circa

Age and length of time being obese will play into this a bit, but genetics will as well. Yoga and Pilates seem to be the best way to maintain that skin tightness from what I've seen. Sometimes though - especially in some areas of the body, there's just no way around it. My biggest problem has been and always will be my upper arms. I know I have a brachioplasty in my future and I'm okay with that. I don't have a big problem with my lower abdomen like a lot of people do - I don't have the "apron" per se. I'm hoping my thighs and butt will work out with all the exercise I plan to be doing! God I can't wait to get back to that!!! Anyway - you really have to take your own genetics into account here. Hopefully you won't have a big problem!

Happy Birthday!!!!! Congrats on the progress!

This is what Priority Health says regarding VSG: C. Limitations 1. The following bariatric procedures are covered when the surgical criteria above have been met: a. Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy b. Laparoscopically Adjustable Banding with FDA approved device c. Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS) (For Medicaid, see #6 below). d. Sleeve gastrectomy IF one of the following applies (For Medicaid, see #6 below): (i) A Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is contraindicated (e.g. severe adhesions, previous bowel surgery) and the patient is either not desirous of or not a candidate for any other covered procedure (laparoscopically banded gastroplasty or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch ), OR (ii) The sleeve gastrectomy is an integral part of another planned covered procedure (i.e. duodenal switch procedure), but only if the sleeve gastrectomy is performed because intraoperative complications preclude the completion of the duodenal switch procedure itself. So I see the way around if the surgeon is willing - but holy crap! Why such a big ordeal for a surgery that's been around literally forever? heheh Any advice on how I approach this with my surgeon?

Very possibly. I'm pretty fortunate in that respect with my surgeon - they said these are ALL the procedures that are FDA approved. These are ALL the procedures we do. If we don't do it and you want it, go somewhere else. They were pretty upfront about it. However, I also believe in being your own advocate. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH! Ask questions! :ohmy:

back in the day.....when I was a "runner" - I hated it at first. I hated exercising - until I started to fully gain the non-physical aspects from it. I ran to clear my head. The physical benefit was just an extra perk. I circuit trained because it was easy and I didn't really have to be awake for it - but by the time I was done, I wasn't hating the morning anymore (I'm a TOTAL night person) - sure i had to force it at first, but I found other aspects of it to enjoy. I also no longer feel guilty for watching a soap opera since I do it WHILE I'm working out haha :ohmy: I can watch all the tv I want and not feel guilty as long as I'm doing something active :thumbup:

Thanks - yeah I'm having a hard time with this. I pay my freaking insurance premiums and hardly cost the industry a dime for 30 years. I do everything I need to do - save the doctor's office time and energy by keeping everything organized (my PCP LOVES ME) and I get to wait. WAIT WAIT WAIT. Bizarrely - its the actual doctors, not the insurance company dicking me around this time.

I can honestly say that I have been a relatively normal weight and it wasn't all that long ago - heck my clothes are still in style. And I can tell you that her attachment to food is what she's missing. I can't tell you how many times, as an obese person or as a "normal weight" person I went out to dinner and paid so little attention to my food because i was having a GREAT time with friends. Who cares how much you can eat if you're in good company and you're fulfilled? A person who isn't really fulfilled. She can't stuff enough food in to fill that emptiness that she feels anymore and she hasn't fixed what's causing the emptiness. I feel for her, but she needs to find a way to get some help. The great thing is - I don't have to diet and watch what I eat. I won't be able to sit down and eat an entire cheesecake haha. (Yes, I did that once or twelve times in my life) But I'll be able to have a bite of someone else's who doesn't want to feel guilty for eating an entire piece haha :ohmy:

I think that's a flawed argument. Comparing cars to potentially life saving, and definitely life-changing surgery. Sure in the literal term it might hold water, but let's look at the real picture. Its more like comparing oral to IV treatments. One might be more comfortable with one over the other

Wow! congrats!!!! Although this kinda scares me - I absolutely HATE chocolate - does that mean I might like it after having the sleeve? haha :thumbup:

Well said :ohmy:

There may be reasons to believe that GB is the most effective but to say that because its faster is really a flawed argument. Irregardless of which method is chosen, if its not properly maintained and used, its like putting a band-aid on a gushing wound. Getting to the root cause of the problem is the most effective way. But just like anything where there are choices, people will have their preferred method - even, and especially doctors.

