Miss Mac

1. Agree. Ex for a reason. 2. Thank goodness you are a woman fully grown who can make her own medical decisions. 3. Walk away and don't look back. 4. Why would you care about someone who treats you that way? 5. Congratulations for making a wise decision about your health and quality of life.

I'll have to admit that my posts are not as prolific as they used to be. It is discouraging to respond to a newbie or even some one six months out who reveals a serious indiscretion and then calls me a "goody two shoes" for giving a sane and medically sound response. For the most part, I have passed the torch on to those who have been around about a year. At 2 1/2 years I don't feel so appreciated. Hopefully, there will be enough newbies who are serious enough with this to take their teams' recommendations. A lot of the veterans' success is due to following doctor's orders. There is nothing magic about it.

Every once in a while, we get a bariatric brother or sister whose pre-op tests saved their lives. Count this as a blessing. When that issue is resolved or treated, you will be in a much better place for an uncomplicated recovery. I wish you the best. Hugs frrom Chicago.

I had my surgery done at the Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, where my surgeon teaches robotic gastro-intestinal surgery. Everything went super-duper with an uncomlicated recovery.

I am sure that the insurance coordinator at that practice is not the practice manager. Find out who that is and holler!

I had it bad for about three years pre-op and have not had it a day since. I am 2 1/2 years post-op.

Hopefully your bariatric team includes a nutritionist and therapist like most of our do. They can help you navigate a new relationship with food so that the old indulgent one that got you into this mess does not stay in control. Once I got in the habit of not eating foods made in a factory, I understood what real food tastes like. Most of thge stuff we buy at the store are packaged products make from fake ingredients and chemicals. You can't really call it food, It's just "factory edibles" What you don't spend for buying Pepsi, Twinkies, Potato chips, Twizzlers, and Kraft Mac and cheese, you can save up to buy those new clothes you will need as you drop pounds. Think of it this way....your hard earned money can be your money or their money. You will find that once you get in the habit of eating natural foods that actually nourish your body, you will feel better. Your skin is healthier and your organs are happier. You will begin to have energy that you have not had for years. A good healthy fear of dying is a good motivator for staying on plan. One thing I discovered was that it wasn't the food that was comforting - it was the grease, salt, and sugar. I may as well have just put grease, salt, and sugar in a bowl with some Pepsi and eat that for Breakfast. Making the changes will be easier if you family is supportive and curious about your success. I wish you the best.

Wow. I can't believe that your surgeon left you without a nutritionist or at least a written program on how to progress through the stages of introducing your new tummy to the healing process. My program did not have me approach raw foods of any kind for three months. I agree that if you don't have any guidelines - get some. Here are two: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bariatric-surgery/in-depth/gastric-bypass-diet/ART-20048472 https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000173.htm I wish you the best. Your new tummy is the boss of you.

He did not see this coming? Move on. Good luck with your surgery.

Benjamin Franklin said, "To whom thy secrets thou doest tell, to him thy freedom thou doest sell."

I am retired from the VA and have BCBS Federal Basic. It is the best insurance I ever had.....ever. They approved me for a five day stay even though I only needed two. My total out of pocket was about $300. I had the three month pre-op supervised diet. When all of my requirements were complete, my compliance packet was faxed on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, 2013. I was approved the next Monday. My surgery was schedule for the next available date which was in December. The insurance clerk at the surgeons' office was on extended vacation without a replacement to cover her. I did not want to wait for her to feel like coming back to work after the holidays, so I called my case manager that Monday and got the info from her. She sent me a letter of approval which I forwarded to the surgeon. Call BCBS and ask for a case manager. Mine was out of the corporate office in Richardson Texas. She was a nurse and remained my single point of contact all through the process. She was knowlegable about bariatric procedures and walked me through the paperwork quuagmire that can so easily discourage a person who does not have that benefit. Post-op she called a couple of times to see how my recovery was going. The VA was pretty strict about returning to work without restrictions, so take as much time off as you can. I was already retired, but if you can wait until you are back on at least soft foods, it will be easier to have some energy to get through your day. For me that was three weeks. A You will probably have a five - ten pound lifting restriction for the first month. A gallon of milk weighs eight pounds. I wish you the best. The waiting game is far worse than the surgery and recovery itself.

I was 62 when I got sleeved 12/23/2013. Having a stroke convinced me that I did not have any more time to try another diet or miracle cure. There are no overweight old people in my family. Their bodies wear out in their 60's. The day of surgery, I went in at 7 a.m. They gave me a nice nap while they worked on my belly, and then I was back in my room by 10 a.m I slept most of the time I was there and came home on day too. With an uncomplicated recovery, the whole process has not been that bad. I have my life back and can look forward to a ripe old age. The thin people in my family make it well into their nineties in good health. Here is a link to my favorite thread. There are 1,348 reasons why the rest of us took the plunge and got help from bariatric surgery. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/219831-what-was-your-final-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back/?hl=%20final%20%20straw

Ask your provider if they will assign you a case manager. That way, you have one contact person and one source for answers....not four different answers from four different people. Ask for a complete copy of your benefits so that you have your coverage details in writing. The hardest part of bariatric surgery is not the operation and recovery. It is the insurance dance, pre-op diet, and pre-op testing have to do. You have to be a strong advocate for yourself. Visit us here often. No question is stupid. Somebody in this forum has been through whateveryou need support with. Opinions and tact will vary, but we mean well.

I would suggest that you take six weeks since you have the time available. That way, you will beback on regular foods and have more meal options. If anyone gets too damn nosey, just say something like....."Thanks for your concern, now let's talk about your personal health issues."

Like the others, I am proud of you for not giving away your power. Friends are expensive and family is messy. What are they going to say when you lose the next 50 pounds?