Search the Community

that's largely why I'm active on this and other bariatric forums. It's my support system...

Was your Endo performed by your Bariatric Surgeon?

Hey there- I’m a lower BMI patient and do not meet my insurance criteria for coverage. Have decided to self pay at blossom Bariatrics. I have such fear over complications and my normal insurance not covering them bc they would be the result of an uncovered surgery. Does anyone know of any supplemental insurance coverage you can buy for this type of elective procedure?

I think he is expressing fear, but not doing it in the best way for you to hear that. Note that I have no examples of him being abusive, only this statement, but this is my thought based on the statement above. And he isn’t wrong in his fear - there are very high rates of divorce (and addictive behavior for that matter) following Bariatric surgery. Fact. He would not likely know those stats, although he could, but his fear may be based on more reality than you or he realizes. I often note this to my patients in helping them come to a decision about Bariatric surgery. He seems to be doing something similar. People should be clear minded and have all the facts (not just the ones they are happy to consider). It is your decision, but what you do (positive or negative for you) does in fact effect him and vice versa.

Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas will move forward with BMI of 30. I’ve heard great things so fingers crossed! I’m paying $6800 + my flights. Scheduled for 11/25 😬. Excited and nervous all at the same time.

If you haven't talked to your surgeon's office in a while, it might be a good idea to give them a call to let them know you're almost done with your 6-month weight loss and ask what you need to do to schedule the endo and psych eval. A lot of bariatric practices have a "patient navigator" who helps to coordinate that stuff. I had some concerns about my insurance coverage (mainly because I hadn't been to a doctor in almost 10 years, so I didn't have a documented weight history), but the surgeon was very familiar with my insurance requirements and said, "Don't worry, we'll get you covered," and they did! They do this for a living, so most of them are pretty good at dealing with insurance companies.

I’m thankful that my body is teaching me to pause, listen, learn and renew. Thankful for this website and the lovely souls gathered to empower and encourage one another. Thankful for my sweet, gentle, strong, self confident, funny, tender, courageous, wise, spiritual and handsome hubby. Thirty years together and still crazy for each other.💖

I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis and you are correct being on steroids was a contributing factor. My pulmonary doctor cleared me for surgery but by that time I was on steroids for so long I gained a lot of weight and put me out of bounds for BMI goal. I stopped taking my steroids at the beginning of this pandemic. I kind of stopped going to my bariatric appointments just tired of hearing no or I can’t. They replaced my nurse practitioner also so my new was the one that kind of created more obstacles for me. I’ve been depressed for awhile because I basically went through everything and a year plus later I still have no date and will probably have to start over.

I am getting sleeved Oct 26 at Blossom in Vegas. Since quarantine and homeschooling my son I have become quite sedentary. I am concerned about the treadmill stress test before the surgery. Is it an easy stroll or a death march? Thank you.

The BariatricPal Store carries a huge selection of bariatric friendly protein bars at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-bars ! Here are some of the brands they carry: BariatricPal Built Bar Convenient Nutrition Detour Dive Bar Nutrition Epic HealthSmart Foods Keto Wise Kirkland Muscle Cheff One Brands Power Crunch Proti Diet Quest Nutrition

My surgery was initially supposed to be in-patient, with two nights in a special bariatric wing of the hospital. Along comes Covid (second wave) and I'm in an out-patient surgery center with a night at the Hampton Inn with nurses in attendance to about 6 of us. I had an IV tied to my bedpost and no IV pain meds (darn it) but the nurses came every four hours to melt my oxycontin in a little warm water and make me drink it. I was walking but I really felt like crap!! I REALLY wished I was in my own home (although I wouldn't have had an IV...I'm not sure how much that helped) because I would have been in my own comfy bed. BUT, the next day, I went back to the surgeon to check the incisions and make sure that I was feeling okay before we took the 4 hour rife home, and I REALLY needed to someone to bring me my pain meds every four hours. So, if it was up to me, I would book the hotel and see how you feel. And I would make sure that you have someone prepared to give you your pain meds every four hours (or whatever your surgeon orders!)

I had to have my surgery in a hospital 5 hours away due to the lack of bariatric surgeons where I live. I had to go by myself since my husband is unwell and can't travel. I took an Amtrak train and stayed in a hotel a half mile walk from the hospital. I walked in the day of surgery and then after discharge I took an Uber back to the hotel and stayed another night. The hospital tried to say I couldn't take an Uber but it was either that or walk back to the hotel since I was alone. They finally okayed that after some phone calls. As far as being alone in the hospital I actually prefer it. I like to be left alone and not have anyone hovering over me when I don't feel well. I love my hubby but I'm glad he wasn't there. Good luck, you'll be OK if you have to fly solo!

