della street

@@azza Do you happen to be in Arizona?

@@joleno I'm tomorrow at 9:30 - excited but super-nervous too! Are you having sleeve or bypass?

I *love* my Mirena! After about 5 years of HEAVY periodic bleeding due to peri-menopause, finally found an OBGYN who didn't just pooh pooh my symptoms with "well, everyone's different, yes, things can get heavy or light, you just have to put up with it till it's over..." -- sorry for TMI, but weeks of passing major blood clots, being terrified to even stand up for fear of "flooding", always putting towels underneath me, etc -- ugh, don't want to remember all that -- but got the Mirena about 2 years ago and it literally changed my life - for the better! Don't know how/if it affected weight gain, but at least the **&&^^ bleeding STOPPED.

How did you all calm your nerves on day before surgery? My surgery is tomorrow, and I'm rushing to finish up some work projects, make sure I'm following all the surgery rules, get my bag packed, etc etc. and I can feel the nerves/anxiety starting to bubble up -

@@leag78 Hang in there---MANY of us have crazy stories like that, here's a synopsis of mine: --Hubby's work policy has specifically excluded WLS for at least 10 years --Last fall (early Oct), I looked into purchasing a policy for just me on the Affordable Care Marketplace ("Obamacare") --I'm in AZ, and all Marketplace policies must cover WLS -- not a well-known fact. I think it's 23 states ACA policies must cover WLS. Who knew? A fluke I found out... --Found a policy thru BCBS of AZ that costs about $600/month, but we save about $200/month by not included me on hubby's work policy. Expensive, kind of, but $3500 out of pocket max, after that, all is 100% covered. --Waited for open enrollment; purchased policy --BCBS sent me bariatric guidelines -- said 8-week pre-op diet; covers band, sleeve or bypass --Surgeon's office said have to do 6-month dr-supervised diet. Went round and round w/them since BCBS told me 8-week diet, not 6 months. --Yada, yada, yada -- finally, BCBS told me that they accidentally gave me the wrong guidelines. --UGH UGH UGH --'Real' guidelines say 6-month dr-supervised diet (which I'd done elsewhere, so that was ok for me), but only cover band and bypass, exclude sleeve. I have no idea why. --I get everything set up w/surgeon's office, have them change my file from wanting sleeve to bypass. They confirmed they had done that so when submitted to BCBS, it would say bypass since they don't cover sleeve on my policy. --Surgeon submits paperwork, I get call that my sleeve is approved. Yes, sleeve. --Dead silence on my part, then I ask 'so they now cover sleeve on my policy?" --Surgeon's office: "yes, they've specifically approved sleeve." I said, BUT IT'S NOT COVERED. --Surgeon's office checks w/BCBS again and lo and behold, sleeve is not covered. they were extremely apologetic, but I could have had sleeve surgery and they could have said 'oops', you're not covered for that!!!! --Plus, my surgeon's office had confirmed they'd changed my file to say bypass, but they obviously hadn't, and submitted me for sleeve (mistake) which BCBS approved (mistake) --Bottom line: Bypass surgery scheduled this Friday, day after tomorrow --Other bottom line: YOU have to be in charge of everything and know what's covered, what's not, get it all in writing, and triple-check EVERYTHING. Not to discourage you AT ALL, just offering advice. HANG IN THERE and keep your eye on the prize! Feel so very fortunate to have bypass covered, but what a huge hassle!!! I keep a spreadsheet of "to do's" and who I spoke with, etc. Names, dates, etc.

I met a couple doing just that in my pre-op class. I don't know their names or anything, but she was going in at 8 am; he was the next appt on the same day (same surgeon) @ 10 am. They were really looking fwd to getting it done at the same time, going thru everything together, etc. They had adult children living in the same city who could help them if needed - that would be my biggest concern - if I needed help AND he needed help, you need someone who could help and drive you both to post-op classes, hospital, etc., if need be.

My surgery is later this week and I'm *hoping* for a long weekend of recovery, then back to work since I'm self-employed as a freelance writer/home officed. So that part is great, can work in my jammies or sweats if I need to, easy to do my own food here and can take a break if needed. That said, I have clients and deadlines that depend on me -- they are all very understanding, but in my world, deadlines are deadlines -- I've done as much work ahead as humanly possible, but am very stressed about that --

@@leag78 Not just you -- the waiting is the WORST. What is the #1 most important thing to you (information, "the call", a date, etc.) is just not the most important to the person on the other end -- I'm quite sure I got a reputation as a pest, but geez - if people would have just called or emailed back with an answer, that would have been great -- as it was, I found out from my insurance company that I'd been approved before my surgeon's office had even told me they'd submitted my info -- and yes, I'd asked if/when they planned to submit. My date is this week - finally... hang in there!

