crodrigu73

Sleeved 12/13/13. HW: 365.6 SW: 331 CW: 299.2 I have lost allot but I seem to have been stuck for the last two weeks. And I agree with you on the other threads. I can't keep up with that much activity.

I have been on the pre op diet twice once the beginning of November and the second time started the day after Thanksgiving. I have lost 32.8 pounds so far, however I started at 365.6 so I had allot more to lose than most. It has gotten progressively easier each day. I am on 3 shakes a day and one sf Jello.

Wow thank you for this post. I almost feel like it is the future me talking to current me. Okay I know that is strange but I was 365 when I had my first appointment and I am 342 now, I use myfitnesspal.com LOVE IT! And for the kicker my surgery is 12/13/13, 1 year after you. You have inspired me on a night I needed it. Getting approval for this has been an absolute nightmare so some of the excitement and positive outlook have worn away. Again thank you! You have done an amazing job!

Finally have a surgery date. I will be sleeved on 12/13/13 at 3:45 pm. They will also be repairing my hiatal hernia and replacing infected hernia mesh with a biologic.

I believe there is another thread here in which people were discussing that the pre op diet maybe done away with as a requirement, that it truly has no benefit, but I would discuss it with my doctor. He is the one cutting he deserves to know what he may run into. Also you should consider why you did not stick to the diet, are you having doubt. This is not something to go into unless you are positive. I will admit so far on my pre diet I have cheated a little here and there. A bite of this or a bite of that which I had discussed with the bariatric nurse. She said that was fine, I am down 26 pounds in two weeks so she was not concerned with a couple bites not on the diet. I wish you all the best luck.

I am on day 13 of the pre op diet. I am down 26 pounds. I will do the official weigh in tomorrow and get my date. My doctor has advise it will be probably the first week of December. Good luck everyone!

Unfortunately, it would not. With all the medical cost of an open wound and infected hernia mesh I have already had to put my out of pocket maximum of $6200 on affordable monthly payments. I am tapped. The only way I was going to be able to afford the two surgeries was to get it here before the end of the year because it would be 100% paid for. I am in contact with a doctor at the closest center of excellence (350 miles) to see if I can come up with the travel money and work out care for my twins if he can get me in by the end of the year but I am not hopeful. I have prayed and prayed but I am losing hope.

I wish there was. I am not a rich person. I have small children and to travel the 350 miles to a Center of Excellence would put a such a strain on our budget a trip to Mexico which would cost more is out of the question. It is so frustrating. I have infected hernia mesh on my stomach which needs to be replaced. My surgeon feels strongly if I don't lose 100 pounds in a few months that I will have another hernia. I have been fighting this infection for over a year and have had an open wound on my stomach for 10 months. I am literally at the point of a mental break down over this. My insurance company has informed me that they will not accept any further appeals from me. So I have to figure how to get enough money to travel 350 miles to get the surgery and who will take care of my twins, etc, etc and if I don't have it by the end of the year there is no way I can afford another out of pocket max so I won't be able to have the surgery as you can see I terrified of what is going to happen.

My appeal has been denied, so am going to exit the group. All my best wishes for all of you.

I was informed that by tomorrow at 1 pm I should have a finally decision (hoping an approval). I am so excited. Of course the doctor is out of the office on Tuesday, so on Wednesday I should know my surgery date. My paperwork was submitted early September so this has been a long time coming. I am glad I got my appeal in right away.

I am very very fortunate to have a co-worker who had gastric bypass in May who has given me all of her clothes so I have from 24 down to 14s already. I will need to buy some 26/28 because I currently am a 30/32 but not sure how long I will even need them. Once I am done with a size we agreed to donate them to a woman's shelter here. I had an Aunt pass away due to abuse so it is an important cause for me. Our local WLS support group has a clothing exchange so you may want to check into that.

Hello I am Charlie! I am hoping to be in November as well. My insurance paperwork was submitted Sept 9th and it was denied so my appeal and my surgeons grievance are currently in review and I should have an answer by Oct 27. The doctor then requires a 3 to 4 week pre opt diet. My stats HW 401 (when I was pregnant with my twins) CW 360 39 years old Rapid City, SD Dr. David Fromm

I thought it would be a painful experience but it was not bad at all. I got a pretty good night sleep.

I have no idea, I have not been sleeved yet, but I hope you feel much better shortly. One of the ladies from my WLS support group had excessive vomiting for the first 6 weeks, hospitalized 3 times, and then it just stopped on its own.

I was denied because I do not live by a center of excellence and I would like to have surgery locally. I am still appealing.

Great job! So happy for you!

I am currently fighting a Center of Excellence requirement with BCBS because the closest one is 350 miles away, so I have been doing allot of research. Their rationale was that it did not decrease bad outcomes but reduced access to care.

And Medicare and Medicaid just removed the requirement for a Center of Excellence facility. 09/2013

Yes! I am so happy for you!

Today my application for the sleeve was denied because the hospital I am going to have surgery in is not a center of excellence. I live over 350 miles from one and I feel it would be incredible difficult on me and my family to travel that far for surgery and for follow-up. To add to this I will be having an infected hernia mesh removed and replaced at the same time so I really would like to be close to my doctor for my recovery. Has anyone else had this problem? I submitted an appeal which I requested to have expedited but it will still be 10 to 14 business days. I am so worried they are going to deny it again.

This may have been the way it went if I had gone to a surgeon in search of VSG, however I went to a surgeon because I had an open wound that had not healed for 8 months, at this appointment I was informed that I had a hernia mesh that was infected and needed to be removed and replaced with a biologic mesh which is less likely to become infected in the future however it is not as strong so if I do not reduce the pressure in my stomach (lose a lot of weight very rapidly) I will have a hernia through the replacement in just a few months. So it was either have a weight loss surgery or have multiple hernia repairs. In addition, even if informed I still would have pursued this direction because as stated before two fellow employees have been approved by this same insurance company to have surgery at the same hospital I would like to use. It is a center of excellence for surgery just not specifically for bariatric surgery. Has anyone else won an appeal with their insurance company?

It maybe something I will have to investigate if my appeal is denied. I just really hate the idea of being that far away from the surgeon who preformed my surgery in case there are complications. That just adds a whole new layer of concern for me, especially since I will be having two surgeries at one time. All I can do right now is pray that they will approve me and if they don't then I will work on the next plan.

I think that maybe an old list. It doesn't have any showing in South Dakota, which I know is incorrect. There are two however they are 350 miles away from me. I would say go into your insurance website, there should be a location that will list all of the requirements for getting approval. I knew this part would be a little bit of a fight but I am hoping they will be able to see a patients point of view and the impact traveling this type of distance can have on the surgery and recovery.

This link should help you find one: http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate/

I am hoping so. I included in my appeal the impact traveling would have on my family, my employer, and my recovery. I also included the really cost impact to them as well as me if I have a hernia repair without the WLS. My surgeon estimates without it I will have another hernia within 6 months of having the infected mesh replaced. My last point was that two fellow co-workers received approval to have surgery at this exactly hospital this year (they had began their visits to the surgeon before we changed insurance on January 1st-no approval but they had started their visits). My thought is that if the hospital was acceptable for their surgeries it should be acceptable for mine.