animallover1247

I haven't had surgery yet but so far I AM NOT IMPRESSED! I had my endoscopy last week (which is required by my surgeon). I am able to check my claims online and they paid for the surgeon to perform the endoscopy and they also approved payment for the doctor who did looked at my polyps from the surgery. However, they denied payment for the endoscopy itself. What kind of sense does that make? So, they say I now owe $6231.92!! I called the hospital this morning and she said BCBS looks for any reason they can to deny payment. They told me they would get my records and appeal the decision. Sometimes they pay on appeal, sometimes they don't. So...I am wondering what kind of tricks they will pull out of their ass when it comes time to approve my surgery! I have a friend who had BCBS and she had no issues with the endoscopy or surgery and she didn't even have any co-moribid conditions. I hope you don't have any problems!

I am thinking they will ask me to try a few things. None of my past weight loss efforts were ever documented as I didn't have a PCP between my pediatrician until this one a few years ago. And with that said, I've never actually met the physician since I've mainly been seen by the nurse practioner and the mental health nurse. This may happen. I live in a rural area and there are two physicians at the practice, both part time. There are nurse practitioner's as well but ultimately I have no idea at this point what any of their thoughts are. I have my appointment next week. Keep us updated on your appointment goes! I actually see a NP. She does the visits and has the physician in the practice to sign off on all the documentation. The physician has actually had WLS himself.

It may not happen very often but I have read others on this site had the same problem as me...that is my PCP refusing supervise me before and after surgery. He had not ever supervised any bariatric patients (which is funny because we are the fattest state in the entire nation) and honestly did not know what the he was doing. So I found another PCP to supervise me and she did not give me any problems. There are many PCP's who do not understand WLS or they don't agree with it. I hope yours will be supportive!

i'm preop but I chose my surgeon through much research. The research included talking to several other people who had gone to him for their surgery and research on the internet. I asked a million questions. My surgeon is very experienced (has done over 16,000 weight loss surgeries). He doesn't have the best bedside manner but I'll take skill over warm and fuzzy any day, Some of his staff are wonderful and others are not. However, I believe I made the right choice. I hope so anyway!

I'm four months in this process and I have told my therapist, a friend (who is a therapist as well) and one person at work. The only reason I told the person at work is because I needed her to drive me back after being under anesthesia from needing the endoscopy done. i haven't told my other coworkers because I have heard them talk about others we know that we work with as (a result of our jobs) who had WLS. Comments such as "well if she could lose weight before surgery, why can't she keep it up and make it a lifestyle" and "I don't know why she had WLS, look at what she eats and drinks." My therapist tells me there's no way I am going to be able to keep it a secret and I know people will know eventually but I chose not to tell at this point. I am and have always been a private person anyway. I will end up having to tell my boss and once that occurs, the entire office will know because she doesn't know the meaning of confidential, although she is supposed to keep it confidential I request her to. I had surgery in July and she announced it in the staff meeting and I was only gone for two days! I asked her not to tell anyone! I will request confidentiality again but i'm not holding my breath! I have no family close. I haven't even told my mom but I will but only because I will need transportation to and from surgery (which is 3 hours from my home). I think it's fine if you chose not to tell people, especially if you feel they will not be supportive.

I know this is a crazy question but it is a concern. I have two cats. My one cat is long, fat, 17 lbs and has a lot of muscle to him. He thinks he owns my body. He jumps on me all the time, even in the middle of the night. I have a queen size bed for him to jump onto but he jumps on me every single time. The other day he jumped on my chest from my head board and and almost knocked the breath out of me. I am concerned this may be a problem with the drain and even my pain. I don't know what to do because I can't close him off. If I shut my bedroom door, he can get to the litter box. Any time I try to shut any door in my apartment, even the bathroom door, he continually scratches on it until I open it and it is wood so I can't let him do that either. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Beautiful dog!

Sams Club in stores (not online) sells Premier shakes, 12 pack, for $16 and some change. You have to be a member though. The membership is $45 a year but worth it.

Licensed Social Worker...child abuse/neglect cases.

