DianaG

Hi Misty, They can't disqualify you for asking a question. Your group agreement with BC/BS will identify the benefits available to you. You need to get the booklet specifying these benefits. If the short version, you read, said that bariatric surgery was covered, then the policy booklet will give you more info on what is and is not covered. I really don't think you will be disqualified if you have the co-morbidities that the insurance company requires. More and more insurance companies are finding that it is in their financial interest to fund this type of surgery. After all, you will be healthier and therefore they will not have to spend as much money on your healthcare in the future. Sorta like when, years ago, I had problems with some birth control products and my only choice left was to have my tubes tied. The ins. co. said that they did not cover that. So I told them that since it was the only option I had left, that I guessed I would have to take my chances and if I became pregnant again, they would have to cover the healthcare cost of my child until he/she reached age 18. And who knew how many more children I might have in the future!!!Guess what, they decided to pay!! So, hang in there and don't give up!!!I am sure it will all be fine!

Hi Barb, Funny you should mention rings. For some reason, I was surprised that my fingers lost weight!:confused: I haven't been able to wear my rings for a while now. I told my hubby, that after I get to my goal weight, the one thing I want to reward myself is to have my rings resized!!!

I had an example of this a couple days ago! Not Good! I drank too fast and boy did I pay for it. What happens is, that if you have quite a bit of restriction, the band has narrowed down the opening into the rest of the stomach. If you drink too much, too fast, it can't run through this narrow area fast enough. Therefore, it pools up in your esophagus and that is what causes the pain, pressure, excess saliva, and throwing up. AlienBandit is right "not a good idea":crying:

Forgot to tell you, I have a friend who lives in OKC. You aren't too far from where I live...over here in the Ozarks.

Hi Brew, If you are a state employee then the insurance will not be the federal employee insurance, but it is probably very similar except that the specifics of the policy may have a few different twists and turns. For example, the BC/BS I have did not require the 3-6 month pre diet, but I know that other BC/BS policies do require it. Sometimes if the ins. co. doesn't require it, the medical facility, or surgeon will. It can get really confusing! I think it would be a good idea to request a copy of the insurance policy. You can also call and ask a customer service person about what exactly is covered. Then follow up with the request for a copy of the ins. policy. I imagine they have coordinated with your HMO on what is covered. From what you wrote, it does sound like they do cover the surgery, but it is always a good idea to make really, really sure which procedures they cover. Also, do they cover the pre-surgery testing, appointments with diatitians, psychologists, surgeons fee, and hospital costs? Does your insurance have a list of "preferred"physicians and facilities? It is always a good idea to get a referral from a doctor you trust and who has your best interest in mind. I was lucky in finding my surgeon, as he was recommended by my primary care physician and just happened to be the same surgeon who removed my gall bladder several years ago!:confused: They are both on the "preferred" list of my ins. co. That was a relief! Good luck and please let us know about your progress. There are really great people on this site that are always willing to help.

Hey Brew, I have BC/BS Federal Employee Program, Standard Coverage and it did pay for my surgery. Every policy seems to be different because, as I have learned from people on this site, it depends on who you work for and if they have agreed to let this type of surgery be covered. It is not up to BC/BS, but up to the company, employer, etc. that you got your insurance through. I do hope you have good luck and are able to get the surgery paid for. I don't think I would have had a chance to get it done if it were not for the insurance..of course the insurance premium I pay is pretty high, but not as high as others, and I would have not been able to pay for the surgery on my own. Good luck to you and please let us know how it goes.

HI, I am like you, in that I do get that bloated feeling a lot. Sometimes when I am constipated, I will feel a lot of pressure at a spot on my left side. It goes away after I have a bm and pass some gas. My port is really deep and the doc has to use a long needle to reach it....so, I don't have the problem of it sticking out. I do hope it gets closer to the surface,as I lose more weight. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Diana

Leigha, couldn't agree more. Oh for the "good old days"!

As others have said...don't be so hard on yourself. The period between the surgery and the first fill is the time in which your body is recovering from the surgery and the band is settling in. You aren't supposed to be worrying about losing weight at that time. I know, that it is hard not to. I was banded 6 months ago and am just now down 45 pounds. A friend who was banded in October has lost the same amount of weight. That kind of bummed me out, but then I realized that I was really glad for him because he has some major health issues. I then reminded myself that he was also a lot heavier than me and was losing a lot of Water weight at first. My surgeon does not want me losing less than a pound or more than 3 pounds in a week. I had a fill last week that brought me up to 6cc's in a 10cc band and I am getting some major restriction for the first time in 6 months. So please don't get upset with yourself. Give yourself a hug because you have been brave enough to find help that you need. Give the band a chance to help you finish the weight loss that you have started. It will happen!!!

Just a quick note to let you know that I am back online!! I had the misfortune to have my computer crash and let me tell you that I nearly had withdrawal symptoms because I couldn't get on this site! Finally got the computer back from the "doctor" and about that time things got a little hectic around here. DH had cataract surgery around the end of the year and the start of this one. He is doing great and loves the new multifocal lenses they used! Also had a lot of company lately and have really enjoyed that. I have had a couple of setbacks with the band, but think I am nearly at my sweet spot. I have been overly sensitive to the fills and after the last two, I spent the night sitting up all night sliming and foaming!:eek: I now have 6cc's in my band and hope that I am done with the fills, at least for a while. I have lost 43 pounds since my surgery 6 months ago tomorrow. I hope that the next 6 months will find me able to reach the point of having lost a hundred! Ever hopeful.....that's me!:wink: Anyway, glad to see some familiar and some new faces here. I have missed being here and am so happy to be back!!

