anniebanana

I told my surgeon flat out that I didn't have it. I'm still not sure I really do, despite the fact I was diagnosed with it. The sleep study found that I had 6 incidences per hour. I think 5 or fewer is normal. I hate the CPAP, and I will be ditching it the moment I can. I have never slept as poorly as I have since I started wearing the mask. I clock watch constantly, waiting for the (insurance required) 4 hours per night to be up so I can pull the mask off and sleep without it.

Sorry if this has been asked and answered a hundred times (did a search, didn't see anything). I have a bunch of samples of Multivitamins and Calcium and Iron supplements from my bariatric center. I'm am curious post-op if it is easier to get down the chewy or chewable type of supplements? The chewy tastes better to me, but they don't dissolve as easily as the chewable. Thanks!

@@erp Thanks, though I was asking more from the standpoint of a reduced stomach size and the potential for problems getting down a chewy supplement.

@@shortydk How is your girlfriend doing?

I've been through 3 programs. With the first two, I met the surgeon immediately. I moved out of state midway through my most current program and didn't get to meet the surgeon here until a month ago at my pre-op visit. Thankfully, this surgeon is very skilled and very likable! I wouldn't want to continue i a program not knowing who is going to be operating on me. I like to be able to check credentials and get a feel for whether the surgeon has a good bedside manner.

Get the code for the procedure from your bariatric center, then call the billing department at the hospital. They should be able to tell you what is covered and what isn't. Good luck!

I only asked because I thought I didn't have it and found out I did! Anyway, the bariatric centers, at least in my experience, try to do everything they can to make it work for people in our situation. Hopefully your center is the same. It seems like high blood pressure is (or should be) considered a comorbidity! Good luck, keep us posted.

@@PRINCESS2218 You're not alone. Although my pre-op diet allows for 3 shakes, 1 cup veggies and a Lean Cuisine type meal, I have not dropped more than a couple of pounds. I called my bariatric center and spoke with a dietitian and she encouraged me to use a laxative (which that is definitely an issue on this diet) but insisted that I not reduce my intake. Aside from the things mentioned above, I am drinking Vitamin Water Zero, Propel, Herbal Caffeine Free tea, and regular water. scale hates me.

@@Jasminelums I'm the 5th and me too. A gal in our group just dropped out. She's lost 50 pounds on her own. I'm not sure how many more she has to lose. Not sure whether to pity her or jump with her! In all seriousness, I've been down this road before and I bailed back in 2011 and regretted it. I lost 72 pounds on my own and it ALL came back. I bounce between panic and giddiness when I think about the surgery. Just hope it goes smoothly with no complications

I know you say you don't have sleep apnea...have you actually ever been tested for it?

You have to be careful with this surgery because not everything involved in the workup is covered by insurance. Many of my blood tests were not covered, despite the fact that the surgery is. It's good to check with the bariatric center and find out every test they expect of you (get the codes for each procedure and test if you can), then run those by your insurance company to find out what is and what isn't paid for by them. Good luck!

@@charley27 Good luck tomorrow!

@@ccflotron34 I decided to postpone mine until July 5th because i have had so much going on. We are buying a home and are moving in on the 1st (we originally were scheduled to close on the 24th!) So I guess you get to go first and can share your experience with me!

@@northstar9148 Yes, my primary prescribed phentermine and I lost 15 pounds really fast. You can only be on it for 3 weeks at a time, but I've managed to keep off that 15 and then some. A lot of people will discourage you, but trust me, I get it. If it was that easy for me to lose weight, I wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. I am someone who has spent a lot of time in the gym and eat reasonably well, but between genetics, age, and a number of other factors, I put on a lot of weight and it does not want to go away despite my best efforts. Talk to your doctor...they are in a better position to advise you than anyone on this forum is. Good luck!

@@missblonde20 I agree, I broke down and had a string cheese and a bite of cantaloupe yesterday (day 4). Yesterday was by far the hardest day yet for me. I have heard it gets better after day 5. Here's hoping! Good luck

@@cjacks It really is just a matter of personal preference. I really like the Atkins chocolate more than Premier, but I love the Premier vanilla more than the Atkins vanilla. The benefit of the Premier is that it has twice the amount of Protein, so I feel a little more full (as much as possible on a liquid diet.) I've also bought Syntrax nectar in fuzzy navel (Vitamin Shoppe), which is a nice break from the vanilla/chocolate/strawberry shakes.

I guess I shouldn't have said no so definitively. My insurance coordinator said they could absolutely not participate in the appeal process, but that they could provide me with copies of everything so that I could.

@@PRINCESS2218 Wellllll, truth be told, I had a bit of a food funeral in the weeks leading up to the pre-surgery diet. I have no idea how much I gained between my last weigh-in and the start of the pre-surgery diet. I checked this morning and, after 3 days, I weigh the same as I did at my last weigh in, so I have hope that I should start dropping some between now and the 5th!.

Day 4 and I'm falling apart. I can't focus, I have no energy, and I am OH so hungry. I had a small bite of cantaloupe. I have already gone through 3 shakes and it isn't even close to dinner. Sigh. Poor me

Did your bariatric center give you a binder with all the information you will need? Sounds like they might not have. They should give you a packet of information that shows their pre-op and post-op diet requirements. Every surgeon is different, so I can't help you out there. They should have also provided you with information outlining the Vitamins you will need post-surgery (Multi, Calcium Citrate, maybe Iron). My center had samples, so I was able to try different kinds to decide what I liked. Same with Protein shakes. Some are good, some aren't. It's good to know what you like before you start the pre-op diet. There are different stages of diet after the surgery, and some of the things you could actually buy right now, like Soups and broths, etc. Anything you can do to make it easier when the time comes would be great. Definitely check with your provider for that paperwork.

No, your physician's office is not allowed to appeal the insurance company's decision, that's on you. I've heard, though, that the surgeon can ask for a peer to peer review of your case if they feel you need the surgery. Good luck!

My bariatric office wouldn't accept anyone in the program that tested positive for nicotine in the labs. One gal claimed to not even be a smoker, but her surgery was postponed 30 days when she tested positive for it. Strange. @@Miss.Bunny447 Yeah, it probably doesn't mean you were approved just yet. It's just them putting you on the surgery schedule and anticipating that you will be. Good luck!

Take advantage of the time to take care of everything related to pre and post surgery. Make sure you have everything you need for the pre-op diet, start doing some comparisons of Vitamins and Protein shakes for post surgery. Make a list for the hospital. There are things you need to take care of to make it easier, and the surgery sneaks up really fast. I hated waiting too, but it's suddenly just around the corner. Good luck!

My post surgery instructions say no coffee for 2 months after surgery. I am sad