SUNDAY, NOV 1, 2015 07:30 PM EST No one told me about the loneliness, the emotional roller coaster, and how to stay sane when I could only eat a spoonful of mashed potatoes I thought bariatric surgery would solve all my problems; 180 pounds later, I realized I was wrong Eight years ago, tipping the scale at 314 pounds, I decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery. A skilled bariatric surgical team spent a morning in May of 2007 shrinking my stomach to the size of a walnut and rearranging my intestines to allow me to only ingest a spoonful of food at a time. 180 pounds later, I was considered a “surgical success” and released into the world of average-sized people. It was just like that scene in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” when Rocky is debuted as Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s shiny new creation to much applause. But there was one problem: Unlike Rocky, no one was singing me a song about how to be a happy, well-functioning, average-sized human. Everyone oohed and aahed, but their approval and astonishment didn’t help me adjust. I became deeply, unconsolably depressed. Protein diet, signed up for a plethora of lab tests, and attended the one required support group meeting hosted by the bariatric center—where the primary topics were types of Protein shakes and post-surgical Vitamins. In the accompanying commentary of the study results, Dr. Amir Ghaferi, director of bariatric surgery at the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Healthcare System in Michigan, admits that all patients should go through an extensive pre-surgical health screening before being allowed to have bariatric surgery. But he laments that “we don’t really have a good way of screening these people. We don’t have a good standard.” I had the surgery anyway, not convinced in any capacity that I was mentally unstable enough to warrant questioning from my “bariatric team.” After all, I was 21 years old and making a positive decision on behalf of my health. Size 6, here I come! No one mentioned anything about the changes that would go on in my brain, how difficult it would be to try to stay sane as I tried to get used to eating a spoonful of mashed potatoes without “dumping,” and the personal relationships that could, and would, inevitably crumble as a result of my transformation. According to Dr. Ghaferi, it is common for relationships to fail after people have undergone weight-loss surgery. It’s a lack of adaptability skills; when one partner loses weight in a relationship with another unhealthy eater, suddenly these people find out they can’t adjust to each other’s lifestyles. “I’ve had patients say, ‘My husband left me because I got too thin,’” Ghaferi said. A couple of years my after weight-loss surgery, my live-in boyfriend and I broke up. We were suddenly two very different people. I also did not know how to be friends with the same people anymore, and I wrote in my journal: It’s just not the same anymore. My “big change” is always awkwardly hanging around in the air, ruining whatever friendly conversation we could have about literally anything else. It’s annoying.Sometimes people would see me and say things like “Oh, I can’t believe you had thatsurgery. Doesn’t it make you crap your pants? Good luck keeping the weight off, I hear that rarely happens…” And I didn’t know how to dress myself. I went from having a limited wardrobe of all-black t-shirts and size 28 pants to suddenly being able to shop in any store that sold clothing. This was a big deal; I’d spent my life shopping in one or two plus-size stores and adapted to always being excluded from patronizing the “regular stores.” Now I was flooded with overwhelming options. I did not know how to wear clothes that fit my new shape, or clothes that wouldn’t show off my loose stomach, thigh and arm skin (stretchy cottons? Forget it). So while I may have been folding myself into a size 6, I felt like I was just as awkward and doughy as before. It wasn’t the perfect self I’d imagined. Then the depression kicked in. I simply did not know how to handle being a new person in a new body that sometimes railed against me if I ate too much sugar (see also: dumping syndrome—an ugly and often common “bonus” of gastric bypass surgery—where your blood sugar spikes and severe sweating, dizziness, fatigue and diarrhea occur after ingesting an arbitrary amount of simple carbs or sugar). I was lost, ill-equipped to deal with reality, throwing things across my living room and collapsing in panic attacks. I had loose skin. I was often anemic. On July 28, 2008, I wrote in my journal: One minute I’m fine. Then I want to scream like a banshee into the night. I hate this. I’m forced to deal with it because I can’t bury my emotions in food anymore. Looking back, I see clearly that there is a correlation between my lack of preparation to deal with my “new life” and the depression that ensued. At my one-year follow-up appointment, I was tested for Vitamin deficiencies, weighed, asked to pose for “after”photos, and sent on my merry way. I had no clue where to turn for help. I went to therapy and they gave me Klonopin, a drug used to treat anxiety disorders. A couple of times during that year, I sincerely considered overdosing on them. I can empathize with the 73% of patients that overdosed in Bhatti’s study. I felt like a shell of a person; I focused so much on becoming my “new and improved” self before surgery that I did not stop to wonder what, exactly, she was like. I’d become a total stranger to myself. I lost the only coping mechanism I’d ever known (food), and had no idea where to put my sadness. No one prepared me for the disappointment and loneliness I’d experience when I had no one to talk to who could offer anything besides a dismissive “you’re thin now, shut up.” I had no reason to be anything other than happy, right? Couldn’t I just snap out of it? I suspect that many of the people in Bhatti’s study were facing the same demons. ADVERTISEMENT “Bariatric surgery follow-up is notoriously poor,” says Dr. Ghaferi. “We try to maintain at least one-year follow-up with our patients, but it’s hard. Patients fall off the radar. They move, or it’s the type of operation where if they’re doing well or doing poorly, they’re not going to come see you.” In a journal entry on May 29, 2009, two years after my gastric bypass, I wrote: So what do I do? I don’t know. This is the point, post-op, where there are no more answers. You get so far out that no one can help you anymore. You’re supposed to know everything. Like graduating from college. Here’s your diploma! Now, go away. I’m getting the feeling that I will never know how to be an A+ weight loss surgery patient. The conclusion of the JAMA study simply underscores the fact that patients should be more prepared mentally before and after undergoing weight-loss surgery. Bariatric surgery is undeniably an effective way to combat morbid obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea and heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly a third of adults in the U.S. are obese—that’s about 78.6 million people. So it’s a safe bet that weight-loss surgeries are here to stay. But obesity is more than just a physical state; for better or worse, it also impacts our identities, our relationships, our lifestyles, our careers, our sex lives and our anxieties. Glossing over the fact that these issues will not simply disappear as the pounds drop off does us all a disservice—it’s glossing over the fact that the mind needs to be nurtured as well as the body, that curing the physical state of obesity only addresses one facet of a complicated problem. Eight years after my weight-loss surgery, I’ve maintained a healthy weight. I still struggle with anxiety and body issues—but at least now I know that maybe there’s something more to this; I’m not unreasonable for feeling ill-prepared for my new life. Support is hard to come by—it’s easy to feel alone. But my own struggle only supports what these new studies make obvious; there needs to be a better system in place for people considering bariatric surgery. It should not take multiple trips to the suicide-watch ward for people to get the help and support they need. Mollie Hawkins lives and writes in Sacramento, CA. She has written for Marie Claire Magazine, Hello Giggles, Bustle, and xoJane. Read her blog at http://www.themollienarrative.com

