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Hello Everyone, So, I'm halfway through my third week of the preop diet (I was only supposed to do 2 weeks, but insurance is dragging their feet on my authorization, so my surgeon wants me to stay on it), and so far I've lost 13 pounds. Pretty good, huh? But now some strange thoughts are running through my mind. Because I'm doing so well on the preop diet, I've been fooling myself into thinking that if I just continue with what I've been doing, I won't need to have the surgery in the first place. Never mind that I lost 60 pounds with HCG last year and have gained it all back. Never mind that I have ALWAYS gained my weight back (plus more) whenever I've been on a diet. Never mind that I'm a hardcore compulsive overeater that can eat enough for 3 people. Never mind that I can't live on Protein shakes, green veggies, and egg whites forever. I'm still trying to kid myself into thinking that I can "do it on my own." My insurance has paid for all of the preop tests, so besides a few copays, I wouldn't even be losing any money by not having the surgery. I KNOW this makes no sense and I'm being completely unrealistic. I KNOW that I am setting myself up for failure as proven by my past "success" with dieting. I KNOW that the sleeve will have numerous benefits for me, both emotionally and physically. But there's still a little voice in the back of my head saying, "What if?" It's not about being "ready" to have the surgery. I have a great surgeon, have educated myself thoroughly on the procedure, and am comfortable with any risks or complications that I may or may not have. I just hate feeling this way when I know it's just an exercise in futility.

So far..good! I'm down around 30lbs so far...25 the first month and then I've been hovering with the last 5 this past month. Eh..im not worried about it being slow as Im loosing inches a lot faster than lbs these days. I've been lucky in that I've had VERY few complications...I dont have any issues eating or drinking. I am tired more than I used to be but that's ok..it will come back. Im so glad I had the surgery..it's been life changing. The biggest positive is that my blood pressure is down to a normal level for the first time in almost 9 years! I have a history of heart disease on both sides of my family and my dad has his first heart attack at 40 yrs old. I'm 38 and Ive been on BP meds since I was 30...so the impending heart attack was a big factor for me in having this done. I feel a lot better knowing I'm doing everything I can to help keep me here.

I had lap band with plication and I would do it again in a heart beat. I've lost 66 pounds since may 24, 2012. I've had no complications with it.

I had my surgery at DesPeres. The hospital staff is really supportive. Some of the nurses have had surgery so they understand. I was in the hospital about 26 hours. No complications, great recovery. I recommend MyNewSelf, if you want a fast smooth process.

i get exactly what you say i have been one of those who was so harrassed on OH after i was banded last year (and before my surgery) with pm's saying how stupid i was to get the band and why didnt i get the sleeve or bypass and in two years id have to revise and all these complications i was due to get... and every time i posted a question of what is this or that, id get a link to the failed banded fb page...that my dear is what i call trolls and people who bait just to be mean.. i cant tell you crappy i felt for a few months thinking what a mistake i must have made...i felt bad bc my ins didnt approve sleeves..self doubt..how nice of people to do that to a newbie.. but you know what, i am proving those women wrong. so as for all i got out of your post..i read it and understood it. i agree with it. i support any and everyone who gives a crap about following their dr's advice i do not coddle those who divert off course.. and if you want support, in my opinion, it starts with ones own self.

