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Jujube, he is your PCP, not your bariatric surgeon. This is one time I will say ignore your doctor LOL. He is not trained in bariatric procedures and has no business telling you things that he is not an expert in. You will do fine and you know what you need to to do succeed. It's too bad he is not supportive, it makes such a difference. My PCP and his nurse have been very supportive - and curious. My PCP did research on the sleeve so he could treat me properly. I really appreciated that. Now he orders a different range of tests when I see him so he can check my Vitamin levels, Iron, Calcium, etc. in addition to the regular stuff.

Since surgery I've lost a noticeable amount of weight and if someone asks, I will tell them that I had bariatric surgery. Most people don't know what gastric sleeve surgery is and I don't go into depth with them on it unless it's someone who is asking more questions about it. Those people are also the ones who would generally benefit from the surgery too so I try to be as open and honest with them because it might end up saving their life someday. I don't know if I ever would have been able to have this surgery if it hadn't of been for 3-5 people close to me that had already had the same or similar procedure done. Their openness and honesty made it easier for me to make the decision and know that I was doing the right thing. I hope to pay it forward to others as a way of giving back. As for the haters, I haven't said anything about the surgery. I just sit back with my tiny meal, get full off of a few bites and let them try to figure out what's going on. Most of those types made fun of me before surgery so I don't care to mention it to them and they don't have the guts to ask me about it so I just let them wonder . . . and watch me get smaller each day.

Hi Chad, welcome. I will say this, my husband has always been with heavy women, and I was no exception. He married me when I was a size 18. He wasn't totally on board on with the surgery either, and we have a 12 year old daughter. I wanted to be able to be her mom for the long haul. I wanted to be around to attend her wedding, and also to see her have kids of her own. My ever expanding waistline wasn't going to let that happen. I was on track for a stroke, type 2 diabetes, and who know what else. He didn't threaten to leave me, but he wasn't very supportive. He didn't attend my seminar, or any of my pre-op meetings. He even tried to talk my PCP out of clearing me for surgery. I did everything on my own, and pushed forward to save my own life and health. I had a lapband, for almost 8 years, and had complications, he wanted me to have the band removed, and not have the sleeve. I had only lost 40 pounds, and I was gaining that back quickly. So I again pushed on without his approval, or support. Now I'm down from 244 pounds to 115, and he is so happy with my energy level, greatly improved health, and my renewed self confidence. He now attends my followup appointments, insists on taking me to my NUT appts, and has been great about ordering foods that I can share with him, so that I can eat healthy, and not be stuck with 4 or 5 meals worth of leftovers. After he saw the amazing results, and how the surgery improved my life he sat me down and said how sorry he was for not being there for me through my struggles with my weight, and the 2 surgeries. He said he was afraid he would lose me and didn't want to even imagine life without me. And he said that seeing me going into surgery and then coming out with drains, and not being able to eat was really hard for him. He explained that he knew I was struggling, but out of fear he didn't feel able to support me the way he should have supported me. What I want to say is that you have to do this surgery for YOU, and no one else. Don't let anyone talk you out of doing what is right for you, and what is best for your health, and future. Don't let your boyfriend talk you out of getting the surgery that is being covered. I don't want to sound like a jerk, but he is your boyfriend right now, what if you break up and your insurance changes in the mean time, then you may or may not have coverage for your sleeve. Just think of this as a lifelong decision that will affect you, and who ever is in your future. Don't let someone's fear keep you from taking charge of your body and health.

I have been extremely blessed to be with a man for over 20 years who has supported me during my ups (over 100 pounds gained in the past 20 years) and my downs (60 pounds down with weight watchers, Jenny Craig, lap band and any other diet fad I could get my hands on). He has never said a word. I have done all of the leg work for the band and the sleeve but I'm doing it for me, not him. Like the one poster, I want to be around for my kids. My husband is a smoker and, let's face it, he won't be here. We have a 21 year old and a 20 year old (who is autistic). The 21 year old has her whole life ahead of her and we were facing her taking on her sister's care far too early in her life if neither of us changed. I have to be there for both of our girls. If my husband chooses to quit smoking, that's fantastic and I'll support him. Just like he's supported me. We have a friend who is going through a similar struggle with her BF. He told her he didn't know if he would want to be with her if she lost too much weight because he likes heavy women. And, honestly, he was afraid she would leave him if she lost the weight and found a smaller guy to be with (he's larger, though not as large as she is). I would tell your boyfriend that you really appreciate his honesty and his feelings towards you getting the surgery. Having that kind of open communication is SO crucial to any relationship. If you two remain together and, maybe, one day get married (I hope it's legal for everyone soon!!!), I guarantee that there are going to be numerous decisions that you two won't see eye to eye on. One thing I learned early on in my relationship is that sometimes you have to agree to disagree. And that may be where the two of you stand with it. He doesn't have to agree with your decision, and he certainly doesn't have to like it. But, he can love you as much as you love him and support you in anything you do. Let him know that you don't know what the future holds but that you hope he will stand by your side and love you. Know that no matter what happens, and whatever YOUR choice is, you have friendship and support at Bariatric Pal. I definitely couldn't get through every day without these people who have been there and done that before me.

