Amyly2n

I think my surgery will be the first week of October. I go to my last supervised weigh in on September 2nd and then everything gets submitted to insurance.

I've been researching this for a while but I have three things that stick out in my mind as deciding factors in actively perusing surgery: 1. Going to Disney World with my kids last year and being terrified after getting on a roller coaster and the lap bar that was supposed to come down to hold me and my daughter in our seats came nowhere close to touching her. She had on a seatbelt too but I spent the whole ride with my arm across her because I was afraid she was going to fall out and it would've been my fault for being so fat that the bar couldn't protect her. 2. My daughter (6 years old) told me a couple months ago after watching a Nutrisystem commercial that I should get some of that so I won't be fat. She's 6 so she didn't know she hurt my feelings. She doesn't know I've done Nutrisystem twice and it didn't work. 3. And the last one I feel kinda vain about but I've recently started volunteering in the children's ministry at church and I am constantly getting mistaken for any of the four women (including me) that are really overweight that also volunteer in the children's ministry. It's like the people who are mistaking us don't see us (personality, face, etc) they just see a fat woman and lump us all into one person. I just want these women to stop seeing me as fat and lumping me into that group. Those other 3 ladies are great ladies so it's not a bad thing to be mistaken as them but It seems all the thin or average people aren't constantly mistaken for each other, just us four. I just finally want to be remembered for something other than my weight. I thought it was all in my head until I had a 10 minute conversation with a lady Wednesday night and then 30 minutes later she and I were talking again and she started to ask me questions that were meant for one of the other women (home schooling questions, and I do not homeschool) and was talking to me like she hadn't just had a conversation with me earlier in the night. It's just frustrating.

Cindy- thanks for making those videos! . I am hoping to have surgery in September or October so your videos seem like they will be helpful!

I haven't had surgery but I do have experience with not being able to eat much during pregnancy so I thought I'd relieve some of your fears. I had hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness) with both of my pregnancies. I couldn't eat anything all 9 months with either and ended up losing 50 pounds with my first and 70 with my second child. Most days I was lucky to get in 400 calories and even then it was crappy food, nothing healthy. Both of my babies weighed over 7 pounds and were full term. So, although I'm sure you aren't in the most ideal situation, I am sure you will be fine. Unlike with my pregnancies, the limited calories you can take in will be quality foods and will be able to take prenatal vitamins. I was considered high risk with both of my pregnancies but in some ways that was better because I was more closely monitored. If the high risk doctor you are seeing doesn't make you comfortable, please find one that does, at 8 weeks pregnant you have plenty of time. Maybe talk to your bypass surgeon to see if he/she knows someone that deals with post-bariatric surgery pregnant people.

Phil I am in Birmingham too. I am using Dr. Schmitt and I think his website says your BMI should be over 35 and have comorbidities for insurance in this area to pay. You should call his office and talk to them...they knew exactly what I needed to get approved. If you need their number you can find it at www.alabamawls.com and ask to talk to Ashley. Edited to add...here is what their website says: Generally, a person must have a BMI of 40 or greater for insurance to pay for their surgery if that person does not have serious health problems related to obesity. If a person suffers from one or more serious health problems related to obesity (comorbidities), such as hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary artery disease, diabetes (must be on insulin or oral medication), pulmonary hypertension or severe sleep apnea, then the required BMI is lowered to 35. Insurance companies also require that you have been morbidly obese for at least three years. Furthermore, many usually require that you participate in a doctor supervised weight loss program (but Medicare does not). This requires once monthly visits to a doctor for seven consecutive months. Insurance will not pay for surgery of patients under age 18. Please note that these are insurance company requirements and are of importance only if you want your insurance company to pay for your surgery. Many patients pay for their own surgery and therefore these insurance criteria do not apply. The surgeons at Alabama Weight Loss Surgery will perform surgery on carefully screened patients with a BMI of 30 or greater. Furthermore, if a patient has already made several weight loss attempts, another pre-op weight loss program is not required. Finally, the benefits of surgical weight loss are well documented among adolescents and we do operate on patients under age 18.

Phil I am in Birmingham too. I am using Dr. Schmitt and I think his website says your BMI should be over 35 and have comorbidities for insurance in this area to pay. You should call his office and talk to them...they knew exactly what I needed to get approved. If you need their number you can find it at www.alabamawls.com and ask to talk to Ashley.

Thank you everyone! You have all made me feel better! I am sure I will be fine and by this time tomorrow I will realize how ridiculous I am being by overthinking everything @amazon- yes, hundreds of questions is what I was told. The paper work that was mailed to me said "the evaluation usually lasts from 3 to 5 hours, depending on the patient". The husband of my coworker said his took about 4 hours.

I have my psych evaluation tomorrow morning and I am nervous! I just hope it goes ok. It is my next to last clearance I have to get before my paperwork can be submitted to insurance. My co-worker's husband had the sleeve using the same insurance and doctor that I am using back in April, so he has been a great source of information as far as what to expect at each appointment, so I feel like I know what to expect tomorrow. Because I know what to expect, I am nervous. He said I will have to fill out a survey with 300-400 questions on it and maybe another test and then talk to the psych about my dieting history and what I expect to get out of this surgery and I guess just to see what my mindset is. He said it was really no big deal...but to me...it is. I am nervous. I have severe ADHD and I am unmedicated... I just incorporate behavior modifications in my day to day life (make lists, take frequent breaks, have a solid routine) and I cope pretty well from day to day. I am nervous that after having to focus for so long on 300-400 questions and then possibly other tests, I won't be able to focus on talking to the psych and will come across as a complete lunatic or insincere. I just get really fidgety and my train of thought wanders or I get really aggitated and angry if I have to focus for so long (which rarely happens), and I guess I am just afraid that will come across as a nut case. Has anyone else had experience with this? Or, does anyone have any suggestions? I feel like maybe I should be really up front with the psych when I sit down to talk to him about my ADHD and maybe he will understand?