No wonder you need a transfusion! Did you not feel bad with an Iron level that low??? That's crazy!

Kadie777, how low was your iron that you need a transfusion? I've never known anyone to need a transfusion. Are they starting you on B12 shots or an OTC B12? My iron was low, I take 750 mg a day and 100,000 units a week of Vitamin D.

Hey Dub Just curious...exactly when did you stop drinking diet soda? Was it months before surgery? Right before surgery? Did you gradually stop or stop cold turkey? I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this!

I don't know if she didn't respond because she is having an issue with you and your weight loss but IF that is the case, you've probably heard it a thousand times before...relationships with others can and will change after WLS...whether it's for the better or worse....

I am 3.5 months into the process, I will be eligible for surgery in mid January. I assume my surgeons office will submit everything to the insurance at that time so hopefully at the beginning of February I will be having my surgery

My surgeons office said there is no pre-op diet for me either....

I had mine on Monday...same experience as MOM26, It was not a big deal at all...it was an endoscopy. The only difference is it took 3 hours to get there, waiting on the doctor for four hours, having the test, and then another three hours home. Some doctors do the endoscopy and others do the barium test.

I contacted my surgeons office and she said the report had to contain these items: The patient is mentally stable to undergo weight loss surgery. The patient understands the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery. The patient understands the lifestyle changes associated with weight loss surgery. You recommend her as a good candidate for weight loss surgery. BLERDGIRL is correct, you need to be honest no matter what your history is, it will only be of benefit to you.

Just a piece of information...when I attended the mandatory seminar for my surgery, the surgeon presented a PowerPoint. According to him, without surgery, the chances of a person keeping their weight off is only 1-2%. I thought the number was more like 5% but regardless of what the accurate percentage really is, it's nearly impossible. The 1-2% correlates with those who I have known personally. Of all the people I have known to be obese, there has only been one person who has kept the weight off long term (more than 5 years).

I stopped eating fast food and my triglycerides went from 240 to 147 in 50 days. I am not on any meds for cholesterol. My mom was able to get her numbers to normal in three months and the only change she made was eating oatmeal everyday (she doesn't eat fast food).

My endoscopy is scheduled Monday but I have a horrible sinus infection. I'm not on any antibiotics for it. I have to drive three hours to the hospital, one way. If I am sick when I get there, will they reschedule my procedure? It's not like its a very invasive, a light down my throat. I don't want them to cancel it whether I call and tell them or if I go and they cancel it themselves. I wouldn't think it would be a big issue but I don't know....

That is amazing! I can only hope I have the same experience

Okay so I haven't had the exact same concerns but trust me I've had them. For me it is was the hair loss (because I already have permanent hair loss), complications, and what if I become disabled and cant work because I support myself. I could not live on disability with my bills! So I just had to talk to myself and what i said to myself was GET THE HELL OVER IT! I can no longer live like this anymore. It has taken a toll on me physically, emotionally and financially. I know what my life will be like if I don't do this. If I do, maybe I'll have complications, maybe not. It's a risk I'm willing to take so I can have a better life. If you review the requirements of your insurance, you shouldn't be denied and even if you are, you can appeal. The surgeons office can help you with all that stuff. I've never known anyone who didn't lose weight because the surgeon found something wrong during surgery. You will likely have a lot of testing before surgery anyway. Lastly, you hit the nail on the head so to speak...find a therapist to help you work through this.

Yes but it was in 1999 and I don't recall much about it.... I guess Ill see how I feel Monday morning...maybe I'll be feeling better

I have insurance and by the time I have all these tests done, my deductible will be met and it will pay 100%. Granted I don't know much about Medicare but my surgeon requires all deductibles, copays, etc. up front before he will do the surgery. You may want to ask your surgeons office and ask what his/her policy is....