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Hello everyone, WELCOME TO THE OTHERSIDE!!!! I would also want send out a (HUGE THANK YOU) to all my friends on Bariatric Pal, your posts make me feel great and I'lll try to be as good as friend as you've been me. Made through surgery,and resting comfortably. Getting ready for my 3rd walk since surgery. Brian

And it may sound sneaky but I have known of cases that are billed as Hiatal Hernia repair instead of bariatric surgery especially if you have one of the insurance plans reluctant to cover VSG or RNY, and sad to say even in this enlightened age, there are insurance providers that think Bariatrics are only "Vanity Surgeries". Wish they could walk in my moccasins, they would quickly see the error of their ways! Oh I was fortunate that Medicare/Medicaid only asked for need and a BMI over 40, I sure didn't need the co-morb I already had, my presurgery BMI at first consultation was nearly 52. And not to be rotten about it, my current one is 31.1 9 months out. So your could say my life turned around JUST in Time, now at edge of mere overweight, instead of obesity and morbid obesity. 👍🌸😝🌺, as small or smaller than I was in 1967 when I got married. Long Time Ago!

I had the same problem, United Health care called and they told me excluded but as long as employer said ok to cover it and medically necessary and outpatient they would cover. THen started with surgeon to find out "excluded" and no way will they pay. One person at insurance company just said real rudely "we don't pay for obesity". THank you very much. Our company insurance agent told me even if I waited until September when my employer renews insurance it could not be added even if employer said ok because we have less than 3000 employees. Said that most companies will not add until company of that size. I am not sure if that correct or not. I own my house so I borrowed $17,000 to do self pay. Ouch. good luck to you. If self pay not a option really check your new jobs insurance plan out.

If the Protein you are using doesn't agree with you, I would try another kind. I am drinking the premier Protein shakes (2 a day) and that is about all the protein I can get in. I do make my meals (2 oz) with added protein if I can and that adds a little bit. Protein is important. You may want to try some of the engineered foods that are designed for bariatric patients as they have added protein. I have seen Soups, puddings, oatmeal etc. I have not purchased any of these yet myself, but it might help to use those for meals so that you are making sure to get more protein. Also, you can use the unflavored protein to mix into a beverage that you like to give you more variety. Mix it in crystal light or another zero calorie beverage. If you body does not get enough protein it will take what it needs from your muscles. This is not a good thing. Your heart is a muscle also. Hope some other members can suggest other types of Protein drinks that might help but I would definetely try some different brands. Its tough because everything is done so slowly (eating and drinking). Seems like every waking hour is consumed with remembering to constantly sip. Good luck to you!

Hello from West Allis/Milwaukee :mad: I'm in the very beginning stages and have just scheduled to attend a seminar at Elmbrook Memorial Hospital. Their program is a combined program with the Bariatric Institute of WI.

Hi Everyone, I ended up in the ER a few weeks ago after a routine fill on my band, unable to swallow even liquid. My body thought I was choking so it kept sending saliva to my espophagus, with no way for it to go down (completely swollen shut). It was horrible. Radiologist said I need to get it out asap. Primary care doc is not familiar with bands at all and wasn't sure what to write. So I offered to write the letter of request to Cigna for her to put on her letterhead. I've searched everywhere online for a letter that outlines the dangers of leaving the band in, as well as the benefits of replacing it with the sleeve. To no avail. There are plenty of letters about bariatric surgery, but none dealing with the dangers of a failed band. Can anyone direct me? We need to submit something asap. Thanks so much.

I had my surgery in the states, but went with a friend to TJ and he had his surgery with Dr Garcia. Overall it was very positive experience. Dr Garcia is very soft-spoken, speaks ok english, and seems like a very competent surgeon. There is a female doctor that is on his staff who was excellent. She had a gastric bypass done a few years ago and has done very well. She speaks excellent english and is very good at explaining what you need to know. There were also 2 doctors, one of which was always there, who spoke excellent english and helped out with any questions/issues. I was also very impressed with the plan they give you regarding post-op diet, procedures, etc. The hospital is a bit older and some of their equipment is older - for example the EKG machine. Sanitation and medical protocols were ok, but definitely behind American standards. They are definitely focused on bariatric surgery. The day my friend had surgery, there were a total of 6 gastric sleeves being done - 3 by Garcia and 3 by 2 other doctors. The hospital does other types of surgery, but they said 75%+ of their patients were gastric sleeves. Hospital only has about 15 rooms, all of which are private. Very laid back. As the guest, the accommodations were nice. Fairly comfy bed in the room for you to use. Walmart - 5 minute walk. Excellent mexican food that delivers to the hospital. Starbucks, KFC, Dairy Queen, Carls Jr all within 5 minute walk. Beach 2 blocks away although the staff member did caution about being very careful if I went down there. TV with maybe a dozen english channels. Package deal with hotel makes that part very easy as well. Staff at hotel has lots of bariatric patients and has necessary accommodations. We walked down to the shopping center/Cinepolis and saw a movie. Nice walk and good distraction. Overall I thought it was a well-run operation. I'd think twice if I was a higher-risk patient. I'm not sure they'd be able to handle complications as well as other hospitals.

