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

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

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.

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

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 ????

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 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

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..

If I hear him say one more time how the wls is going to be so difficult that I won't be able to handle it.. And why can't I just make good choices & eat less to lose weight? He is a very sweet, compassionate man and I adore him but his lack of understanding of why I need and want this is frustrating! (13 years of struggling with being overweight and depressed because of it) He is usually supportive, but in this situation on one hand he just says I am find and he loves me how I am & the other side of it is that he doesn't understand my struggle with my weight and trying to lose it. Can anyone relate? It's annoying when anyone without a weight problem says those things :-/

Maybe some people can eat slow, not drink right after meals, and follow a low calorie diet perfectly right after getting banded, but as my posts clearly show ???? I really don't think I can stick to those rules or changes in my eating habits until I am forced to after having enough fills. I am at 5cc now after 3 fills and definitely not in the green zone yet, I start off doing good after each adjustment but then as I realize I can eat how much and whatever I want still, etc. Its hard not too.. Obviously or I wouldn't have a weight problem in the first place. Is there Anyone here that didn't adhere to the rules of the band until they had to? Until they had enough fills to have no choice but to? I am waiting to get to that point! Because until then the struggle of dieting and trying to follow the rules is so tough for me!

I just need someone to tell me that once I get to the green zone..and just with the band in general, that it's not a diet.. I am so tired of struggling with diets, counting calories, trying to follow certain meal plans, etc. I want the stress and the struggle to be done! I just want to be able to eat less and be active and lose the weight, then maintain it

I am 7 weeks post op, have had 3 fills putting me at 5cc now, I don't have any restriction yet, no satiety, and no dimmed hunger. I am constantly hungry, I try so hard to follow the rules and eat small meals, not drink during or after, to eat slow, etc.. But I cave in every time! The hunger and cravings for certain foods are so hard to fight! I feel like such a failure when I do well all day, even get exercise in..then I get hungry and eat everything in sight! ???? I can't wait until I am forced to make the changes and follow the rules so I won't struggle with this anymore! Is that how it works for some of us?.. Only being able to finally get to that point when we get in the green zone and have no choice but to follow the rules and make the change in eating habits? Why do I always feel so hungry?? And I am not understanding what head hunger is? I might eat when I am bored sometimes, but when I am hungry I always have hunger pains in my stomach. I wonder if I am eating enough also? I want to eat tiny amounts to lose weight but by the day's end I am so hungry that I eat...a lot :-/ Like yesterday. ..I had for Breakfast a small eggbeaters omelette with some veggies in it, lunch was a Greek lowfat yogurt, then 1 tilapia fillet with some steamed veggies for dinner...I was so hungry between meals, then I ended up scarfing down junk food at the end of the night when I felt so hungry ???? Am I just a failure? I feel like there's no hope for me with losing weight..here I even got wls and I still can't do it! I started out this morning with motivation and even got on the elliptical and took a walk but then I came back and made a cheeseburger and plate of nachos..ughh I can't keep my willpower for more than a day when I am hungry and have such bad cravings. Also, the no drinking for an hour after meals or 15 minutes before.. Is that completely necessary? I have seen different views and Dr's advice online for that. Also Bread? I hear its a tough one to eat..is toasted whole wheat a better option? And whole grain Pasta and brown rice? Right now I can eat anything, fast, with liquids at the same time and in large amounts.. Its so frustrating and I lack willpower but I think it would be easier if the hunger pains were gone. Rant over.. ???? Advice and any encouraging words are very appreciated.

I also find it impossible to eat slow and take 20 minutes to eat a meal..& eating 1 bite per minute.. I have a 10 month old who keeps me very busy, how can I sit down and take 20 minutes to eat?? Any ideas from other mom's?

I am having the hardest time trying to take 20 minutes to eat a meal, chewing thoroughly and eating one bite per minute. If I do other things while eating I can do it, but if I were to sit down to eat (almost impossible sometimes with a 10 month old lol) I get bored trying to wait that long and it's hard not to eat fast like I am used to :-/ I almost have to stand while eating and take bites in between doing other things. My food gets cold in the meantime but I guess I can deal with that.

I am down 20 pounds since surgery on the 21st of May and the preop diet.. I have been doing so good with everything until I got to the pureed food stage..then gradually I feel like I am going back to bad habits or just not following the rules. As I sat here bored, tired & feeling so hungry, I went to the fridge & gave in. I am hoping when I get my first adjustment next week it will help me stick to eating slow, not drinking while eating, etc. But right now I am just hungry and after a couple times of being fine after eating faster and bigger portions ..it's made me do it more :-/ Ugh... feeling discouraged.

Thank you for the advice, I am trying not to be so hard on myself but I can't control my eating habits and that really gets me down every time I try to and fail. I can't wait to have no choice but to..right now I wish I did get full after a few bites, and I almost wish I had the problem of the food coming back up if I ate too much or too fast because I think until then I lack the self control I need to do this and lose weight ????

Still having a hard time..after a couple adjustments I am still only at 4cc.. And its not helping yet, I can still eat anything and large amounts, I try not to but I am hungry and keep falling back into old habits that got me overweight in the first place. Do I just patiently wait until I have the right amount of fills to help me?? And in the meantime just eat when I am hungry and eat normally? Doing my best but I mess up and beat myself up over it constantly. ????

Yes I am only 3 weeks post op..but my mom's wedding is this Saturday, I am not a big drinker but a wedding is one of those occasions where I like to have drinks with everyone. Is it ok to have 1 or 2? What is the best choice? I want to do everything right but I don't want to stop living my life the way I want in the meantime.. eating healthy & losing weight is the goal but if I give up everything it will really get to me in a bad way :-/ I am not sure how a drink will affect me either though... obviously I would sip slow just in case!