Hello all. I just wanted to give a little encouragement to the newbies out there. Today I am 4 years post op. I am still in love with my band. I have been filled and unfilled, I have pbed. I have gotten stuck and yet I still love my band. It has taken some time but I have learned to live with it as many of my fellow veterans have as well. I have learned what I can eat and what I can't eat with my band. I do drink a little sprite or orange soda every once in a while. I can't stand coke any more which used to be my favorite soda. I can honestly say I haven't had it in over 4 years. What I do drink on the regular is orange juice because I can't eat oranges any more. I can eat apples but I choose to drink apple juice. I still have my coffee every morning and tea every week as well. In regards to foods, well I eat just about anything except pasta that you use for lasagna. I do eat spaghetti every blue moon and I will eat a little mac and cheese only if it's really cheesy. Other than that, I eat bread, rice, etc. I actually had a couple slices of thin crust pizza for supper yesterday. Speaking of supper. I have learned that I can't eat past 8 p.m. If I do, I will fall asleep but in the middle of the night I will start coughing and coughing and then I'll fall back to sleep. Later I will cough some more and eventually water will start coming out of my nose. That will go on until I finally throw up the last whatever that was in my stomach before I went to bed. So that means I have to get in all my food and drink by 7 p.m. 7:30 at the latest. When I do eat before 7, I have no problems. I sleep like a baby. What can I say, my band doesn't want me eating late I can dig that. That was a problem before I was banded that aided in me gaining weight in the first place eating late at night and snacking watching tv. Well I can honestly say those days are definitely over. I do eat chips but only when I crave them. I eat popcorn as well but only when I have a taste for it and that isn't often. My last fill was August 2012 which put me at 7.1 ccs in my 10 cc band. So I will leave you with this final note, don't give up. Don't get discouraged. The weight isn't going to fall off over night, every week, everyday, etc. Stop stressing. Follow your bariatric team's instructions/guidelines because all our bodies and problems within our bodies are different. We all have different medical issues so what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Sometimes it will but in other cases it won't. If you aren't sure about what's happening in your body, don't be afraid to call your doctor and find out. After all, it is YOUR BODY. Take care everyone and happy holidays. I'm 95 lbs down and loving it.

Hi...My name is Cay and my Dr. scheduled my sleeve gastrectomy today for August 22. I am doing OK, but I am here to gain as much "first hand" knowledge I can about the before, during and after surgery stuff. I live in Morgan City, LA (About an hour outside of New Orleans......yes, Swamp People is taped right in my back yard! LOL!) My insurance will not pay a penny for bariatric surgery, so I must pay $12,000.00 for this procedure and I have decided to forget about the money and concentrate on how much I will be able to enjoy life when I am done. I am a recent breast cancer survivor, being diagnosed in January 2009. I received a lumpectomy, port surgery, chemotherapy and radiation and now am gratefully cancer-free so far. It will be two years cancer-free in December. I learned through that journey that whatever time we all have left, we should live it to the fullest! I will pray for all of you to have successful experiences with your surgery. Please pray for me also!

I've read a lot of reviews about the surgeon my MD has referred me to, and a lot of them said he requires you to lose 10% of your weight before you can start the bariatric surgery process. Did your surgeon have a similar requirement? What diet did you do while waiting?