Both are good. My experience was that my surgeon had a group that offered all the essentials like the nutritionist and psyc eval and Bariatric program education and support that handled everything and collected all the paperwork to send to my surgeon. My pcp was able to do the ekg in the clearance appointment! Your surgeon will more often know how to get things done and what your insurance will require! They can coordinate your appointments to expedite it quickly! Best of luck I hope I helped! I just went through this stage. Best wishes! You'll do great!

It can be a very difficult process and a confusing one. You can actually have your insurance company send you their policy regarding WLS coverage. This is what I ended up doing with my HMO because you are absolutely right some representatives will give you different answers. It was a lengthy group of papers but the full policy was there in black and white. I was also able to secure a health care advocate through my insurance company. I have actually been fighting to get this surgery since 2008 and I finally had my RNY in May 2014. I met all the requirements and went through a few different medical groups until I found a doctor and specialists who were willing to support my need for the surgery. I did have to go through the 6 month program in which I had to fulfill my insurance requirements but also my medical group requirements. At first I was a bit annoyed because I had become so studied in the surgeries. I had to drive down to meetings at least once a week which for me was a 3 hour round trip. But I learned and observed several different things from my teachers and fellow patients. I even took a 2 month psychology class which was awesome. I have lost 90 pounds post-surgery and have 10 more to go to meet my goal weight. I have gotten rid of several conditions and medications. I was also recently asked to be a representative for my University's Bariatric Program at an upcoming health event. I have really developed a passion for helping those going through the process. So if you need any encouragement or I can help answer any questions feel free to ask. You sound pretty determined and that is probably the best quality you can have right now. Keep that passion, keep pushing, don't give up...❤️

Thank you both for responding. The bariatric coordinator told me no one's insurance covers the surgeon's fee, I just was not expecting it to be so much. But so far I think they're the best I've found.

Tricare climb they do not have a full list for bariatric patients other than the little 2 paragraph one on the website :/. The doctor I'm seeing is about 2 1/2 hours away so I'm hoping they won't require too many trips. The financial part of all this scares me. My husband and I are raising 4 kids. We get by but not by much. I'm scared to death that they are gonna ask me to pay way more than I can and I will just be stuck in this body forever.... I cried the whole way home after meeting dr woodman because it was like I had so much hope there that this change would happen just to have it shot down because of how much money it was gonna take..... I'm just gonna hold out hope!!!

The exact same thing happened to me with the Bariatric Advantage vitamins! I took them a few times before realizing that was what was causing instant nausea, and spent 20 mins laying flat hoping not to throw up! I wonder what it is about them?

My surgery date is 12/2 with Dr. Perez and Renew Bariatrics in Tj, Mexico! So nervous and excited!!

Ah, September! The renewal of hope is in the air as kids go back to school with the promise of straight A's and I with my promise of exercise!! I didn't like the pressure I felt last month with the 'specific' goals I outlined and it made me feel bad when I didn't measure up exactly. So I'm going to relax them just a little bit and break it down into Cardio sessions and Weights sessions, like many of the other Violets do. 8 - Full Body Strength Training Sessions 10 - Cardio Sessions of at least 45 mins. -------------------------------------------------------------------- This book is so awesome! This Year I Will.....How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True by MJ Ryan. I plan to buy several for Christmas gifts this year. I'm almost finished with it and when I am, I'll start it over again. Awesome. 8/30 - Got back to the gym today after my little sebbatical and it felt good. I actually had a hard time getting my heart rate UP! Could the quitting cigarettes only 11 days ago improved my performance that much already?? I did quit hacking and couging by day 3. Hmmmmm. Cool. :eek: 9/1 - Tried the rowing machine today! I like it!!! I especially like the idea of a total body workout on one machine and in less time. Was getting soooo bored with the other cardio machines. time to play racquetball!! 9/2 - Rowed again today for about 15 minutes and then the elliptical for 10 mins. I feel like I've lost something...can't seem to get a good workout in. Maybe I need to build up to it. 9/8 - Just had one of the most stressful weeks of my life and it was HARD to get thru it without cigarettes, food or booze. I think this Chantix is messing with my moods too....I can't wait to get off of it, but I'm not nearly ready. Exercise went by the wayside again this week. I think I got 3 workouts in. Pitiful. Discovered a 'fitness test' on the stationary bike computer and it said that I have low-very low O2 volume. I should have never taken that test. Here I felt like I was getting into pretty good shape and this computer tells me I suck. Well, whatever....I'm fast approaching 30# gone and that feels great!! 9/20 - Got back from a week in Vegas and California - ate anything I desired while there and gained 2#. Lost it all by Thursday. Yea! Got back to the gym last night by doing 30 mins on the stationary bike and reading. that worked out nicely - the time flew by! Scale at 186.6 Day 31 of not smoking!

