SummerTimeGirl

LOVE that black dress MissSpartyPants posted!!!!

Funny you guys brought all these things up as I was just talking with my husband the other day about goals and what I "couldn't wait to do/wear/etc." and I realized most of my goals are actually things like........... Ziplining Go on a water/jet ski without worrying about if I will be too big or not (every Summer vacation I miss out on doing it with my husband because of my fear) Kanooing/Kayaking Parasailing Fitting better into booths at restaurants Fitting better into an airline seat without the fear of needing/asking for an extender Etc..... But yeah, I'm just looking forward to the day when these fun and exciting things (and every day things) come up and I can say yes, let's do it!, without worrying if my weight would prohibit me. No activity really scares me. It was always just the weight that held me back.

This is what I want. To be able to eat a well, balanced VARIETY of foods again without it wreaking havoc on me. In the proper amounts, of course.

Not really. I mean doing those things and SEEING RESULTS is fine by me. It's doing all the right things and NOTHING HAPPENING is what I don't like. LOL I just got off the video conference with my surgeon for the first time and he addressed it. He said of course there will be NOTHING food-wise we aren't allowed to eat afterwards, which I knew, but he believes that shouldn't be an issue for me once the surgery is done. That I should be able to eat the normal recommended daily suggestions without stalling me or making me gain like they do now.

LOTS of great ideas!!! And I love that pill holder. I like how you can have them all in a container for when you go away for a week or just take out the few days for a shorter trip instead of taking the whole big container with you!! The one I have now (day and night) I always worry the days/sections are gonna pop open when I take them with me for traveling. This looks like that won't happen. Thanks so much!!!!!

Thanks so much for all the great ideas and links!! I never would have thought about those small disposable cups!! I was thinking I wouldn't get containers that size because I couldn't think of what I would use them for? But maybe I should? What kind of stuff do you use them for and did you use them right after surgery or further out? I already have a big blender, small bullet type blender, as well as several of those bottles with the balls in them for mixing protein powders from previous dieting. Thanks again!!

Instead of jealous or aggravated he should be like yup, thanks guys, and she's ALL MINE! LOL But I know easier said that done for some men.

Awww, poor thing. I've often wondered, in doing my research before deciding to take the plunge myself, if maybe our spouses wouldn't benefit from seeing the psychologist too when we go through this procedure. I think it would be a good thing. Maybe a class for them alone and then one for both spouses together so that our fears and expectations can be addressed.

Haven't had the surgery yet myself, but at first I was thinking like the others that maybe he was excited to see your new body in these clothes. But then you said no. So, maybe you should just let him know that, whether you do or don't choose to wear those clothes, you're not going anywhere. He may be a little anxious now that you have this new body and mindset that you'll leave him behind. I think a lot of spouses probably worry about that whether by outright saying so or low key letting you know. I think a little reassurance will be good for him, and probably you, because then he may leave you alone about it. LOL

My non wls husband has this happen to him every time he eats dairy. Some sort of slight allergy.

For me it was the opposite. The same doc who saw me eating right and exercising DID suggest the wls YEARS ago. He said I would greatly benefit from it. But I always expressed my fears. And I mostly had fears because of the only two people I know who had it done, BOTH had very bad issues after the fact. The one actually died due to a blockage in her intestines and her husband brought her back to life while waiting on the ambulance. My other friend was in and out of the hospital for multiple additional surgeries he says all related to the wls. He also said had he known that all would happen he would NOT have had it done. The one friend who died and was brought back also had issues with her nutrients after surgery and lost SOOOOOOO much weight that she now looks about 30 years older than she is. Like a skeleton. So yeah, that sh*t scared me. So I just refused to hear anything else until about 5 years ago when I started really looking into it again (but not seriously). Of course I was still scared because I didn't change my mind until recent months to actually reach out to someone for more info/an appointment.

