Luvin_Life125

Congratulations on all of your hard work!

My 8 year old son has a high eosinophil count regularly. His is caused by his highly allergic body responses. Eosinophils are found in allergy related conditions most commonly. Do you happen to have seasonal or food allergies that are really bothering you right now? It could be caused by many other conditions also. I hope you find a quick and reasonable answer soon!

I am having the same issue with the new app. I have tried deleting and re-installing the app without any improvement. I am removing the app until the necessary improvements are made. It is frustrating and just easier to use the browser on my phone instead of the app. As for the pop up ads and the forum ads, I understand and agree financial compensation is deserved and needed for those who work hard to keep this invaluable resource running. However, offering an option of a paid app would be welcome to many users. The new navigation and organization is good once I got used to the changes. I do miss the option to read the new threads related to your particular topic of interest easily right upon opening the app. I LOVE the option to choose to follow a topic I have replied to instead of automatically being subscribed. Thanks for working so hard to keep bariatric pal moving forward and striving for improvement. This forum is a wonderful resource!

Oh my . Mine have been constant companions since I was 12. I was a DD before my freshman year of high school, an F by college, and now an H. While I hope they do get smaller somewhat, I don't want them to completely go away. I have been planning to have a reduction one year after I get to maintenance. I think I may have to trade the reduction for a lift after reading all of the stories. They have been such a big part (pun intended) of my life for so long I would miss them.

I can't wait to try the different flavors, but I am waiting until post op since the general opinion is tastes tend to change. Where were you all able to find a sample pack available for sale? Thanks!

Thank you for your honesty and confidence. I am pre-op and didn't know what the phantom "extra skin" looked like. You are beautiful and your clothing choices are amazingly perfect! I think you may need to start handing out clothing tips and hints to the new post ops. Thank you for sharing the reality of post op. I can live with that especially if I can avoid another surgery

Hang in there! Gastric polyps are unusual from what I understand and I thought I was all alone in that respect. You are my second polyp person on the forums I have found so far. The doc biopsies them just to make double sure you are ok for VSG. I have faith yours will be benign too. Keep hanging on!

Good afternoon. I am submitting a suggestion for a subforum. I would love to see a category for sales, discount codes and clearance discounts for bariatric related products. I am very frugal and I bet I am not the only one who would love to know when a discount or sale is available on items we may need pre and post op (ie: vitamins, supplements, protein powders, etc). The supplements and other items related to bariatric surgery can get expensive quickly and sharing information to save some money would benefit many forum participants. Thanks for your time and consideration!

What insurer do you have? A BMI over 40 alone isn't sufficient? Have you had a sleep study done recently? If you haven't had a recent sleep study done, it might be worthwhile to do it and see if you might have sleep apnea. It is very common among the obese and just might be the ticket you need. Is your surgeons office willing to appeal the denial or do a peer to peer review? It would be wise to pursue the appeal process and see if it can get you somewhere. If your surgeon's office won't do the appeal, I can help you write one if you want assistance. I worked for many years as a billing manager for al large medical practice and have written many, many appeals in my time. Hmm, I will see what else I can think of in the mean time to help out.

This recipe is one I used when I had a guest with a wheat allergy at the holidays. This would be great baked in single serving ramekin (sp?) and frozen for the time a dessert would hit the spot. I bet you could substitute ricotta cheese instead of the cream to up the protein content. I also used 2 tbs pumpkin pie spice instead of what the recipe calls for. I hope this helps! http://www.food.com/recipe/crustless-low-carb-pumpkin-pie-104352

Hi there everyone. I am a very frugal person and try to use discounts on things I need whenever I can find them. I wanted to share this deal in case anyone else wants to save a bit of $ on some supplements we need after surgery. The sale ends Thursday, September, 11 at 9 AM EST. The Bariatric Advantage Chewy Calcium bites, 250mg, are $9.99 per bag (originally $11.99) using code NINE9 and free shipping after $49 in purchases through Bariatric Choice. They have excellent ratings and 4 different flavors. I bought 7 bags in the various flavors because I might as well enjoy something necessary after surgery. Here is the link: https://www.bariatricchoice.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/144090/ Using this link will also give you a $20 credit from what I understand. I was trying to research and make sure I wasn't violating any of the forum guidelines posting this sale information and there wasn't anything I saw. Please delete my post if this is against the guidelines because that is the last thing I want to do. I really hope this helps someone else out there trying to get their necessary supplies without breaking the bank!

Does anyone know how I can edit this post to remove the link? I think the post follows the rules as long as the link is removed and I don't want to cause a problem. Thanks!

I am so sorry. That is a hard blow when you are so close to and ready for a surgery you worked to get ready for. Hugs to you. It is time to use your frustration to find out what is going on. Your first step is to research your summary plan description from your insurer and your employer . This will give you a way to see the guidelines of your specific policy and what it says about bariatric surgery. Your next step is to go through the guidelines one by one and make sure you have met each requirement. If you have questions, please call your insurer customer service number on the back of your insurance card and ask every question you have. This is the only way to get to the answers you need. I know this set back is upsetting and you feel defeated. Please know we are here to support you. Please don't give up, be determined to find the answers you need. The denial may have been a mistake or may need to be appealed. I also wonder why the doctor's office didn't check into things further before scheduling surgery. My docs office won't schedule my last pre op surgeon visit, nor start my pre-op diet, nor even give me even an estimated date it when my surgery might be scheduled until they have an approval letter in hand from my insurer. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Hang in there and find the answers you need!

