AmberMc03

I have the Bariatric fusion vitamins, they aren't horrible but they aren't candy! Lol Chewing 4 a day will be hard. HW: 219 CW: 207 Surgery date: 7/5/16

I had a consult with true results and did not like it. The person I spent the most time with (not the surgeon) during the consult couldn't answer most of my questions. They didn't even let me see or talk to the surgeon. They seemed to only care how I was paying because at that time I was under 40bmi and only had 1 comorbidity I was on medication for and so my insurance wouldn't cover it. She was very pushy and got rude when I said I had to discuss the entire process and the first meeting with my husband. I did some research and ended up going through NewStart at Memorial Hermann. They referred me to UT Physicians MIST surgical group. I am very happy and they helped me get what I needed and approved for the sleeve!

I'm on day 2 also. It sucks to go to work. I work in a manufacturing plant and most people cook their lunch in our buildings kitchen. One operator this week has fried fish chicken and shrimp every day!!! Then we have a department popcorn machine like the movie theater and right after lunch and about 2pm they fire it up and the whole darn building smells like delicious popcorn. I want to go in and kick the glass! Lol It's worth it but I'm still miserable! 6 more days .... Surgery is 7/5

I wore ankle weights my first visit in order to surpass the BMI requirement... I do not have enough medicated comorbidities YET to qualify under 40bmi. I started at 41 BMI (219lbs) and that was enough for me! I'm 5'1"

I just got my date, I'm July 21st too! Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App That's awesome! I have cancelled my surgery. Since I have a lower BMI, my Holistic doctor has persuaded me to try the HCG Protocol first as an alternative to surgery. I will starting Phase 1 in one and a half weeks. Good luck!! I took HCG injections and they did not work at all! It was a waste of $895!

I am 5'1" and starting liquid diet today. Surgery is July 5th. HW: 220 CW: 206 GW: 120-125 I am busty and have a large bottom - not that I want to keep the booty but always he a flat stomach with it before having kids....lol bust has not changed in cup size with weight loss only band size so hoping I won't lose too much chest... Lol!! Getting nervous about doing liquid diet "voluntarily" for a whole week! I mean there's nothing but my will power and risk of surgery cancellation stopping me from eating food so I'm pretty nervous about my will power strength.

July 5th in Houston, TX!

I too was open and honest with my boss and she flipped her sh?&! She tried to pressure me to reschedule for later this summer. I simply told her that this is not elective because of my morbid obesity and co-morbidities make it medically necessary. I have next week to make sure I'm caught up and ahead on my work so my performance isn't questioned. Why can't people just understand that this IS MY LAST OPTION!

I don't start my liquid diet until Wednesday the 29th. Surgery is Tuesday the 5th! My BFF had hers on 6/21 and is home and doing great! I'm so excited to take this journey with her even if I'm a couple weeks behind....

I have Aetna as well. The surgeons insurance coordinator screwed up and didn't submit when I completed all the requirements so when they finally submitted I called Aetna and explained the mix up and that I really needed to schedule ASAP because my kids are with their grandmother for a month and I wanted to be done and back before they get back. They marked it urgent and it was approved the same day! Then it took another almost 1 week before they called me to schedule. I was very disappointed to have to push my surgery back 2 weeks. I will only be about 4 days post when my kids come home..... But they know what's going on.

My 3 months of dr supervised visits were the initial visit and weigh in, then 3 more appointments with the surgeon where I'd weigh and then talk about what I was doing to work toward the goal. My insurance didn't require a specific amount of weight loss just had to show loss each time. Once I had my last weigh in my file was submitted to insurance for approval.

Try the jar of broth granules. Mix 2tsp chicken with 1 tsp veggie and it tastes really good. Hope you find something you can like better.... Gonna have that diet for a bit!

FMLA protects you from exactly this situation! My boss tried to tell me to move my July 5th surgery date because exactly 2 weeks later is a major audit that I need to be at work for. I assured her that I would be back for the audit but she is hell bent on pressuring me to move it. One call to HR stopped that immediately.