Hello! I posted about a month ago, asking questions about banding. From there I prayed, and researched (more) and decided the band is exactly to tool I need to succeed with my weight loss goals. I've so confused about all the insurance stuff. I called member services and they said the surgery is coverage and gave me a link to the clinical policy bulletin which reads... Aetna considers open or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), open or laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) with or without duodenal switch (DS), or laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB) medically necessary when the selection criteria listed below are met. Selection criteria: A. Presence of severe obesity that has persisted for at least the last 2 years, defined as any of the following: Body mass index (BMI)* exceeding 40 My BMI is 53 (good lord), and I have high BP. It also says naturally that you have to over 18 and done growing, attempted weight loss in the past without success in long term reduction, and meet either criterion 1 (physician-supervised nutritional and exercise program) or criterion 2 ( multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen). I am working with a weight management and bariatric surgery center near me. I have to complete consults, and tests with all sorts of different people on the team including attending support groups, and lose 5% of my body weight before surgery - it's a 3m process. So I'm assuming this meets criterion 2. Aetna words it like this: Criterion 2. Multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen: Proximate to the time of surgery, member must participate in organized multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen of at least three months duration meeting all of the following criteria, in order to improve surgical outcomes, reduce the potential for surgical complications, and establish the member's ability to comply with post-operative medical care and dietary restrictions: Consultation with a dietician or nutritionist; and Reduced-calorie diet program supervised by dietician or nutritionist; and Exercise regimen (unless contraindicated) to improve pulmonary reserve prior to surgery, supervised by exercise therapist or other qualified professional; and Behavior modification program supervised by qualified professional; and Documentation in the medical record of the member's participation in the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen at each visit. (A physician's summary letter, without evidence of contemporaneous oversight, is not sufficient documentation. Documentation should include medical records of the physician's initial assessment of the member, and the physician's assessment of the member's progress at the completion of the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen.) Sounds like my program right? I called my Aetna AGAIN to be sure they cover this surgery and she again assured me that it is covered so long as I meet the criteria and to bring the criteria to my NP consult. I know I have to wait to be approved after all my testing etc, but I'll (like anyone else) be so gutted if I'm denied. Anyhow, I'm waiting for June 30th for my NP consult and I'm so excited!! I've been reading everyone's stories and looking at before and after photos and I'm so impressed with the lot of you!! So inspirational. :confused:

I was thinking about a leak or infection that's not detected during the initial hospital stay. Or some other related stomach complication like cancer or reflux - anything that the insurance company could claim was related to the partial gastrectomy and therefore not covered. Usually I have the will to fight. But I just want the band out. I called Dr. Cirangle's business office today to find out what my portion of the cost of revision would be if the lap band removal was covered. I think that'll determine a lot about what I'm willing to wait for vs. what I'm willing to pay for. I'm at the point where $11k feels easier to come by that creating more paperwork and wading through two more rounds of appeal... Especially since I have confidence in Dr. Aceves and also feel better knowing that I'd be under care for 3 days after surgery and not just sent home asap. Even though I'm only 25 pounds away from the BMI requirement I just can't gain that weight again. It's not worth the money. I had to fight a bit to get the lap band covered the first time around with a different insurer, they didn't agree that my comorbidities justified the band. So my BMI went up from 35 to 38 while I battled it out. It was so demoralizing and it seemed so stupid - the general implied advice that if I just gained more weight my surgery would be covered without question. I definitely appreciate everyone's input. The sleeve seems like exactly what I hoped the band would be. I'm just more cautious this time around. And scared I guess that even if the VSG feels better what if it doesn't help me lose more weight. I wish this all wasn't so hard! Thanks, Britt

I followed the link and am so sorry you had complications. It's good to know you're doing better and on the road to recovery. Please post on your progress.

I was also de-banded and sleeved in one operation. I was in the hospital for two nights with no complications or issues. I will begin my puree food phase in three more days. I hope it continues to go well for me.

I went home alone after RNY after spending 2 nights in the hospital. I was able to get around fine, and did try to have my shakes and vitamins/meds all ready to go on the kitchen table. I think the hardest was trying to fit everything in (water mostly), when I was sleepy. I didn't have complications and had a routine surgical experience, so I think it may depend on the person. Good luck!!

Dr Garcia and his team are MARVELOUS!! Best decision of my life!! I also had zero complications, I'm just over 2 months and have lost 42 lbs, that's not including pre op, just the sleeve on it's own. He is a very skilled doctor with wonderful bedside manner!! They really made me feel comfortable and secure in my decision and I would highly recommend anyone looking into the sleeve to go with Dr. Garcia and his ENTIRE team!!

