Search the Community

i went to the bariatric clinic first. they did all of the paperwork that i needed. then i went to my pcp and he ordered bloodwork and wrote me a letter of support. there are several different policies for BCBS-just make sure you've covered all your bases before submitting to them! the bariatric clinic will help you jump through the hoops! good luck with your journey---keep in touch! ~courtney

KKAY - every surgeon is different. I went to the surgeon first - for the "seminar" then they told me where to go next - pysch eval, get Jenny Craig info and see my dr to get detailed letter of why she felt I needed the surgery and five years of obesity charts. Call around and check with other people in your area to see if there are any recommended surgeons. The bariatric clinics are very helpful - LOL they want your money!

Congratulations! Glad to hear another person is doing well. Listen to your body, follow the instructions from your bariatric center & walk, walk & walk.

You could use the time to get your head straight from the addictive thoughts. That would be necessary anyway for you to keep weight off long term. I recommend the book, "Emotional First Aid" (the bariatric one) by Cynthia Alexander.

Hello all, I'm new to this site. Just wanted to make myself known. Im a 25year old female from nc who has been overweight all my life. I'm a also a RN on a bariatric surgery unit. So i work with patients that have had this type of surgery everyday. So, now I have started this journey. I have my first consultation with my surgeon on Jan. 21, 1983. So wish me good luck!!!!!!!

Hello my name is D and I have been wanting to get bariatric surgery for over 10 years. I did not get GB because I desperately wanted children and when lap-band became an accepted technique I never had the insurance that would cover it. For the last 2 years I have been doing what I can to save up to be self pay and on Memorial Day my parents agreed to go ahead and fund me because the timing seems to be perfect for where I am in my life. So I have chosen the surgery center and as of this moment I am open to whichever doctor is available to do it the earliest. The reason I am so flexible is that 2 people I trust have told me that they would trust any of the 4 to do their surgery if they had to chose all over again. I have my first appointment with dietician and preliminary labs tomorrow at 11:15 so I am really excited!!! My goal is to have the surgery as close to the 4th of July as possible because that will have a lot of meaning for me...independance day, 2 years since my husband and I split and being able to finally get what I have wanted since my mid 20's. Will keep you up to date with progress reports and such!

Hi there I had my surgery at Barix in Ypsilanti, MI (my fills will be done at their Holland, MI office, which is much closer for me) My Dr. is Dr. Shramm, and I am really happy with him and the whole Barix setup. Surgeries are also done in the town where I live, but the doctor doing them has only 1 year experience, and Dr Shramm was my friend's doctor 4 years ago. Also, bariatric/LB surgery is ALL they do at Barix (Ypsi is just outside Detroit) so I felt that any potential complication would be in good hands. My insurance requires an overnight stay, and I was glad they did (although I didn't get much rest with the respiratory therapist and nurses coming in every 2 hours!) I was on full liquids for 3 weeks after, then blended foods for 2 weeks, then go to "soft foods" (what you could chew without teeth :eyebrows: ) then regular food. I am supposed to not lift anything over 5 lbs for 3 - 4 weeks, stay out of the pool for 6 weeks, and walk 30 min a day or more from day 1 (I did my first "walk" at Kohls the day after surgery - probably not the best idea) I did go back to work on day 8 - I'm a massage therapist and saw just 1 client - and have had no pain, but did feel very tired for the first 2 weeks. I really had to look down and see the "ruffles" on my tummy (surgistrips, starting to come off) to remember I had something so major done. I'd love to hear your experience with fills, choices of food, and weight loss. I am down about 18 lbs 3 weeks after surgery, and back working pretty much full time (4 or so clients a day, up to 3 days a week) Also, if you had surgistrips, and they have come off - HOW do you get the adhesive off!?? :help:

