Wdwgirl74

Jan 18. 8 am!

Hi all! I'm 4 days into 2 week preop diet. For the 2 protein shakes I need to have per day, I have tried adding some sugar free hello powder ( shakes are vanilla) and flavored syrup ( sugar free) and extracts. Nothing I can say was really making it taste better. Today I sprinkled it some sugar free butterscotch pudding mix and it was so damn good! How much should I put of the pudding mix in my drink? What if I use 1/2 packet? Or should I do 1 tablespoon? I'm gonna try chocolate next.

Hi! I start my 14 day pre op diet on Sunday. Sleeve surgery on Jan 18. I have to do 2 meals with a protein drink made with powder and water. The protein is from Drs office we have to use. It's called md whey protein. I have it in vanilla so I can add flavors. I have a couple flavored extracts and a sugar free French vanilla syrup. Can I add extracts? If so how much? Just a drop? What else can I add that's isn't food? Can't add any fruit or milk or yougurt to it. Only water. At least 1 of my meals I can have 4oz of real protein food! Thanks

Can you add package of sugar free jello to the drink? It's vanilla drink. Would u add whole package of jello or a little?

I have MTHFR and i may be on lovenox shots a bit longer than other patients

Jan 18 here!!! From illinois

I have BCBSIL PPO. My work actually has baratric surgery on their list of approved surgeries- first time u had ever seen that at any job! It was always not covered. I had my psych eval- 1 visit. I pulmonary dr visit to see if I need sleep study and clearance and I didn't need the study thank god Cardiologist visit for clearance. And I had a couple classes in group settings at the surgeons office. One of them was 4 hours where they covered s lot of info for after surgery and got a book handout that was outer bible we are to follow. So after I had psych clearance they sent that into my insurance and about 10 days later got official insurance approval. But I had to get clearances from other Drs before we could schedule the surgery. The cardiologist held me up because he felt I needed a stress test. So I had to do an additional test that I had to cancel cause I got sick and finally did it 2 weeks later and then the dr was out for a week before he could read it and clear me! Each bariatric program is different in what they want u to do to get your surgery date- even though BCBSIL doesn't require like a 3 or 6 month diet prior. I originally started the process with a different hospital until I found out the baratric program there- not BCBSIL- required me to have 6 dietician appointments before surgery and I could only have 2 per month. But- before I did that- I called bcbs and found out dietician appts are not covered when billed by a hospital. And they would be billed that way cause that's where the dietitians were. There were no dietician even in my city. So I went with another bariatric program on other side of town where I am at now. No dietician appts here! They do have a dietician and coordinator that did go over stuff with us as I mentioned above but in a group setting so they can get more people done at same time. They also have an exercise specialist to help us as well. So I would see what other bariatric programs require that you do- if you have options to go to another program.

Add me too! Wdwgirl74@att.net

I'm so frustrated. My bp is boiling. I took the big step to decide to get lap band. Met with baratrics coordinator. I have all those tons of test appointments all scheduled as of today. My bcbs IL even covers baratric surgery. No issue there. All my tests are covered. All good. All in network. Now I was told if the hospital- where the dietician is- bills insurance as outpatient hospital for my required 6 visits- it will NOT be covered by insurance. These visits are required by the baratric program not bcbs. I have been on phone back and forth trying to find out how they bill and not getting much help. No one knows. Finally had bcbs put me on hold and they called the hospital billing dept to see and they told her they do bill it as outpatient hospital!! So I would have to pay around $3-$4k to just have these dietician appts before I even have the surgery?! Dietician said they bill per 15 minutes and 1st appt is about $350 and they go up substantially from then on!!!! How can they not cover this if they cover the surgery?!!! I can't afford that before having the surgery!! My deductible is $1,000 and out of pocket is $4,0000! And it will start over next year which will prob be when I can have it!!!! So I'll try contacting the coordinator one more time to see if that's really the deal. If so I guess I'm not doing this. I was all ready and worked hard getting appointments. So frustrating. It doesn't make any sense.

Bcbs PPO IL. it has nothing to do with who the dietician is. If they bill it as outpatient hospital - since there are located in hospital where bariatric program is- it is not covered. My insurance called the hospital billing department to ask how they bill it. I'd have to go to one that is not in a hospital that had their own office. There isn't one located within 15 miles of where I live. There was 1 nutritionist in network an hour away! The coordinator at hospital says she knows nothing about billing and doesn't deal with that?!! I would think they would have someone to help you with the insurance issues!! I decided to go to the other hospital in my area that has baratric program. They do not require I see a dietician for 6 visits over 3 months. They have a dietician and other people on their team that I would see in the office and in group settings. When I see them in office it's charged as an office visit. They have an exercise person, dietician, coordinator, and an insurance specialist all in the office along with dr and nurses to help you with everything. I asked them if I get billed specifically for dietician visits and they said no. Everyone runs their program different I was told. I go to other hospital October 14 to meet actual dr doing surgery. I wouldn't even meet the dr at the original hospital I started with until all tests and appointments were met!

I'm so frustrated. My bp is boiling. I took the big step to decide to get lap band. Met with baratrics coordinator. I have all those tons of test appointments all scheduled as of today. My bcbs IL even covers baratric surgery. No issue there. All my tests are covered. All good. All in network. Now I was told if the hospital- where the dietician is- bills insurance as outpatient hospital for my required 6 visits- it will NOT be covered by insurance. These visits are required by the baratric program not bcbs. I have been on phone back and forth trying to find out how they bill and not getting much help. No one knows. Finally had bcbs put me on hold and they called the hospital billing dept to see and they told her they do bill it as outpatient hospital!! So I would have to pay around $3-$4k to just have these dietician appts before I even have the surgery?! Dietician said they bill per 15 minutes and 1st appt is about $350 and they go up substantially from then on!!!! How can they not cover this if they cover the surgery?!!! I can't afford that before having the surgery!! My deductible is $1,000 and out of pocket is $4,0000! And it will start over next year which will prob be when I can have it!!!! So I'll try contacting the coordinator one more time to see if that's really the deal. If so I guess I'm not doing this. I was all ready and worked hard getting appointments. So frustrating. It doesn't make any sense.