QueenCityGal

Hey everyone, to any Independent Health'ers out there who are still pre-op: I found out something VERY interesting today that I want to share. Because I was still a bit confused about IH's requirements or pre-requisites needed to determine a surgery approval, I decided to call them directly to find out exactly what it is that they need to approve a surgery. I asked for a detailed list of all their requirements from doctor visits, dietary compliance, blood tests, etc.... the lady on the phone was explaining a lot (most I already knew) but then I simply asked her if she could just send me the portion of the policy with all the details that covered bariatric care. She said she could do that, and she would call me back if there were any issues. I just got a call back from her. She said she did some checking and was mistaken with her previous info and that Independent Health has recently done away with their own specific policy or "rules" on bariatric surgery and that they are now following what is called "the national standard guidelines" for bariatric surgery. Basically if you have IH, your surgeon and his office should follow whatever this is and have you complete whatever is required before insurance submittal. She told me every IH member has bariatric coverage and should fall under these guidelines - and that if a letter is sent or someone from the practice tells you that "your insurance requires this or that"- they are misinforming you. I'd like to know if anyone here that is still going through the process would be willing to make a call to IH direct and verify the above. The lady told me to search online for this guidelines thing she was talking about, but I can't seem to find anything appropriate. This bugs me now that I recently got a letter from Synergy stating that IH still required a couple of things that I needed to take care of. And I can never get through to anyone there (at Synergy) or get a call back within a reasonable time and that bugs me even more. ----- EDIT: I think I found the guidelines. Dated this year. See attached image (screencap from document)

Oh my... Thanks for sharing. It is amazing what the human body can tolerate. What pains me is to hear that you got a pressure sore. This happened while you were in the hospital, correct? A pressure ulcer should NEVER happen in a hospital facility. Especially an ICU! There are strict guidelines for hospitals regarding immobile patients and skin care. I would suggest taking legal action if your statute has not run out. Just my thoughts, coming from personal experience. Otherwise truly inspirational and I admire your strength!

I'm finally winding down on all my insurance requirements for surgery. Recently I was informed that Independent Health also now requires a new blood test for a stomach bacteria - H Pylori, aka Campylobacter. This is a bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers. A lot of people already have it with no symptoms but they say it must come back as a "negative titre"... This worries me because years ago I had a compylobacter infection I picked up caused by tainted food from an ethnic market... since then I have had no other stomach problems but wonder how much of this bacteria I still may carry... hmm. This blood test is pretty much the last thing I need before insurance submission. Has anyone else experience this test requirement and have anything to share?? Thanks

Back in July, Synergy sent me a list of all Independent Health requirements. I fulfilled all of them as of last month (except for having to get my thyroid labs re-done). There was no mention of a six month program, at ANY of my visits to Synergy, even with Caruana. And I did ask because I read a lot that this might be required. I get a letter this week from Synergy stating that IH had "new requirements" including a documented six month doctor supervised diet program and a new required blood test for H-Pylori (campylobacter) which is a stomach bacteria that can create peptic ulcers. It seems to me from all the different responses here that either Synergy is dropping the ball as far as what exactly is required, OR that either them or IH is being very selective with each individual's prerequisites. Either way, it's annoying. Whats even more annoying is over the last month I've called Synergy twice on two occasions (regarding viably important issues about my personal situation), left messages (because you can never get anyone on the phone), AND emailed -- and not one call or response back yet. This is all not sitting well with me. Now I've lost almost 4 months because I've been doing my own "program", not doctor supervised or whatever the hell they want. Maybe I can get my doc to somehow count this in, but all IH has to do is check medical records to see what date I started so if something doesn't jive with billed office visits or whatever, they'll give more flack for that.

Who here has Independent Health and is pre-op? On top of the already bad news I got last couple weeks, now I get a letter from Synergy stating that IH "changed policy" and now they require a six month doctor supervised diet.... this news, after already starting the process back in JUNE. If my labs had passed two weeks ago I would already be submitted and approved. Anyone else get this notice?? Not happy

So today I got the most depressing news, my thyroid bloodwork is still out of range so now I have to wait ANOTHER 6 freaking weeks for another reading after another med adjustment I was ready to submit to insurance on Friday as long as all my labs came back normal today Independent Health requires the thyroid level to be at least 0.4 minimum before consideration... I am now at 0.06... how the hell am I gonna get up that high if they only decrease my dose by 25mcg?! (apparently I've been taking too much synthroid hence the low reading) 10 years and I cannot get this goddamn thyroid regulated, always having to change doses. Do yourselves all a huge favor and STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM SOY PRODUCTS. Soy is a thyroid killer! I'm doomed Good luck to everyone else here you all seem to be doing great. Seeya in 6 weeks unless I book a flight to Mexico and get it done there!