Vent... having a difficult time getting bariatric doc office to submit to insurance. I did a 6 month nutritional program through my former insurance, gave release to doc office (still haven't requested it). I also did 10 months of Weight watchers from august 2016 - may 2017 and even had doctor visits in august, October, April, (and several others) where my weight was recorded and even nutrition discussed - though the visits were not specifically for that. I have talked to my current insurance several times and they are very much encouraging me to have my doc office submit for approval. Especially now since my medical tests revealed a hiatal hernia and gerd (i knew I had gerd) and that sometimes a waiver is given. However, the person at my doc office is being a bit snippy about turning it in for approval because she thinks the people I talked to at my insurance are wrong. I am trying to get them to submit but agh. (they also still have to request my ekg results since hospital was not theirs and get the online bariatric psych eval place to actually send my approval results). A bit frustrated. Just in case I started the 6 month nutrition visits through my doc back on the 6th

Thanks again for all who have written. I am going to call the bariatric center at a local hospital (it's a center of excellence which is required by my insurance company) and see if I can register for a seminar. I'm not sure that I'm ready to make this decision, but I do know that I have to do something. I want to be able to enjoy the rest of my life. I have a beautiful daughter and I only just turned 28 (last week). I have a great career. although I'm attending college to broaden it. I have so much going for me, but I don't want my weight to drag me down. ~FK :redface:

I do take Biotin daily and tried the Flinstones with Iron (per my surgeons suggestion) and Bariatric Advantage multi and calcium and all 3 made me so queezy. So much that I have no desire to take them. I was taking a multi that agreed with me (pre surgery) but the gel capsules are horse pills! I'm not sure I can take them. I will check out the other brands and go from there. Thanks! Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using LapBandTalk

Do you maybe mean that you are limiting carbs, not Protein? If not---I'd really try to bump up the protein quite a bit. It's not unusual to feel weak and cruddy for a couple of weeks after surgery, but you want to be sure to do everything you can do to promote good healing and recovery. That would include getting plenty of Fluid, getting adequate protein (at least 65 g/day), taking a good bariatric Vitamin (I like Bariatric Advantage chewables), and advancing your diet as advised by your doctor. My doc had me on purees pretty much from the outset---but nixed things like creamed Soups, cream of wheat, and so on. Instead, the focus was on protein purees--and I felt great. Cream of wheat can fill a belly--but it doesn't really offer much nutritionally, and has the downside of being carby enough that a blood sugar spike can be followed by a plummet (and weakness). Another poster suggested you post what you eat in a day. That would be helpful, for feedback. But really, if you're concerned about your weakness, a phone call to your doctor would be a good idea, too. (I wish you'd been given more guidance, preop, about nutrition and vitamins--I hate to see you feeling awful now because you haven't been given enough information.)

I had my surgery with Dr. Oh of St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, he doesn't have the greatest bedside manor, but they are a Bariatric Center of Excellence. I have had great results, and the rest of his staff is very good to work with !

Dr. O did my surgery first thing in the morning (I'm 4.5 weeks post-op). I had not a single problem coming out of surgery, and Dr. O also repaired a hiatal hernia that I didn't even know I had. The hospital staff on the floor were just wonderful. Shonna was my favorite nurse -- she was so attentive and kind. You will learn all about the Bariatric beds! After surgery, sitting up is most comfortable, like a recliner. (And definitely make sure you have home all ready for your return -- all your liquids there, and a nice upright place to rest. Dr. O gave a scrip upon leaving the hospital and I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend go to the pharmacy while I rested at home.) They won't give you Water right away after surgery, but you can beg. Expect a sore throat from the intubation. They give you nice slipper socks to wear, and you'll get a hug pillow at bootcamp. It's the best. I held in to my stomach while I walked and sat. I was really surprised with how painful getting out of bed was. I'm not sure if that was due to the additional hernia repair or not, but it was helpful for me to have my boyfriend there (at home) to help me get out of bed. The bariatric beds made it so easy at the hospital! Also, walking walking walking (both at the hospital and at home) is so important to not only help you recover, but avoid the worst of the gas pains. Make sure you have a bunch of elastic-waisted pants clean and ready for your arrival home. Oh, and when you get discharged, they will NOT send you over the skybridge into Caesar's garage. Pick-up is at ground level, main entrance! Things ya learn... heh. My boyfriend was waiting on the 3rd floor of Caesar's garage and he had my cell phone with him. I begged them to let me go up to the skybridge and cross myself (no wheelchair). If you have any questions, happy to answer! :redface:

I love these responses. I myself am going through the process of being banded. And these responses just renew my hope that I will be getting banded soon. I been through many ups and downs so i'm just ready! Congrats on all who have had such success on the band.