So I'm new here and started a thread last week with some questions I had. You can easily find it if you want but pretty much I was asking WHY the bariatric office would contact the insurance company BEFORE they even allow me to go for an initial consult. I mean, the initial consult would better help me understand IF I even wanted to go through with the surgery to begin with and here they were almost acting as if they won't see me at all unless I have insurance that will cover it. Was just strange to me. So then yesterday they write me back. They simply say this (they also sent a separate email with details on classes, links to videos to watch and told me to look in the mail for a binder): Deductible: $150 Met to Date: Out of Pocket: $2750 Met to Date: Copay: Coinsurance: 100% Medically Supervised Weight Loss Classes: 0 That really doesn't explain anything. I mean, it tells me how much any coinsurance would cover (which I don't have) but not what my primary and only insurance will cover. So I messaged back to ask: What DOES MY insurance actually cover? When does the out of pocket expenses come into play, and can payments be made towards it instead of one lump sum? Does the "Medically supervised classes: 0" mean I attended none or I don't need to attend one? Are any of the additional tests needed for the surgery covered by insurance? So they respond today and still don't really answer all of my questions. One of the things she said was: "For the amount covered by your insurance you will need to call them for clarification." Huh, I was told last week that's what THEY were doing. SMH Then the last sentence she says: "Once you have the surgery we will submit to your insurance company and they will let us know what part of the balance is your responsibility. At that point you would receive a bill. I hope this helps!" ONCE I HAVE the surgery? WTH? Shouldn't they/I know what the insurance will cover BEFOREHAND? Gotta say, I'm not really happy right now. This is exactly why I wanted to go for a consult in person to ask all these questions. I mean, is this normal? Out of everything I've read here I can't say that I remember anyone saying they got the surgery and THEN were told what the damages were after the fact. This is all very discouraging but they are supposedly 1st tier in my network which means it SHOULD be covered 100% as I do believe my insurance covers this surgery 100% (a co-worker had it done with the same insurance a year ago). I mean, what is the job of these people if I am to call and find all this out myself? I was told in the first email they sent me that THEY would be contacting my insurance to see what all it covers then they would get back to me with the answers and the next steps to take. SMH I mean, am I over reacting or is this confusing and crazy to any of you too?

Yes, this is what I'm hoping. That once I get that initial consult they will finally get things moving in the right direction because they'll see I'm serious.

Thank you. Yes, I was just blowing off steam. Just made me mad that I've been researching for years and finally decide to take the next step with calling to gather additional info, only to be blown off. Or at least it seems that way. I mean, you'd think they'd each know how to do their job and yet it doesn't appear that they do. I just don't understand how the doc office says YOU need to call your insurance company and get prior authorization and figure out what is/isn't covered. Then when I do the insurance company says to call the doc office and find out the same thing. LOL I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Anyway, I'm still waiting on the initial binder to get to me. I have my first surgeon consult on the 25th and the nurse said I need to have several classes over and done with BEFORE that happens. I also need to finish taking several tests based on those classes. Not much time left for all of that plus I'm still waiting to hear back from someone, anyone, about the insurance situation. So yeah, frustrated for sure. I don't mind doing the work but it would be nice if the ones running the show did theirs too. Ya know?

Yay!!! Congrats!!! Can't wait to get to where you are!! Yes!! I know exactly what you are saying. People tend to trivialize losing weight in general. Like all we need to do is eat less and move more. Yeah, I'm sure if it were that easy we wouldn't be here in this position. Pisses me off cause people just don't realize that many of use have multiple underlying health conditions and issues that made us gain in the first place and what now prevents us from easily losing.

I'm just getting started in my journey (still waiting on paperwork, have to do the classes, etc) but I too agreed not to tell anyone. Only my husband knows. I really just want to wait until I actually get all the work done, am approved and the surgery is complete. I feel like I don't want to go ahead and tell people what I'm doing then something happens that I can't get it done and then I have to explain that. Ya know? Either way, I don't think anyone in my life would talk bad about me or the surgery because they know how hard I have struggled all my life. Lots of them have gone on the journey of weight loss and better eating with me and experienced weight loss while I remained stagnant. So I think they would be supportive. But yeah, just wanna wait until it's all said and done and then I will tell people.

I have only just started the process but in the end I am HOPING this will be a "problem" for me. Right now I feel like an outcast and am ALWAYS the one who is hot in the house, stores, restaurants, etc. I HATE IT!! My family accommodates me because they know it's easier to put layers on to get warm and there really isn't much I can do to cool down. Can only strip down so much and definitely not while out. LOL Legit my Winter "coat" is nothing more than a sweater that doesn't even button/snap down. LOL And I can't chalk it up to going through the change cause the last time I was tested my numbers were no where near approaching that. Sigh But seriously, hope your body regulates itself sooner rather than later.

Yeah, that's how I was reading it too but yesterday when the bariatric office called to set me up with my first meeting with the surgeon, I again asked about insurance coverage and what tests and whatnot was covered. The nurse told me that depended on the insurance and that I should call them to verify right after getting off the phone with her. So I did. Even though I reminded her that her office told me they were going to do that a week ago before anything could get started. Anyway, no one was in the insurance office, or they were busy with others, so I left a message and they emailed me back right away. But they were not helpful either. LOL The insurance rep said yes, it's covered but requires prior authorization? Um, aren't THEY the ones to authorize? She then says, that my provider (where I will have my surgery done) would be able to tell me what is needed and required before surgery. SMH So they tell me to ask the doc office and the doc office tells me to ask the insurance company. I'm pretty much ready to give up. I mean, if I can't get straight answers now I can't imagine getting into this thing and having to deal with uncertainties then. SMH