The last time I checked, I didn't store my personality in my thighs...lol! As someone who's been a healthy weight and then morbidly obese all within the span of 10 years, I can tell my personality didn't change but I did become more anxious about not wanting to leave the house at the large weight I've become. If anything, I would think losing weight would make you more outgoing...how could that be bad? I suggest you attend a bariatric support group and talk to a wide range of people from different age groups and different walks of life who've gone through the process. They'll be able to give you feedback regarding their experience rather than just gaining the info from 1 friend. Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

I have a Magic Bullet which is great for thicker shakes with fruit and for soups. I went on line Bariatric choice and receive a free plastic bottle with wire ball inside. It works great for on the go shakes.

Hi Kitty, Glad I can help (I do tend to have quite an opinion and do tend to lean towards my dr being one of the best...so take my advice as you'd like to. I don't mean it in a bad way or mean that you're wrong and I'm right! Everyone is different in what works for them. A few things...you said you got creamsicles and fudgesicles – check with your nutritionist on when and if you’re allowed to have these (even though they’re SF) they’re not a clear liquid, you would need to be on full liquids. Creamsicles and fudgesicles are also quite a bit higher in calories than SF popsicles. (Just a thought…it’s still up to you though). As far as the syrups, walmart and bed bath & beyond have sugar free snow cone mixes that are good in the blenders. (If you want a snowcone machine, go for it! I personally love my magic bullet and I can use it for lots of other stuff too!) I LOVE iced tea as well! I drink mine with truvia and it is so good! The truvia is quite sweet, so generally you won’t need as much as if you were using actual sugar. It is a little pricy but when you see how much you’ll actually use, it’s not too bad. Also if you didn’t know, crystal light has some REALLY yummy iced tea flavors (the regular is 99% decaf and the decaf is 99.9% decaf – so not much difference, regular should be okay). I love the lemon decaf iced tea by crystal light, it’s so good! Any type of stevia should be okay to try, but I do love truvia so I haven’t tried any others at this time. J The chewable Fiber is pretty good (IMO) I buy fiber choice (I’ve had 2 flavors – the orange is very good and there is also one for weight management and it’s strawberry flavored) Both of them are good. Amazon has some great deals on fiber choice if you find one you like. I get my Vitamins through Bariatric Choice, they have great prices and quite a variety of items. The liquid Tylenol isn’t that bad, they don’t have an “adult” option, just get the children’s Tylenol and calculate the dose of acetaminophen that you’ll need. I think I take 4-6 tsp of the children’s Tylenol (double check on my math for that…I use a pre measured thing and figured it out the other day). The bubble gum isn’t too bad.

Kitty, No problem, if you have questions, feel free to private message me as well if you'd like. Any advice on here should be run by your dr or NUT to find out what they would like you to do since everyone has different ideas on what works best. I've read a lot of people on here use sweet & low without a problem, my NUT said it was fine as long as we weren't using sugar. If you like any flavored teas, all of crystal light's teas are great! They have a peach tea, a red tea, etc and they're all very good. Full size blenders are just obnoxious unless you're having a margarita party! LoL I don't know how people use those or have room on their counters for them. I think BB&B would have more options for snow cone machines and if you get one of those 20% off coupons in the mail, even better! The chewable fiber really isn't that bad, it does stick in my teeth a little bit, but swishing with a little Water takes care of it. A person above recommended using the dissolvable fiber, I personally can't go that way! I'd rather chew it and get it done with. I don't take a calcium supplement, I'm on a bariatric Vitamin for lap band patients and my dr said if you take a high quality vitamin, you won't have to worry about additional supplements. He also does regular blood tests to make sure the levels are acceptable. Multi Vitamins this is heavily debated on here! A lot of people on here talk about taking kids chewables and adult gummies etc. If you compare the amount of nutrients with vitamins that are made for a bariatric patient, you will see that they are really lacking in some areas! My Dr is very against just using kids vitamins and the gummies but does not require that you buy vitamins from him. I go through bariatric choice for my vitamins, they have some great prices and lots of flavors and options. The dissolving Tylenol tabs should be fine! Just use the recommended amount of acetaminophen for adults on an adult package. I'm not sure of the strength difference, I just thought the liquid was slightly cheaper (had more per bottle than the package of dissolvable). I had read so much on here about people having issues with swallowing and recommending the liquid, but now I'm just using it to get rid of it. I can swallow pills just fine. The dr had me on 500 mg vicodin tabs and I'd just break them in half and I took them just fine. So if you can swallow pills after and you prefer pills, go for it! My Dr. let me go back to meds as regular the night of surgery (none were liquid or chewable, except my fiber). If you decide to just try swallowing the pills and they seem too big, break them in half or 4ths and you should be fine with 1 at a time.

