ready2B

One thing I've learned is that if someone has been successful with their own personal results with a particular surgery, that is the one they will praise. Your PCP isn't really unbiased in this situation. Of course he/she thinks it is THE BEST! But one size doesn't fit all. There are lots of things to consider. Do you have problems with GERD - the sleeve can make that much worse in some people. Do you have any conditions that might make having a "blind stomach" left in you a risk? Those are just a couple, there are lots of other things your surgeon will explore with you. Of course not all surgeons are unbiased either, so at the end of the day, you have to go with your best judgement considering all the information you have. I was in a similar situation - my PCP thought the sleeve was the greatest new thing ever and thought I should do that. My surgeon told me either one would give me great results and it was up to me. I went back & forth for a while, and finally decided that I really needed the malabsorption to help insure I won't be able to gain weight back quickly as I always have in the past. GERD was also an issue, as well as the relative newness of the sleeve. I didn't want to have a revision somewhere down the road because of unforeseen complications with the sleeve - I wanted more of a sure thing (as much as anything like this can be.) Yes, it is more drastic and will require more changes in my life, but I am in a place mentally and emotionally where I believe I can handle those well. So for me, these things tipped the scale. Only you know what your circumstances, health issues, mental/emotional abilities are, etc. Just keep gathering information and at some point, you will see the scales tipping more in one direction than the other and you will know what is right for you.

Hi! I attended my first meeting about the same time you did with a similar BMI & also bypass as my best option. It is scary, no doubt about that, but for me the inevitable results of NOT having surgery far outweighed my fears. And the more I have talked with those who have had it and hear how many positive changes they have in their lives now, how much their quality of life has improved, it makes me more and more excited to have this and be on that losing side already! I am finally scheduled for surgery in Nov and although I am very impatient, the fact that this process takes so long is a good thing because it does give you plenty of time to wrap your head around the whole thing. Use this time to educate yourself as much as possible about the procedures, the benefits, the risks, the diet changes, the statistics on weight loss and improvement of morbidities, etc. There is a ton of information out there. I suggest sticking with well-respected authoritative sources such as well-known hospitals, medical research institutes, etc rather than personal stories/blogs since one person's horror story might be a one-in--million instance and who knows what factors played into their issues (other medical conditions that don't apply to you, horrible doctor, not following medical advice, etc.) Our hospital has a support group and it was nice to meet people who had already had the procedure and to see where they were at 3 months, 6 months out, etc. It was also nice to get a bit of an inside scoop on how things work with the surgeon I have, how the hospital stay goes, what the pre-op & post-op diet will be like, and things like that. The nurses are also available to call or message with any questions that we might come up with (because even with a list, you will think of things you forgot to ask once you leave his office!) So - a big question to ask when you have your appointment is who you can call if you have more questions!

I am planning on having gastric bypass. It wasn't an easy decision for me - it's a pretty drastic measure really, but nothing else was working for me and I hadn't been able to lose a single pound in years and my quality of life was way below where I want it to be. I recommend you do like I did (and what many others here have done) and that is research and read everything you can get ahold of. I googled a lot - though I do recommend sticking to authoritative sources (well-respected medical organizations & hospitals) rather than blogs & personal opinions.) What I found was that gastric bypass has a long history of very high success rates and gives the majority of patients a much better quality of life in a relatively short period of time. Many see relief from high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and a bunch of other comorbidities. The surgery isn't without risks and it isn't a cure in itself, but it is a great tool in helping you get to a much healthier place than you would be able to do on your own. It took me a while to wrap my head around the whole idea of someone cutting into me and changing the whole way my body handles food, but I think I am prepared for it now and ready to get on with starting my new healthier life. The process of getting approved takes a while, so it gives you a chance to get used to the idea mentally and emotionally. From what I have seen, but the time most people get close to their surgery date, they are pretty excited and anxious to have it done.

I have Anthem BCBS and it only took a day for my approval once they got all the right paperwork submitted to them. I'm older (mid 50s) and have a couple of comorbidities, but I don't think that mattered as much as them having all the info correct and that I met all their requirements before things were submitted. If your doctor submitted documentation that you have tried traditional dieting programs and were not successful in keeping the weight off, then your age really shouldn't matter.

Welcome! I am not or ever have been a smoker, so can't answer that for you. But about the skin, though I am pre-op too, I did lose close to 100 lbs in my mid 40s. At first, I had some saggy skin, but everyone told me to wait a little while (at least 6 - 12 months) and see if it shrunk up any. Surprisingly, it did and I had no bagginess at all except for very droopy boobs. I did exercise a lot and don't know if that helped tone me up or if I was just lucky. I think it depends a lot of the individual - so many factors affect things. But I do think the advice to wait a few months after you get to goal is a good idea. I've known quite a few people who didn't have to have anything done either. In my case, I just gained all the weight back and more, so if I did have baggy skin, I would have filled it all up again! I definitely don't plan on doing that again.

