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I have a surgery date for July 28th. Documentation was submitted to insurance company ( Anthem BC/BS ) on June 26th. Doctors office said we should here by this week. Does anyone else have Anthem, and how long did it take to get approval? Very anxious! Whole process was fairly quick. Consult 5/14/08, completed all required testing, Pre-op appointment 6/26/08 with submission of documentation to insurance. Liquid diet starts 7/14/08.:thumbup:

Hello I'm 26yrs old and I had the sleeve done on Aug 29, 2017... when I started this journey i weighed 299lbs and now I am 250lbs My surgery went great and I stuck to my diet my Dr told me. I'm to the point where I can eat pureed and soft foods. I get full very quickly but 2 hrs later I'm hungry again. Like my stomach makes the craziest noises and has that empty feeling. I been sticking to high protein and either very little sugar (6g at the most) or none at all if possible. I even been taking my adipex again thinkin it will help. I am to the point where I'm just not losing anything now. I'm very stressed out about it bc I don't want this to be it. I been working hard and seeing that I'm fluctuating between 249 to 252. Is there anything I can do to help lower the numbers again? I do work out and I'm always on my feet at work being that I'm a hairstylist in a busy area. I just don't know if how I'm feeling is normal and if I'm supposed to be eating like this. I can really use a mentor to help me succeed and do the right things. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

You really should consider a wound care doctor. My dad had an incision that wouldn't heal and got the same bs from his doctor. He then went to a wound care specialist and it healed in no time. If your in Long Island I can give you that doctors name if you like. Good luck and hope you heal well soon.

Hi! A very valid question. Statistically, the evidence shows that WLS is the most effective way to lose a significant amount of weight and to reach a more healthy BMI. Yes, you have to make lifestyle changes. It is not a quick fix. What its been for me is a very effective tool that is helping me to have a new relationship with food. I'll have to work at this for the rest of my life. This tool (I had the sleeve) helps me in a way that a the diets I've done in the past did not - i think partly bc for me, I feel like this is my last, best chance to be healthy. You will likely still be hungry or crave things - some people don't, but I for sure do. But this tool helps me with that. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. I've lost 140 lbs since December and am healthier than I've been in years. Good luck on your decision! Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh, eff, seriously?! I am so freaked about taking any BC and haven't had to worry about it for three years. Then bam! Right after surgery had a period (that was missing for over three years) that last almost three weeks. My PCP said, "if you're going to be menstruating and ovulating and don't want babies, you need birth control." I didn't want an IUD as they kinda freak me out but I don't want DEPO to make me crazy. GAH!

Hello Fran and welcome, I know what you mean about insurance. I have bc/bs Anthem and my husband and I pay 619.00 per month and they wouldn't cover so I was self pay, but, it was the best decision of my life. Don't you just love your band. I would part with my cell phone, satellite, and dog before my band, LOL. Welcome.

I went to Olive Garden with my honey today. I knew they had soups and thought to see if I could handled it. I explained to the waitress briefly that I had surgery and could only have soup with little to no chunks. (I'm 2 weeks out today!). She was a peach , strained my soup, and gave me more to-go bc I only had three bites. Can I say that those were the best three bites of my life after being on clears for the last 3 weeks! :thumbup: For a real treat, get you some of there yummy soup!

Hi guys. 44 yr old guy new to the site and looking to chat with other men who have had or are getting ready to have the banding procedure. Have finished the 6 months of classes that BC/BS requires and will have a date soon. In February when I started I was 298 and have lost 10 lbs as of yesterday. I suffer from severe sleep apnea and that is the motivation to have the surgery. I'm a dispatch supervisor at 911 and sitting behind a dispatch console for 21 yrs has contributed greatly to my current weight status. Recently am having a case of nerves and I'm worried about chickening out. Like most men...I have committment issues! LOL Seriously, concerned about the changes that I'm going to have do after the surgery. So, feel free to respond. Would really appreciate it!