Thanks everyone for the great info. The part that is/was confusing to me is the fact that I guess I was under the impression that THEY would be gathering all that insurance info for me then explaining/breaking it all down for me. At least that's what they told me in the first email and also what it says on their website (says the "nurse navigator" is in charge of obtaining the insurance coverage info for you then breaking down what is covered and what isn't and how to proceed). But instead they told me SOME info then pretty much told me to get the rest myself. LOL THAT is the part I was wonder about being normal or not. I think at this point I will just wait for the binder to come and see if maybe that contains any additional info. Then I will call my insurance company to get final answers on it all. She did say the monthly required classes were covered. So at least I know that. LOL

I totally get not giving me an exact number, but I would at least like to know if the insurance covers the surgery at all before I begin. And what, if anything else. Problem is I simply cannot go into this blindly not knowing what sort of financial responsibilities I may have along the way or even in the end. I mean, the numbers will be a HUGE deciding factor for me, sadly, because it has to be. As much as I MAY NEED IT, if I can't afford it I simply cannot go through with it. Thanks so much for your input.

Yeah, not saying those things aren't true for some, or even most, but it certainly is not true for ALL of us. In fact, the main reason my doctor first sent me to a endocrinologist many years ago was because he sat back and watched me try various healthy ways or eating/diets and get no where. He also saw me at the same gym he attended for hours on end only to lose a half a pound in six months. He finally just said to me that he though something more had to be going on that he was missing. That NO ONE should be at the gym for 2+ hours a day, 5 days a week and be eating correctly and NOT see any real results. So he sent me to an endocrinologist. He, the endo doc, along with my family doc and my gyno are collectively the ones who figured out I had a slew of things, hormonally wrong with me, that greatly reduced my chances of losing weight with just diet and exercise. Found out I had endometriosis, PCOS, Insulin Resistance (but at the time, no where near pre-diabetic or diabetic), and Adenomyosis all which contribute to the inability to lose weight easily. It's like you CONSTANTLY have to be ACTIVELY TRYING to lose weight or you gain. You don't even stay at a steady weight, it seems. You just gain! Or at least it's like that for me. And it sucks! So yeah, some of us HAVE tried it all and it still doesn't work.

Hi everyone. Been lurking for a few weeks now reading lots of good info you all have provided as I do believe I'm gonna be taking the next steps to have the bariatric surgery. So my question is as follows (after some explaining).............. The facility I will be going through had a video I had to watch on their website before I could even contact them about setting up an appointment. Which I did. After watching I filled out the online questionnaire for the office. Today they contacted me saying they would be sending the info to my insurance company. I didn't exactly know what they meant so I asked them if I had to be pre-approved BEFORE I could even get an INITIAL appointment and they told me yes. They said, "Yes, we need to confirm you have bariatric benefits as well as the requirements your insurance determined for the program. Once we call to go over this information we will schedule you for your first visit with the surgeon." I found that strange as I know I DO have benefits and I DO meet the requirements as far as my BMI goes but otherwise, I have NOT yet done any sort of classes or further testing. So, I worry I will be denied from the get go if that's what they'll be looking for. Am I reading this wrong? Doesn't it sound as if they're already expecting I have everything done? At least that's the way I'm reading it. I felt like writing back and saying look, I'm just in my initial stages of acquiring info to see if I even WANT to go through with it. Why the heck do I need pre-approval FIRST for that? Has anyone else had things happen like this?

Thanks again everyone for the info! Soooo, I got an email today from one of the nurses regarding my insurance. Aside from telling me to wait for my "binder" of info to arrive se sent the following: Deductible: $150 Met to Date: Out of Pocket: $2750 Met to Date: Copay: Coinsurance: 100% Medically Supervised Weight Loss Classes:0 My question is, and it's ok if you don't know I'm sure I will find out once the packet comes, but what does the "Medically supervised weight loss classes: 0" mean? That I've had none or don't need any? I ask because in a separate email there were links to videos I must watch on nutrition and quizzes I must take and I also DO need to meet with a dietician and of course the surgeon. It also goes over all the testing I will need to have done. I also wonder when the out of pocket money needs to come into play and if I can make payments on it and not need it all up front? Thanks!

Ahhh, ok. That makes sense and may be why she said what she said. I guess maybe they want to have a game plan already in place, based on what insurance says, so that during my initial consult they can tell me x, y and z will/will not be covered should you go through with it and this, that and the other needs to be done beforehand as well. Ok. So I guess this isn't too odd. LOL

Yeah I guess so. Like I said above, the wording just threw me off because it almost sounded like they were expecting that I had already had the stuff completed. Guess I'm just reading it wrong. Thanks!