majorsmama

My surgery is the 29th so 3 weeks from today! I plan to be off work for 4 weeks as I think that's the most my surgeon will authorize. I haven't thought about what I'm taking to the hospital. My cell phone, maybe a comfy loose fitting dress to wear home, deoderant, baby wipes since I likely won't shower there. Not sure what else!

I only told my boss that I was having surgery. He even said he prefers to not know details. When I had appts I would just use sick time or a vacation day here or there. My company is generous with time off so it hasn't been an issue. But I always just say I have a Dr appt.

My insurance has covered everything. I just had to pay my deductible and max out of pocket of $2000. My psych visit I just paid a co-pay of $25.

How long did it take for Aetna to make a decision? I got an email from my surgeons office that they have submitted to Aetna for approval and I'm just wondering how long to expect. Did you call Aetna directly to inquire? I'm really anxious!

I absolutely hate the Premier Protein shakes. My faves are the Syntrax Nectar powders. I have yet to taste one I didn't like, but my favorite is probably fuzzy navel. They are really great mixed with water in a shaker bottle. They mix well and the taste is not strong at all and they don't have that thick, artificial milky sweet taste that I don't like about Premier. I've had fuzzy navel, vanilla bean torte, wild cherry and chocolate truffle and they're all great.

My insurance too required a 90 medically supervised weight loss period and they wanted to see a loss, however the only real stipulation that was in writing was that there be no net gain. So as long as you didn't gain weight, I'd imagine you're fine.

I feel like everyone loves the ready to drink Premier Protein shakes and I think they're AWFUL! I really find it shocking how many people like them. I just got some Syntrax Nectar in fuzzy navel, vanilla bean torte and chocolate truffle and they all are AMAZING!! Heads and tails above Premier Protein. They are all very mild in flavor and don't have that thick, sickening sweet taste that Premier Protein has. The fuzzy navel is probably the best of the three because it's nice to have a refreshing flavored protein drink. I will probably buy the wild cherry flavor too, just to add some more fruity variety. I found the Syntrax Nectar cheapest on vitacost.com. I'm pretty certain these are the only proteins I will drink anymore and I'm so glad I took the leap of faith to buy them.

Mine is July 29th and I'm excited now but I know I will get scared and panicky as the date approaches. Today I submitted my short term disability claim and ordered all of my post op vitamins and several protein powders. I have to start my miserable 2 week pre-op diet and see my surgeon on 7/15 for my final pre-surgery appt. I hope the time goes by fast!

I only had to do a 90 day medically supervised weight loss program. My consultation was on January 6th and my surgery is scheduled for 7/29. I thought the process would be a lot faster than it has been but there were little delays here and there that I didn't anticipate. But I will say that it did go by fast.

My nutritionist said fruit was fine as long as you pair it with a protein (nuts, cheese, etc). I lost plenty of weight just by cutting out starchy carbs. I still ate apples, grapes, watermelon and tons of other things.

Eek! If my surgeon would have insisted on using birth control, I would have had to find a different surgeon! I can manage my own fertility without the use of birth control lol.

My surgeons office said 2 weeks but it only took 3 days.

Aetna is very clear in their weight loss surgery bulletin about what they require. If I were you, I would be grateful the surgeon told you now not to bother, rather than have you pay a bunch of money and jump through hoops only to be denied.

Mine is @ohmysleeve I don't post a ton pre-op cause there's not much happening but I plan to post more after surgery. The instagram sleeve community is great!

Do you have to lose weight pre-op? Like is it an insurance requirement? Sounds like you're asking more about a regular diet than the strict 2 week (usually) pre-op diet to shrink your liver, right? I had to have a 90 day medically supervised weight loss period and I ate low carb and cut out starches and lost 29lbs in 90 days. And to be honest, that was with a fair amount of cheating. Many people respond well to a low carb diet. It's hard to cut out starches but it makes the weight come off.

If you conceived the week before your surgery and pregnancy wasn't detected on the urine test you should have had the day of your surgery, then I doubt the zygote was even formed enough to have had anything bad happen. You make the choice that's best for you and your family right now. Best of luck to you.

I second Banner Gateway. That's where I'm having my surgery and they have support groups open to the public. There's a calendar of them on their website, just search bariatric surgery. Like others have said, other hospitals offer them too. I've been looking for an online support group specific to our area. I may check out Facebook to see if any exist.

Hi all, Help me out with some good tasting broths! I want to start experimenting now since my 2 week pre-op diet is coming up in a few weeks. Which ones taste the best and feel the most satisfying? Is it better to buy carton/canned broths or does the bouillon/consomme taste better? Give me some suggestions! TIA!

I can't find the Swanson flavored broths or wonton soup broth at my local stores. Where do you guys buy them?

My husband had Cigna and his employer too, has an exclusion for bariatric coverage. It's in all the documents provided by HR. Luckily, my employers Aetna insurance does include it so I switched insurance just for the sake of having coverage. That has got to be heartbreaking and while I understand how you must feel, I agree with others who have said there is nothing you can do. Yes, Cigna got it wrong. But ultimately it is the responsibility of the insured to know their coverage. I'm so sorry.

I dropped almost 30 lbs during my medically supervised weight loss period by cutting out starches. No bread, no rice, no pasta. I ate eggs, nuts, fruits, veggies, meats, cheese (in moderation) and for sweets I had sugar free jello and pudding and popsicles. And the 30 lbs I lost was with a LOT of cheating. So if I had been strict like I should have, I know I could have easily lost 40+ lbs in that 3 months.

My surgeons office submitted to Aetna the Thursday before memorial weekend and when I called Aetna that following Tuesday (they were closed Monday), I had already been approved. My advice would be to call Aetna directly tomorrow or Friday and just say you're inquiring. Maybe you'll get a quick response too!

It's still the 90 day medically supervised weight loss.

Dang, there are some strong opinions about this. I have a 5 year old who is extremely well behaved. I'm torn on whether to have him visit me, because I'm not even sure if I'm gonna tell him where I am. When I had my EGD, it was scheduled for 6am and preschool wasn't open that early so my husband and I had no choice but to bring him. He never saw me once I was taken out of the waiting room and he had really bad anxiety and worry and ended up crying at school because he was afraid that I was in the hospital. So I would rather not put him through that again. I may just tell him I'm going on a business trip (which I've done before and he understands). I'll just have to have gotten sick on my trip to explain my tiredness.

I've been doing the same thing since I got my insurance approval. I've gained back some of the 29lbs I lost so I've got to stop. I went shopping today to stock up on healthy foods again and I hope to make better choices until my pre-op diet and surgery in July.