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I had a letter after four business days. I didn't even have to call. But I knew I had bariatrics covered on my plan. My surgeon and I scheduled my surgery date and everything prior to approval.

My surgery date is November 19, so I totally understand where you're coming from. I am a nurse and don't usually get to spend Thanksgiving with my family, so I'm actually really excited to be guaranteed to spend this holiday with them (even if I am just relaxing in my PJs). Next Thanksgiving, life will be completely different for us, I can hardly wait to see where I am a year from now. My family is extremely supportative of my decision and they made a vow to stop making every holiday so much about eating. We are going to incorporate a fun physical activity into every holiday from here on out! Although my closest family members (Mom, boyfriend and siblings) don't struggle with their weight, my cousin and Aunt both just had bariatric surgery. I am very fortunate to have them as a support system! good luck <3

I use Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenges in the cinnamon flavor. They're chewable and taste great!! I've been fortunate to be able to take regular multi-Vitamins that I swallow, but I know Bariatric Advantage makes them also in a chewable form. As for the stretch marks, I can't help there. I just try to ignore mine...ha! Knock wood - they haven't been too bad so far.

I asked similar questions of the surgeon and bariatric internist I saw. They both told me that at one year, RNY has slightly higher weight loss, but that long term they are equal. I also asked both if they thought I'd be more suited to one or the other. They both really like the sleeve. The internist told me that if she needed WLS, that she would pick the sleeve for herself. She also said that if I really liked sweets she would recommend RNY over the sleeve because dumping syndrome would be helpful to keep that in check. Also that they might recommend it over the sleeve if I were diabetic, because they said people often go into remission with diabites within days with RNY. Although that wasn't a reason to exclude the sleeve, as it also goes away, but may take a little longer.

@@raquel_c He said that technically, the sleeve and/or gastric bypass should have nothing to do with delivering a child - he said it might be a little more touchy if you get pregnant right away and have to deliver before your stomach has completely healed, but if you wait the recommended year, your stomach literally grows back together and around the staples - making them part of your body, basically. So he said natural birth shouldn't be a problem and never has been for any of his patients. He DID say though that after you have bariatric surgery, a lot of other doctors/surgeons are a little freaked out by you (go figure - I guess because not all doctors know everything that bariatric doctors do about the surgery?) and that could lead a doctor to want you to have a C section just to avoid "possible complications." Of course every doctor out there now days prefers C sections anyway because they can schedule them and it's "less of a hassle" or whatever ????

Not on dialysis SandiJ but I just wanted to say hello, and wish you the best. Hope that you find the answers you need! My sleeve was done outpatient in a great hospital, and I was home in 8 hours. I think you need to consult with the finest Bariatric surgeon you can find.

Thanks everyone!! Still working on this, waiting for the doctors office to see if they can get any sort of documentation that shows the hospital has acquired the COE and just waiting for their ID number. I'm giving it till the end of the day, but in the mean time I have made an appt in Baltimore. I will have to go to one of their seminars before they will schedule and appt with the surgeon and I've also contacted Christiana Bariatric, so either way I'm confident I will succeed in getting a new surgery date!!! I went to church yesterday and the pastor said that he had to go to Baltimore today to see a 26 yo girl that needed a double lung transplant, my wanting to have an elective surgery is nothing compared to what some are going through!! I prayed all day for that young lady and hope God will touch her with his healing hands!!

There are many causes of diabeties, and that can determine, to an extent, your success with either controlling it better or even seeing remission. http://asmbs.org/benefits-of-bariatric-surgery/ The above is an older article, but the site it is in, ASMBS is an outstanding resource but it is not geared to quick plunk-down points or facts. I suggest taking some time and really looking through the site. You might find this important also: http://asmbs.org/mbs-aqip/ Talk to your Diabetes Specialist, and seek out a doctor to assist you that is up do date on information related to type 2 diabeties. http://www.diabeteseducator.org/ProfessionalResources/accred/ Everyone has different issues and no matter what surgery you have there are no guarantees. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabeties going into emergency surgery after a hit-and-run (texting and driving and hit me on a bicycle). They think I had been diabetic, given the issues I had and when I began to develop them, for probably 5 years or so before that, but I had been going to lukewarm doctors, and they did only the basic tests. I was an 'atypical' diabetic and the other doctors did not catch the patterns and investigate further. I spent years with compromised quality of life risking infections, heart damage, kidney failure and more due to this. Once diagnosed I went from a +8 A1C to a -6 A1C in less than 9 months, and maintained a a1c of 6 or less until my VSG. The last time I took medication for my diabeties was the week prior to surgery. By then I had began to experience lows so frequently I was already off all but 1 medication. That was late December 2011. My surgery date was 1-4-2012. I went into full remission in Feb/march of 2012, although the true test of that would come in the following months as my a-c stayed in the 4's. I am not diet controlled or medication controlled. My pancreas functions fully, my liver is working and my kidneys are healthy. My immunity has regulated itself and I maintain regular levels of gut bacteria which I also accredit to a almost fully raw lifestyle (Gut bacteria is HIGHLY underrated for mental stability and health, our gut is our 'second brain'). The consensus seems to be my aggressive control of my condition led to my body being in a position to heal faster. http://lubbockonline.com/health/2013-09-06/right-bacteria-may-help-fight-obesity This is a good starter article, you can decide how to proceed if you want to look into it further from there. Unfortunately a majority of the original papers and research are available in limited forms, either in memberships to accredited and certified organizations, or by purchase. I have spent 6 years in active advocacy for diabetics, and I would be glad to assist in helping you find any answers you need.