I'm taking the chewable Centrum - got them at Walmart. Quick dissolve B-12 and Biotin I found at Walgreens (they often have buy 1 get 1 free sales on vitamins and that's when I stock up). I tried the liquid calcium from Wellesse, but it made me a bit queasy. The calcium chews from Bariatric Advantage are pretty good, but a little pricey. I finally found some lemon flavored chews that another user recommended and ordered them from Amazon - Calcet is the brand name. Those are my favorite - it's like a little lemon dessert after dinner!

One therapy session isn't how therapy works. Therapy's sort of like "eating well," in that one healthy meal doesn't make you healthy. It's a process. I've been seeing a therapist for the last 21 months (mostly once a month) -- started two months pre-op. I've found a great one -- he works with bariatric patients (although not exclusively), so he knows the WLS and obesity territory. I don't know that a therapist without that kind of experience would be all that helpful to someone in our situations. Oh ... and my surgeon told me pre-op when I asked him what does he think distinguishes best between those patients who lose all their weight and keep it off from those who don't, "Bottom line, those who don't lose touch with us, who always keep all their appointments, are the ones who do the best." Very best to you! Your future is in YOUR hands.

A BRIEF HISTORY... SIMILAR TO MOST ... I AM NOW 57, AND YO YO DIETED ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE....(LOWEST 125!!) AFTER GIVING BIRTH - AGE 30- I FOUND MYSELF WEIGHING IN AT 235... MY HIGHEST!! I AM NOW 230. LIKE MOST OF US, I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH MY DIET, TRYING EVERY SINGLE FAD, EVERY SINGLE DIET TO NO EVAIL. I AM AT AN AGE NOW THAT I JUST CANT DO IT ANY MORE. MY METABOLISM HAS SLOWED AND NOW IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP WEIGHT OFF OR EVEN GET IT OFF. MY KNEES, HIPS, ACHE, I HAVE PLANTAR FACIATIS IN BOTH HEELS, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, ETC..JUST TO NAME A FEW. I STARTED THIS FINAL JOURNEY SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN I HAD A FRIEND WHO HAD A GASTRIC BYPASS..SO I STARTED TO WATCH ON THE INTERNET FOR OPTIONS TO A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO MY DIETING INSANITY! FINALLY LAST YEAR I WAS ON LINE SPEAKING TO A SURGEON IN MICHIGAN WHO HAD SUGGESTED FOR ME TO LOOK INTO PLICATION. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID. I FOUND A SURGEON NEAR MY WINTER HOME IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA. I WENT TO HIS SEMINAR..LIKED WHAT I HEARD. FROM THERE I MADE THE DECISION TO FOLLOW THRU. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE, WHICH OF COURSE DENIED IT BECAUSE IT WAS STILL EXPERIMENTAL! I KNEW THEN I WOULD BE A SELF-PAY.....SO I ACCEPTED THAT AND FOLLOWED THRU WITH ALL MY REQUIREMENTS OF SEEING A DIETICIAN, AND A PSYCHOLOGIST AND GETTING A PHYSICAL WITH MY INTERNIST....GETTING THROUGH TO THIS DOCTOR WAS LIKE CALLING THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA!! ANY QUESTIONS I HAD HAD TO GO THRU A MESSAGE SERVICE THEN I HAD TO WAIT FOR DAYS FOR THEM TO CALL ME BACK! I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE WHOLE PROCESS. SO BACK TO THE INTERNET I WENT...I KEPT SEEING Dr. Ortiz NAME, AND HIS OCC CLINIC OVER AND OVER AGAIN....I STUDIED HIS VIDEOS , READ TESTIMONIALS AND FOUND HE HAD DONE SO MANY BARIATRIC SURGERIES INCLUDING THE PLICATIONS THAT IT WAS A NO BRAINER! SO I MADE THE PHONE CALL TO CAROLYN WILLIAMSON. IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION AND I FINALLY FELT LIKE I HAD MADE THE RIGHT DECISION....... FOR ME! THE REST IS HISTORY.... MY PLICATION DATE IS SET FOR APRIL 17TH, I WILL MEET MY SISTER THERE (SHE IS HAVING SOME COSMETIC SURGERY AT THE ARIEL CENTER - WHICH I MAY HAVE SOME PLASMA INJECTIONS IN SOME FACIAL LINES TOO)!! WE WILL STAY AT THE MARIOTT UNTIL THE 20TH THEN GO ON A VACATION FOR ANOTHER WEEK! I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS JOURNEY AND PRAYING IT WILL BE MY LAST DIET ENDEAVOR!! I STARTED MY 2 WEEK DIET YESTERDAY, AND AM NOW 227.....SO I AM ON MY WAY. I WILL KEEP UPDATING AS I GO....SO TALK TO YOU SOON!! PS HAVE ANY ONE OF YOU NOTICED HOW PEOPLE TREAT YOU WHEN YOU ARE HEAVY? I THINK THEY LOOK DOWN ON YOU...BUT JUST MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE IT IS THE VIBE IM GIVING OFF BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF WHEN IM FAT? NOT SURE, BUT AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS, IT IS DEFINATELY A FACT! BUT I WILL REMEMBER THESE PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE WHEN I AM MORE SLENDER AND HEALTHIER TO EMBRACE MY REAL FRIENDS WHOM I LOVE. :) :)