I haven't gotten my date yet, but I expect it to be late September too! Congrats on the 8 days of being cigarette free!

it's about 30 minutes north of you. It's a really small town so you probably haven't heard of it if you haven't lives here long. It's just one county over from you.

@LidiBell- I'm in Springville...do you know where that is?

I'm only about 30 minutes from you so maybe you will be successful and I'll hear you scream!

I was reading another thread a minute ago that was about lap band and someone listed links to a bunch of blogs about her favorite lap band success stories. I'm new to this group (and still jumping through insurance hoops) and was wondering if anyone had favorite blogs that they read about people who have had the sleeve.

DTiller- I'm not sure I have to do the EGD. I guess I'll find out. I thought I'd have to go to the pulmonologist too considering the sarcoidosis and I have sleep apnea, but they said my normal doctor can clear me and I have to provide a 2 week print out showing compliance with my CPAP as far as the sleep apnea goes. I am waiting until I am sure I have 2 weeks of full compliance for that. I will do great and then I'll have a night where I take my mask off several times in the night and I start my 2 week count again! I am finding out every doctor and every insurance is different. Thankfully a coworker's husband had surgery in April using the same doctor and same insurance, so I know a lot of what to expect from him. Tiffany- It has flown by! I just realized a week ago that I only had about 2 months left and now feel a little panicked. I am constantly reading up on things so that I can be as prepared as I can be.

Dtiller- I found out from my surgery coordinator that my pulmonology clearance could come from my primary care doctor that I have been seeing every month for the monitored diet portion. It saved me one appointment and one more co-pay. What is an EDG? I don't think I have to do that. My surgeon said something about looking at the veins in my legs before surgery because I have a history of blood clots (although, not in my legs, the only one I had formed 5 inches from my heart) but the coordinator hasn't mentioned it. If she doesn't mention it, I am definitely not going to mention it. BTW- Sorry if I'm chatty, LOL

Dtiller- Thanks! I got the paperwork from the doctor and it said it would take from 3-5 hours and I couldn't figure out what all they were going to want to discuss. It is the appointment I have been most nervous about...well that appointment and my pulmonary clearance. I have an auto-immune disease called Sarcoidosis and my lungs have a lot of scar tissue and I was afraid I wouldn't get cleared for surgery although I have had surgery in the past year. But, I did receive clearance so the psychologist is my next hurdle. I don't think the one on one nutrition appointment will be too bad. Do you have to jump through insurance hoops too?

I will probably also have surgery in October (maybe late September if all the stars align). I am in month 4 of 6 of the required medically supervised diet. I haven't lost more than 10 pounds. I have 2 more scheduled appointments besides my monthly appointments for weight loss, one with a nutiritionist (one on one) and one with the psychologist scheduled for July 29th and August 7th. I also have to go to one support group meeting (July 19th) and one nutrition class that will explain what to expect before and after surgery. I am not sure when that is, but that isn't required by insurance, but by the doctor. At my consultation in February, the doctor said to schedule that class less than a month from my surgery date so that all the information will be fresh in my mind. I should have all of my paperwork to submit to insurance on September 2nd or 3rd and the coordinator says it takes around a week to hear back from insurance. Has anyone else had the psychologist appointment? What should I expect?

I just googled this one and noticed it is on Groupon for the next 3 days for only $26.99 versus the $49.99 that Bed Bath and Beyond's website shows it listed at. I might have to order it!

I am seeing Dr. Schmitt that is in the office with Dr. Miles. I was supposed to use Dr. Miles but because of the snow storm back in January my first appointment was rescheduled with Dr. Schmitt. When do you think you will have surgery? I plan on late September or October.

I am a newbie too! I am planning on having surgery in late September or early October. Some days I feel like the 6 months of supervised weight loss are dragging by and some days I can't believe I'm already in my 5th month! I realized about a week ago that I need to get everything else scheduled for the insurance approval so I feel so accomplished by having now scheduled all of my final appointments before everything gets submitted for insurance. My last supervised weight loss appointment should be September 2nd and everything else is scheduled to be completed 2 weeks before that so my coordinator has stated that she should be able to submit all of my paper work for insurance approval that day or the next day and then it is about a week of waiting for approval and then about 2 weeks for an open spot on the surgery calendar. In the 6 months of supervised weight loss I have not lost that much (less than 10 pounds), so I am a little nervous about how insurance will view this. Will they view it as I've tried and failed AGAIN so they will approve me or because I haven't lost much on paper will they view it as I haven't tried at all and deny me? I have an insurance company called Viva Health and don't know many people with this that have had WLS, so the whole approval process is scary. My doctor's ofice deals with this insurance company all the time and assures me I am on the right track, so hopefully I will get approved! I am currently trying to read and absorb all of the information I can about pre and post surgery nutrition so that I will be very sucessful long term!