Mary2016

I agree. I am 54. Wish I had this option when I was 21. I had already spent my childhood overweight. By the time I graduated nursing school at 22 I was 244 pounds. My life has been wonderful, don't get me wrong. But your self esteem, your comfort level is so different thin. Good luck to all.

MamaRhea- the upper GI is easy. In and out in about 30 minutes. They have you swallow barium quickly. And then take pictures standing and then you lay down for pictures and on your side, etc. they watch the barium go down I was in and out in 30 min.

I am so dreading that part. Hang in there.

I had a thin coworker today tell me that people who don't lose weight and stay thin are just lazy. Meanwhile, she eats crap- donuts for breakfast, tasty cakes for snacks. I never see her eat a vegetable or piece of fruit, EVER. and she told me she does not exercise, I do 3-4 times a week. She is thin but definitely out of shape looking. She has seriously high blood pressure. We are about the same age. I have always eaten fairly healthy, just eat too darn much. I exercise, have excellent BP and normal cholesterol. You can't tell me there isn't something in my genetics or just plain biological that doesn't cause me to regain weight. I have been on the fence for a long time. I have not been 100% sure all along. But tomorrow is my final weigh in for my 3 month diet. I am all cleared and ready for insurance submission. And I am ready. I can not do this alone. It's time.

Hang in there sanjumets!

I wonder that just about every day. I am almost done the preop process, just one nutrition appointment away, this Tuesday. And I am still not 100% sure. About 10 years ago I lost 160 lbs on weight watchers. I kept it off a couple of years and then it crept back, well at least 100 lbs did. I know I could probably lose weight. Not too sure on keeping it off. And it scares me to death going through a surgery if all that happens is I gain back. I hear conflicting reports of people a few years out from surgery. Are you able to eat as much as prior to surgery when you are 2,3,4 or more years out? That is what scares me. Not the surgery itself. But going through all of this and going right back.

I am in shock and so upset. I needed my pcp to fill out a form for medical necessity for the surgery. She also needed to fill in my weights, comorbidities and also a years worth of progress notes from my visits. I faxed the form from work to their office, with a letter stating they could notify me when completed and I would pick it up. Well......a coworker came in to me today with a fax for me. All of my personal health information, my weight for the past year AND the fact that I am in the process of qualifying for bariatric surgery was for anyone to read. They randomly faxed this information to my employer. I have no idea how they got the fax number. I could not believe it. My employer has no idea I am having surgery. Or at least HAD no idea. A good friend got the fax and brought it to me. Next thing I knew, another person gave me another copy that was faxed. Not sure what else is floating around. I am hoping it wasn't read, and I did ask the coworker to keep it quiet. I blasted the doctors office. But I am truly so upset. I wanted to wait until I was approved before i told work. I just feel like any moment someone else is going to drop off my personal health information at my office door Just venting. Ugh!!!

When I went for my sleep study the guy told me he would be coming in to put Cpap on me if needed in the middle of the night. He never came in and I thought it was a good sign. Sure enough, results said no sleep apnea.

I am in the business of faxing confidential information daily, patients medical info, numerous times per day. What I faxed my doctors office was a form with blank info for them to fill out. It had my name on it. Not confidential. What they faxed to a random fax number at my large office was confidential. = HIPPA VIOLATION.

It would be interesting to know how old people are. Not to be nosy or rude, but sometimes when this question is asked I wonder about that with people who respond.

Good luck J. Lynn!

Oh my gosh, I am sure I will be the same way. You are doing so well. Hang in there, you are almost there. Good luck!

Thank you for your support. I've made mistakes in my 32 year nursing career and I will take it as a mistake on that persons part. I really appreciate those that stepped up and gave me that ear. I am so nervous to tell work. I think they are going to flip out. And I feel guilty about that. I can't help it. But we have been "working on getting you help" for over a year. The jig is up. This is the main reason I don't want them to know yet. They are truly going to freak out. I dread the day. Thanks again.