For some reason (maybe it's my background in international relations) but I find it strikingly funny/ironic that the remains of my stomach will be a permanent resident of the sovereign nation of Mexico. I know Medical Tourism isn't new and I'm sure I could battle the red-tape here in Estados Unidos to try and help with my first-world obesity (thanks, Nixon for all the corn syrup!) but I am not a patient patient. I've lived in the US, UK, and Australia, and I can't wait to experience the Mexico healthcare system. Somehow I feel badly about our immigration policy given that I'll be leaving behind 75% of my stomach to return to my capitalistic lifestyle back north of the border. There's something really strange to me that there is such scarcity of good, real food. I just moved back to the US from a year in Oz and while I was a bit aghast at some of the culinary offerings down under I am struck by the pervasiveness of processed, synthetic, chemical, and genetically-modified foodstuffs that have invaded our food system. Why aren't we angrier about these issues? If competition is supposed to force the optimal outcome why do we have substandard food as the norm in the United States? I'm grateful I've kept my portion sizes to AUS standards and I'm grateful I have the opportunity to make a huge change in my life including elective surgery and an amazing health club for continued life improvement. I actually took a job in Colorado to ensure that I was in a healthy environment and had access to organic foods. I rented an apartment right near a great health club and I have a job that allows me time to get surgery and time to go work out. I am lucky, I am fortunate, and it's time I take advantage of it all. At the end of the day I'm left thinking: this all shouldn't be so complicated. No one knows how to eat properly because we've been fed misinformation all our lives. Time to get simple I s'pose.

I second that, exercise helps. I run and do yoga and stay pretty much in proportion. That Said my calves are pretty muscular so skinny jean and boots are hard! Other than that, once I got to goal it became my hip bones of all things! I can find jeans that are baggy in the waist and butt and hips but can't go any smaller bc of my hip bones! Weird

Hi everyone, I'm excited, nervous and completely fed up with being overweight. I started the process last week with a surgical consultation and will be going for an endoscopy next week. I'm glad to see I'm not alone. Debby

On my one week follow-up, I had lost 4 lbs. I'd been eating maybe 500 cals a day, feeling like crap, scared of failing, etc. I was very upset. My PA was with wonderful. She said it is the fluids they pump you with in the hospital, and everything around the site being swollen. She said to only weigh once a week, skip it when expecting period, and do not become obsessed with it; rely more on how clothes are fitting and measurements, bc weight can fluctuate so much. As long as it is going the right direction, it is good. She also told me not to go on these sites (weight loss surgery) because everyone's journey is different, dont compare yourself to others. Of course, here I am! But her words really helped.

I am in the Uk and now 4 weeks today and have been having same problems. I can eat yogurt baby bell cheese Protein shakes etc but been sick when I tried soft food. I am hoping it is just a phase and maybe taking a bit slower but just so fed up with soup or sweet stuff. Just of out to a big thanksgiving dinner as one of my mummy friends is American. I am taking some broth as don't want to be sick in public. I have met up for coffee today with a lady from this site and it was lovely to chat face to face. Xx Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm new, I just joined like, 5 minutes ago because I need to hear from some people who know first hand what I'm thinking or can just "get it." I'm also not sure if I'm even posting in the right spot or even posting correctly at all? I'll start by saying I'll be 24 in December, I'm married to my amazing pilipino (I know it's an "f") and the whole reason I'm wanting this surgery is kids! Haha, straight to the point. I was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin Resistance at 13. I started showing symptoms when I was 6 and nobody knew what was going on, nobody knew as much as they do about PCOS and IR as now, leading me to this: I thought I was going to be stuck with taking Metformin and Aldactone my entire life. I've been taking it all this time, anyway. I've had 3 miscarriages, so now I'm on BC until December, when I'll get off, at that time I'll do Clomid and try again. UNTIL... My mothers very close family friend is the owner of a company that helps get grants for candidates for this surgery, not sure if there's more than one but still, I'm not saying a name (Not that she would care) She called to check in and said somebody close to her had a baby-she had PCOS- and the surgery had literally "cured" her PCOS and Insulin Resistance and a lot of other people they've gotten grants for. Like wooooooow. That blew my mind, I'm waiting to talk to her for more, for now I have this wonderful place. Everything I knew about my future could be changed by this and I'm freaking out. I was researching all this good stuff the day I found out.. Yesterday and I was like dude, hell yes I'm doing this! No regrets ( YOLO, really). But today I was finding out more about the diet and everything; which leads me to this: I'm not addicted to food. I don't go to food for comfort when I'm sad or even happy. I probably don't eat enough honestly. I love Water, I love chugging water and I love working out and chugging water. I was reading stories and videos about how so many people get dehydrated! That scares me so much. The whole process of eating a quarter of a meal makes me feel uneasy, I know it's psychological, it also sounds like I wont get nutrition (I know you need to take Vitamins, I do now anyway). Eating so so so so slow sounds like it will be weird and ultimately not like myself in a way, you know? Like changing ALL these little things will change who I am. I know that's ridiculous but I can't change that thought no matter how hard I try. I've been bigger my ENTIRE life. I lost weight months before I met my husband from running 2 hours every night, literally around 2 in the morning, I just stared college with late classes and it was a way to occupy my time I guess. At the time but I was still curvy but healthier. I've gained weight back and it WON'T go. I run for an hour 4 days a week a few months now. I don't know if I'll feel like ME, I look in the mirror and I'm like eh, I'm overweight but I'm okay with that in a way, I'm me? You know? I know I'm not defined by my weight but it's still apart of me in a way. I don't want to do this for the way I look (mainly) I don't think I'm scared to be thin, I'm scared to not be ME. I want to do it for my health and even though it hurts a lot and it's like UUUGH, I'll postpone having baby a couple years to have a healthy pregnancy, no gestational diabetes and a healthy baby is the only thing I want, I'm not selfish in that matter, I could do clomid now but I'm not healthy yet so I passed. So those two fears are taking over my brain. I haven't even talked to a surgeon yet, but I have an appt with my PCOS specialist early September I'll bring it up then. Are my fears normal? Rational? Or am I alone in this and a friggin' baby. If you read this whole thing you're amazing and I can't thank you enough. And I'm sorry I wrote too much, I have tendencies to overshare.. a LOT.