Ya know, maybe if I hadn't been working on this for a year and a half now, I wouldn't be so frustrated. I have ZERO idea how this can be hard. I'm sitting here with everything done - just waiting for the surgical date. Insurance companies BOTH have sent me letters of approval. I've contacted every other surgeon's office within 200 miles of me - either they don't take my primary insurance or(and sometimes AND) I have to start completely over with THEIR process which means giving back my approval and having them do everything from step 1 all over again. WTF? What kind of sense does that make? They want to send the exact same paperwork to my insurance company to get the exact same answer I already got from my insurance company. Huh? I'll have to see their doctor who will go over the medical records my doctor sends after they take my history that I already have with my doctor so that this doctor can put his stamp on it and give it to the surgeon. Uhhh What??? Yeah. Makes NO sense. I mean you can quote procedures etc - but this is why this crap costs so much! Because there's 5 people doing the same thing over and over again that's already been done! I might as well stay where I'm at - provided I can actually get a phonecall back from these people. UGH. I'm just frustrated that I can't even get someone else to move when I've already done everything I can do. I have no more pre-op appointments that I can do - only other thing I could do is the shrink visit and dietician visit but I was told that if I do them BEFORE I have my surgical consult that they won't count and i"ll have to do them again. *flails arms wildly* So no phonecalls back, no appointments to keep, no paperwork to fill out....just sitting here waiting...

yeah I'm the customer..problem is I'm in a pretty rural area and going with another surgery center would be quite difficult - having to miss work at least one day for every appointment, the drive time, money involved - its not something i have at this point and time.

Well apparently, biological kids aren't really an option for me, apparently - which is fine. In fact, I'd hope they'd just take out all the stuff that's not working correctly for me haha. (the malfunction of my girly stuff isn't due to weight) Its come down to an insurance coverage question, really. I want the sleeve but will settle for the band if I _have_ to - and then pay for the sleeve revision later if need be. I don't have the funds to do it now but hopefully in the future.

I am, in fact, leaning more toward the sleeve than the band at this time. I won't make my final determination until after i talk to my surgeon. I know that there are a lot of questions that i need to have answered. I'm making a list to take with me. I'll have a lot of time to create a larger list of questions. Now my sister is looking into the band - and for her, that might be the right option - but I want to ask questions for her - she has other issues to deal with and she always has the questions _after_ the doctor visit haha. I wish I could take her with me! She's going to her PCP tomorrow to talk about it. I just want to give her a list of questions to ask - and they'll be similar to mine - but I also want to put myself in her position to think of any other questions since our situations vary.

This is what Priority Health says regarding VSG: C. Limitations 1. The following bariatric procedures are covered when the surgical criteria above have been met: a. Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy b. Laparoscopically Adjustable Banding with FDA approved device c. Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS) (For Medicaid, see #6 below). d. Sleeve gastrectomy IF one of the following applies (For Medicaid, see #6 below): (i) A Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is contraindicated (e.g. severe adhesions, previous bowel surgery) and the patient is either not desirous of or not a candidate for any other covered procedure (laparoscopically banded gastroplasty or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch ), OR (ii) The sleeve gastrectomy is an integral part of another planned covered procedure (i.e. duodenal switch procedure), but only if the sleeve gastrectomy is performed because intraoperative complications preclude the completion of the duodenal switch procedure itself. So I see the way around if the surgeon is willing - but holy crap! Why such a big ordeal for a surgery that's been around literally forever? heheh Any advice on how I approach this with my surgeon?

Here's the thing. Star Jones never lied. She didn't say anything - other people made statements for her and not necessarily with her permission.

*obligatory* TOLDYA SO! Congrats!

so I didn't get my call last week and I'm not going to get it this week either. They're CLOSED FOR THE WEEK FOR TRAINING! While I'm glad they're being trained, it certainly would be nice if they'd be taking phonecalls - or at least making the ones they were supposed to make! Maybe that's what their training is on lol.

so I didn't get my call last week and I'm not going to get it this week either. They're CLOSED FOR THE WEEK FOR TRAINING! While I'm glad they're being trained, it certainly would be nice if they'd be taking phonecalls - or at least making the ones they were supposed to make! Maybe that's what their training is on lol.

oh yeah unfundused - that would be way more better!

I am, in fact, leaning more toward the sleeve than the band at this time. I won't make my final determination until after i talk to my surgeon. I know that there are a lot of questions that i need to have answered. I'm making a list to take with me. I'll have a lot of time to create a larger list of questions. Now my sister is looking into the band - and for her, that might be the right option - but I want to ask questions for her - she has other issues to deal with and she always has the questions _after_ the doctor visit haha. I wish I could take her with me! She's going to her PCP tomorrow to talk about it. I just want to give her a list of questions to ask - and they'll be similar to mine - but I also want to put myself in her position to think of any other questions since our situations vary.

exactly. I have an overactive fundus! I want to be unfunded!

Yeah I don't typically have that issue either hahah

Oh my god. I so needed that. I had this thing of "I came here with it - I should leave with it" but if your appendix burst or your gall bladder was diseased or you had kidney cancer or whatever, you certainly wouldn't hold on to that! I've always said every time I've had a cancer scare that whatever it is - kidney, boob - whatever - lop it off, I'll get a new one! Why wouldn't I say the same thing about my stomach that's making me ill? Move over ancient philosophers! We have true words of wisdom right here! thanks!