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I had my surgery at Blossom back in May. My insurance company would not pay for just weight-loss surgery unless I jumped through 1000 hoops for the next 12 months. I qualified for the fast track and my out-of-pocket cost was $6000. This included all of the appointments, EGD, surgery, IV fluids, all of the medication you will need, compression socks, hotel and ground transportation. We rented a vehicle and did not use the ground transportation though. I highly recommend Blossom. Just call them and give them your insurance information and they can tell you immediately how much your out-of-pocket expense would be.

I went from never even considering surgery to surgery in 3 weeks pretty much on a whim. Self pay so no psych evaluation or anything like that. Once you get to post op there’s not much you can do but ride the wave for the first year. I’d think you’d have to put in some serious effort to fail that fast. You’re leaning good habits and whatnot now, and those will carry over post op, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to develop them into lifetime changes after. That’s the major benefit of surgery. Anyone can eat exactly what I’m eating everyday and have the same results without surgery, it just is a tool to pretty much force it. It’s up to us to keep it going in the long term. Keep up with your requirements, they are there to help and I’m sure they’re doing just that. You got this, but I do think it’s got to be something YOU really want, forever.

Good Luck tomorrow! Wishing you a safe surgery and fast recovery. My Surgery is on Wednesday so I'll be right behind you

I lost 16 lbs in the first MONTH, and my high weight was 373 lbs. Your rate of weight loss is your rate of weight loss. It depends on many factors - age, gender, metabolic rate, activity level, starting BMI, whether or not you lost weight prior to surgery. About the only thing you can control (other than your activity level) is your commitment to your surgeon's plan. So stick to the plan, and the weight will come off, whether fast or slow. I was a slow loser throughout the whole journey, and I ended up losing all of my excess weight. You adherence to the plan is a much better indicator of your eventual success than your rate of weight loss is.

Well, it could be the berries (strawberry & banana are both berries) as I was told by my surgeon not to eat berries for the first three months due to possibly not being able to tolerate them. Or... it could be the almond milk because I was also told to avoid nuts for the first three months for the same reason. Personally, my worst experience was when my nutritionist gave me the okay to add low carb bread into my diet and I had a bbq sandwich wrap made with low carb wheat bread... needless to say I no longer will touch wheat products because that was the WORST nausea I've ever had... and I had brain surgery three years ago! (I honestly thought nothing would top that nausea until my reaction to the wheat bread proved me wrong). The hilarious thing about my experience? My surgery isn't supposed to HAVE dumping syndrome, but when I described it to the surgeons office (stomach ache and cramping, gagging, dizziness, heart beating fast, sweating, flushed, diarrhea, etc) they said they were classic signs of dumping syndrome and advised me to avoid eating what caused it (duh, why would I go through that AGAIN -_-"). You could try one thing at a time to see what triggered it. I hope you can figure out what caused it...

That is fast. Best wishes for an easy recovery and weight loss.

I've been keeping things around room temp but i do get some pain if i sip too much too fast or if I try to recline and sip.

Yes. I think WLS makes maintaining weight possible for many patients. How hard or easy maintenance is for you personally depends on quite a few things that have a major impact on maintenance. - genetics (e. g. how fast your metabolism will be post-surgery or how much hunger pangs you're going to have) - post-surgery food preferences (your real preferences) - post-surgery preferred lifestyle (again, your real preference)

While artificial sweeteners are not exactly a health food (I try to stay with stevia and erythrith, the occasional sucralose in protein shakes), this whole insulin thing seems to be way overblown. In the end it's always CICO. Try to get the basic things right first, the fine tuning is for later. Don't make things too complicated, at least not in the beginning. A nice summary on artificial sweeteners and insulin levels if "insulin" is a major concern for you: https://www.zerofasting.com/which-sweeteners-break-your-fast/

I'm booked for the 10th as well. It doesn't yet feel real. It was less than two months ago when I first started looking into surgery.... gone so fast.

Hey! I had my sleeve done July 15th and although I am not experiencing stomach pain, my back does hurt when I drink too fast(not sure why).

10,000 steps by fitness watch is deceiving you. I did two loads of laundry, folded and put everything away. All the hand motion gave me 12,000 steps. I have a friend who drives a big rig all day. He gets 30,000 steps just from steering and shifting. You need to be doing exercise for at least 30 minutes, fast enough to get your heart rate up and some huffing and puffing. I am just 7 weeks postop and my surgeon says 180 minutes of exercise a week. That is 30 minutes six times a week but would be better to do 60 minutes three times a week. I walk my dog but he's little and so I don't get my heart rate up enough. Will start walking without dog so I can walk faster and longer. But it is grueling hot with summer heat and humidity. Would like to get an exercycle for indoors. Will check out PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS.

Thanks @CephalopodLove ! My next nutritionist appt is Aug 25, and if she is happy with my progress, my surgical team will send my packet to insurance for final approval, and as soon as insurance gives a thumbs up (they get 30days to respond) I'll get a date. It seems like forever but I am trying to be patient. Some months in my life go so fast and others creep by!