I am also scheduled for 7/5/16!

I use Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. It gives an extra 5 grams of protein per tablespoon (up to 4 Tbsp per day). I mix it in my Herbalife Protein Drink mix, yogurt, cottage cheese, Soup, etc. Anything liquid where it can be stirred in! It's the boost I need to reach my protein goal each day.

I was positive for it. 14 days on a triple antibiotic my mouth tastes like metal all the time. Chewing gum and Altoids helped a lot. No other issues.

Update --- finally got approved by insurance and I am scheduled for surgery on July 5th! Reality is setting in - am I really going to do this?! YES I AM! just saw my family today from Illinois and they are all supportive and excited for my journey. Mom still thinks I am making a mistake but my aunt who had the band procedure in 2007/2008 was very supportive! I am scared to death of having complications because so many people I know have been successful no issues with recovery that I keep asking myself "what if I'm in the 5% complication rate?" I dropped my kids off with my Illinois family today so I can prepare and have surgery without worrying about them being here and what to do with them during my hospital stay... Hubs is supportive and boss just wants to make sure I'll be back to work in 2 weeks or less because we have a major audit starting on the 18th of July.

Please let us all know why your dr. Says about it! If it helps with hair growth I will try it!

The insurance coordinator from my surgeons office didn't submit my stuff for approval! My last visit was may 19 and the surgeons assistant said she submitted the task to the insurance coordinator to submit to Aetna and I should follow up in 2 weeks. I called Aetna today to follow up with them and they have absolutely no record of a request for surgery approval for me! Because of my intense work schedule I needed to have surgery the week of June 20th. Now even if they submit today Aetna has 14 days to respond and then there might not be availability at the hospital for that week. I don't know what to do now... I can't afford to self pay!

Update:::: my surgery was approved the same day the coordinator finally submitted! I am now waiting for the scheduler to call me with a pre-op and surgery date! Eekkk!!!! It's getting real now!

@@Seastars pre-op testing is some lab work, ekg, going over day of instructions, verifying medications you take, other medical questions. When I had my scope my pre-op only took about 30min. They also do a pregnancy test on women as standard procedure.

The coordinator called back and said she didn't submit because she hadn't heard from me that I did the NUT class. I did it on 3/18 in her office!!! She had it in my file she just chose not to look for it. After April 6 upper EGD I was finished with all the requirements except the last 2 weight management visit. I did that on purpose so that she could submit the day I weighed my last time and then the approval could have been back this week! So now she said she submitted it and called and got a case #. They still won't make it a priority review because WLS is elective. So we will see what happens. I am going to call next week to my insurance and check the status. Every day if I have to. If I have to put off surgery I'm afraid I'll talk myself out of it

@@Susan Michelle Autry - I'll be praying for you and your surgeon tomorrow!

Should have approval around 6/2. Got a river float trip and then I take my kids to grandma's so I can recover better! Hoping for June 21 or 22.

I started this crazy idea on Feb. 15 and so far I've had 3 weigh in/visits with my surgeon. I've lost 13lbs and am trying to slow down the loss so not to jeopardize my approval with Aetna. They don't require a specific number or percent weight loss just have to show loss. Well I got excited the first month and lost 7 lbs! Then the second month I lost 4lbs and the last visit another 2 lbs! Doc says slow down! Haha why isn't it been this easy before?! Oh yeah because my time effort and money is on the line! I've done blood work, gallbladder ultrasound, upper scope(EGD) - which I was positive for hPylori and had to take 14 days of a triple antibiotic that cost me $150 AFTER insurance!!! And now I'm just waiting for May 19 for my last visit with the surgeon then it's submission time! I want to schedule surgery for the week of June 13th so I can be back to work in time for a major audit we have scheduled for July 18th. Plus my kids are going to stay with Grandma for a month while I have surgery and recover. It's going to be a super busy and rough summer but come Christmas I'll be happier than I've been in years!