Congratulations! My surgery should be pretty close to yours if Oct 23 is 2 weeks before. Mine is Nov 10th. My doc doesn't require a 2 week pre-op diet, just full liquids the day before. I think every doc is different so you will probably have to ask them. Give them a call, I am sure someone can fill you in on what to expect. Mine doesn't provide any food or Protein drinks, etc before or after surgery, but they gave us a list of approved products so we can buy them ahead of time. They also told us what we needed in terms of Vitamins & supplements.

After finally fulfilling all of my requirements, I am now waiting on medical clearance and insurance approval. This whole pre-op time has been so nerve-racking. I laid awake last night thinking up 100 reasons why they might deny me clearance or insurance approval (though none of them are really valid, LOL - but they sounded quite possible at 3 am.) I keep second guessing my answers to the pysch exam, wondering what little piece on information might be missing or written wrong in my chart, worrying that the insurance lady will have screwed up somehow and that they will somehow only give me this one shot to submit things. Arrrrggghhh!! Having to wait extra time because of the holiday weekend didn't help either. From what I understand, the surgeon is already scheduling 6-8 weeks out, so I will likely have a lot longer to wait. Anyone else feel like this whole process is a test of our mental, physical & emotional fortitude? If we pass this test with sanity intact, maybe it will mean the rest of the ride will be a piece of cake.

Not everyone has the same evaluation. Mine was a multiple choice test of about 200-300 questions. Not difficult, but I made sure I gave pretty positive answers and also had to watch out for some tricky double-negative type questions. Then I had about a half hour meeting with the psych person where she mainly asked about my past diet/eating history and what I wanted to get out of weight loss surgery. Mostly they want to make sure you understand the process and are capable of making an informed decision and that your expectations are realistic. She did ask if I'd had depression and I was honest about past history but said I was in a really good place now. I think that is also important. Be honest but don't emphasize past problems a whole lot - I've read on here people who got sent to counseling for a few months because they talked a bit too much about past eating disorders or depression.

Marie - I can sympathize. I had to stay on the insurance coordinator at my surgeon's office. It seemed like every single step of the way, there was a delay because of missing paperwork, something that wasn't faxed properly, etc. It was so incredibly frustrating having such a major life event for me in the hands of someone else! I think most of us are really anxious especially about the insurance approval and these caseworkers are used to being bugged. So if it gives you peace of mind, call her to verify that she has indeed sent the rest of the info, then call the insurance to verify that they have received it. Nothing is more annoying than finding out a week or so later than something else fell through the cracks! By continually checking up on things, I finally was approved and scheduled. I think I'd still be waiting too if I hadn't kept bugging them. Good luck!

I just Googled for you - here is a list of links to their policies. https://www.blueshieldca.com/provider/authorizations/clinical-policies/medical-procedures/policy.sp. The link for Bariatric Surgery showed a message to download Adobe Reader even though I already had it installed, so I just downloaded the document (right click & save) and opened it in Reader instead of in the browser. You should still call your insurance company and ask specifically about your policy since some employers can opt out of Bariatric Surgery coverage on their plans.

I feel your frustration! This whole process has been crazy-making. There have been so many stupid little miscommunications, pieces of my file that got misplaced, faxes that didn't go through, etc.. My surgery date is now set for a couple of months later than it should have been because of human errors (though I did everything on my part right and as quickly as I possibly could.) It's so hard having such a major event in our lives hinge on someone else to do their job right. Keep calling and checking on things all along the way. Believe me, they are used to it! If I hadn't done that, I'd still be sitting here waiting for things to even be sent to insurance or to the scheduler. I called my insurance company too - and they didn't mind at all. They were happy to tell me the status. Can you call that outside company or your insurance company to make sure they got everything they need? I'd call and confirm that if I were you. Mess ups happen and the sooner you catch things the less of this crazy waiting game you have to play. In my case, ending up just one day later in the process than others with my same doctor made a month's difference in the next available surgery date that I got!

That's terrible! So, if you go another month and lose this time, does that count as your 6-months and you can apply again?

I also thought you'd done the all-you-can-eat shrimp! I was horrified at the thought only 9 days out. Glad that wasn't the case. I don't think you were "bad" at all. Just some frustration on both of your parts in getting used to a major change in your lives. I can see my husband pouting a bit because things don't stay the same for him once I have my surgery. Heck, the complaining he always did when I was on a diet! "Not chicken again!" Or "I want REAL food!". A small part (though not insignificant) in me gaining the weight back was because I was tired of him complaining. So this time I have talked with him a LOT about how I won't ever be able to eat the same again and that it WILL affect him. I won't be nearly as good of a "eating out buddy" as I am now, nor will I want to cook big meals for him all the time. He's okay with it (for now) because he really is worried about my health, but I imagine we will have similar spats to yours once reality sets in.

Finally got word that I do have medical clearance and confirmation that everything required by insurance has been submitted. Now I just wait.

I'd be happy just to jump 2 months ahead and be past the first couple of weeks after my surgery. I want to be there to enjoy every minute of the losing!

