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It's a new chapter in my life as I pack up all the things my Ex gave me over the years, I put it in a box and put it away. I woke up not sad for the first time I woke up rejuvenated! That I will find somebody who will want the same desires as me. For now I start the most important task: Taking care of myself! Seeing the Bariatric Surgeon is the first step this coming Wednesday. Then taking the rest from there. I need to rebuild myself inner to outer. This is my Time to Shine. Lisa

I live in Livonia. Had my RNY on 20 Oct 2016. There is a Bariatric Support Group that meets the 4th Tuesday of the month at Mary's Mercy (5 Mile and Levan). South Entrance in class rooms 1 and 2.

Anyone on here go through NW bariatrics in Post Falls Idaho? Dr Pennings? Thanks

I was told I would have to stop taking vitamins a few weeks before surgery. But, why would you want to take them? The only reason to take bariatric vitamins is because you can't absorb vitamins due to a malabsorptive procedure or you can't eat enough of a variety of foods due to a restrictive procedure. otherwise, mostly vitamins just aren't necessary

My DS surgery was april of 2018 with Dr. Bruce at Bariatrics of NC . All has been good, but then I rate having stomach pains really bad that lasted a long time when it happened just two months ago. It has only happened about 3-4 times, so naturally I went back to my surgeon and spoke to him about it. I thought maybe I was dehydrated , but he said NOPE, you have an internal hernia going on... and that I would need surgery as soon as I can make the appointment. Sooner than later he stressed! He could not do the surgery which disappointed me but he referred me to Dr. Lindsay Sharpe. So 1 week later I made an appointment which I had surgery done with Dr. Sharpe just yesterday 6/17/19 lasted about an hour. It started out as a diagnostic lap surgery to see exactly what was going on , and indeed it was the hernia that they found. They fixed it and I went home today and I feel a lot of pain but otherwise I just have to rest and no lifting for 3 weeks and no exercise for 6 weeks. They said because of the weight loss that it opened up a gap around my intestines causing blockage and this happened. Not sure on all details until my follow up next Tuesday but once I know ALL the details , I will post on here. Its funny now when you have surgery , you don't see the surgeon afterwards... you have to wait until follow up appointment to really get full details. his Medical assistant filled me in but not totally, so I am kinda in limbo on details. I cant wait for Tuesday to find out what he did exactly ! Has anyone had this happen to them after DS surgery?

Does anyone have the feeling once in awhile you have been punched in the stomach and feel cramping. It's very discomforting and I'm post op week 5 bariatric bypass Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@TomC i don''t think so.' most docs say not to drink soda, but i don't think it effects weight loss or gain. Just not good for you. Slapping your hand telling you to stop! LOL "we" all hate the word stall, but unfortunately its highlighted in the Bariatric Dictionary you are doing great with your weight loss - i think you are at a basic horrible stall that happens to all us. Three (3) months+ is a long time, but i've seen others that have stalled longer!! horrible, horrible - this too shall pass. Agree with OP, you should always track your food, drink etc. PATIENCE (easier said then done) good luck kathy

Hey all, I was just wondering if there was anyone here who has dealt with Aetna and been approved on an appeal? I just found out this week that Aetna denied my surgery because the plan my company has doesn’t cover bariatric surgery. I am appealing but was wondering if anyone has ever had success with an appeal through Aetna?

My office recently submitted my paperwork to CIGNA for approval. I received a decision within a day but the claim was denied due to where I’d be having the surgery. Cigna stated the location where they wanted to perform the surgery as outpatient is not on the 2019 Bariatric Center of Excellence list. I checked and the surgery center is in fact on the list. I actually had my EGD performed there and they paid that claim. I called CIGNA and the rep stated that the ruling they gave is not accurate and outdated. The rep also stated that the case manager is reaching out to my office to rectify the issue. I am frustrated but trying to remain hopeful. Has anybody ever been initially denied by CIGNA and then approved?

Every insurance company has a different policy. Call and inquire what your insurance company's requirements are for bariatric WL surgery.

I had to do tons of pre op tests like sleep studies, upper GI and even my gallbladder out. After that my insurgence said they wanted 6 month supervised diet. THEN after that my insurance denied me. My BMI was a 52 and then still denied. Luckily I have a great bariatric center and they appealed it and FINALLY I got approved as medically necessary and 3 days later got banded. It's different for everybody but definitely look into what your insurance covers . Good luck

I have the plan in NY here is the policy about bariatric surgery https://www.unitedhealthcareonline.com/ccmcontent/ProviderII/UHC/en-US/Assets/ProviderStaticFiles/ProviderStaticFilesPdf/Tools%20and%20Resources/Policies%20and%20Protocols/Medical%20Policies/C&S/bariatric_surgery_CS.pdf

My surgery program says to wait until day 30 post-op so I have been but I am right there with you I so miss my daily coffee. Excited to try out "profee" which I have seen a lot of the people in the bariatric community make.

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.

In southern California, the clinical trials for the Obtech Band were conducted at Scripps (La Jolla, I think). I'd start there, in the bariatric surgery department. Try (858) 554-5522, Dr. Brunson. My guess is that other than those doctors who were in the clincal trials, US doctors will have almost no experience in this department.

I think you should go for it. This is a great thing that you can give to others to assist in their weight loss. I'm going to do some Life Coaching and bariatrics soon.

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

Yes, yes and yes! I was told by my spine surgeon that they see a lot of Bariatric surgery patients. There a few reasons why: 1. All the fat actually supported your spine and now that it is gone your posture changes. 2. You are likely much more active which is obviously a good thing 3. As the weight leaves, everything sort of falls down, that changes the way you you walk, sit and stand. I have been battling a degenerative spine ever since I was in my late 20's which was when I gained a lot of weight. Unfortunately I waited too long to lose my weight. Recently I had to undergo a 3 level spinal fusion in my cervical spine. This was my 4th spine surgery in the last 14 years. The reality is, obesity really damages your body if you wait too long to do something about it. Oh, by the way once you lose the weight in your butt, your tailbone sticks out and it hurts like heck to sit for too long.