Don't try to force yourself to eat more than you are comfortable with. Usually the serving sizes listed in documentation from a bariatric program is a maximum, not a minimum. And stomachs do not come in "one size fits all" configurations, either pre-op or post-op. Your goal should be to *never* eat so much that you feel uncomfortable. And Dub is absolutely right, there is nothing wrong with supplementing with protein shakes to get all your protein in, or swapping out a protein shake for a meal, as long as you are staying within a reasonable calorie limit for the day.

Kempner, TX but working out of the Killeen office with the Texas Bariatric Specialist group. Sleeved December 2018 and had revision to Roux-en-x-y gastric bypass on October 7th, 2020 per GERD/Acid reflux issues causing damage to my vocal chords and creating a cancer risk. Lost 20 more lbs since revision and am happy with results as I was only able to get to 173 with sleeve and now I am 8 bs from goal weight ( Now weighing 153) and finally within reach. I have had no complication and no longer any problems with GERD or reflux and am very happy thus far.

Go here to see the entire article: food. Adjusting to a New Normal Since 1999, tens of thousands of people have used the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program and/or read Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, to resolve their difficult eating issues. There are often people in our workshops who have had also bariatric surgery. They explain that surgery did not fix their real problem and/or that they need additional skills to cope with their "new normal." Bariatric Surgery and Mindful Eating Mindfulness is beneficial because it teaches us to focus our attention and awareness on what is happening right now, which in turn, helps us disengage from habitual, unsatisfying, and unskillful habits and behaviors. Specifically, mindful eating skills help resolve the mindless habits and emotional eating issues that lead to problems after bariatric surgery: Eating too quickly Taking large bites Not chewing thoroughly Eating while distracted leading to overconsumption Not savoring food and therefore having difficulty feeling satisfied with small volumes of food Eating too much leading to vomiting and/or distention of the pouch Grazing throughout the day Eating "slider" foods and high-calorie soft foods and liquids, often in response to emotional triggers Not consuming enough Protein or nutrient-rich foods Feeling deprived or left-out in social situations Struggling to establish consistent physical activity Transfer addictions And many other issues... Further, most people who make the difficult decision to have bariatric surgery want to improve their health and energy so they can live the vibrant life they crave. Yet without the additional tool of mindful eating, bariatric surgery can feel like a permanent diet that continues to consume your life. One of the most meaningful changes that happens when you learn to eat mindfully (whether you've had surgery or not!) is that it allows you to think about eating when you need to and free up your energy and attention to focus on living in between. Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery For all these reasons we felt that it was time to create a mindful eating program especially for people who have had (or who are considering) bariatric surgery. We have a brand new Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery Workbook and Awareness Journal and supplemental Faciltiator Training. Michelle May, M.D. is the author Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat and the founder of www.AmIHungry.com.