Oh for the love of God..... - I was upset that my weight for the past 5 years and the fact that I was having bariatric surgery was plastered all over my very large office. Thank goodness it wasn't what it could have been, an embarrassing disaster. I don't share my weight with others, don't know about you. I posted for support. I have gotten some very interesting/ strange comments. I was UPSET. needed a little emotional support from some people that can understand. - I did not commit a theft since we are allowed to use the fax for personal reasons as well. A blank form was faxed by me to my primary. No confidential info on this end was faxed. With it was a letter requesting they call me when done and I would pick up papers in person. No call, just a fax to a department in my office was received with an entire year of my office visit record. They had a fax number on file to my company. They blatantly disregarded my letter. I'm upset, but recognize mistakes are made. - hiding surgery? When I go out on a leave I NEVER need to tell my boss. I need to have paperwork filled out by my surgeon and it would go through my HR leave team. It is confidential and my boss does not need to be told why and can not ask me why. Whether I am uncomfortable telling them or not is no ones business. But for the record, if they know they will try to have me delay. I work in healthcare and just about anyone in healthcare right now knows how tough things are going. We have limited staff and my job is a specialty. I have been waiting for them to get me help for over a year with no real end in sight. My need to keep it quiet has nothing to do with being embarrassed and everything to do with what is best for me. I really didn't want to explain all of that, but I was really surprised by some of the comments. So, have at it. I'm done.

I have had GERD and my endoscopy was ok but my barium swallow showed severe reflux. I have a small hiatal hernia so I am hoping for repair with surgery. I don't want the bypass either.

No, we are allowed to make phone calls at work. If we are standing at a fax machine all day that would be a productivity issue. We are not banned in sending personal faxes. So I guess I haven't committed a crime. Lol.

Does anyone know how long approval,is good for? I will have a hard time scheduling due to work, but also have my daughters graduation from high school and party to schedule.

Good for you!

I hear ya. I am just about done all my preop testing. Called my surgeons office to make sure they were receiving results....basically had nothing. That was 2 weeks ago. I get my own copies of everything, so I faxed echo and blood work. I was waiting for the rest of the tests to come to me but they said they would call and get the results as well. That was 2 weeks ago. When I called 2 days ago to check again, nope, didn't request it yet from what the girl could tell me. This time I had results of everything. I faxed it to them and told the girl I would be hand delivering some items and would be coming in next week. At that time I am going to double check again. Very frustrating to feel like you have to do their job. I fully expect a delay when it comes time to submit to insurance. Frustrating.

First I spoke to the office staff. I asked them to find out who faxed the info and what line did they use. Our numbers in the office bounce, so if a fax is busy it could be bounced anywhere. At first she said she didn't know. Then I told her that it was essentially faxed to a public fax without my knowledge and a HIPPA violation, and if she didn't know what number, she better find out fast. Then the nurse I have been dealing with came on the line. She was so apologetic, she didn't do the faxing. She gave me the fax number so I could track it. I work in healthcare and my doctors office is part of the same hospital system that I work for. I know our policy is immediate dismissal for such a violation and no grey area. HIPPA violated, good bye. In answer to the first poster who responded, as I told the nurse, my intent is not to get someone fired, but they need to get a clue!

I hear you. I am preop and my BP runs 110-120/60-70. Everyone is always shocked. And the food....my downfall is my snacking on lots of carbs, mostly at night. But my meals are healthy. I don't drink soda, eat fast food. And I'm not lazy. I work 10-11 hour days and am busy many nights of the week. But for some, their perception is different. But 70 pounds is so great a boost for your health. You might not feel tremendously different, but your body thanks you. Keep it up!

I feel for you. I am 2 months into my 3 month preop process and was doing great. I totally flubbed it. So disappointed in myself. This is so hard.

I plan to take 4 weeks. I'm 54 and expect this might be a little tiring. I have extended leave time I can take which is paid time off for more significant health reasons, i.e.- surgery. I expect with the diet I am going to need it.

I am usually pretty upfront. But my work environment is a mess until May, when they are supposed to make changes and lessen my work load....yadda, yadda, yadda......I am afraid if I tell them why I am going they will ask me to postpone. My surgery will probably be in May. I work for a large company and all of my paperwork will be processed through the HR Leave Team. My boss will not be told the reason. But it's darn awkward. She would never point blank ask, but the "I hope you're okay", etc will be so darn uncomfortable. You feel the need to explain.