My story is probably very similar to many people on this site; fat guy can't lose weight, tries new diet, loses some, gains more back, rinse and repeat. Several people in my life have had bariatric surgery, to include my wife and daughter. After yet one more failed attempt to lose weight, I finally decided to go for it. My weight was averaging around 248 before going through the process; on surgery day I was 236. My BMI was under the recommended 40, but nature felt the need to bestow me with the quartet of comorbidities; high bp, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and diabetes (didn’t know I had this until they did the blood work for my surgery). I had surgery on 29 January 2014, and have been progressing at a really good pace. My doctor didn’t want to put me on diabetes medicination because I was so close to surgery; he wanted to see what the numbers looked like after. On surgery morning my blood sugar numbers were crazy high, 276, on 16 February, 18 days after surgery, my sugar levels were 90. I’m very happy about that. I’ve lost 24 lbs in 20 days, that also makes me happy. I’m also averaging 1 to 1.5 miles a day, walking, on the treadmill. Guess what. That also makes me happy. I know that I’m in the “honeymoon” phase right now; the plateaus will come, the weight loss will stop and my progress will be measured in months rather than days. That’s why I’m using the time now to do things right. I’m changing my eating habits, making exercise a way of life, and trying to change my overall mindset about food. This surgery isn’t the be-all / end-all of my weight loss struggle, its one arrow in my weight loss quiver. This is a lifetime battle that I’ll continue to fight. I’ll have my setbacks, they’re bound to happen, but I’ll keep moving. Well, that’s my story. I look forward to interacting with the folks on this site, it’s one more tool to help me succeed.

I just found out that I am not covered :smile2: My company, because it is a 'fully-insured' company, does not even get the option of covering bariatric surgery, according to the BCBS representative. If we were 'self-insured', we would be given that option for an expensive rider, but we don't even get that option. So even if I am considered 'medically necessary', it isn't covered. I can't self-pay, so I am out of luck. I've been here for 4 years, and don't even want to consider looking for a different job for different insurance :laugh:

I am just starting, too. It is a process to get things done. I know my insurance covers it and all the tests. I know I need an Upper GI series, Cardiology Consult, Pulmonary Consult, Nutritionist, Diet History and Psych Eval. I lucked out in that I don't need a 6 month diet. Each insurance and bariatric doctor is different in the what they ask for. I have heard plenty of success stories and plenty of failures. Failures tend to fall into two categories. Those who cannot or will not adhere to the Lap Band dietary guidelines for various reasons usually associated with food addictions or emotional eating. The other group of failures are usually from complications from the band itself or medical situations. Forums are often full of complaints as those pleased usually go on with life and fall off the forums. Remember, each person's experience with the band is unique with very few generalities across the board. Research is your best tool. Good luck!

Hi everyone, I wanted to introduce myself. I'm very excited to be on this board. You all are so very supportive of each other and I know that will help me as I begin this journey. I'm Jen, I've been married almost 10 years to a very wonderful and supportive husband. We have one son together. He'll be 6 in a couple of months. I've been overweight most of my life. It's just in the last 12 years though that I've become extremely overweight. I started at around 400lbs and I'm currently at 350lbs. It's taken alot of ups and downs over the last 5 years to get to this weight. I have already talked to my insurance company and I'll need 6 months of supervised diet. So I called yesterday and made an appt with Dr. Stiles to start that process. I am not using my regular PCP because he is very old fashioned and will barely give me medicine when I'm sick, much less help me get approved for surgery. So one of the bariatric surgeon's offices recommended Dr. Stiles. Well, I look forward to sharing in all your journeys.

Hi, I have been lurking around for a while and I finally have a date.:clap2::clap2: This Wednesday at 12:30. I am self pay so I was able to get in really quick. I am soooooo excited. I never thought I would say that about having surgery. My doctor is Dr. Brady with Southwest Bariatric Surgeons in Austin, TX. Tammy

If Death was a definate possibility, would there still be so many posters on Bariatric Pal? Probably should be a large mural outside Wedding Chapels stating " Marriage May Be Hazardous to Your Health!"& do you think people would slow down their headfirst jog into the nearest one.?🎉🎊🍰💑

Hi there. I have been overweight for what seems forever, been on diets all my life and have been looking into a bariatric surgery for over 5 years now. After finally reaching my low of wishing for a way out of this body I feel trapped in, undecided to act. It's time to do something big. The last time I lost weight was 2 years ago when I actually trained like a kick boxer with a trainer. I lost 30 pounds but I couldn't keep up the pace. I have crackly knees and bad congenital hips. I've had an emergency back surgery for a terrible disk that I had fought with for 12 years and don't want to repeat that. I got a bit of crushing news today. My insurance has something specifically written in it that says they will not pay a single dime for bariatric surgery. So my husband picked me up today emotionally and said he would cash in a retirement fund from an old job to pay for the surgery. This will get done. I'm hesitant to tell anyone because some of my friends have already said that i could lose weight if I would just stop eating and exercise. Ha! They don't get it.