Mine is this Thursday - starting to get much more nervous now that reality is so close -- not at all questioning my decision -- very much at peace with that -- just the process/surgery and getting thru it all --

I'm 59 and having rny this Thursday

Mine is this Thursday - ready, but starting to get really nervous -- best of luck to us all!

Surgery this week with Dr. Swain at Scottsdale Healthcare

@@BloomingLotus Oh Blooming Lotus, my heart is so heavy for you ( -- please have a good cry, then take a deep breath or two or three, and try to release the tension and frustration. Then call the pre-op place about Monday. Then I'd demand to speak to the head honcho administrator person at your surgeon's office over WHY/HOW it got to this point -- not that it will make it any better, but venting might help -- lots and lots of good vibes your way -

@@BloomingLotus OMG, OMG, OMG -- sheesh-- PS - I'm on the 29th as well --

@@BloomingLotus Hang in there - my surgery is next week and as nerve-wracking as that is (and exciting!), the waiting and plowing thru all the insurance and paperwork hassles has been the most stressful (by far!) so far -- sounds like you're getting close, though -- after I had the EKG, chest X-ray and final bloodwork, those were the last things/hoops I had to do before submission to insurance and then I was approved in less than a week, w/surgery scheduled about three weeks after that - hopefully, you will have smooth sailing after these tests -- ps - now my big fear is getting sick or in a car wreck or something before surgery next week and having to postpone it - I'm ready to wear one of the paper masks grocery shopping tomorrow to keep the germs at bay, and I DEFINITELY wipe down the grocery cart handles, ATM buttons, etc., -- and then liberally douse my hands with sanitizer -- haha or not so haha

Any way you can physically go the the surgeon's office and camp out till they talk to you? that's ridiculous....

@@LADYRICH27 Every surgeon's diet is different -- you'll read a lot on here about some with a 2-week pre-op diet, but my surgeon only requires a one-day -- day before, light b-fast, then clear liquids rest of the day, nothing after midnight. But you should double-check w/them just in case -- best of luck!

@@mykdzmom thanks! I plan to post when I can after surgery - not till next Thurs--

@@mykdzmom You're more than welcome - my doc has me on multi vit, B-complex, Vit D, Vit C and Calcium - I'm very "vitamized" these days, lol -- but good practice for after surgery I guess -- which is next week - YIKES! ;O)

Yes, at first it freaked me out thinking it might stop me from being approved for surgery, but I was overreacting - as usual, lol -- Apparently it is pretty common. My doctor had me start taking 5000mg/units/whatever of Vit D a day and they'll check it on down the road. I think my score was 27, so my Vit D isn't prescrip, just OTC --

Call your local Alzheimer's Association -- they have TONS of help, and it is generally (if not always...) FREE. Here is the main website: http://www.alz.org/ -- here's their 24-hour helpline -- 24/7 Helpline: 1.800.272.3900.

My husband asked how I was doing on my pre-op diet and I said I'd lost between 9 and 10 lbs -- he said "great!, see you can do it!" I said thanks (he really is *very* supportive...), but all it proves is that I can starve myself for a few days and lose a few pounds -- all it would take for me to gain that hard-fought 10 lbs back is dinner at our fave Mexican food place (cheese enchilada, rice, beans, chips, and of course nachos smothered in cheese, and maybe a lunch at Five Guys Burgers with a large order of fries. Of course, with a *diet* Coke, lol or truly not so lol -

We're all rooting for you!

@@chrispina Only you can make that decision, but my first thought was that the fact that you capitalized 'EVERY' is a clue -- (which I can totally relate to BTW...) -- EVERY time I've tried, I've usually lost weight - but then gained it back and more -- I do not want to live that way anymore. Surgery will be a fabulous tool to help me lose--and keep it off for good. But again, your mileage may vary ) PS - our stats are almost exactly the same except I'm 5'9" and just a few pounds diff than yours...

@@tina winkle I'm also bypass on the 29th! Feel the same, very/very excited, also nervous )