Meguone

I love the idea of the cancellation list. Never would have thought of that. Great tip.

How long are the classes, week wise? Do you need to go to the clinics or can you take online?

Just starting out with EVERYHING. Turned 51 in June, doctor wanted me to do Colonoscopy, went in and had just broke down about my weight. Had lost twice before over 60 pounds. But after three years, NOTHING helps. And I mean NOTHING. So finally got a meeting with Gastric Doctors and they want every test in the world done that I KNEW would come up negative. Had a million tests done, blood, urine, you name it. Guess what, ALL came back negative. So now on CPAP machine because the sleep study had me at mild to moderate at waking up 15 times an hour. I hate the CPAP and ONLY on it or tolerate it for getting the surgery. Had to actually gain about 20 pounds extra onto my 5'3" frame and it's KILLING ME. Getting to the point I can't walk up my own steps and doing anything outside is painful, all just to be in that 35 BMI sweet spot with cormobidity of sleep apnea. Been on CPAP now, GAO investigation about two weeks, but can't talk to doctor till the 30th of June. Ugh. Any good ideas of how to get through this till I talk to him. I feel miserable and the fact I HAD to go from 170lbs to 200lbs is just stupid. I just feel lost.

I will never go out of the country for ANY medical procedure. Just the cost of that and having to deal with taking family is more stressful than trying to save up money for it. I have really good insurance, as I had stated, once I'm approved it's only $250 out of my pocket. My sleep apnea is ONLY from being the 60-70 pounds over weight. Never had a problem with sleep when I was 130 pounds. I will not be using the machine once the weight is off and with Kaiser, I only have to rent it, once the surgery is done, they can have it back. I know I can't loose the weight without the surgery because I've been trying for three years. If I were to go out of pocket, then there are two Bariatric medical professionals here in my state, with state run expectations and rules. More power to the people who feel comfortable for going out of country, not for me though.

THAT'S true. You REALLY have to be on their butts to get stuff like this done. I HATE waiting to hear from my doctor, I will email them till they make my appointment. I will be a thorn in their side till they do what I want them to do. I had my son with them also, and have been with them almost 30 years too.

Oh wow, that is really good. I haven't told anyone yet except for one person who also had WLS done. I'm in Aurora Colorado. I had thought about going to Denver Bariatric, but the cost is making it so I'm waiting for Kaiser to give me the final ok

Yikes the surgeon is booked out two months that scares me. I'm also Kaiser but Colorado. I've heard from what I've been able to get from them, had to be on CPAP machine for a couple of weeks, 6-8 weeks of classes (including nutrionalist, and psych eval) so in my head even though I haven't heard from them, classes all of July and into August, then surgery sometime in August/September??? I actually JUST wrote to the doctor to tell them, how much my body is hurting and that this needs to get done NOW. So waiting to hear. I pray I don't have to wait till end of the year for this.

I also have Kaiser and waiting to see when I can get it. Can I ask you why did it take six months? Just because they were busy, or waiting for classes, or...?

I did but I had already turned 50, so my doctor got me to do one in April, ugh, sucked.

I've had this fear too. If I have to be on it, and DON'T loose, what will the surgeon say?

I totally wondered about that for the first night of using the machine. Because it came out of nowhere. And I thought for sure, well, with 389 days and none, then BAM all of a sudden. And kept my same cycle, five days. So weird. The ONLY reason why I would want it to come back is to have a third child and yes, I now in my 50s, but other wise, WHY would this happen. My husband is all for "practicing", but that would be the only reason.

OMG, I LOVE YOU, this is fantastic. I don't have a "skinny list" yet, but going to make one now. My Skinny list is to wear the 100s of cute ShirtPunch and TeeFury T-shirts I have in three bins. I'm a huge sports fan and have my championship win shirts from the Denver Broncos, Chicago Cubs (I can finally die now with a World Series win) my Pittsburg Penguins shirts. I know it might sound trivial, but literally all I want do is get back into those shirts and my wedding bands.