I was on Optifast also and found that if I drank them at 2 hr intervals it really helped. I drank black coffee until 8am, when I had my first optifast, then 10,2,4,6,8,. It also helped a lot to have them really really cold and I sipped them so slowly that I could make them last for 15 to 20 minutes. One person in my support group said that she froze them until they were mushy...then put in blender to fluff them up..the back in the freezer for a while. Really, as someone has already said...it does get better!!!!! Good luck!

Ladies, what wisdom and support you provided our new friend!!!! I am very impressed and also will visit this thread when I hit a difficult spot! Thank you sooooo much!:ohmy:

I got mine from the pharmacy in the clinic where my surgeon has his office. You might ask your surgeons office employees if they know of a source.

Welcome! I know you will find the time you spend here to be helpful. Everyone is so supportive of each other. I know you will be glad that you joined!:biggrin:

I am sorry that I can't give you any helpful information, but just wanted to say that I am sorry that you are having trouble. I hope that the problem is resolved quickly and you can be on your way to a wonderful new life. All the best wishes.

I have posts from some people that mentioned having a blood thiner given them right before their surgery. I can't remember exactly what for, but if your surgeon gave you some, that is probably why you are bruising now. You might try a search on this site and see what you can come up with. Personally, I wouldn't have noticed any extra bruising after surgery (except that caused by the surgery), because I bruise easily anyway.

I haven't gotten stuck yet on food, but after a fill they had me drink Water, and it wouldn't go down. Lots of pain until the doc took out some saline. I have read, on this board, that after you have a stuck episode you should not eat solid food for 2 or 3 days in order for the swelling to go down. If you eat solid food too soon, you will just irritate the already irritated stomach tissue. I have also heard that finding a doc in the ER that knows how to remove some saline may be hard to do. If I were you, I would call the ER and tell them what happened and see if there is someone there who can remove some saline, or if they can get a doc with lapband experience to meet you there. Does your doctor have an emergency phone number where you can reach the doctor on call on weekends? If so, you could try that number also. Good luck to you! Please let us know what happens.

I didn't have too much trouble staying on the 2 week Optifast diet. My DH and I live next door to our son and his family. They are all very supportive and tried not to eat in front of me. My DH is Cajun and is a marvelous cook, but during this time he refrained from cooking any of those marvelous smelling (and tasting:tongue_smilie:) dishes. In fact, he is now eating the same things I eat and has started losing weight!! There is a lady in my support group who is starting her liquid diet on Thanksgiving Day :thumbup:!!! She is going to her sisters home, and her sister told her not to worry about it, as the whole extended family will help her get through the day. They are all very supporting and understanding! You can tell your family how hard it is for you and I'll bet they will be very understanding and try not to eat in front of you very much! Just keep reminding yourself how proud you will be when you have made it through the day and haven't been tempted to nibble!!:cool2:

My support group meets once a month. I have a 160 mile round trip to attend. I think that attending the support group is very important and helpful. Attend one if you possibly can!:thumbup:

What a Christmas gift!!:biggrin:

I didn't have to pay a "program fee". In fact I had never heard of one until I read about them on this forum. Also, my insurance paid for a psyc consult and a nutritionist consult also. Personally, I think they are trying to rip you off!:tongue2: Check carefully with your ins. co and other facilities and doctors in your area before you decide who will be doing your surgery.

Hey, I have had 3 fills so far and am scheduled for the 4th on Wednesday. My surgeon has tried to find the port without using the flouriscope, but hasn't been able to do it. Which is frustrating him no end! After all, he is a trauma surgeon and does a lot more difficult and challenging things each day!! My port is under a lot of fat and stitched to a muscle, so he has to use the "long" needle to reach it. He always deadens the area before inserting the needle. As I lose more fat, it will be easier to reach the port and give me a fill. Anyway, sure enough, with the flouriscope he has no problem finding the port and filling the band, so don't worry too much. Just remind them before each fill, that they had to use the flouriscope/x-ray with your previous fill. That way they can go ahead and schedule it and won't have to reschedule like for your first one.

I was banded July 29 and have lost 33 pounds. I haven't really lost anything for the last month, but an getting a fill (my 4th) next Wednesday and hope that will get me going again!

Sometimes food gets "stuck" if a piece is too large or you haven't chewed it well enough. It will eventually come back up, or go on down. Until it does you will have discomfort (from slightly uncomfortable to pain), and your salivary glands in your mouth will go into overtime, bigtime, there will be saliva filling your mouth and overflowing....thus "slime":drool:

Hi Abby, Just saw your post here about the choice of surgeons and facilities and wanted to let you know that I think you have made the right choice. I can assure you that the aftercare is a very important part of this whole process and it sounds like you have found a surgeon and staff that will help you through both pre and post surgery. I was lucky enough to have found a very skilled and caring surgeon. He did require the 2 week liquid fast to shrink the liver. They have to move the liver out of the way so they can band the stomach. I did the Optifast and must say that the taste was great and it wasn't too hard to make it throught the 2 weeks. I have had 3 fills and scheduled for another on Wednesday and my surgeon is the one who personally does the fills!! His staff is great to work with also. A long way around to say that the way you are treated by surgeon and staff is very important with your aftercare!:cursing: You have really done your homework and I congratulate you and think that you have made really good choices!!!