I get annoyed when eating disorders are the major blame for obesity. Yes I'm sure some overweight folks are affected by some sort of eating disorder; but not all of us have eating disorders. Being born into a family with a long history of heavy people means genetic predisposition. Who in my family is NOT heavy?? I've always been heavy regardless of a healthy food diet and exercise. Also there are medical issues. In a Quest once again to get thin years ago I went low carb and heavily used soy products - soy milk, tofu, and eating edamame by the bags... in an effort to replace dairy and meat Proteins (98 pound weight loss there). Slowly, no matter if I starved myself and worked out like mad, the weight came back. Well unbeknownst to me, I killed my thyroid and my metabolism. No one ever warned me of the dangers of too much soy and the internet wasn't what it is now. A light bulb went off when I was at a chiropractor visit, I told him to be careful where he touched me because of these weird fatty lumps I had in random locations. He asked me "have you ever ingested large amounts of soy?" - I said yes, I did for almost a year. He said "well there's your problem, you probably have a bad thyroid and the excessive hormones in all the soy caused these lumps"... Anyway long story short, I got my thyroid tested and bam, goiter and horrible thyroid levels. I've been on thyroid meds now for over almost 10 years and now have autoimmune thyroid too. Even on meds, the numbers on paper are good but the weight just won't come off. So, I kind of get mad when I'm pooled with the genpop of overweight people, blaming an eating disorder. Especially by thin people who have never struggled with weight issues. I'm told by my potential surgeon that something about the surgery can boost a bad metabolism like mine, the process is still not fully understood, but it does happen when the nasty part of the stomach goes away. That is my only hope left, but I'm keeping it real and not expecting a fast loss (due to this bad thyroid of mine) so I won't be disappointed after the procedure (if I ever get that far). Oh and PS: BEWARE OF SOY.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see and how do you feel about yourself (before and after surgery)? Last night I got a bit of a wake up call. I was at a party where there were lots of picture being taken. I saw some photos of myself, and was like "holy crap, is that really me??" Was not feeling too happy because I look really large in pictures, yet I never felt like I had gained so much weight back, and didn't see myself as being so overweight. Reality check, bigtime. I'm way larger than what I perceived. In the mirror, In my eyes I still saw that person that I was 10 years ago, but on paper (and on screen) the fact is that I am so NOT that person I was 10 years ago... and not perceiving the true reflection of the person I am in reality helped lend itself to the big weight gain (again) I now think. "But I don't FEEL that large, so I can't possibly look so fat in pictures..." Contrarily, I have a friend who had a full bypass a few years ago. She's dropped almost 200 pounds, yet she tells me she still "feels fat". She is far from that and looks good. I know I'm overweight, but don't feel it sometimes. Well what I mean is that I do feel it physically (because I'm uncomfortable) but I don't feel that people see me that way or that I look that way, it's very strange. I suppose I need to keep looking at pictures of myself to reinforce my reality and the fact that I really need this surgery to happen. And when it does, I don't want to fail at it.

For those who go to Synergy and have seen Ann Marie for the psych eval: My appointment with her is next week. In the questionnaire packet, it mentions to bring your most recent medical and/or psychological records to the appointment. I've called and emailed the office regarding this, because 1) I have no psych records, and 2) I already signed a medical records release form so I assume they would already have them there. No one has gotten back to me yet :/ So I am confused and need to know if Anne Marie requires her own set of medical records. Did any of you Synergy people have to bring medical records to your appointment with her?? Some of the questions are so redundant. Same questions different places. I answered with a lot of "see previous answer". Don't know if this is intentional or just trying to trip you up... can't wait for this appointment ugh

I'm pre-op but started to use this one already: Jarrow Formulas Methyl B12 http://www.amazon.co...uct/B0013OQGO6/ You can either suck it or chew it, it's not that sweet and has a flavor like a mild Sweet-Tart. It's cherry but not a disgusting cherry like the one sublingual I tried already. It's a good high dose of B12 (methyl B12 is better).