I'm 51, look 30, but 5'3" and 201. Waiting now for the approval and my BMI when I went in to see the doctor in April was only 198 and at 34.9BMI. I had talked to my regular PCP doctor and we discussed as stupid as it is, for me to gain some weight to get me to the 35BMI. WHICH HAS GOT TO BE THE DUMBEST THING, but it's working (lots of Starbucks shakes) I hate it, my knees hurt, hurts to walk up the stairs in my house, hurts to get out of the chairs, and my lower back feels like someone has hit me. I needed to be OVER 35 and ONE cormorbity (sleep apnea) and that's an entirely different story, but if that's what it takes to get me to the surgery then so be it. I was uncomfortable at 170 but with the amount of diet I was on, the amount of water and workouts I did, nothing helped in the last 3 years, so it's to surgery. They (medical) really need to do something for those of us that are under the 35BMI, especially if we can show years of hard work and testing and nothing helps. But gaining those last 20 pounds has taken about two months, it's been actually hard and I'm SO SICK AND TIRED OF JUNK FOOD. I am trying to maintain my 200+ JUST for this reason Doctors are evil.

I use almost EVERY flavor of Mio. Even have the kids drinking a lot of water instead of juice because of it. They have gotten to the point where they barely put it in, so I know they aren't wasting it. Water is hard if you have never done it a lot before, but yeah, try the MIO/Crystal light, and you don't need much of it either to make it bearable to drink.

Where or how do you place a signature? I know I'm just missing it, but can't find it.

Ok, so this might be odd also. I just turned 51, and hadn't had my period for 389 days. I was like YES, this is it, finally done. Then I go and get the CPAP machine and that next morning my period came????? WTF??? would the machine have had ANYTHING to do with that? I have never used a tampon and wont, but now it's a question I keep having of will I get my next one on the next cycle. UGH

I have been on optifast before when I lost the weight before 2014 and I liked it. It does suck to not be able to physically eat anything. That's one thing my doctor has already talked to me about is that "I'll have to make a life change with food doing this". And I'm like, yeah, I've already done that so, shouldn't be a problem. Glad your folks are paying for it, that's great!!! Just hang in there. I'd love to be at that level right now to JUST do the shakes. It always worries me though that they know what our BMI is and that we have this extra weight, then they want you to loose for two weeks, and I know why, but then you are down like 20 pounds and I keep having in the back of my mind, they will say, "well, you are down 20, and your BMI is down, so you don't get surgery." YIKES.

Oh wow, the sugar free gummy bears sounds like a great idea. Great tip.

I'm also wanting to do the sleeve. I don't want anything that can be reversed, personally for me, I DON'T need a big stomach. Have been reading a lot and taking notes on everything to be more prepared also. I've heard that the Sleeve is good for foodies, but still, everything after that in moderation.

THANK YOU!!! Exactly. That's why ours does, to be qualified for the Sleeve, and have one or more cormorbity, once I do get everything started it's only $250, that's it. What are you getting done, will your insurance cover you? I hope it does. This is something that I'm so sick and tired of. I don't know what happened to me for the past three years, but I hardly eat, and still gain weight. I'm so over it.

Because my BMI was low, not going to spend $$$$ to go to Mexico when my insurance will do it for $250 and that's it. My family and I can pay the deductible, but not going to pay out of pocket when the insurance will do it. Having to gain the extra weight, totally sucks, but to get to 200 lbs and ONLY have to pay $250 is worth it. It's just the waiting that is making me crazy.

OMG, RIGHT??? WTF??? Did the same thing, had leggings on under heavy jeans and lots of change in my pockets. Oh, I'm so sorry about having to be that weight for TWO years, that's crazy and not fair. With Kaiser, and how our insurance is, I'll only have to pay $250.00 total, that's it, but just getting to that point and having to do ALL of these other BS test is a waste of my time. I'd love to hear from you and how everything goes. Thank you so much for understanding. I'm glad you are at that point to get it done soon

Hi, hope this is in the right place. Would love to talk to people with Kaiser insurance especially starting out of doing your own pay. What all have you had to do to start and how long are you into it. Thanks