I am currently finishing my Master’s in Psychology and I happen to have a focus on Addiction Counseling, I hope to easy your stresses by elaborating a bit about the metabolic relationship of nicotine within the blood. Once imbibed nicotine metabolizes to cotinine which is generally what is tested for in most lab tests. And I am sure you are aware the different tests of urine, blood, swab, and hair follicle. The body can detox from nicotine technically in 5 days with heavy fluid flush and I high intake of Vitamin C. However, what is left is the mental/emotional attachment. The same receptors in the brain that function towards the reward center are now totally confused and are also depleting. The brain is now off balance and throwing dopamine at various levels causing emotional responses such as aggression or sadness. And some have even experienced flu like symptoms. A heavy smoker or a person that has smoked for a longer period of time will have more reward receptors to nicotine and therefore take a bit longer to adjust. But there is a bright ray of sunshine heading your way. You’re at day 13, and that my lady is a fantastic goal…one I am currently trying to reach myself (I smoke too). You should start to notice soon your taste buds will become more sensitive, your breathing has increased greatly, and your sense of smell is getting more sensitive by the minute. The average withdrawal symptom a person receives lasts technically 4 to 5 minutes and no longer, however with that information just know the more recent the quitting withdraw attacks can occur back to back. During this time I would suggest chewing peppermint gum or spearmint .Peppermint reacts to the same receptors in the brain as nicotine and the same flushes of withdrawal that occur in the tongue are masked by the peppermint gum. Not to mention this gives something for your mouth to do, creating a new habit. As with any addiction the emotional attachment should be addressed and this would be the time to ask yourself why you are attracted to cigarettes? what do they provide? My self personally, they have always been there like an old friend. Through even stressful or happy event they were there. But they are also the ones that have brought a lot of stress to my life when I ran out..lol I can tell you, you are the only one that can set the goal to truly quit. Your surgeon or family can tell you, you must quit getting the surgery. But if you are not the one to say enough is enough, then you will be right back to smoking soon after surgery. I know you most likely know all the benefits and risks there is to this type of surgery and smoking. If you are a smoker, you have a 75% increased risk of blot clots, stroke, or cardiovascular troubles. This too is a life changing event and one that anyone who is a smoker and seeking bariatric surgery must come to grips with. You’re not alone, just reach out. If you feel like you are going to cheat, or the stress is getting too much hop on her and I will gladly help talk you down. Heck, you got a 13 day head start on me but I’ll be your quit buddy! I wish you all the best of luck and I know you have it in your to quit and have a successful surgery.

I read a review that another bariatric surgery person did on the Tespo. She really liked it, Felt it made her more compliant but she still had to take extra vitamins outside of this because Tespo's vitamin packs did not have enough like calcium B-12 etc. Do you need to take additional vitamins in addition to? That person gave a thorough review but it wasn't dated. She was in correspondence with Tespo and Tespo expressed great desire to work with the bariatric community. I can actually see more bariatric people using this than non. Since that review could have been a year or two ago, I didn't know if they have "upped" their vitamin packs or made bariatric specific ones. Sounds like a good idea. It's more expensive than vitamins, so I think I will wait and see how compliant I am with the chewing and swallowing pills. If not, I will do this as I want to keep my hair, bones and teeth long term!!! To me...put it next to the Keurig. Shot of vitamins, shot of coffee! win win!

@@Luvin_Life125 Google the local restaurants and look up their menus online. Takes the guess work out of which restaurants will have bariatric friendly foods.

Oh my Gosh! I just got married in Vegas on January 14th!~ If you haven't finalized anything at the little white chapel, let me recommend the Little chapel of flowers. www.littlechapel.com. They are located right down the street from the little white chapel. They were the best! I am 50 years old and they made me feel like a princess. We accidently pulled into the little white chapel by mistake when we got there and it was not as nice as the chapel of flowers. (It had faded plastic floral arrangements and wasn't the cleanest, I was glad we were in the wrong place, the people there did seem nice though) My vegas wedding experience was the greatest, fresh flowers, beautiful settings and the most wonderful pictures. I don't even mind how fat I look in them. LOL They gave us all the time we needed to make our day very special. No rush in and rush out. I honestly can't wait to go back there for our vow renewal!! How long DO I have to wait?! If you go on the above web site- go to the referrals for Jan.08 scan down-Our picture is there- Mike and Nancy from MN. Good luck, I am so jealous!!!