More frustration: I got a letter back from the insurance company already (it was only submitted Thursday) but they apparently didn't get even half of the stuff my doctor's office was supposed to send! So now I am trying to get ahold of them to get all the rest of my documentation in their hands so they can approve it. I was surprised to get a response so quickly - I held my breath as I opened the letter, thinking "Dare I believe it could be approved already?!" Ha. Oh well, wishful thinking and another few sleepless nights. Still no word on whether or not my doctor has approved medical clearance either. There was a week delay already because they had misplaced one little piece of paper in my chart. Very frustrating.

Hi - I am wondering how this will go. I had my gallbladder out a few years ago and was one of the *lucky* few who now has chronic bile salt diarrhea as a result. I have to take medication daily to "bind with the bile" so I can have somewhat normal bowel movements and not be too afraid to leave the house. I was hoping if I have gastric bypass, the surgeon could just "fix that while he's in there" but he kinda laughed and said it doesn't work that way. So if there is anyone out there who also has this side effect from their gallbladder, did it change either for better or worse with WLS? Did you have more diarrhea or less? Did you have to change medications? I am worried about how I will keep that fine balance between not having chronic diarrhea and also not getting constipated because I certainly don't want to end up with an obstruction. Got any insights, tips, etc?

Good luck with everything! I am waiting just for insurance approval now. Talk to your doctor about taking Welchol or there's a powdered version for after your surgery. It has really given me my life back and saved me from unspeakable embarrassment! My surgeon said only about 3% of people who get their gallbladder out get this lovely little side effect.

kyrickchick64 - You should Google "bile salt diarrhea." I had no idea what it was until a friend told me about it, my doctors never did. If you've had problems since your gallbladder came out, it could be that and not IBS The good news is it is treatable with medication (it's a cholesterol medicine so you end up with really good cholesterol too!) If I don't take it, like you, I am scared I won't make it to the bathroom in time. What surgery are you going to have?

Congratulations! I hope to have my bypass in about a month. Glad to hear everything is going great! That's exciting. I hope I do as well. About the gas, does anything like GasX strips help or it is a different kind of gas?

I am sure everywhere does it a little differently. Where I am going they did everything in a 3 hour appt. They had 4-5 of us in a small conference room and first a nurse came in and went over all the different procedures, explained what they are like, the recovery process, etc. Then an insurance person came in and gave each of us a list of the requirements for our specific insurance plans, and she explained that process. Then a nutritionist explained about the post-op diet, necessary Vitamins, ways to get in Protein, etc. And then the surgeon came in and explained things in more detail. Everyone let us ask as many questions as we wanted. Then we each met individually with all the different people. We were weighed and measured, went over medical history, talked with about any additional testing we might need, talked to the billing department to see what our co-pays would be, met with the surgeon to be evaluated by him about which surgery would be best as well as what concerns he had or that we might have. Then we got the rest of our required appointments scheduled and were finally done! It was a lot to take in but it was all very very helpful. They gave us a packet with everything too to read when we got home.

I don't have Kaiser, but I just had my eval this week. It was no big deal really. I had to do a test that was maybe 500 multiple choice questions, though quite a few of them were the same question with slightly different wording. If you answer things like you are sad, all alone, have no hope, etc - then I imagine they would want you to have counseling before surgery. Or if you hear voices, have delusions, etc, they would probably disqualify you. You likely won't have any of those problems! Then I spent about 30 minutes talking with the counselor. She asked simple questions about what kind of support I have, if I feel ready for surgery, why do I want to have it, things like that. She did ask if I was or have been on antidepressants and I answered honestly. She also asked if I'd ever been hospitalized and again, honesty is the best way to answer since I am sure somehow they could find out if you were lying and that would look worse I think. I told her very briefly about my past struggles when my dad died (I did downplay things) but told her I sought counseling and am doing far better now. That seemed to be a good answer! I think they can tell a lot more by your demeanor and body language than what you actually say. People who are depressed might come across with forced cheerfulness, for example. So, just relax, be yourself and don't worry!

I've been taking phentermine for the past 45 days, prescribed by my PCP to help "get the ball rolling". I fully understand it is a very temporary aid. I am very pleased that it has enabled me to control my appetite enough that I can make better choices and limit my portions so that I have lost almost 20 lbs. I had tried numerous times before to lose on my own and had been completely unsuccessful in losing even a couple of pounds. I've been also tracking every bite on MyFitnessPal. Fortunately I have had no bad side effects at all other than constipation. No heart racing, no anxiety or any of that. I just eat less. And I think it has also speeds up my metabolism. The few days I was unable to take it (due to constipation that needed to MOVE), I gained weight back while eating the same amount of calories. So, I am very grateful for this little bit of help. It has helped me lose enough already that I no longer have severe pain in my knees and back daily. I certainly wouldn't want to take it longer than 3 months though, so I am anxious to have my surgery and be able to lose the rest of my weight.

Congratulation! The countdown begins. :-) My stuff should go to insurance today for approval. I am hoping for a Sept date too but from what I hear, it will more likely be Oct.

Congratulations! You and your roses look beautiful!