I began my journey back in December and now my gastric sleeve surgery date has finally arrived. Back when I first started out and was attending pre-op appointments, nutritionist visits, getting various tests and lab work done, and generally jumping through a lot of hoops, it seemed like I'd never get to this point. Now that I'm here it almost seems like it's all happening too fast. I've done a lot of reading on here and other bariatric surgery forums in the past few months, but I never felt a desire to participate until now. I'll be heading to the hospital soon and I'm feeling emotional. Everyone seems to be so different in how their recovery progresses and I have a lot of anxiety over not knowing how I'll feel when I wake up and for the first few months. It's also daunting to be making such a big decision that involves a serious and irreversible change to my body. Still, I can only hope it will be better than the life I've been living. I'm only 24, but I'm physically disabled (from birth) and I've spent most of my life overweight to obese due to low activity levels, a poor relationship with food and nutrition, and a lack of positive coping skills to deal with my anxiety and depression. I'm tired of physically feeling heavy and how the weight exacerbates my disability-related pains and mobility issues. I'm tired of the slow creep towards various comorbidities. And I'm tired of looking in the mirror and being ashamed of what I see and how I got myself to this point. I also don't want food and eating to rule my life and my feelings anymore. I am scared. But the stories I've read about here and elsewhere online have inspired me. I think I'm finally ready to change my life. Wish me luck.

HI, I am not sure about the fills question, but I am in Illinois and am using Dr. Rosen, also in Downers Grove. His office is called LifeWeigh Bariatrics. My mom also used him...He is very nice and so is everyone in his office. They even have a kinda "celebrity" working with them...lol. My surgery is on the 10th of this month...getting nervous...Good luck on choosing the right doc.

I looked into both Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Aceves, Banajor and several others. I would agree Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Aceves have great reputations and are great surgeons without a doubt. I however, have decided to go to Banajor and have found a few previous Banajor patients that have been very happy with their experience on this forum. There surgical team consists of three bariatric surgeons, anesthesiologist, and nursing staff who do surgery on each patient, the lead surgeon is Inamed certified. I am very happy with my decision and will be banded 4/3. I'll be back the 5th and happy to share my experience with others. I've been banded before in France but couldn't afford the cost of going back there. I like that I can get a mid-band instead of being only given the choice of the inamed. I unlike many Americans do not believe, just because the Inamed is the only FDA approved band, that it is the best band for everyone. Thanks for your input and replying to my post-April

if you aren't tracking you need to be. it is the best way to stay accountable. Also, are you making good food choices? You are mistaken if you think it is about restriction. restriction lessens over time as your body adapts, that is normal and expected. most people can eat a whole plate of food by a year post op. it is why food choices and diet are so important and every bariatric program recommends a bariatric diet post op. the hormone grehlin does go away, but for most it does come back (your body is smart and adjusts). if you are experiencing hunger pangs (particularly if it is happening when it shouldn't) there is a possibility it is actually stomach acid and you need to get on a PPI like prevacid. you should talk to your doctor about it. I strongly recommend looking up dr Matthew weiners videos on youtube. he does a very good job explaining in laymans terms why and how bariatric surgery works.

I know it’s so, so common, especially for Bariatric patients and alcohol. I drink a glass or two of wine a night most nights but that was normal for me before and I don’t think it’s excessive. I definitely don’t drink to get drunk and rarely even get tipsy. But I used to be only a social smoker and I am now up to a pack a week 😕 I think it’s called addiction transferance? I want to cut back.

I have a question regarding final insurance approval. I have an exclusion in my insurance policy for WLS, but my employer has a program where they can override it with certain health conditions or BMI (my BMI of 54 more than qualifies me). I called them in January, found out I qualified, they called Anthem for me and told them I qualified. I also had to contact Anthem's Bariatric program prior to my first surgeon visit and ask some qualifying questions, of which they answered all in the positive. Anthem doesn't require me to do any sort of supervised diet and the only clearances required are from my surgeon (nutritionalist and psych). I only have a group NUT appointment left then it goes to insurance. So, my question is, why would the possibility exist for insurance to deny me at this point? I see so many people worried about denial at the end and some are denied. Why?

Hey Renee, My Aetna policy has no coverage for bariatric procedures. I do see others on this site that do have coverage and get approvide pretty quickly. Read your policy to see if there is actually coverage - if you haven't done so already. I hope it comes through quickly for you...

My diet consisted of 4-5 meal replacement shakes plus sf jello, popsicles and clear liquids and broths for 14 days. My nut said if I felt I had to cheat to eat good protein. I did cheat a couple of times but it was a bite here and there with a chicken breast of beef roast. I would definitely call your surgeon or Bariatric place. The whole reasoning is for the shrinking of the liver. I have seen posts where livers where too big and in the way and Dr closed them up and didn't do the surgery. I took my preop very serious as to not cause complications while under. They will probably tell you everything is ok but to be safe I think I would stick to clear liquids, jello and broths until surgery. Good. Luck and keep us posted.