KeeWee

I've never referred so many people to one website in my life and I own 2 of my own. In these days and times of overweight being the norm, so many people want change and don't know how to attain it. So many people can be changing their lives if they only had the proper knowledge, insight, support and the forums to get all their questions answered. They need real people to talk/write to not just publications from doctors. This was the greatest thing ever and my family and close friends appreciate my ability to feel at home and at peace here since my associates never knew how to respond. This surgery was never a personal goal for me, it was an option from my Dr. and yet, it's become the most important thing in my life at this time. Apparently misery likes company but since I refuse to offer mine, I now have 4 people starting the process who use to think they knew all there was to know and now they know that Gastric Bypass is not your only option other than tummy tucks. I'm happy to be able to share knowledge and help people better their lives in any way and this website should be Award Winning!! I am proud to be a member and truly love my new girlfriends/sleeve buddies that I've met on here. I've met friends for life on this site and love to advocate for our community. All this and haven't even been approved yet..smh...lol.

Wow, congrats on a job well done!!! And your friend, Imma need her to sprinkle her baby dust!!! Fingers crossed...

Is it when you began the research? When you have your first appointment? Right before surgery? Right after surgery? I think my journey started at the beginning of my decision in my mind to go forward...and that started with research, which I did a whole month before I ever met with my Dr. or nutritionist. Which weight do you consider your starting weight when telling your story? I wanna start with my largest weight but that was months before research began. I just want to tell my story correctly and I'm not sure with this forum being so large and established if there is a protocol to how you document your journey. VETS, what do you think?

There is no one else I can get to with my Nut being out on Maternity leave and they didnt even have back up. I have to travel to DC for my appointment or wait for the new girl to be trained. Paperwork has been submitted and if denied...actions will be taken.

It really is great. I met friends here online that turned into meetings in person and now our husbands are friends and my single friends with not alot of support, we attend Nutritionist meetings and seminars and support groups together. It's just nice to have a whole community who understands whatever day you may be having...I'm appreciative!

You are a beautiful person! Thank you for this post! Good to know there are some still left. God Bless..

God works in mysterious ways!!

Thanks so much, this is exactly what I plan to do! I'm trying to just hold my tongue until the timing permits. Now I'm just sitting waiting for my denial but i hope some prayers went up for an approval!! Thanks again..

I'm trying to get a hold of my emotions while at work so I need to get this out... At my 6th and final appointment back in January, I was told my Nut went into labor and there was no coverage for her and i could wait until they get someone and train her or go to another facility. (NO COVERAGE THO, REALLY?) Waiting at this point was not an option and me, not being from MD, didnt have a clue where the options were located but they all were too far since I dont drive so my best choice was Kaiser-Capitol Hill since they were right on the property of Union Station so I was able to take the MARC train from my house directly there. FINE. Then, I go to this Nutritionist and she is the slowest, long winded, flighty, scatterbrained, airhead-ish, person I have ever encountered at a Dr's office. She zones out while she talks, she asked the same questions over and over, every answer I gave was never even documented..30 minute appt was actually 2 hours long! FOR NOTHING!! At this time, with all the stress, my weight continued to fluctuate so now, I don't meet the weight requirement which for Baltimore, MD, you just need to be AT or BELOW your initial weigh in. So she keeps rescheduling and when I finally did meet the requirement, she would reschedule for some reason so now, 8 months in this 6 months program, I meet the requirement, I traveled to DC from Maryland and she says at 1:30p that if I brought all my paperwork from the beginning of this process than we could submit my paper work at the 3pm OWG meeting...grrr that burned me up because she never told me to bring anything, she just said I had to show up for the final weigh in. So she says dont worry, take this submission summary and navigate your chart and personal paperwork and answer all the questions except the last one cuz that's for me. She says she will call Monday and i will give her the answers and we can submit while Im on the phone...so I give her my NEW cell number, I see her write it on the outside of my chart on a sticky, she even read it back to me twice and yet, she calls the old cell number all day she claims and later leaves me a message at work (On my day off) saying she wasn't going to play phone tag with me and that she was going to submit what she has and if it gets denied next week then we can redo the submission process. WTH, if they met last week while i was in the office, that means we had 2 weeks to complete the paperwork and send the correct info.....NOW, i have to wait to weeks to be denied, then redo it all and wait another 2 weeks for approval??? Then she got nasty with me, like she's doing me some kind of favor. Gonna say if I paid my phone bill we wouldn't have this problem....WTH, I have a brand new phone and number, she must have forgot that too...grrrrrr, this lady is rubbing me all the wrong ways but i dont wanna go back to my home office since the new girl is still training...sorry boo, you cant touch my folder!! So now she has officially submitted my papers on MONDAY, so I have no choice, I will wait, pray and have faith that her 8 years as a Nutritionist works on my behalf. I need this to be over ASAP, I'm getting worn out and the work hasnt even really begun. I feel a lil better I guess...just didnt wanna cry at work...smh! P. S. If you wanna know what info needs to be submitted, I will attach the form for BALTIMORE, MD. Good luck BP fam!! 20140319104905881.pdf

Im surprised anyone is arguing this with you. I am a Utilization Review Manager and Certified Medical Insurance Specialist and I can tell you now that if you did not get an authorization or you did not fill out any paperwork for that procedure, you CANNOT be billed for that. In private offices, they do things unconventionally and if you don't seek a lawyer or some type of professional, they will try to make you believe you have to pay because you don't know any better. Please seek counsel, this case is legally considered abuse, not fraud and if you don't know the difference "legally" you have no chance. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY!! Ok...free advice for the day..lol, have a good day!!