Hello!! Another Nancy here! My surgery is 2 days before yours... July 22. Right now I'm 288 pounds. My surgeon doesn't have a strict 2 week liquid pre-op diet. He instructed me to cut out carbs - no bread, pasta, rice, etc. (You know, the GOOD stuff! LOL!) That being said, I'm doing mostly liquids anyway - just to get used to it. I have a collection of protein drinks - ranging from Premier Protein (available at Walgreens, CVS, etc) and protein sample packs I purchased here at the Bariatric Pal Store. For inspiration, encouragement & tips, check out some of the YouTube videos by fellow sleevers. Some are REALLY good! One, Kimberly H, has her own channel as well as videos she does for Bariatric Pal. There are others, some funny, some boring... just try them out. Just search for VGS, Bariatric Sleeve, etc. WE GOT THIS!!!

I asked my surgeon abt the clear liquid rule the day I went in for surgery because I tried the clear Isopure ready made drinks and thought I was gonna die. He said as long as I'm mixing y protein with water it was absolutely fine. I trust my surgeon a tremendous amount. He is the director of the bariatric unit at the hospital and I have not had a single complication. I couldn't imagine not having him to turn to.

I'm a newbie .My wieight has been a struggle for years.Up and down.Start a diet stop a diet .I had to come to terms with my self about my health and well being.i decided i was ready to take charge and to something about it.I just went to a seminar on 9/21 completed my insurance information and just waiting for the bariatric department to contact me.The ball is rolling I'm excited and a little afraid at the same time . I am open to any and all advice, suggestion, web info etc..

I used pure protein plus from Sam's Club before preop diet. On my preop diet I used bariatric advantage orange creme and banana flavors, they were pretty good. Now I am back on the pure protein plus. The nutritionist has us mix them with milk instead of water. It's more feeling and tastes better.

Being nervous is perfectly normal! You are making a permanent change to your body which will make you change your lifestyle. It is a lot to take in. I suggest journaling to help you work through these feelings. The biggest help for me was 2 lists I made and kept right on the fridge. The first list is all the reasons why I chose surgery. The 2nd list was all the things I can't wait to do when I lose weight. It is my bariatric bucket list. Those papers helped me keep everything in perspective when I started to get nervous or overwhelmed. You made this decision rationally and after much consideration. There are reasons why you have worked so hard to get ready for surgery. Stop sabotaging yourself and reset your eating habits. You can do this. We all are here if you need to talk or need support!

hi! I'm new too, I'm rounding up for a December surgery. I do work for a insurance company, and the coverage ins and outs are pretty complex. I would leave it up to them, but here's another good idea to try. Call the insurance provider, get a customer service specialist, and ask them a few good questions. 1. What is the criteria for a obesity/bariatric surgery coverage? 2. Are there any exclusions listed for or about obesity surgery, bariatric surgery, gastric sleeve, lap band, or surgeries assosicated with weight loss? (tricky words but use each one as a individual question - TRUST ME) As they attempt to explain the criterias or exclusuions to you, write them down, and ask for further clarity on each one your unsure of. Once you've made this list, see if it applies to you, but make the facts list 1st. With that being said, the other option is to see if your plan offers this policy online, Cigna does, and it allowed me to know what the criteria was up front. Let me know if I can help clarify more; I've worked in the insurance industry for more than 8 years (if I dont know, I can find someone who does).