Thank you. I am sorry about your Mom. {{ hugs}} When my daughter informed me she was thinking about WLS, I thought OMG! but then realized, I did not know that much about it, so decided that it was important to be informed before giving my "mother speech" What I learned has been invaluable ! I would have supported her no matter what, as this is HER journey. So as I looked into it and read, watched videos, and spoke to someone who has had the VSG, I now can say to her... look here, look there, find a buddy, understand that this is not going to be a piece of cake, you COULD have complications, but having your tooth pulled can also have complications. In the end of it all.... she had to make the decision that is best for her, it is HER LIFE.. There are so many people with opinions on WLS, my question to them is Do you KNOW anything about it or just hearsay? Do your research and then MAYBE we'll listen to your opinion.

Thank you for the update. I just had mine done at NWWLS in Everett. I'm 11 days out. I was discharged within 18 hours of surgery, no complications, very little discomfort, no nausea or vomiting. It's been super easy. I ended up paying out of pocket because my primary covers everything BUT sleeve and I was told that Tricare wouldn't cover it. I probably should have taken more time to research, but oh well. I didn't have to do the supervised diet and wait. Plus, I really didn't want to go to Madigan. About 8 years ago or so, I started the process of getting bypass done and I was really uncomfortable with the surgeon (treated me like I was looking for a magic pill) and I really haven't had good experiences at MTFs in general (Navy Hospital Bremerton and Branch Bangor), so I don't have a lot of trust in MTFs in general. (It's literally gotten to the point that I burst into tears during appointments if I'm in an MTF.) My primary insurance is covering some things that are related, we're just not sure yet of everything they will cover, billing is still in process. I took a loan to front the costs and I have a Health Reimbursement Arrangement through work that I had over $20k in, so I expect all my out of pocket costs will be reimbursed. I hope that you have recovered nicely, and I wish you success! Looks like you are well on your way! Congratulations!

My mom and me got the lap band done in August of 2009. If you were to get any kind of gastric weight loss surgery, I would recommend either the gastric sleeve or gastric bypass. Gastric Lap Band surgery is alright, but you have to keep getting fills when it stops working, it could leak and you have to get another operation, you have to take it out every 5 years to get a new one in.. it's just too much complications with the lapband. My aunt and cousin got gastric bypass and they lost a tremendous amount of weight. My mom had to go back to Mexico to get the lapband out because it formed a hole on her stomach where the scar from it was, and got the sleeve. We're not too sure whether or not it works yet, due to her being in the hospital because of complications such as nausea, horrible pain, pnemonia in her right lung, and 5 abscess in her stomach. So I would also recommend getting this done in the United States.

And I stand by my post. 22 years old is old enough to make an informed choice. 16 years old is old enough to have valid experience. Lap bands and gastric sleeves and other forms of bariatric surgery have valid complications; in erieli's case they could last a lifetime. On the other hand, if she works it right, she could be one of the marvelous success stories here. Reassurance will have nothing to do with either result.

Sorry to hear about the complications. I had surgery that same day too and am so over the liquids. Sent from my SM-G935P using BariatricPal mobile app

OK, so I'm reading all the super stories here and I'm 80% sold on a procedure that six months ago I would have told you "no way!" and while doing my research, as so many of you say to do, I ran across this LINK: http://www.promedica.com.gr/erevna_en.htm What is super sleeve? Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is not so simple as any other gastrectomy. There are some important technical details, unknown to inexperienced surgeons. Gastric tube size influences both the degree of weight loss and weight stability. A large sleeve predisposes to gastric dilatation and weight regain. Inexperienced surgeons tend to create large tubes (:thumbup1: or to leave back large remnants of the gastric fundus. A standardised technique with a gastric capacity less than 100 mL (A) is mandatory in order to get the patient achieve a durable weight loss. The sleeve should be "super" which means a small gastric sleeve diameter and a higher degree of restriction. In our hands, with the gastric capacity been restricted to 60-80 gr and Ghrelin (the appetite hormone) totally suppressed, the resultant weight loss is predictable and comparable to this achieved with gastric by-pass (60-70% EWL), without any serious complication or side effects (e.g. Vitamin malabsorption). We introduced super sleeve in our bariatric program, as the most effective and safe bariatric solution even for the super-obese patients. ============================ Before you tell me I'm losing it, I would like to ask, are there any Super Sleevers on board here? Might there be? Thank you.:biggrin0:

I reccomend that you contact the local Doc in your area and get all the literature on lap band, this shows the stats why the lap band over any other type. Less complications, can be reveresed if need be, and the list goes on and on. If you need a Doctor contact email me at boiseman2001@yahoo.com .

Hi Guys, I am also pre-op and as of a few days ago made the decision that I need to get of my butt and get to working out again like I used to. I find that I am way to tired to go work out after work, so I get up a little bit earlier and go to the gym for 20 minutes on the elliptical before work. Even thoug hit has only been a few days I feel a much better and am much more energetic throughout the day. I want to be pretty "fit" before my surgery in order to cut down the risk of complications.

I had a great experience with WLS in Tijuana, Mexico. My surgeon's name is Dr Ramos Kelly and my MGB surgery was at Hospitale Angeles. I stayed there for a few days and then spent a couple more days at Hotel Lucerna. Dr. Ramos Kelly visited me twice a day in the hospital and once a day at the hotel. I've had no complications and am losing weight! So glad I did this!

Hi there! I am almost 3 months post op and let me tell you the fatigue is something you cannot understand until it hits you! The first two weeks post op I was a champ! Finally at week 3, I became completely depleted and thought I would never feel normal again! I was sleeping, napping, sitting, moping, lol! I noticed around week 5 I started eating more and was slowly getting more brave and confident in my energy levels. At six weeks I went back to work and found that the normalcy helped with the mental struggle of being soooo run down! I PROMISE that it gets better...mind you I had ZERO complications, was pretty active before surgery and have a husband two kids that I couldn't ignore so I had to bounce back quickly! My first "real meal" albeit very small, was around 5 weeks...it was Frozen Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and french green beans. It became my go-to until I was able to eat everything else. I started out getting about 1/3 of the steak down, a tablespoon of potatoes and beans...now I can eat one "steak", 1/4 cup beans and a little potatoes if there is room. I still avoid almost ALL bread/complex carbs...I started at 278, today I am 233. I only walk...waiting until 3 month appointment to check levels and start more exercise. Best decision I ever made...hang in there always

Ask your surgeon for the CPT and ICD-9 codes for your procedure. Call Anthem and tell them you need the allowed amounts for those codes. They will be agle to give you the amounts. If there ise more than 1 CPT code, ask Anthem to explain how the multiple surgery rules will be applied. Usually it is 100% for highest fee, 50% of 2nd highest and 25$ of all others, but Anthem may have different rules. They can also give you the amount allowed for the hospital bill (if there are no complications) with the same codes, Anesthesia is more variable because the amount of time for your surgery may vary from others. Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!!

mean't to say, best wishes with the ops ladies, pray you will have no complications and a quick recovery, x

Just thought I would let my fifties know that I am scheduled for surgery. I have a date of June 17. I was approved by BCBS on May 8. I feel as if a weight has been lifted. I was able to lose 50lbs during my six mo. diet and hoping that I can continue to lose. I do have at least 50lbs more to lose. I just want to get this show on the road and get used to being banded. I am afraid of how the band will adjust to my body. Other than that, I do not worry about the surgery. I just want my band to fit in and live in me without complications. I have not participated on the fifties site a lot but I do appreciate the support I have received from you guys.

I used Dr Valenzuela through Mexico bariatric. My surgery was a month ago :-) went extremely smoothly. No complications. And the care was far better than I received up here in Canada :-) goodluck:-)