dsdesigna

by law personal medical information should not be shared with employers. It's illegal for them to hold it against you as long as you give them notice that you are going to be doing something, you have no obligation to be specific. HR might need to know but only if you need job modification. And they are legally bound not to divulge that information

I noticed there are many VSG patients on the DS board giving out suggestions and tips some of which seem counter intuitive, how different is the diet and issues for each? It would seem from the malabsorption part of the DS that they would be very much different. I'm wondering about real world experience, I realize I could just Google this.

Is Beer even allowed for bypass with all that carbonation??

I'm due to have surgery in a few weeks and this is so inspirational, as I'm certain those kind of arguments and rationalizations are going to be taking place. Nice to know I'm not alone.

Shopping in the normal sized clothes section of the store.

If the member services of your plan do not know what Bariatric Surgery is ask to talk to a supervisor, it should be plain in your plan whether or not those services are covered, and it is highly unlikely to be considered regular surgery since it is an elective procedure. BTW I work for BCBS for Pharmacy Benefits, and I've seen it states clearly on most plans, sometimes referred to as Weight Loss surgery/treatment

There are hundreds of BCBS plans out there, even within the same state. Your member services number on the back of your card will get you to the customer service professionals that you need to speak to. They can tell you if bariatric surgery is covered, be prepared that it might not be it's not universal by any means. It's the first thing I looked into when choosing my insurance. There are apparently a number of financing companies that specialize in self pay patients, you may have to consider that option.

I was told my face & neck look like Tales of the Crypt and that I needed to gain 30 pounds back. To hell with them. I'd rather look like it than be dead in a crypt. I got a panni. I'm done with plastics. And done giving a damn about who thinks they have a right to an opinion about my weight or my looks how rude some people can be! I'd try to think of some snappy comeback but they just don't deserve the energy that would take.RJ just keep on standing out in the sunshine... To hell with them! I'm wondering if any one has faced judgement for choosing surgery rather than "diet and excersize", as if no one has ever tried that method before choosing surgery... There seems to be a palpable divide between various weight maintenance methods, even amongst those in a gym setting where some love cycling but others love Zumba... just pondering. In a more related comment, if anyone says anything about sagging skin to me I'll tell them it's my badge of honor cause I took control of my health. On a side note, you could mention to them that you could get plastic surgery but there is no cure for their stupidity!

Hi all, I'm slated to have surgery in July if all goes well. I'm looking forward to the journey with excitement and curiousity. I have 3 aunts, an uncle, a cousin and his wife, and finally my own father that have all had various forms of WL surgery. My dad had the sleeve last year and is doing well. I'm having the DS as recommended by my doc. The more research I do the more it seems like the only real choice.