Anyone start their bariatric Vitamins and minerals. If you buy them at Walgreens they are $30 and you take 4. This will cover all your requirements. There are 120 vitamins per bottle and it will last 30 days. They are called Optisource. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Things are really gearing up for my surgery on 10/21. I have my pre admission testing on Thursday and Monday is my EGD. My problem is two part..The main thing is my sitter. I have a daughter who is almost 5. During the day she goes to a sitter while I am at work. She has been with this lady since she was 6 weeks old and, honestly, my sitter is like family. That is why my daughter is supposed to stay with her while I am in the hospital having surgery, and a day or two after. Well here is my problem...My sitter has a sister who is in end stage of her battle with cancer. She is in Hospice care now and it is just a matter of time. My sitter needs to be with her family when the end comes, so she may have to go at a moments notice. Normally that would not be a huge issue, but with these major appointments coming up it really is. I do not have a large extended family. I do not have a back up sitter available and will have to scramble big time should the sister pass during the daytime. My only option is MY 94 year old grandma who has dementia, and let's face it- that is no option! I have already missed nearly two months work earlier this year due to health issues, and have been lucky they are ok'ing another week for surgery. I cannot take additional time because of no sitter! Plus, the way my PATs are scheduled Thursday it will take most of the day. ( Have to check in one hospital at 8:45 for gallbladder ultrasound, upper GI series, EKG, and blood work. Then have to go to a DIFFERENT hospital by 12:45 to attend a mandatory class until 3pm) Now the second part of my issue is my EGD next Monday. You are NOT allowed to drive yourself home as they administer propofol during the test. I have someone to give me a ride to the hospital, but my sitter's daughter was going to be my ride home. (this wasn't even a certainty) Well now, if her aunt passes away, I cannot be certain she will be available to give me the ride. I am so close to the finish line and rescheduling is NOT an option. I am just a bit panicked about what is going to happen. I do feel great empathy for my sitter and the loss she is about to experience. I wish more than anything her sister wasn't ill and she didn't have to go through all of this. ( Her mother died earlier this year. That too caused a lot of disruption and scrambling to find someone to watch my child.) My sitter was actually one of the first people to discuss the possibility of me having bariatric surgery years ago, so she is supportive. It is just the fact my support network is extremely limited and when one person is unavailable, it creates a huge domino effect. Right now my mind is reeling trying to think of alternate possibilities, and not having much success. I could sure use some positive energy and thoughts right now. I am not doubting my path at all, just worried about how it will all come together.

I think the thing that makes me look at vitamins differently is my two pregnancies. I had bad levels my first one and was so constipated (tmi) from iron supplements I started having contractions.. my second pregnancy I took one that was food based and noticed a dramatic difference. The main difference is vitamins and minerals that are manufactured vs made in nature. And the prenatals are cheaper than the bariatric vitamins my Dr recommend. But any vitamin is better than no vitamin. My mom had bypass 5 years ago and hasn't taken anything in a year and is now dealing with iron infusions and b 12 shots :/

I began seriously considering bariatric surgery in January2011. My husband and I went to an informational meeting with the surgeon I was considering using. Initially I was thinking lap-band but after this meeting, I quickly changed to vertical sleeve gastrectomy because you won't lose as much "excess" weight with the band as you will with the sleeve. Also, there is no foreign object (band) left in your body. So, the decision was made to do vertical sleeve. My husband was skeptical until we attended the meeting. Afterwards he was convinced and very supportive. My surgeon's office, Dr. Richard Shimer, sent the request to my insurance company (United Healthcare) to see if it would be covered. I did not have any co-morbidities and my BMI was 35.7 therefore they denied coverage. I appealed it but lstt again!! I knew I wanted to have the sleeve whether my insurance paid for it or not.... All pre-op testing was complete and my surgery was scheduled for 4/25/11. I was so excited but not nervous at all! I am now I am 11 days post op today and have lost 14.5 pounds as of today. I've never lost 14 pounds in my life!!! I am thrilled. I am feeling a little more comfortable in my clothes that were too tight before surgery. I am on full liquids. I am wondering at the point, how many meals are you having each day? I have read 3 per day and 6 per day. a little confused

It is completely normal to be nervous. Just make sure you hang on to the things that got you to this point. You may find yourself questioning it, but I will assure you it does get better. I am exactly 2 weeks post op today and I feel SO much better than I did the first week and a half. Each day is a step in the right direction. Just follow your bariatric team's rules and plans and you will do great!

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that my "skinny" jeans are 1x with an elastic/drawstring waist. At my heaviest, I would only admit to a size 2x, but honestly, even those were getting snug. When I lost my first 20 pounds, I tried on these 1x jeans and they were still uncomfortably tight in the thighs and caboose area. So, I've been reluctant to try on anything smaller in the past month. Even though I only lost 2 pounds in December, I've added pilates to my walking routine. When I tried on the "skinny" jeans today, not only did they slide easily over my hips, but I actually had to tighten the drawstring to keep them up! I guess my body has become smaller even though the scale hasn't reflected a dramatic loss. I was beginning to lose some of my enthusiasm recently, but this small NSV has given me renewed hope. Happy New Year Everybody!

Anyone banded by Bayshore Bariatrics(Dr. Strom) in nj. Started the process a month ago. It is overwhelming. Any advice?.