It will depend a lot on your surgeon and your insurance. You can try giving your insurance company a call and asking them if they cover weight loss surgery, and if so, what if any requirements they have. Some require a 3-month supervised diet, some a 6-month one, some don't require anything besides a BMI of over 40 or a BMI of over 35 with co-morbidities, it varies widely. Most insurances, though, do require a referral from your primary care doc--if your PCP is really anti-WLS, you may see if you can change to a new PCP before you start the process. My PCP just had me come in for a physical before I started with the pre-surgery visits, as I hadn't been to the doctor for a couple of years. The approvals that you have to get before surgery will mostly be dependent on your surgeon. Mine required a chest X-ray and EKG to make sure that I didn't have any underlying heart or pulmonary issues that might cause problems during surgery. I had to have a bunch of bloodwork done, again for the same reason. Some people also are required to do a sleep study to check for sleep apnea, and an endoscopy to look for hernias, GERD, and other abnormalities. If they find a problem, this doesn't mean that you can't have surgery, just that they may need to deal with the problem beforehand or adjust your surgery to make it safe for you. Then you typically have to get clearance from a nutritionist/dietitian and from a psychologist. The NUT works with you to make sure that you understand the pre- and post-op diet and are willing and able to comply with it. The psychologist evaluates your mental and emotional readiness for surgery and makes sure that you have a good support system (whether that's your family, friends, a therapist, support group, etc) and that you don't have underlying mental/emotional issues that indicate you wouldn't be able to comply with the post-op directions from your surgeon and NUT. The psych eval is the one that worries a lot of people (myself included). But really, they want you to succeed--they just want to make sure you're prepared for this huge life change. The NUT and psychologist may be a part of the bariatric team, or you may have to go to outside practitioners, but your surgeon's office can probably recommend someone.

Hi! I have a consultation in 2 weeks with a bariatric sugeron . Im curious about insurance approvals. Does anyone out there have federal BCBS? What are the requirements? What was the approval process? Im at a BMI of 35.6 and have no comorbities. There is no way I could pay cash for this surgery, so Im just wondering if there is anyone else out there who doubted that insurance would approve the surgery? I just really don't want to get my hopes up. Thanks for any input!

I had a gastric sleeve in June 2016. Was 225 lb now 167.5 lb as of Oct 27. I have been concerned about a sagging abdomen... it's a flap of skin and stubborn fat that gets worse the more weight I lose. I also had twins, so it's not just the weight loss that caused the situation. I am concerned that I can't do any more surgery like a tummy tuck, not just because of expense but also because I had a life threatening blood clot situation with the gastric sleeve. All mesenteric veins and portal vein became almost 100% or completely 100% blocked with blood clots and I almost died. I later discovered a family history of blood clot problems after surgery. I have been reading about a non-surgical treatment called Venus Legacy for skin tightening and fat removal basically by heating it up with radio and other electromagnetic radiation. Has anyone tried this? It's about $200 per treatment and you need about 8 treatments, it says, to see a full effect. I am skeptical but some of the before and after pics look great. I am struggling to lose more weight because of the horrific flap of skin that gets saggier and saggier. I'm scared of what it will look like if I lose more weight. I'm 20 pounds from my goal. The arms and thighs have it going on too but it's nothing like the abdomen. I'm getting irritated and sore under the flap of skin. Any advice?

I live near two surgery centers where lap band is done. One is a center of excellence for bariatric surgery, and the other does exclusively lap band, is newer, but closer to home. HELP! What factors are most important to my decision? Proximity to home for fills, support, and nutrition?

Try drinking liquids that are room temperature if the cold bothers you. Post op for 4 weeks we stuck to broth, FF soup, yogurt, pureed foods, and shakes. At 4 weeks I tried a small piece of soft chicken, choked on it, and stayed on soft food another 2 weeks. Bad experience. Try a different brand of protein shake. My husband liked Bariatric Advantage (milky tasting) and I liked EAS powder from Walmart. The best advice we got from our surgeon was: Do not eat 3 meals a day. Do not eat if you are not hungry. Even today, 7 months post surgery, we eat only when hungry, and we don't have sit down dinners at any certain time.<br /><br />Right after surgery especially, and still today, burping signalled we had eaten enough. Wonderful little reminder lol. Usually if you eat a small amount, you can walk away and be satisfied. Everyone is different with their weight loss, we have learned that well here. The soreness from the small incisions won't last long, we never needed any pain medicine after 24 hours in the hospital. Good luck!!!!

I am curious how did your surgeon know your band slipped if you did not have any symptoms? Did you have a fill under fluoroscopy? If a surgeon sees that your band has slipped the first thing they usually do is totally unfill the band -- to remove pressure off the pouch, not leave all the saline in. If your band has slipped, it's only time before it may have to come out/fixed or rebanded if possible, everyone is not a candidate for rebanding depending on how much damage is done and scar tissue. It also depends on the severity of the slip, some slips can't be fixed without surgical intervention, but if it is pouch dilation, sometimes removing all the saline and let things rest for about 6-8 weeks, and the surgeon needs to perform a Upper Gi to check the pouch size, and often times you can get refilled - slowly and carefully. In the meantime, it may be a good idea to search for a new job that will cover bariatric surgery. Also you may want to check with an attorney, although your insurance may not cover bariatric insurance, if you have a life threatening complication, it may be covered under medically necessary. Good luck