I've been away from the Bariatric Pal site for a few months. Just wanted to shout out to all the friends I've made here on the site and say, I'm back! I lost my sister in early September 2015, after a long battle with asbestos-related illness, obesity, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. Despite it being a blessing that she is no longer suffering, I miss her terribly and still fight some depression from the loss of my last sister (my other sister, who was also obese, died unexpectedly at age 59). Her conditions were a main driving force in my decision to get the Gastric Sleeve to bring my weight down. While I haven't made progress in months on my weight in pounds, I have lost more inches than anything, but am happy to say I haven't gained any back either. I've gone from a size 22W-24W pants down to a 12-14 Petite in women's slacks and jeans, and I have to wear a belt to keep the 14-Petites jeans up!. I can't believe how good it feels to be able to wear jeans again! My shirt sizes have shrunk from a MEN'S 2X-3X (depending on the cut of the shirt), to a MISSES Large. My health has improved tremendously and spent part of Fall 2015 shooting basketball hoops with my oldest son, without running out of breath. During the winter, I've cut and split wood logs for our fireplace with no physical difficulties. While I still have a lot of pain in my leg and ankle (from massive injury in 2013, which required plates and screws to hold things together), it has eased up with the loss of excessive weight. I think once the cold weather turns warmer, my weight loss will pick back up as I'm able to get out and walk my dog. Oh yes, I adopted a new four-legged friend, and she will be accompanying me on my long walks this Spring and Summer. I hope all of you are doing well on your weight loss goals. Best wishes to all! Terry

I guess I should share my story of why I've chosen to have the gastric sleeve surgery. Well, after being told that I developed high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis (all a result of my weight gain) I thought it was time to deal with this weight problem. To be honest, if I had not acquired these conditions I would have never given bariatric surgery a thought. I felt I looked good and healthy, so end of story. Oh, but I was deceiving myself. Apparently my body is screaming for help and help is exactly what I need. I know that bariatric surgery isn't the cure all. Exercise and a healthy diet are just as important. I've embraced this wholeheartedly. I just need that jump start to get me going on this journey to weight loss. I'm an elementary teacher and need as much energy as I can get to keep up with my little darlings. So the weight must come off as soon as possible. I want to take a Christian cruise and be healthy enough to move about when we arrive at the ports of the beautiful cities. That's my brief story for now. ????

Hello Ukkateuk, Thanks for the update. Yes, it seems there are numerous people who are excited to share their bariatric knowledge. I'm fortunate to have found this website. I will be adding pictures soon and giving further updates as I progress through the gastric sleeve process. Have a wonderful day.