It can happen. Make sure you are using BC until your body settles down. Enjoy the ride.

okay thanks bc i was scared ive never had surgey before and i didnt know if it was normal thanks guys btw how have u guys be doing since post op how long did it take for u to have big resault i was so surprised how my gurd was fixed i havnt had heart burn since surgery but also had a hunea in my asoagis

I PREFER them, but have a hard time finding good ones at the stores I frequent. I want to be concerned about grass fed beef, free roaming chickens, etc. However it IS expensive to eat this way and sometimes the budget needs to be kept in check!

I worked for time warner cable and had empire bc/bs, they covered my lapband also. 100% of hospital, and a 1K deductible for surgeon and then 100%

Hello- you just justified my surgery to me- I am 20, 5'8 and 225 and getting surgery soon... Im a little nervous, but I think its the right move bec Im so fed up with diets and want to be a normal healthy weight- sick of struggling and yo yo ing... I am also flying in from overseas to do this- so Im sure you can figure it out with your move... Good Luck!!!

A little late to this post, but have any of you seen the documentary 'Fed Up'? If you haven't I think it doe a good job of explaining how the different types of food/calories affect the body in an easy to understand way.

@TXMissy You probably could have gotten another visit with NUT covered if you asked your doc. I went to doc for my first free consult April 17 and then did my psych eval, endoscopy, heart stress test, NUT apt, and pulmonary function test. Having Surgery June 1st. It all went much faster than I anticipated. I didn't have to do any supervised diet etc. I have BC/BS of Texas

Yes! Bc calorie intake & burn is confusing & varying.... First it's lower your calories to lose weight. Then it's don't lower em too low or ur body will starve &you won't lose weight.... All i know is im planet-fitness-ing my ass off & staying below 900 calories (bc i cant stuff any more food in there) & my weightloss has slowed to 1lb a week &im 9wks out.... Frustrated! But still thankful as all for the help this sleeve IS giving...

I don't get embarrassed of those pics... I only do now. I dont take full body pics bc I'm ebarassed now. Im hoping that will allllllll change soon

who supports YOU? i am blessed to have a hub who is a support system for me...at home....but the support comes from me to myself... i actually am supporting myself...to do better...eat better, exercise and believe in myself enough to give a crap.. i do not make excuses..i own it.. when i first started the forum, i was soooo worried people would not like me...and that was up until recently also..and now its like who cares..... who i am is who i am..i am direct..i am up front and i dont like to read BS.....either do it....do it right or shut up already.. dont eat a entire pizza and then post did i hurt the band and did i do wrong?? YOU know as well as i do, what is (better food choices) for you.. do not go off the doctor advised path and be surprised later when (shock/horror) sits in if the scale goes back up or an issue arises... i believe we are all given directions/suggestions on how to use the band properly....i was giving hand outs...i read alot on line.....this is major surgery after all...and i was scared to f**king death... the dr i had pulled no punches.....he said WLS would help me......but unless i started to exercise...eat better it would not work in the long run...he stressed patient compliance is a huge part of the program. i can sit here and list who in my past, what has hurt me and i can go on and on and on and then so on but right here/right now, it is me making that choice to make myself well... overeating in private (so no one would see) still got me super morbid obese...i stopped supporting myself..i stopped caring....i had to get to that point where enough was enough.....are you there yet? this is a process....i read post after post of those who stop trying after surgery because they had wls and bam, its gonna fix it all......and then they are saddened and writing what am i doing wrong.....how about ask yourself what are you doing right? support begins with the person looking back at yourself in the mirror....support YOURSELF that is truly all you need. although other people's support helps/matters

Do i start the process with my regular doctor? i am clueless! I also have seen a few post saying Federal BC/BS is fairly easy to get approved. IM soooo excited.