LINZ62383

Thanks everyone. I had a meeting this afternoon and it seems my job is safe for now, so that's a relief. I appreciate your support, which is why I like having these forums. They have already been a huge help with my pre-op stresses!

Thank you so much for your reply. I've worked so hard for the last nine months to get here that I don't know what I would do if it all went up in smoke. From what I had read about COBRA, it looked like that was the case, but it's nice to have someone else confirm it who has been through a similar situation. I was fired without cause from a seven years ago, so nothing anyone does in the workplace surprises me anymore. I sent an email and asked, for clarification, whether or not our jobs will not be affected. Of course I haven't heard anything back, so that's been great. They may have repair an ulcer in addition to doing my bypass at this rate, I'm so stressed out. Thanks for the positive vibes, I really appreciate it!

I have my EGD tomorrow morning. I am a little nervous about it because I have had a nasty stomach flu for the last week, and I'm worried they will see something that will delay my surgery approval. Did anyone have an EGD where they found something abnormal? Did it affect your surgery date?

Thanks! I think at this point I'm just worried that something, anything, will get in the way and stop my surgery. I am just ready to be done already. The EDG went fine, they said everything looked healthy and they were going to submit me to insurance for my surgery approval. Hopefully I'll have my surgery date here in a few weeks! I think I must have just had a nasty stomach bug. For anyone who gets those, I cannot recommend drinking hot ginger tea enough. It seriously cleared the bug up in 24 hours, and it was a natural remedy rather than medication. Just an FYI to anyone reading this

Hi all: I am a month out from my final weigh-in for my monitored diet and submitting to insurance for approval. I asked my PA last week if I would be getting surgery in early October like I had previously thought, and she said it's likely going to be happening in late October or even early to mid-November. On one hand, if I have surgery in mid-November than I will be on short-term disability through the holidays and will be able to spend time with my family, which is great. However, I'm concerned about having surgery so close to food-centered holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas. Has anyone had surgery near these holidays and was it difficult to tolerate the holidays while recovering? I just realized I would still be on the liquid diet after surgery during Thanksgiving. That sucks. Ah well, it will be what it will be, I guess. Thanks, L

Today I finally got the call to schedule my EGD, four weeks after the call saying they were going to schedule it. Unfortunately, the date they scheduled it for is during my family vacation. I called them back this afternoon to see if they could do it the day before my vacation since I'll be off that day anyway, and I am worried about missing too much work. Of course, they said that they only do EGDs once a month. So now I am concerned I will have to wait until the end of October, and whether or not that affects them scheduling my surgery date. Did anyone get their date scheduled before the EGD? I'm am so frustrated at this point.

Oh yes, I live in a large city where I'm sure they're done by someone every single day. I called them and accepted to September 28 date to be safe. I go in for my final weigh in on Monday to submit to insurance so I'm hoping they will agree to give me a referral or do something. Otherwise I'm going to have try to move my vacation or will have to come home early. I can't believe they wouldn't refer me to someone rather than make me wait another month. I'm going to be sick about it all weekend, I wish they hadn't done this to me on a Friday.

I just got a call today to schedule my endoscopy. That was four weeks after they had called to originally let me know I needed one, so I am very worried it will be awhile before I get my surgery date after I get approved by insurance. They, of course, scheduled me for the EGD on the week I'm going to be out of town on vacation, and now they have to send it back to the surgery scheduler, so who knows how long it will be until I hear from them again. My final weigh-in is on Monday, so we will submit to insurance at the beginning of next week. I mean, I get that there are a lot of people who are in line at my surgeon's office, but I am ready to have my date set! A lot of my holiday plans depend on when my surgery occurs. Plus, I've been at this since January, and I am ready to be done! Sorry, just needed to vent. It hasn't been getting to me until this last month.

I'm in the same boat, but more so about when I ask for short-term disability. I am worried what to say if they ask why I need time, like press about what kind of surgery I'm having. I'm not so much uncomfortable telling people as I am worried that if I tell them I'm getting RNY that they will deny my short-term disability and say it's elective.