I'm so sorry!! I'm sure there are some Vets that will have much more insight and advice than I do, but the first thing I would do is eliminate soda immediately. Soda is crack to me, and is also a gateway drug that leads to more and more unhealthy eating. I was addicted to soda for many years, and used soda to wash down many sugary treats and well as fast food. If you don't like plain water, try crystal light or gatorade zero. I've promised myself that no matter what happens in my life, I will never have soda again. Much like an alcoholic or drug addict can't have "just a little" I know that I can never have soda again, nor do I want to. Lots of HUGS!!!

Congratulations on reaching your goal! Whoo hoo! I have no butt & empty boobs too. I’m always cold & have suffer bone pain (bony butt syndrome) but it’s so worth it. It took me a while to work out what I needed to consume to stop the weight loss. I actually lost another 10kgs over 3or 4 months but have been pretty stable for about 4 months. I took it slowly, testing, what worked by adding snacks, a small amount of multi/whole grains, a little more fruit & my portion sizes naturally became larger (more than a good cup but it depends on what I eat). I still avoid a lot of sugar & alcohol, no carbonated drinks except the very odd glass of tonic or soda water & don’t eat rice, pasta & bread. I weigh myself almost every day so I can keep on top of losses & gains & compare with my intake. I’m still learning. Some days I feel like all I do is eat but if I skip a meal or snack I can easily lose again. (Due to medical appointments & going out I skipped a meal & snack on two consecutive days & lost 500g - about a pound.) It’s the fast metabolism but I know it will eventually slow & I’ll have to modify my diet again. Talk to your nutritionalist or your surgical team. They should be able to make suggestions as to what to add to your diet. Also have a look at the food before & after photos thread. Almost all on it are in the successfully maintaining their weight stage & share recipes & pxts of what they’re eating.

I have Cigna through my employer and it all depends on how the policy is written regarding Bariatric surgery. My policy shows one thing when you look it up online but when anything is submitted it gives not covered by policy. Putting my medical billing & coding to work i did little digging and found that it actually was in the underwriting of the policy that it excludes weight loss surgery. Yes i have been under my PCP care for health issues related to my weight along with weight management (meds/diet/etc) my surgery is also a medical necessity as i have OSA, NAFLD, & PCOS. Even after both my PCP & OBGYN gave the "medical necessity" insurance still will not cover any form of bypass surgery and has left me to figure it out on my own. After lots of medical practice locations/surgeon research, i decided to proceed with having a Vertical Sleeve which will be done by one of the surgeons at Blossom Bariatrics (fast track program). They will utilize my insurance for all the Pretesting labs, stress test, upper Endoscopy but i have to cover the surgery procedure part out of pocket. Between my husband and i we were able to obtain a medical loan to assist in the remaining amount we needed and my surgery date was scheduled for week of Sept 7th so my countdown is on!!!!!

it absolutely CAN. don't take the chance. put in the work now to reap the results long term. skip the sliders, they can cause regain FAST. stick to your given food list and keep your sleeve in good shape.

Complain away. Those complaints are legitimate! You should have fast attentive service and a spirometer! I hope that was just a busy hour and you are being well cared for now.

Thank you for the responses. It was the nudge I needed to call the office. Surgeon's assistant called me back and @Prestonandme he also believes it sounds like potential gall stones. Makes me want to cry. I do NOT want another surgery and I don't want to lose my gall bladder. I've only lost 18 pounds so I wouldn't call it a fast weight loss. I've never had a gallbladder issue. It's upsetting. But better to know. I'm being sent an order for an ultrasound I can schedule with a provider that my insurance covers. Maybe it's something that can be solved with a med instead. Thanks again, friends.

Hi Ann, I got my surgery done last 4 week ago by Dr.Hong at St. Jospeh Hospital. He took me really fast within a week and got it removed after three days.