Even though your insurance may not require a referral, I would recommend discuss this with your PCP and getting their recommendation, mostly because I assume that your PCP is in your insurance network, and therefore they would be able to direct you to a bariatric specialist who is also in-network. Your other questions are really jumping the gun; don't worry about the details until you have a surgeon and have done an orientation, spoken with the surgeon directly, seen their nutritionist, etc., etc., etc. "When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

I am not an expert. I haven't had surgery yet, but I've been pursing and researching WLS since last November. I've been seeing the surgeon since January for my insurance required 6 month diet. My surgery is next week. I know it is hard searching through the topics trying to find answers to your specific questions and it feels like a big step to make a post, so I'll try to answer what I can. In my area (Upstate NY) I actually hear WLS advertised on the radio. A few different hospitals advertise their weight loss options and they have a free seminar you can go to. I ended up doing my seminar online. So you might want to contact your area hospital and ask if they have or know of any free seminars in the area on WLS options. Or if they can refer you to a bariatric surgeon. Many general surgeons can do the surgery, however I think it's nice to go to a practice where that is their specialty. The doctor I chose has a big practice catering just to that. It is listed in their hospital's online directory under "weight loss." I would make my first step be finding one of these centers or surgeons who specialize in WLS and then making the initial consult. They discuss SO much in that appointment and can answer so many questions. Having worked much for surgeons in the past, I don't think you'll get many options in picking the time of day of your surgery. You can request a morning surgery, but that usually doesn't mean you're guaranteed that. I think in an ideal world, being the second surgery of the day would be perfect though. They are warmed up and awake, but not exhausted. I can't speak from experience about the loose skin. I do know genetics and age have a lot to do with it. I've lost a lot of weight on diets in the past and my skin caught up each time. It was slower weight loss, so the skin shrunk along with me. I know that with WLS, it's the rapid weight loss that makes the skin appear extra saggy at times. Then it will shrink some more with time. Will it shrink totally back to tight skin? Everyone is different. If you're young, with good genetics and hydrate well, maybe it will. I think it's likely you'll have some areas you don't like though. With my weight loss in the past, my stomach always kept it's saggy pouch, even though it did get smaller and wasn't noticeable under clothes. As for diet, my surgeon is requiring a 2 week pre-op liquid "stage 2" diet and then I will do this same diet for two weeks post op. I'm on day 7 of it right now. You focus on high protein liquid. I'm supposed to be trying to get at least 80 grams of protein per day. I am not supposed to be having any sugars either. I can have skim or whole milk, black tea or coffee (but need to switch to decaf a couple days before surgery too), sugar free puddings, sugar free jellos, Protein Shakes, high protein/low fat/no or low sugar yogurts, protein soups/broths (without chunks). It kind of sucks. I am doing mainly yogurt and protein shakes through the day. 2 weeks after surgery, I'll be evaluated and switched to pureed foods. You still aim for the protein, but can eat pureed things in the mix. And then I believe it is 1 month post op, I switch to soft foods. This is a pretty typical WLS diet around surgery time, but surgeons are varying it now. Some don't require the 2 weeks pre-op. They say they do those 2 weeks to shrink the liver so that the surgeon has better access to the stomach, which makes sense. Some keep you on clear liquids for a few days after surgery. It can vary a bit, but this is my protocol. I'm not sure there is a best season. I want to be free of this weight NOW. So, NOW is the best season for me. LOL. Good luck on your journey. I think once you can get in for a consult or go to one of the free seminars that a lot of places offer, you'll get a lot of questions answered.

Here's some steps of things I did and I was using Insurance to pay: 1. Schedule and attend free doctor/hospital bariatric program orientation session to learn about their programs, doctors, etc. 2. Usually they give you a packet of information to fill out and mail in to them to see if you are a good candidate for surgery. 3. Check with Insurance company and find out specifically if they Exclude Bariatric Surgery including Adjustable Gastric Lap Banding and/or Gastric Bypass/RNY, etc. and what the qualifications are to get insurance coverage approved. What BMI and what co-morbidities do you have to have to qualify - i.e. sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. being co-morbidity examples. 4. Many of the Insurances will require: Surgeon consultation visit to see if you are a candidate, 5. Cardiac clearance - most of us are overweight enough they want to make sure you are okay. 6. Sleep study/clearance - if you haven't been cleared for sleep apnea 7. Psychological study/clearance - its pretty basic but they want to be sure you are mentally and emotionally ready for this life change. 8. Diet and nutrition counseling - at least 1 pre-op session with the doctor/hospital 9. Primary Care Doctor supervised weight loss effort - as noted in other posts - sometimes 6 months consecutive evidence in the doctors' progress notes - not just that they weighed you but that you discussed weight loss issues. Some get by with 3 months - varies by insurance. 10. Any other 'hoops' to jump through the particular doctor gives you or their bariatric program for that hospital.

I'm not a guy but I am in Kansas City so I will answer about doctors. The KC Bariatric team has been wonderful through my process. I will be having my VSG in November with Dr. Aragon and would highly recommend his office. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App