A time to change. I guess the beginning of the story comes about three years ago. After a major change in my life, I returned to school and earned two Associates degrees. The first was in medical assisting and the second in a medical office administration. Following a series of jobs to hold while finishing school, employment was found with the sisters of St. Francis out of Michigan city, Indiana. The job was as a medical assistant with a company named Working Well. These clinics specialized in occupational medicine and I was hired as a floating medical assistant to work between the companies five clinics in Northwest Indiana. This was definitely a change of pace compared to what I had previously been used to working within the cable television industry. It was a cold fall morning in late October when driving to work, it became increasingly harder and harder to breath. A cold which had been caught was becoming increasingly worse and worse. Driving became a task that was more difficult than usual. A decision was made to go to the emergency department of St. Anthony hospital. The results from that trip was a diagnosis of bronchitis and I was sent on my way back to work. Within the next week. The symptoms became increasingly worse, leading to a visit to my new Dr. for the hospital health insurance. The doctor was booked but they got me in to see his nurse practitioner, Ms. Nicolette Alexander. During a visit with Alexander took some precautionary tests and a chest x-ray gave me some medicine and said she would follow up with me. Less than a day later I received a phone call at work from Ms. Alexander's office. Not tracking me down was no easy task because I have been bouncing around from office to office for the last few weeks. Needless to say the message from the doctor was. I need to see you now! Gary my whole life I have never had a doctor track me down and use that phrase. So I knew was urgent. You have come of that meeting has stayed with me to this day. She stated. My heart was enlarged and my symptoms were indicating a need to see a cardiac specialist. It was at that point I was introduced to Dr.Sammie Dali. He informed me of a diagnosis of congestive heart failure and a ejection factor of 24%. In layman's terms that meant my heart was operating at only 24% capacity. After that Dr. Dali began a regime of medications, cardiac rehab and lifestyle changes to correct this condition. Within a few months. My overall health improved, but not enough to make a satisfactory change. My weight, but still an issue and the doctor and I began discussing bariatric surgery as an option. After being referred to above Midwest Bariatric Institute, it was decided that I was a good candidate for bariatric surgery but there were conditions. It was necessary for me to demonstrate that I could live the program and walked the walk. So with that began a series of nutrition classes, medical appointments, support group meetings, evaluations and lifestyle changes. Physically I was beginning to improve. But emotionally it was a roller coaster. One day the motions would be highly because everything was going alright and others because a reverse to rock-bottom when things went wrong. Six months later, after various evaluations, another cardiac scare and various doctors discussing my situation, it was decided that surgery was a go. In my corner was Ms. Alexander and Dr. Dali in the opposing corner was Dr. Gerald Cahill and his team off specialist. Dr. Cahill was concerned of possible cardiac issues, but finally agreed after Dr. Dali went to bat and hit a home run. Going into the surgery was a scary proposition. I remember thinking please hurry up and get this over with so I can continue on with my life. Papers have been filed, a medical leave. Approved and most of all a long heart-to-heart talk with my wife. The date of the surgery, after a comforting visit from my pastor, and imposing on one of my good friends to stay with Kathy, my wife, it began. I remember being wheeled into the cold operating room being given medication to relax and almost choking as a breathing tube was placed then blackness came signaling the true beginning of my new life. It is now 2 years later, I have lost over 150 pounds and feel great. Now has come the time for me to get serious. Time to exercise and watch the diet. It will be a challenge.

Hi Everybody! I live in the Northern suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I had my surgery on 6-23-11 by Dr. Jeffrey Baker at Unity Hospital. He works out of Baker Bariatrics. He is a very skilled surgeon who has done many procedures and is really nice too! I highly recommend him. Plus my insurance covered him so that was a bonus! I am 6 weeks out and have lost 20 pounds so far (i had lost 20 before the surgery) so am down 40 pounds so far. Started at 243- at 203 this week. I had a 'mini stall' at week 4, but only lasted about 10 days. Now moving down again. Overall, I have had no complications or problems that weren't expected. I have not had any nausea or vomiting since the surgery. My incisions healed well (can hardly see them now). I consider myself very lucky!! I am 47, married, no kids except for my 9 year old Beagle, Brewster. Tonight I start in a beginning running class training for a 5K race in October. I have already been thru my closet and was able to give 2 big bags to the Lupus Foundation- I have lost 2 sizes already!