Love it! lol

Thanks, this made me smile...literally! All I have now is anticipation...

My husband says she looks like she had to many Acid hits in her day...smh but it was true...a real space cadet!!

Thanks guys, you all make valid points. I never let the Nut know how upset/confused I was because I know when u have to work with someone, you want it to be amicable. I just was so infuriated at her responses. But yes, I am being calm...thank goodness for Bariatricpal.com, I feel like my close friends and family are like, big deal, calm down but I have events coming up, weddings and birthday parties and my job is preparing and I have a very small window to make this happen. I thank u all, you're right! I will just stick in there and continue to monitor her before I report her..after my approval of coarse...lol.

Um can you guys explain this sliming thingy?? and if i'm reading correctly, are you're saying that you kno it's working if you encounter this? It doesnt sound nice but if it shows me something then imma be looking for it soon...lol

Wow, this was one of my fears. I'm sure it's not all on the weightloss, if you've been married that long with a family with this man, there must be other issues for this not to be the first time. It doesnt make him a monster, humans make mistakes and bad choices, also sometimes we just do things in the heat of the moment on impulse. Another thing can be when a man is use to being the center of attention in your life and then you begin to pay more attention to yourself and your needs and goals, they can sometime stray...no excuse but work on understanding why and what he was looking for and dont throw away that man that you invested your time and emotions into....seek the counseling together preferably and see how it goes. But this is no random guy, this is your husband, show him why he has an exceptional wife by giving him the chance to redeem himself, everyone deserves another chance but get to the root of the problem....Good Luck, I've been with my husband for 18 years and I fear him not liking me smaller, he loves my size but says he supports the decision. But this is for me and he will show his true colors when the time presents itself.

I can't relate unfortunately but I can say that my friend who was unable to get pregnant, finally did after 4 months with the sleeve, she's since then had 2 babies and both pregnancies were normal and healthy but she lost weight the entire time and was so worried that what she was doing was harming the baby. You will still lose weight but eat up....baby will be fine! Congrats...please sprinkle your baby dust over me...lol

Well the pouch/tool is still your stomach and as an organ not used it will continue to shrink and cause weight loss if you eat a small amount and your stomach get a use to it. I personally wanna eat less but not like a baby bird... Your tool will learn to fit your eating habits like a glove, so it's important to maintain a healthy diet but honestly..if you can eat more now than most, it doesn't mean you have or will fail at any time it may just mean that your new stomach will learn you and you just may not have the results many others see but to me, you may have it better if u can still eat a somewhat decent amount and continue to lose, just may be a bit slower and take more time. Sounds like you still win as long as your healthy. I have a friend who had the surgery as a study with no pre op classes, no weight loss requirement, no pre op diets and she never even got the post op nutritional classes that would have helped her be more successful. See she had a huge weight loss but not as much as she wwould've. but she said No matter what she ate, she lost consistently. Maybe this is why all surgeons have different recommendations at different stages....maybe because it doesn't matter what u eat cuz your gonna lose it anyway! (A girl can dream) But in this case, the best advice to follow is that of the image you'd like to possess. So I LOVE bariatric.com for its community and our diverse neighbors and their opinions....as radical as they become!!

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I am a strong minded person. When I set my mind to something, it's priority and usually ends up a completed project but lately...smh, since i did not meet my weight requirement at my last appointment, I have been so discouraged. I feel like, how can you demand I lose a certain amount of weight NOW, without my tool. My weight fluctuates so much due to Fluid retention plus major changes can happen to my body in a week and be undone just as quickly. I had 4lbs more to lose, now I have 7lbs just from a few snow days at home and not working out. I'm worried I will not meet the next weigh in next week. I made changes that caused me to gain instead of lose like.. 1. stopped smoking and gained 6 pounds immediately. 2. I use to eat once a day but now i eat 3 times a day and with a snack sometimes...following my nutritionist orders to stop skipping meals...but i just keep gaining. 3. Due to low Calcium, I take the pills but also try to drink more milk which gives me gas and causes bloating.. Just give me the dang on SLEEVE and let me show you what I can do with less appetite, more restriction and internal assistance, I'm being asked to do things that I am coming to them asking for help with...I hope I cant get denied for trying and not being successful. going on my 7th month in a 6 month program..it's getting tiresome!!

Congrats to you and good luck on future successes!!

Ok good...i thought they kicked me out..lol