gastricsleever

Agreed, mine as well. I am not telling my mom about the surgery!

Oops I posted this in the wrong category. Did anyone else get this email?!

I have united as well... Lousy lousy insurance!

I'm scheduled with Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in February 2014. I have read nothing but amazingly positive things about him and everyone who works with him. All of the things I read on here about him have put my mind to ease. I'm so excited to have my surgery Dr. Ortiz and cannot wait! I reviewed many of the doctors and made my pros and cons list… it came down to Dr. Ortiz and another doctor and ironically right now I can't even remember the other doctor's name. I remember that his surgery was cheaper but in the end my gut and my level of comfort was with Dr. Ortiz.

I'm scheduled with Dr. Ortiz at the MCC in February 2014. I have read nothing but amazingly positive things about him and everyone who works with him. All of the things I read on here about him have put my mind to ease. I'm so excited to have my surgery Dr. Ortiz and cannot wait!

All insurance companies are like that, if they even cover the surgery. You're lucky your insurance covers that, my insurance covers nothing even if I were to jump through hoops there are no hoops for me to jump through… They just don't cover the surgery.

So i'm wondering if your doctors office didn't follow through and do the initial paperwork and see if your insurance covers it? When I went to the bariatric Center at my local hospital the first thing I asked was how do I know if this is covered? I called my insurance company and they said the same thing there is an exclusion it will never be covered under my policy. The initial tests and labs could be covered but the actual surgery wouldn't be covered. That really had me upset for a while until I started researching my options as a self-pay are in Mexico. It was the only choice I had because there's no way I can afford surgery at my local hospital it'll take me years to save up that money. I feel your pain and I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of this. I wish you the best.

Yes, shopping! How could I forget that one?!

I, too, feel like I may need to remind myself after surgery when I'm not feeling so good or want to give up about why I really wanted to do this in the first place, so here are some of my things: 1.) Sitting on a chair in a restaurant and hearing it squeak and wondering if any minute now the legs are going to give out! 2.) Going through those STUPID turn-style things in the subway or into a concert and SQUEEZING sideways to get through, while all my friends have gone through and are waiting for me. 3.) eating out and wondering if everyone ELSE is looking at what I'm eating and judging me. 4.) my mom being thinner than I am! 5.)Sitting in the chairs on an airplane, in the theater or at plays and feeling so squeezed in and worried about bothering the person next to me 6.) Speaking of airplanes! SEATBELTS BARELY buckling 7.) Not going on amusement rides because I'm afraid I won't fit. 8.) Always being HOT, even in the winter when I should be cold! 9.) Working out for only short periods of time because I'm out of breath, sweating, bright red and in pain. 10.) My family asking me at thanksgiving in front of EVERYONE "Rachel, do you really need that piece of pie?" I'm looking forward...not back, not down...The best is yet to come for me!

I am going for my surgery February 17th with dr Ariel Ortiz at the OCC. I'm in contact with several people in these message boards who used him and highly recommend him and his hospital. It's a center of excellence- my PCP was even impressed with him.

I feel like I have so many "final straws".... But my final, final one? I will be 30 in April. I have a good job, I put in the time and take care of my work, my coworkers, my friends and my family but not myself. It's MY time now. I want to feel and look good and I want to be happy. I'm still thinking realistically, I Know this surgery can't make all my dreams come true...but I certainly feel like it's a stepping stone to getting me there

Ugh I understand completely. Anytime I would go on a new diet whether my decision or one my doctor put me on, my mom would follow do the same. The only difference… I would lose five, maybe 10 pounds my mom would lose 20 to 30. I was always the healthy eater in the house and I was one of the heaviest ones, my mom is a baker and she would eat donuts galore cookies all kinds of junk (she still does) and she is the "small one". Now when she comes to my house sometime she will say something like I'm chilly and she will open my closet and pull out a sweater and then say oh, that's too big for me that won't fit. Or if I go over her house she'll say I got this really cute shirt or these really cute pants they would look so great on you… But they didn't have them in your size. I love my mom… But the competition thing has got to go! healthy competition is one thing if you are both encouraging each other but to put someone down is just plain wrong and mean, especially when you have other issues affecting your lack of weight loss and the other person is only overweight because they make poor food choices or choose not to work out. So the answer to your question, is my mom! LOL (and I cannot wait to be skinnier than her! Haha)

Incredible!! I'm so jealous! My surgery date can't get here soon enough!

Very true, gamer girl!

Ok so my friend just had a baby and she wears all kinds of spanx or tummy supports and things. The dr told her something like that it will help the muscles heal and keep some of the elasticity a little better than if she didnt wear any kind of girdle/spanx. So my hope (surgery is in February) is that if I wear spanx while im losing weight and work out, that will help?! Obviously I know 10 years of your body being overweight and over stretched is different than 9 months, but hey, I can dream right? I mean Let me be realistic- I hate my fat body now... So I think I'd rather be healthier skinner and able to do the things I want to do and have to wear spanx the rest of my life than to be fat and unhappy the rest of my life! Woah- sorry for writing a book

There are a lot of positive things about going to Mexico for your surgery if you are a self pay. I'm scheduled for February 2014 and looking forward to it. Then I will go back to the bariatric program at my local hospital for follow up care. Complications can happen anywhere you have surgery...

I have to be honest- I haven't been as consistent taking my vitamins for the past year or so. This past year I really gave up as far as weight loss and trying to be healthy because I really felt like I was out of options and why bother when nothing was working anyway?… until I started researching the sleeve in February 2013. I truly believe that getting the sleeve will help me immensely. I also think that I need to start taking vitamins again just to get used to taking them since my surgery is in February 2014. I've stopped little things such as drinking soda and alcohol so my next step to prepare myself I decided I would drink a shake for breakfast every morning and start taking my vitamins… I have to purchase both of those and start that this week. Sorry that was the long way around to your question of what vitamin I am taking LOL. And the answer would be… None.

I was scared at first about going to Mexico as well. I was terrified in fact… But as I read reviews and did a lot of research I'm pretty impressed! I will be going to Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in Mexico in February. I am from Pennsylvania and also a self payer.

Sometimes now when I take a vitamins (I'm pre-op) if I don't have enough food in my stomach I feel sick... So I think if I mix up these capsules in my protein shakes I'll be ok. Did any one have any problem feeling sick post-op taking their vitamins?