Butterfly512

Anyone with Medicare? How is/was the approval process and coverage for the surgery? I have BCBS thru my husband's employer, and the coverage and benefits are excellent, but I'm wondering if the coverage requirements for the gastric sleeve surgery might be better with Medicare coverage so I don't have to wait so long. I can get my coverage back because I'm entitled to it with my SSDI, so I would just like to check my options. I only have part A right now, but I can get the other benefits back as well. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm sure I'm not the first one to post about this. But I am really discouraged by the 6 month supervised diet requirements..or maybe I'm impatient, and just frustrated by another 6 months of the struggle and after making this decision I just want to move forward asap! Does ANYONE know of a surgeon that will "work around those requirements" is there any way to omit that?? Any advice? BESIDES the whole lecture about how it's all worth it and the 6 months will be good for me. I'm sure I might feel that way too if I'd already gone thru it, but I'm trying not to. PM me with any help you can provide. I'm in MI Thanks [emoji4] Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Neither of those apply, my BMI is 39. But I'm seeing my primary care Dr tomorrow and I have a sample letter that I'm going to ask her to provide for me. I found it online.. I'm hoping she will help me with this and that it will work for the 6 month requirement. Sample-Letter-of-Medical-Necessity-with-Medical-Clearance-website.pdf

Thank you for all the information Walter, but I did have the band removed a few years ago.. about 8 months after I had the procedure done. So it wouldn't be a revision or removal..but I'm still wondering if having had the lap band and having it removed due to no weight loss and complications might make a difference still in the requirements. I have a consultation Thursday so I guess I'll find out.

Thank you orchid, I'm going to try and have that mindset about it, but I would've liked to have it done before summer instead of the struggle of dieting through another summer and not liking myself in any summer clothes 😞 But, it is what it is. Hopefully the 6 months go by fast.

Just asking.. I had the lap band a few years back (wrong choice) and the Dr didn't require me to complete the 6 month requirements my insurance had. 🤔 He doesn't do the sleeve procedure and I don't want to go back to him anyways, but this 6 month waiting game has me so bummed out .. Are there any Drs in Michigan that might work around that? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Does anyone know of any Drs in MI that do the endoscopic sleeve? Or anywhere nearby? TIA!

Thank you for the response MKjohnson ???? I feel a lot better now knowing that, when I will have to start lifting my son today. I don't know your situation, but Good Luck to you ????

Having the surgery Thursday, can anyone else tell me about the recovery? My husband has 4 days off, I hope I recover by then and can lift my son with no problems and I just want to hear that it's a quick recovery and not too much pain, etc.

I have already read posts on here regarding the recovery after lap band removal, but I am wondering if there are lifting restrictions? I have a 1 1/2 year old that weighs about 28 pds and my husband can only take 1 day off work this time ???? I am hoping to get it removed soon but I also hope it doesn't put me down for any longer than a couple days as far as lifting .. I can keep it minimal since he is walking but I will still have to lift him off the couch when he climbs up and tries jumping off lol and other instances when he does all the fun toddler stuff ????

One more question, I was worried about slippage with how often I was getting stuck and throwing up.. But I don't really have the symptoms of it.. And if it had slipped then I wouldn't be restricted at all right? Or get to where if I eat too fast it feels like a stuck episode? I tried to eat this morning and after a few bites I felt the need to stop and actually went a little over, I wouldn't get those results of it had slipped, correct? I am going to try hard to get on track with eating slow and chewing well!

Good idea, thank you for the advice

I went back to the Dr a few days ago and had the amount last put in taken out (.5cc), but now I can eat anything and however much I want ???? and I am so freaking hungry that I do.. Ugh not sure what the answer is, but right now it's obviously not doing what I need it to, so I think I will have the amount added back and really try harder to eat Slow & chew better

Thanks for the advice, and B-52.. You are always so encouraging and it really helps to hear your advice and success stories. Honestly, I don't know if it needs to be looser or even tighter right now... I know I am around 10cc now if that matters that much, I know it's different for everyone and That must sound weird to not know if it needs filled more or unfilled a bit but I am still hungry a lot, and when I do eat really slow and the right foods I am fine, although I am making bad choices (nachos, chocolate, etc) because of the fact that I can't eat what/like I want to, so I get frustrated ???? Maybe tighter is good because then I just really have no choice and have to eat right, or maybe it's a little too tight and I need less restriction so I don't deprive myself to the point where I make bad choices? Not to mention the several stuck episodes and throwing up almost daily lately. Hmm..

I haven't posted in awhile but I am 7 months out from surgery, still at only a 20 pound loss but that was all in the beginning from the pre op diet and first couple weeks after surgery.. Nothing since then. Yes, I have bad emotional eating habits, bipolar disorder, appetite increasing Meds, etc. etc. but, I know it's supposed to take awhile to get in the green zone and get all the right benefits from the band. Right now though, after my last adjustment I have been having everything come back up when I eat, things getting stuck, and choosing the wrong foods even more due to not being able to eat others.. I have been throwing up everytime I eat, so I worry about band slippage, but when I do eat some things very slow and chew a lot I don't have the problem, is the band too tight? I see my Dr Tuesday but I wanted some support and advice ASAP.. Right now I am just regretting this whole thing and feeling like I want it out ???? Maybe I just need an adjustment but I almost would rather struggle with dieting here and there instead of never being able to enjoy food which is how I feel right now