tappingmom

@@jspence1124 I start my liquid diet on 12/2 as well!

First off, check your employee or HR handbook and review their medical leave policies. I'll be eligible for Short Term Disability and my surgeon will be recommending 3 weeks off of work. I can request STD benefits no sooner than 15 days before my surgery per their policy. I've told my manager that I'll be requesting time off for medical leave as soon as I made the decision to have the surgery back in April when I started the process. I had hoped to have the surgery in July. Well, I'm scheduled for December 12th, so that plan didn't work out, but I've been keeping my manager up to date so when my surgery was finally scheduled, it wasn't a surprise.

The best way I've been able to combat those feelings is with the facts. I just had my pre-surgery checkup with my PCP and she says I'm in great shape for surgery. I've been exercising for last 3 months and have greatly improved cardiovascular function. My blood pressure has come down a bit. I've stopped any medications that could contribute to blood clots or bleeding (in my case birth control pills and daily low-dose aspirin). I've read up on all the things I can do in the hospital to improve my outcome (walking, incentive spirometer, etc.) and plan to follow my surgeon's instructions to the letter. He's done thousands of surgeries and has never had a mortality so I feel I'm in good hands. Other than that, I'm focusing on all the positive outcomes I can expect (looking through all the before and after posts is very motivating) and just looking forward to December 12th (my surgery date)!

When you go in for your fitting you will get try on different types of masks to find the one that will work best for you. The standard one they use in the sleep center is likely not the best model. I have a small silicone mask that goes over my nose and it's surprisingly comfortable. As for the study, 5 hours of sleep is actually not too bad! They are looking for an improvement in the quality of your sleep for a full sleep cycle and they were likely able to get that in 5 hours. Having sleep apnea actually improves your likelihood of getting approved for surgery. It just may delay the approval a bit while you adjust to using the CPAP and show you are compliant in using it. I needed to wear mine for at least 6 hrs per night for 30 days before they would sign off and submit to insurance. I had no problems with meeting that requirement, I was actually getting some quality sleep for the first time in years!

That is definitely a HIPAA violation because it ties identifying information (email) with a medical condition (bariatric surgery).

I found out I had sleep apnea during my pre-op testing as well. The only downside was that I needed to show compliance by using it consistently for 30 days. This did push out my submission to insurance by a month which was a bummer. But on the plus side, I'm sleeping SO MUCH better now.

Dub, my husband and I each got a twin size Tempurpedic and put them in a king size frame. We couldn't agree AT ALL on a mattress and this was a lifesaver. We now both sleep a million times better!

My surgeon is doing mine on a Saturday (12/12) for that exact reason. I've been approved since September 14th, but they are down a surgeon and are totally backed up. I'm so glad I let them know about my insurance deductible or I'd probably be waiting until January or later.

Hi everyone! I start my pre-op liquid diet on December 2nd so I'll be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. My liquid diet consists of 5-6 protein drinks a day plus any calorie-free beverages, including coffee, broth, and sugar free jello. No solid food/small meals so that is definitely going to be challenging. I've already changed so many of my bad habits in the 9 months it's taken me to get this far that I'm hoping it won't be too bad. I have three kids that are in elementary/middle school and they have a ton of holiday-related activities, so I won't have much down time to just sit and snack.

Syntrax Nectars are good, too. I ordered a sample pack from My Bariatric Pantry - they even let you choose your own flavors.

I'm December 12th!

I'm scheduled for December 12th at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

My first official appointments with my bariatric center aren't until June 24th. I'm having lab work done as well as meeting with the bariatric nurse, bariatrician and psychologist. I won't know what other medical tests I'll need prior to my surgery until at least after my first appointment, but based on my co-morbidities of GERD, high cholesterol, and pre-diabetes, what type of tests might I expect?

Park Nicollet in Minneapolis, MN.

Thought I'd give a little update after my first set of appointments at the bariatric center. During my first set of appointments I had an EKG and a ton of blood work - 9 vials worth. I also took home an ApneaLink to capture one night's breathing and oxygen levels. I didn't have any reason to believe I have sleep apnea, but lo and behold, I got a call after they reviewed the ApneaLink data and now I need to have a full sleep study. About 25 years ago I was diagnosed with colitis. I would have occasional flair ups that would send me to the emergency room, but I haven't had an episode in about 17 years. However, my bariatrician was concerned about it, especially since I am opting for the gastric bypass. He said if they did the bypass and then ended up with Chron's Disease or ulcerative colitis, it would be catastrophic. Hearing the doctor say catastrophic kind of freaked me out a bit. Anyway, it looks like I will also end up having to have a colonoscopy and likely an upper GI series. If they do find something, it sounds like they would still be able to do the sleeve so I'm thankful that. Next set of appointments are 7/24, wonder what they'll come up with this time?

My seminar was April 4th, the earliest I could get an appointment at my bariatric center was June 24th. They've told me the earliest I could expect surgery is in September. I've done as much of the insurance prerequisites as I can, so really it's now just a waiting game. I'm using this time to learn as much as I can, start changing my habits (increasing water, decreasing coffee, moving more).

Thanks everyone for the responses. Gives me more stuff to look up and be prepared for!

I would like to be able to schedule my surgery during my kids' summer vacation, preferably the week they are all away at summer camp. I am covered by United Healthcare Choice Plus and my policy does not require a pre-authorization diet or waiting period. I have my first consultation with my assigned nurse on 4/17 and should be having my psychological evaluation soon. Given all of that, does a surgery date mid-July sound possible?