Congratulations on finding yourself and learning to love yourself! Truly an inspirational post for me just starting the journey. Congrats again and keep up the great job!

I love www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com I am preop but have started making some of the recipes and freezing them so I have a jump start on post op. I can't wait to see other resources posted!

I am sincerely hoping it will help. I have severe lumbar stenosis and degenerative disc disease requiring extensive pain management. I am only 36, but move slower than an 80 year old. My docs have all said significant weight loss has a good chance of helping reduce the amount of pain I have but probably won't take it away. Heck, I will take any pain reduction I can get! I hope it helps you too!

Unfortunately it is becoming more and more common for healthcare providers to collect deductible payments up front, especially in cases of large deductibles. This change is because medical bills have a pretty high rate of non payment and collection costs even though the doctor provided the services in good faith. Combine that with the fact more and more employers are switching to high deductible health plans, medical providers are spending steadily increasing amounts of time and resources collecting payments from patients. Collecting payments from insurers is easier and more reliable than collecting from patients. On the other side of the coin, families don't always have much of a choice as to which health plan they have. They also don't always have the resources to pay what their health plan doesn't cover. It is a double edged sword and it hurts both the patients and the providers. Unfortunately, there also isn't much that can be done about it but pay the amount you are responsible for. I don't know if this helps you much, but I will tell you how I prepared for the large cost. I have been making a weekly automatic payment to my surgeons office starting the first appointment and all the way through my pre-op preparation appointments. I have sent $30 every week and it has really made a huge dent in my amount due without being a shockingly large bill right before my surgery. It is definitely worth asking the providers if it possible to set up a payment plan for the balance due. They may look more favorably on a payment plan if you start a weekly payment every week right now and show them your intentions are good and you are reliable. My provider did offer to continue my current payments after surgery until the balance is paid in full because I took the initiative to start pre paying my portion. Unfortunately, there is no easy way around this. What was your plan to pay your deductible and any other balance due after surgery? Can you implement the plan sooner? Can you keep the same plan and start it when you planned to but just put your surgery off until a good portion of the balance has been paid? I know delaying surgery is nobody's ideal situation and is disappointing, but I don't know if you can find a way around it. There are very few providers and/ or hospitals that will balance bill patients with large deductibles or out of pocket expenses this day in age. Hugs and support to you because that policy should have been discussed with you before you got this far in the process. We are all here for you if you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to help you find a plan that works for you.

Please don't worry! My EGD was on 8/13/14 and I also had no symptoms and didn't expect the EGD to be any more than another line on a checklist. They found an ulcer, gastritis and many, many polyps. I was undecided between RNY bypass or the gastric sleeve. My surgeon told me after the EGD RNY was no longer an option for me due to the polyps and I was going to have to have the sleeve done instead. He said the sleeve would actually resolve the polyp issue because it would remove all of them. I suggest double checking with your surgeons office just to make sure his medical opinion is the same. Good luck and let me know what happens. Hang in there and keep working your way through the pre-surgical process. You will be joining the Loser's Bench before you know it!

I look forward to being comfortable in my skin and not trying to hide from everyone. Oh and wearing clothes I choose to wear, not being stuck with what fits. And being an active mom with my boys again!

My office requires a preop endoscopy too. I thought it would be a waste of time and money but did it because it is required to have the sleeve done. I have never had heart burn not pregnant and no other GI symptoms. Well turns out the endoscopy was not just a routine thing serving no purpose. They found an ulcer, gastritis, and gastric polyps. Now I am so happy they found all of this before surgery! I am on medication for the ulcer and gastritis. The polyps will be taken care of by the sleeve surgery. The polyps did rule out the possibility of RNY instead of the sleeve. The moral of the story is make sure all bases are covered before surgery and all preop testing is thorough. If a surgeons office blindly schedules you for surgery without going through a preop screening, you probably want to find a new office. Good luck in your adventure!

You may be in luck with the mammogram and some of your blood work. I believe with the healthcare regulations known as Obama care preventative services are covered at 100% by most policies and are not subject to the copays, coverage maximums, etc. call your insurance and ask about coverage for preventative care. I hope you can get this figured out and find a way to get the services you need. Hugs

Lol. I feel your pain. I always hated jeans because it felt like they were cutting me in the waist because my waist is the same as my hips. Apple shapes are more common than you think. For clothes to get through the few months how about trying local thrift stores, consignment stores (Clothes Mentor is great), or check with your surgeons office to see if they have a clothing exchange. I have had really good luck with Goodwill and St. Vincent DePaul thrift stores in higher income areas. You can find some really nice clothing without spending so much money you feel guilty. I have already started sticking clothes in every size from one below my current size down to size 10. Our thrift stores have been having $1 sales and they have had some hi end clothes with tags still on them for $1. I hope you can find a resource near you!

This was a big concern weighing on my mind. I don't scrimp on bras because the engineering needed to support such a large amount of tissue can't be cheap. Fortunately, I still have good bras in various sizes as I gained weight so hopefully I can get through some of the post op period without spending a large amount of cash. Thanks everyone for opening up about a bit of a private subject!

I have already started making homemade broths and freezing them in ice cube trays. Once they are frozen I store them in labelled freezer bags. I am trying to make a good variety so I don't get bored as quickly.