Hi @ChubRub I meant to update. I saw my PCP and also updated my surgeon on everything so I wanted to get results before I came here. I don’t communicate very well but didn’t let my doctor have a chance to say anything bad about the surgery or my surgeon. I just told her what procedures I had, and what an excellent surgeon I had as well. I wanted answers as to why the heck my hemoglobin dropped unexpectedly which I didn’t get a real response from her. I explained to her had it not been for the excellence of my surgeon things would not have gone as well as they did. That I had two blood transfusions due to my hemoglobin unexpectedly being 10.2 she didn’t understand the concept that it needs to be higher for this type of surgery (and should have been because it was the last time I was tested before I had the double balloon enteroscopy) I gave up trying and just got her to do bloodwork for baseline hemoglobin, ferritin, iron etc. last time my ferritin was only 7. My iron was ok though. I did previously have some elevated liver level which I needed to see a gastroenterologist about (according to her) I got the bloodwork results online fast. And the two blood transfusions actually helped my levels a lot. I think because I needed them they help longer. My ferritin actually improved to 39. My hemoglobin is right on the normal range of 11.7 (11.7-15.5 range) so hopefully is helping me heal better. My iron is good. The liver level is borderline high is probably altered by the blood transfusions as well and falsely low and needs to be monitored. My B12 is off the charts which to me should be of concern it’s a water soluble vitamin it shouldn’t be high in the blood unless there’s a problem. My RDW is high. Something I thought weird before my surgery I noticed about something called eosinophils, mine as long as I can remember were zero. This is a type of white blood cells. All of a sudden the numbers spiked ... I find that strange. The same for my others, like lymphocytes not out of range but a sudden spike up. anyway but I digress ... my surgeon is pleased with the bloodwork but did say to have it repeated in three months to have a kind of new baseline because this is from the transfusions. It also helped that my BMI was so low. Otherwise honestly he might not have done surgery. But ... it happened and all in all it went well. And the open incisions are things that happen. And with the Bactigras although difficult bandaging them they are slowly improving. It does annoy me I can’t reach the one in the back to do myself. so yesterday was exactly four weeks after surgery. I actually removed the surgical drain myself last night. It finally slowed enough to come out. I knew it was time and how to remove it but confirmed it with my surgeon. My mom was like you should have been a doctor or nurse ... 🤣 it didn’t bother me in the least. Should it have? My surgeon said I can resume normal routine and I thought what is normal routine. The thing is with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis when I have surgery, especially major surgery, or even things not as major, I need to relearn my new level of normal ... I lose pieces along the way but it is the price I pay but it was a price I chose to pay to start getting rid of the effects of the extra 106+ lbs of weight and fighting it most of my life. This for me was not about cosmetics but most people won’t see it that way of course now I will see some cosmetic things. Like my knees/calves. And that my butt has no volume so right now it’s like sitting on blocks not butt cheeks ... but I’m not thinking about those things right now just continued healing. I don’t know what my bra size will be just that it’s not nearly empty skin now and just looks normal. I trusted my surgeons judgment to base it on my frame size so it’s 200cc silicone (total 370cc size) he removed 2lbs of skin which doesn’t seem like a lot but my weight was under 102 lbs at the time of surgery. I’m still below my goal weight (106lbs) but right now it’s 105.3 but that’s dressed and with Faja and compression stockings. I’m swollen probably because I removed the drain and also ventured out into the heat humidity to get groceries. And admittedly I cheated a tiny bit on carbs but am getting back on track. I am just focused on healing ... why am I rambling ... I think people don’t understand that I live every day with chronic pain and fatigue and I’ve been asked why I don’t look happy about the surgery or results. It’s not that I’m not. They are probably seeing the pain and fatigue and assuming I’m not happy. That kind of pisses me off but that’s the story of my life ... people who can’t understand lifelong chronic illness or why I had this surgery. sorry for the long response that you didn’t ask for 🤣 Edit: I’m finding out from my surgeon where I can find the before and after photos to share here.

@MaybeMeow Thank you for your insight! My last diet I tried was the Fast Metabolism Diet. While other people were losing 20 lbs in a month, I lost 3 lbs in 4 months of following the program religiously. So, my body likes to hold on to that fat too... I was about 160 lbs before early menopause happened, so I've gotten an extra 100 lbs from it. 😒 Please keep us updated on your progress. I don't have to decide on a surgery type for about a month, maybe 2. As another early menopauser I'd really like to learn from your experience.

Yes, the surgery is a tool and the degree of success you have & can maintain is up to you & your willingness & commitment to make the changes.(Sorry that’s for the lecture.) I compare it to buying a gym membership. If you don’t actually go to the gym & use the equipment, how can you expect to get any fitter or stronger. Some days I feel hungry & others I don’t but it’s not a ‘oh my god I have to eat something now’ hunger. It’s more a gentle ‘oh, it must be lunch time‘ hunger. From the age of about 13, I often skipped meals to try to manage my weight (doing more harm than good) & rarely had that ravenous feeling some do. Though my portion sizes are larger now at 14months post surgery, they’re still not large about 1-1.5 cups depending on what I’m eating (lettuce is a slider for me so I can eat a good cup of it alone) and less than a food’s recommended serving size. Though my protein serves are definitely larger now, it does depend on the day so I try for 80-100g at night. (Interestingly, I eat way more protein now than I ever did before.) I don’t count calories but do consider calorific content when making food choices & am careful about portion size. I’m sticking to a high protein low carb diet too & am very routine about when & what I eat. My restriction is still pretty active but I find eating slowly allows me to consume the larger portion sizes I need to eat now to maintain. A fast meal is a good 20mins but I aim for 30+. Fifty mins is pretty common. I’m in the sweet spot at the moment though because my metabolism is fast (first time in 42yrs). It will slow again at some time & I’ll have to modify my routines. I expect I’ll be making modifications forever because we’re not static & neither is life. The challenge is finding what works for you. It’s a juggling act of food, exercise & life & trying to find the balance where you can live your life and be happy & healthy. Good luck.