One person I know who already went through the eval said "I think they just wanna make sure they are not helping you kill yourself if you're suicidal by giving you surgery so you can starve to death".... haha, yeah that's a good point, so they can't get sued after

I'm also going to Synergy, I decided to suck it up and pay for the eval with Anne Marie since she is right there at the center. My appointment is in 2 weeks. I will voice my personal opinion on these evaluations however. I get the impression that a lot of her focus is on eating disorders, and that her assumption is that everyone who is overweight has an eating disorder, is depressed, or has some other psychological factor that contributes to being overweight. I for one, am not comfortable with the fact that a healthy, thin person who has never struggled with their weight, has to "evaluate" me and ultimately decide my fate. The paperwork asks a lot of questions regarding mental issues - thoughts of suicide, factors of stress eating, etc. I'm sure that some people do have psychological factors that attribute to their obesity, but a lot of us do not. Genetics, upbringing, medical issues, family budget, poor nutritional knowledge (leading to poor choices) - these all are other major contributing factors of obesity that don't seem to be of importance in this "evaluation." Maybe these issues will be discussed at the time of appointment, who knows. But they sure aren't addressed in the paperwork so far. All bariatric centers require this evaluation, to make sure a person is ready for such a big change. I get that, ok. But give me someone who has been there in this life struggle - someone who has experienced what it's like to be overweight their entire life - let them be the one to evaluate me and not some physically fit head shrink who (to me) has seemingly never struggled with a food budget and who believes we became fat because we are mental... kind of like a drug addict being counseled by someone who never got high in their life. Again, just my own two cents. PS: I believe the psych at ECMC takes Independent Health (I have that too), but I refuse to step foot into that dump.

I was wondering if some recent post-ops and veterans could give some input here. I was told last night by my WL center that post-op, fruits should be peeled and veg must be roasted, boiled, sauteed, etc to make soft. I can certainly understand this for when the solid food phase is intro'd and even a few months out after that. But is this common practice forever when sleeved? Is this advice so that skins or crunchy veggies do not get stuck or remain undigested? Is it because of the "chew" factor, that some people won't break down material good enough while chewing? Having to do this makes me hesitant on the surgery, because I love fresh fruit and veg (carrots, apples, peaches, peppers, cukes, celery, etc). Peeling and softening loses nutrients and Fiber. I'm concerned about this. I don't mind pounding the Protein, but a little variety with healthy FRESH veggies would be good I would think?

Oh yes Greek yogurt is good and very versatile. And it helps keep the digestive tract going! I do the Chobani Zero plain - 7g carbs and 18g protein, which is the most for a Greek yogurt I believe. I sweeten it with a little Splenda and add a few drops of vanilla or almond extract for a nice rich flavor. Or you can add in a little Crystal Light or other sugar-free drink mix and make your own flavors to keep it interesting.

Another thing that works wonders is a "mini enema" - look up "Enemeez"... a good thing to have a few of them around on hand when needed. They come in jars of 30, or single ones might be available if you look around the interweb. A lot easier to administer than a full Fleet and works within minutes. People with limited mobility use these a lot and they're a big help for getting a hard stool removed. I'm going to keep some around for myself just in case I ever have this problem when my time comes. Good luck!

Alright. I am seriously confused. Maybe putting this out here will only add to my confusion, but I desperately need SOME kind of clarification before I lose my mind. PROTEIN: What kind, what source, what... what.... WTH??!?! What I've learned so far in the bariatric world is that getting your daily Protein intake (especially post-op) from anything but whey isolate is a NO-NO, because only whey isolate gives you all the complete EAA's (essential amino acids) needed by the body. True or false? Collagen, casein, soy = BAD, because they don't fully supply all the EAA's even though they do supply other aminos. True or false? From my very personal experience, I witnessed a severely protein deficient person (5.6 pre-albumin at lowest) rocket up to a blood level of over 30 by using a strictly combo supplement (collagen/whey/casein) and other combinations of Proteins (milk protein and soy based products). Note, they were not eating a very well rounded diet at the time. This person had severe wounds that needed healing, and when their pre-albumin started to rise, the healing commenced and now the protein level is holding steady in the normal range, one year out. How is milk protein isolate different from whey protein isolate different from soy protein isolate different from whey powder? Casein is derived from milk, and it's slower absorbing, so why wouldn't that be good? What about egg protein? That's supposedly a very good pure protein. PEA protein... my wonderful wonderful pea protein... no one ever mentions that and it's another excellent and versatile protein source (I add a ton to chili and Soups for the fam and they never even notice it!) The body is mostly made of collagen, so why wouldn't collagen supplementation be good? I kind of like the idea of the combo proteins, which give you quick, medium, and extended absorption. Taken slowly throughout the day to meet the 80g requirement could only be beneficial, and you'd be getting a full spectrum of aminos, no? What about this product (picture attached), being a collagen based protein supplement yet having (supposedly) all the aminos and is recommended for bariatric use? http://www.wellesse....ements/protein/ Or are all these bariatric supplement suppliers just full of blarney and pushing the wrong stuff on post-ops just to sell product??? Because I've seen more than plenty "bariatric recommended" collagen based protein supplements out there. My personal agenda when I finally do get to post-op, is to get the most protein per volume, in other words ingest the least volume of liquid/foods with the highest protein values while getting in all the aminos without taking an additional amino supplement. HELP?!!?

