but Memorial Bariatric Services does so I had that last week. I have been overweight all my life, I weight 11 pounds when I was born. I was a Weight Watchers member at the age of 10! I have lost, gained, lost, gained all my life. Never been the correct weight my entire weight. I know this surgery isn't a magic but I think of it as a tool to help me loose the weight and keep it off for good. I just wish I hadn't waited till I was 48 to do it. I have a set back right now, I found out yesterday I am going to have to have a knee replacement on my left knee sometime. I have doing alot of exercising but can't right now. I am going to try to put the knee replacement off as much as I can. The cortisone shot they gave me yesterday in it helped some but I still have to take Tramadol to walk on it and make it to work. Thank goodness I have a sit down job. This is great group! I am glad I stumbled onto it! Pam

Did you go to the dr. at all during that time you were on Weight Watchers and your Dr weighed you? If so I would think that would count since you were at the dr and they have the records of you weight during those visits if you went. Good luck! My insurance waived the visits for weight loss but the local bariatric program still requires them. They also don't need two years of weight loss event like they used to. I have my own personal weight records though going back to 2007 due to dieting on my own and trying to loose.

I am sorry you got a call from your son's school but you are making good food choices so far. I haven't had WLS yet and found out today I am going to have to have a knee replacement surgery. I am so upset. Someone brought valentines cookies to work and they are sitting in our work kitchen but I have resisted so far and plan to not eat one. When I walked by them earlier, I thought to myself "i could just eat a little piece" but then I thought "no you will end up eating a whole one and you have lost 12 pounds in the last 3 weeks don't blow! You can handle this!" It is tough!

Thanks for everyone's information. I am hoping to have mine surgery possibly this summer and by that time I will have bult up vacation time from work to use during my time off. I am kinda worried though, I woke up Monday morning in horrible pain due to my left knee. I went to the knee dr and he is saying I need to have a knee replacment! I have had knee problems for about 9 years and had a knee scope on this knee 7 years ago. It still bothers me off and on and usually a cortisone shot will help and I only get one about every 9 months at the most. My knee had been kinda bothering me the last couple weeks but I just figured it was due to needing a cortisone shot since the last one was in June of 2011. I tried some Zumba exercise to dvd on Sunday morning at home and modified alot of the moves cause I know I can't move my knee like they do or twist it, was ok all day Sunday went shopping and no pain till I woke up Monday morning. Having to take rx pain killers to manage the pain and see the knee dr in a month. He gave me a cortisone shot this morning and rx to see Physical therapy once/if the pain gets better and I can handle moving it without being on painkillers. I asked him if loosing weight will help me to not have to have the knee replacement, he said loosing weight would help but wouldn't change the structure of my knee and I would still need it. Although I am obese I am very active and this really upsets me. I started to cry as I was walking to my car after the apt. but kept it together and have at work so far. I have a psych social visit today after work and will ask her if needing a knee replacement will jeporidize getting a surgery date. If so, I will have the WLS first and then do the knee replacment. Sorry so long just need to vent. Having a crappy day and on top of it someone brought valentines days cookies to work! I haven't ate any though so I am trying to be strong!

I just started this process about a month ago. The program I am going to, Memorial Bariatric Services told me it would be 6 months to 2 years for a surgery date. That is fine with me so I can work on stuff before I have the surgery. They require people to do psychsocial visit, nutritional visits (indiv) group nutritional classes, monthly weight loss visits with your primary care dr (even if not required by your insurance) along with a bunch of lab work before the surgery to get a base line of where you are at. I would rather do it this way than super quick and not be prepared for everything before and after surgery.