I haven't been too bad emotionally until this last month. I'm ready to have my date set and get things in motion. I don't blame you about not thinking it's real until you wake up in recovery. I'm going to be the same way! Lol

I have my final weigh-in of my six-month insurance-required monitored diet coming next Monday. Assuming all goes well, which I think it will, they will submit to insurance for approval of the surgery. How long did it take others to get an answer from their insurers? Did anyone call them and try to light a fire under them to get it put through? I have no problem doing that if needed and if it has been successful for others. I am so excited, but I am also nervous I won't know anything for awhile after the surgeon's office submits it for approval.

I have Anthem as well, so hearing you had such a short turn around time gives me hope. It's just been a long six months and I'm ready to have my date set!

I'm planning on taking at least 6 weeks. That's what my surgeon recommends, so I'm going to listen to him.

Thanks everyone! I am not going to stress about it until I have my set surgery date. I also see this as a way to possibly get out of family time, which is stressful and not always fun in my family. I'm sure it will be fine, but I appreciate the feedback.

You've got this! I'm sure it will be painful and uncomfortable for the first week or more, but that is probably normal. You had major surgery, after all. Thank you for sharing your experience. I am having RNY in a few months, so it helps to hear what other people have experienced so I can know what to expect. Hope you feel better soon!

Hi everyone: I had my four-month weigh-in for my six-month long insurance required doctor-monitored diet. My insurer requires this before they will approve the RNY procedure, which is fairly common from what I have learned. Well, I ended up gaining three pounds, which put me a pound over my starting weight at my first weigh-in for this program. I am so frustrated because I really haven't been eating terribly and I have been exercising. My body literally clings to this weight like its life depends on it, which is why I am going through with the RNY in the first place. I wondered if anyone else has had this problem, or if anyone was approved for the surgery even if they were a little over their starting weight. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my mom six years ago, it completely changed me and shook me to my core. I can't even think about something happening to my brother or father without immediately feeling like I can't breathe. I didn't gain weight when I lost her, but I really gained weight when I quit smoking in January 2012.

Hi again everyone: I am probably going to start posting questions I think up in here when I have them, so please bear with me. My husband and I were talking earlier today about when to put in my request for short-term disability for my surgery. I told him since I won't get my surgery date until late August there is no reason to think about doing it anytime soon, but I do wonder what some people have said to their employers when they put in their short-term dis requests. My concern is if I tell them that I'm getting gastric bypass surgery that they will deny my disability request. My surgeon's office said that they can write me something general that doesn't go into detail and disclose that I'm having bariatric surgery, but I know my boss and he will press me for details. More out of curiosity than anything else, and he is nice, but I am still worried I will be denied if I tell my company exactly what procedure I'm having done. Has anyone else had this concern, or can anyone else share what their experience was when requesting time off for surgery? Thanks! L

Did you have disclose you were having bariatric surgery? I'm worried they will deny it and say it's elective. Then again, if insurance approves it then I don't see how they could say that. It's also not something I want to discuss with co-workers, to be honest.

I am pre-op for RnY surgery, most likely having my surgery in early October this year. I started to have terrible lower back pain late last year, and since then it has become pretty much constant every day. I wanted to see if anyone who had back pain previously and has gone through the surgery noticed a decrease in pain. I am assuming my pain is probably related to my weight. I have had an MRI and seen a back specialist and he said I have a perfectly healthy spine. I am hoping that one of the outcomes of my WLS is a reduction in this pain. Has anyone else experienced this and had less pain once some of the weight has come off after surgery? Thanks!

I take extra strength vitamin D every day. I always had a deficiency at my physicals so I started taking daily it a few years ago. I agree about how frustrating it is, barefoot_gardener. I am also in my early 30's, so having this kind of back problem is depressing.

I am going through Mt. Carmel West, too. Did you have a good experience?

Thanks for the info. I am going to ask about it at my weigh-in today. I meant to ask last month but forgot.

Hi all: I am wondering if there are any good websites or books out there for recipes for after RnY. If there is anything for pre-op recipes that would be great, too. Thanks! Lindsey

I'm glad you brought this subject up since I was wondering if baby food is a good option for pre-op or even post-op when you reach the soft foods stage. I would think that baby food has a lot of nutrients in it, but it sounds like a lot of them are loaded with carbs and sugar. Boy, if that's true, Big Food sure starts hooking us young. How frustrating and ridiculous.