^^ The one I like best is from NOW (see picture). It it made from yellow peas, no it does not taste like peas, it doesn't have any flavor. I've used it in morning shakes. It has more of a noticeable texture, but you can adjust that to your liking. It also adds a nice thickening effect to soups, stews, and chili if you use a bunch. It's a nice added protein in meals when you don't want anyone to notice that "whey" taste. I personally think this is a very good protein source. I've read other posts on these boards slamming collagen based liquid Protein. If it is hydrolyzed or predigested (broken down) in peptide form it is much more easily absorbed. And if it's a combo protein as described in my OP, that has EAA's and BCAA's, it should be ok to use, IMO.

Thank goodness someone mentioned it, I was going to ask as well. Yes I am planning on going too (this is the free meeting held at Synergy in Williamsville). Very interested to see/hear other people and stories in person.

Another thing that also worries me about this surgery is the puking too. Not worrying of the actual throwing up part, but the "what if my fresh new tubular stomach rips open from a forceful heave???" type worrying... now THAT is what scares me. What are the chances of that happening? Has that happened to anyone before? Erff...!

Thanks everyone for your replies, much appreciated. It's good to see such a variety experiences and options. Yes, the bottom line is everyone is different and will handle foods differently. I kind of figured that, but it sort of bothered me to hear from a "pro" at my WL center that peeling and softening should be the norm instead of saying "try to introduce different fresh and healthy veg and fruit back into your diet to see what you can handle" etc. So I'm glad to hear that's not the case. Cheers

OK I know why it's doing that... you're probably trying to access on your mobile - it's probably prompting the Play Store to come up when loading the mobile version of this site in the phone browser, because there is a standalone VST app (an app for this forum). When I try to load the forums on my device it does that to me, even though I have the stupid app installed... go figure?! Damn technology I dunno maybe try and access the link to the group on a desktop if possible, join the group, and then access it with your devices? Or I can just send you all an invitation, that might work better too... stand by

Jill/Dawn great to hear you guys are doing great. Some good weight loss there! Awesome. Jill you are able to eat regular solid foods so soon? Or is that a normal time frame? Hey in case anyone is interested, Wegmans has "New Whey" liquid Protein vials on sale for $1.99 this week (that's a great price). Granted there is some collagen mixed in there, but even so it says its "a complete source of protein containing all essential amino acids" - how true this is, well it's hard to tell and may be not good for 100% protein supplementation post-op, but in a pinch these are very portable and potent. I got a bunch just to have around and supplement my diet now pre-op. The watermelon flavor is quite palatable. Just thought I'd share this Hey do any of you guys want to move over to the Buffalo group and continue topics there? Instead of making this thread so long? Anyone, feel free to join! http://www.verticals...stern-new-york/

This is a wonderful statement. SO very true. THANK YOU. And thanks to the rest for chiming in, I really do appreciate that. I'm out of my small funk now and psyched once again to be going to week #2 of the seminar at Synergy tonight. One more week of that, a shrink eval and then insurance submission. Then bye-bye you evil stomach!! Yessss. It's unfortunate that sometimes the people who you want to (and think will) stand by you and support you the most in a difficult time, are the ones who turn their back on you. In the past it's only made me a stronger person, lesson learned. Who needs them now?! Let them snub their nose but while they still can't bend over to cut their own toenails, I will be sporting my old size 10 leopard mini skirt and looking smokin' hot again (well... ok I can at least dream about that and hope it may come true, right??) haha

A couple days ago I told my mom and two aunts about my decision to have the WLS. My one aunt is ok with the idea, but pushing me to the band (I don't want that) because she thinks it's "safer". I have not heard from the other aunt, but I'm guessing she is against it. My mom, on the other hand, has shot down the idea hard and wants to know why I want to "risk my life" for this drastic procedure, and that I don't need it if I only "put good food in my mouth".... THAT, coming from a wheelchair bound 400+ pound woman who has been obese most of her life, struggling with compulsive eating disorders herself. In fact, all the women on my mom's side have been heavy, riding the non-stop diet wheel most of their lives. I have people who depend on me, I refuse to be in a wheelchair myself by the time I'm 50, I want to be comfortable again and gain quality of life back for as long as I have left on this earth. I've tried hard my whole life to keep the weight off, it goes then comes right back again. I'm trying hard now and it just doesn't work anymore. The most discouraging thing is that I'm eating way better and around half the volume of what I was over a month ago and I haven't lost a freaking ounce. For the first time since I've started pursuing this surgery I have an inkling of doubt about it. Will this even work for me, is what I think. I should have never mentioned anything to anyone. I'm hoping my fellow Buffalonians here who have gone through with it already can give me a little push back in the right direction... ugh

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