Not sure what you're asking... Is the Bariatric Pal app safe? I'd guess so...? Depends on what you mean by "safe." If you don't want to use the app on your phone, you can always use the website instead. 😊

Hello everyone, This is my first time posting in a forum. After years of contemplating bariatric surgery and literally trying every diet and medication for weight loss, I had an appointment with a bariatric surgeon yesterday. I made no excuses, I thought of no what ifs, I just kept driving because if I started thinking twice, I was not going to make it. The surgeon was very nice and it seems (I researched him) that he got plenty of experience and operates at a center fort excellence designated hospital. I had already attended his seminar and now we were talking surgery. I am 5'3" and to my shame my weight went up to 279, the heaviest I have ever been in my life. I have asthma, PCOS, and body image issues. Luckily, I have a very supportive family. Dr. Waked said he does recommend the duodenal switch over the gastric sleeve. I am worried after reading some posts. I am worried about complications, medications to take such as vitamins (the doctor said just a few but how many are a few?), I am worried about body smell (I work as a school nurse and this is important). Has anyone had this surgery recently? I understand that there are many threads, but the more I read, the more confused I become. Thank you.

I so agree. Because of Co-vid My husband dropped me off and picked me up late the next day. I was so doped up and sleepy, I don’t think I would have wanted anyone there. The nurses were wonderful walking me up and down the hall & the bariatric Coordinator came in and went over stuff & gave me info & then the nutritionist. I mostly slept & got used to sipping water.

the insurance specialist at your bariatric center should be able to help you figure out what is covered and what is not. If yours is like mine, I had coverage at a BMI of 40 and above 35 if I had comorbidities (like high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, etc.). If you don't have any of the qualifying conditions, they might even recommend gaining a few pounds, since you're right on the edge. I was right at that line with a BMI of 40.5 and my doctor recommended that I not lose any weight before my surgery. But the battery of specialists included psych and she wouldn't clear me without me demonstrating that I could follow the diet. So, I lost weight pre-op and then had to jump through a lot more hoops to show sleep apnea (borderline) and high blood pressure (also borderline). Insurance did pay, so it all worked out in the end.

I have decided that I want to get a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I'm concerned about insurance approval and wondering if anyone has any experience with a similar set of circumstances. My BMI is 39.7 (talk about a bogus double edged sword) I have high cholesterol, though not enough for medication. I also have generalized anxiety, a titch of depression, hidradenitis supuritiva, chronically sore back and knees. I know my specific insurance covers VSG but I'm worried they won't cover me. I've already seen my PCP and she's onboard and has given me a referral to a bariatric center here. Now I'm just waiting for my consult. Anyone have a similar set of circumstances and get approved? Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Aw i understand. I went through all the emotions but possibly had diff concerns. It was an emotional rollercoaster preop. I thought I had insurance coverage for bariatric but was afraid the surgeon wouldn't agree that I needed it so I was scared and felt hopeless with my "new life" sitting in the hands of a stranger while he determined whether I could get this desperately needed new beginning. He quickly agreed and I was on top of the world until I called insurance 10mins later to see what kind of diet plan they required and was informed that bariatric was excluded from my plan. It crushed me because I didn't think my husband would agree to take out a loan to pay for it, as he's the sole provider for a family of 5 while I'm in college still. I pled my case, bawling my eyes out to my husband explaining how badly I wanted this, how I didn't want my children to have to shave my body hair and bathe me like I had to do for my mother because of her weight when I was a child, and I explained how ashamed I was for following in her footsteps and secretly judging her so critically when I was her caregiver. I felt the only way I could escape that shame and lose this excess weight would be to get a second chance through weightloss surgery because I had allowed it to go too far. Well he was very understanding and agreed we could take out the loan. I did all my preop classes, appts, and diet while still being on an emotional rollercoaster.. receiving good news about the process one day and a set back the next day... worrying the entire time whether I was choosing the correct surgery and obsessing over it literally all day everyday bc I didnt want to fail at my "one shot to get this right", having anxiety at every doc appt, not knowing how to finally make myself quit smoking after 16 years and being terrified they wouldnt give me the surgery if they found out I hadn't stopped, being afraid theyd fail me for the psych eval bc of all this anxiety, suffering through the liquid diet, and finally made it to the weekend of surgery! So excited again and just ready to get it over with until I got a call the day before surgery that I had tested positive for covid and the surgery would need to be rescheduled. I was asymptomatic and positive but everyone else in my house tested negative. I was so frustrated. I threw a fit inside myself and ate everything in sight while on quarantine, gaining all the weight back that i had lost preop. What i didnt know when i was being a brat is that they ended up scheduling me for just a month later, which still felt like an eternity to wait but i now i see wasnt very long at all...this reply is getting long bc im very long winded lol so ill quickly add the rest. I had surgery, way less pain than I expected, the hospital staff was amazing during covid, one night stay, went home and felt 100% better (except fatigue) after 2 weeks. Now 2 months out from sleeve ive lost 45lbs (35 post op) but also have no body aches and am feeling like myself again. I say all this to say, my frustrations and concerns may differ from urs but I understand the preop process is very difficult for everyone in different ways and we all just want to rush to our new beginning so we can do it right this time. Once u have surgery, it'll seem all the worrying and dreading wasnt even necessary because ur just so focused and grateful for the surgery that whatever may come is totally worth it and everything turned out fine in the end! Its such a blessing to watch ur body change, grow stronger and feel better.. to see urself become unhidden behind all that was once there..one exciting day at a time. Anyways, give urself permission to be hopeful, positive and expectant bc everything about ur life is about to change for the better! Again, sorry I can't help but blab! [emoji4][emoji1787] Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

My doctor recommends 2 Flinstones Complete (the old formula, which is the same in most generics). They are cheap and taste pretty good. I got the Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bite for Calcium and the Bariatric Advantage Sublingual B12.

I take bariatric advantage ultra solo once a day. Surgeon requires it. I also take calcium soft chews bariatric advantage 500mg 3x a day in strawberry.

As it sits I am now 27 days away from my 7th and final weigh in visit with my PCP. Granted I did find out I have to go over to the lab to get some bloodwork done but I plan on doing that on Friday and don't expect any huge problems that need addressing so really, it that last visit. In the last 7 months as of right now I have 1)quit smoking (February 7th baby!) 2)Gotten to really forge a relationship with my PCP(SO thankful for this, I need as many people rooting for me as possible!) 3) Made quite a few small changes in anticipation of surgery 4) Became more active on this forum and other Facebook pages 5) Kept at this for now almost a year. A few reflections thus far: If you have a supervised diet requirement by your insurance, embrace it y'all. I never really expected to enjoy my visits with my PCP during this time but even she said this last visit that our chats were her favorite appointment and that she was proud of how far I've come. To clarify, I've only lost like ~9lbs(sometimes 6lbs depending on the time of day and if I am wearing work clothes) but I have added in quite a bit more exercise (most weeks I average 30-45mins at least 4-6 days a week), I am drinking so much more water, I've cut out straws(for the most part) and energy drinks and I am currently working on getting rid of soda. I have also most days controlled and conquered my sugar habit, the portion control is where I really struggle honestly and journaling my food should be better but I'm working on that! I guess what I mean to say is that I never really thought about the fact that if I am denied for whatever reason through insurance that I will really need someone in my corner that knows the changes I've made and how much I have worked for this surgery to fight for me. If you don't think your PCP would be willing to do that for you, I'd highly recommend finding a new one before you really get trucking down this path. The small changes really have added up for me, but it's the portion control I lack(I've always lacked) and I am SO ready to have that built in for me to bring alongside my other changes to finally get my life moving the way I want! If you have a few months, make small changes so by the time surgery comes, you aren't trying to change everything about your lifestyle. It hurts to be fat. It really, really does. Incorporating exercise has made me see that even with new shoes, my feet and calves hurt when I power walk and I'm out of commission for the next like 5 days trying to recuperate. Lesson learned: hiking in nature is my go to(zero problems unless I wear the wrong socks-the blisters after 7 miles was like walking in broken glass), but I will also start up my yoga dvd again(it is legit yoga for obese people-the name escapes me at this moment) as well as my Biggest Loser dvds for indoor exercise. I think I'll leave the road pounding to a less fat Amanda, maybe throw in some more gentler, longer walks. My surgeon wants me at 60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week leading up to surgery, can be in increments or all at once. Even being in a little bit better shape than I am now will help my recovery and transition that much easier. If you can, get your bariatric program to pre-schedule all of your weigh in PCP, specialist (sleep, cardiology etc), nutritionist visits at the beginning it will make a HUGE difference. At least it did for me. I had my consult with my surgeon in February, met with the coordinator who scheduled all my appointments (which meant I could ask for my work schedule to allow for those visits off months ahead of time) but also allowed me to put them in my calendar and gave me the ability to countdown each one. I downloaded a widget for my phone that counts down and I get intense pleasure from resetting it after each PCP visit to restart that month countdown. I have a goal to be down 5-10lbs for my last visit and having a countdown gives me incentive! Having this wait for me really made me realize how into instant gratification I was am. So much of me thought I was so ready for this surgery as soon as I walked out of the surgeon's office. I wanted nothing to do with freaking SEVEN months of visits! Going to Mexico crossed my mind more than I really like to admit just because I didn't want to wait and thought I was 100% ready. Obviously, that was false and the more I settled into my routines of PCP visits intermingled with lifestyle changes and new diagnoses(I have sleep apnea, surprise! -_-) the more I realized that if I had been able to have surgery a few weeks after meeting the surgeon I may have been doomed or just really, really, really miserable at the beginning. When I start to get antsy about dates and waiting I HAVE to remind myself that I didn't get to be where I am health/weight wise overnight, in a week or even in 7 months and waiting a little longer isn't the end of the world(especially if you consider my very first visit to a bariatric seminar was when I was 17-my mom was okay with signing anything she needed to-----I am now 30). I've never seen myself at a healthy weight, or even under 300lbs since college about 9 years ago, I have never dated and always considered myself the fat friend-the one that people keep around because I make them laugh but not much else, and my friendship graveyard seems to confirm that. This wait has brought a lot of emotional issues to deal with that thankfully I can deal with a part from recovering from surgery and fixing my eating habits/lifestyle. I discovered I am terrified of no longer being able to not attract the wrong attention(I have never really worried about being kidnapped or raped or even hit on in a bar) but I have remedied that by finding a Krav Maga club by my work that should very nicely double as a gym/workout as well as planning on getting my concealed carry license. Dating is a whole other game, one I probably won't even think about touching for very long time, being along my whole life has given me the ability to be spontaneous in my plans (the dogs don't care if I wake up and decide to take them 8 hours to a state park to camp and hike with absolutely no warning 🤣🤣. Oh! Last thing, I am now working on an Amazon list of things to order once I am approved and scheduled for surgery! I really think I'm gonna buy that stuffed sleeved stomach stuffed toy(?) animal(?) thing for the hospital stay. I'm sure there are more things, but this kinda became a rambling stream of stuff. I really should have started this blog the day I had my consult but to tell you the truth, I never really saw myself going through this whole process successfully...but since I'm so close to the end and new beginning I need to throw this bad boy into overdrive! Until next time, Amanda

I was a pretty healthy person up until 2008, when my liver enzymes first became elevated. I had reached my then highest weight of 304, and then managed to get down to 263 through diet and exercise. My enzymes went back to normal. Then I got pregnant in 2010 and after I had my son, my health got worse. I was diagnosed with severe asthma around 2014, and my liver enzymes were elevated again. I started gaining weight steadily until I reached my all time high of 393 with a bmi of 69 (I am 5'3"). Back in January, I had my gallbladder removed.. I mentioned to the surgeon that I would be seeing a liver specialist because my liver enzymes kept getting higher and he did a biopsy while he was in there. The results were not good. I was diagnosed with Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis. The surgeon said my liver looked really bad, and he didn't see me living past 60. I'm an RN and have seen people die of liver failure and it's awful. I was 48 (just turned 49), and I had wanted wls for a long time but our insurance doesn't cover it. What that surgeon said was a wake up call, and so I made the decision to pay for the surgery myself. I wanted a sleeve, but the first bariatric surgeon recommended RNY because of my weight. I had planned to get that, but then COVID happened and they laid off that surgeon so I went to a different one that my cousin had RNY with 10 years ago. He told me about the Loop DS. He said I was a good candidate for it because of my high bmi and since I was self pay. It's still investigational and not covered by insurance. So I decided to do it. I had surgery on July 23rd. I was 368 on surgery day. The surgery went well but I was very nauseated the first few days and vomited old blood just like NovaLuna described. After that, and a kidney stone 11 days post op, recovery has been pretty smooth. I never really had much pain. As of today, I'm 322 pounds, walking every day, and feeling amazing, even though I'm still significantly obese. I was to the point of barely being able to walk anymore, and personal hygiene was hard. I had just been diagnosed with high BP and put on meds in May. I've been off the meds since surgery. I just had my first labs and everything was normal. My liver enzymes are still elevated, but about half of what they were. It's wonderful to be active again and being able to walk with my husband and son, who is a very active boy! I still have a long way to go but I'm so happy I did the surgery and don't regret it one bit! Good luck to you! Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I was told the opposite of @bailey3, that regular vitamins didn’t cut it for Bariatric patients. I take Bariatric Advantage calcium chews and multivitamin with iron, but they’re expensive. A nutritionist in a Bariatric FB group I’m in highly recommends the Bariatric Fusion ones. Much cheaper and it’s calcium and multivitamin on one. I may switch to them when my current vitamins run out.

For multivitamin I was told I could do flinstones with the most iron and I believe the bottle says two a day. And that’s much cheaper than a Bariatric multivitamin. The calcium i am using chewables. You can get them off of certain Bariatric websites that sell all the vitamins and stuff you need or just off amazon.

Bowel prep is one of the many things that varies from doctor to doctor and program to program. May the Bariatric Surgery Gods bless you with not having to go through THAT particular experience. The worst part for me? The first of two days of bowel prep was on my birthday. Crappy Birthday to me! Literally.