Hi everyone, I am so happy to have found this website. The others seem more dedicated to the RnY WLS and I had the sleeve done exactly 1 week ago. I weighed 256 pounds prior to the surgery, down from about 300 at my highest. I had been hovering around 250 for the past 8 years. Anyway, I had Kaiser Insurance and they have a program that is extremely rigourous. First, you have to prove that you have tried all other weight loss options. You need solid proof, like your Weight Watchers log or documentation that is extensive. Once you pass that hurdle you wait to go into a class that lasts 6 months! You go once a week for 2 hours for 6 months where you learn about the surgery, nutrition, hear success stories. If you miss a class, you MUST make it up. If you miss 3, you are out of the program. After finishing the 6 month class, you are evaluated. If, during the 6 months, you have lost 10% of your weight (in my case, 26 pounds) then you go to the next step. I did not lost the 10 % and, in fact, only lost about 3 pounds in 6 months (so depressing) so I was referred back to the Dr. for another consultation. After being approved by him, it's on to a gall bladder scan and a fitness test. With Kaiser, you have to wait 3 months for a gall bladder scan (very frustrating). The exercise fitness test consisted of walking three times around a rather small building. This was the easy part for me because I go to the gym several times a week, love to exercise but for whatever reason, my exercise did not lead to weight lost, only maintenence of 250 pounds. After the fitness test and gall bladder scan, you are assinged a series of three appointments. One is for the shrink, who spends about 20 minutes making sure you are sane, then the nutritionist who gives you the same information you have gotten in the class and finally, a consult with the surgeon where you decide which of the three surgeries you are going to have. lap band; RnY, or Sleeve. For medical reasons, my surgeion pushed the sleeve. I was happy with that choice because I don't want to be fooling around with lap band adjustments and also, at 55 years old, I feel I needed a permanent fix. Then FINALLY, you get a surgery date. This whole process, including the 6 month class took a year. It was a long long year. Very frustrating because I could not lost that 10% and that slowed me down by a month or two. I had to get through Thanksgiving and Xms without gaining weight because in the pre op appt and in bold black letter in the pre-op instructions, it is stated "If you gain weight prior to the surgery, your surgery will be cancellled." That is a sobering thought after waiting for a year. Needless to say, I pigged out at Thanksgiving and gained about 5 pounds which was hard to get off by Xmas. My surgery was scheduled for Dec 29, so I really watched myself at Xmas and managed to check in on the 28th at the exact weight of 255.1, a whole 9/10ths of a pound lower than the last appointment. Whew! So on the 29th of Dec, I checked into Scripps Mercy Hospital in downtown San Diego (this is who Kaiser is contracted with for bariatric surgery) and waited to go under the knife. My surgery was delayed by about 3 hours but they gave me a bunch of Morphine and Versed so i didn't care. Finally, they wheeled me in and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in recovery, feeling so weird but actually, not in a lot of pain. My biggist problem was the after effects of the anathesia and, of course, the bloating from the CO2 they pump into you to do a laproscopic surgery. I was up walking within about 5 hours. Conditions at this hospital were amazing. The staff was the best I have ever had and all they cared about was my comfort. Their goals were to control nausea and pain. I didn't have nausea and the pain control was a morphine pump which I used liberally. I also got liquid Ativan to help my bad back so all in all I was pretty damn high at the hospital. I got out Sat. morning and things have been pretty smooth sailing since. I'm still obsessed with food and can't wait to get a little something on Monday (12 days after surgery after bargainaing my doctor down from 14 days) I'm so happy to have found this site to help with my recovery and to answer all my questions. My surgeon was Dr. Janos Taller who is with Pacific Bariatric Surgery. I personallly thought he was excellent. Thanks for reading and good luck to all contemplating this surgery. If you have Kaiser in San Diego, now you know the protocol. Smillzee

I'm sick & tired of being sick & tired...so I've decided to do something about it. 5 foot 4. 298 lbs. Obesity does not become me! On March first, I go in for a physical exam and for the initial info session & consult at the bariatric surgeon. I'm assuming that I'll have to start some type of diet, along with the other various tests & counseling along the way. But i'm READY. While I am doing this for me - it is ultimately to benefit my family. In particular, my 22 month old daughter that needs her mommy here & healthy to see her grow up and play an active role in her life. Wish me blessings!!!

Hi, I just got my letter from the Maine Medical Bariatric Program and I am going to the Information session Monday. That will start my process. I have been waiting for this for 3 months:biggrin2:. So I have been dieting for that amount of time. I have only lost 4 lbs:embaressed_smile:. I am so excited that I am going to the meeting monday that I can hardly wait:biggrin:. Then it will be the wait for Meicare and Medicaid to approve me and the doctor ,hospital.:thumbup: Sallie

I'm in the pre-op stage of being SLEEVED. I've been BANDED twice. First in 2010 then again in 2014. The first band slipped twice so I replaced it instead of being SLEEVED because #1 I was afraid of being SLEEVED (although it was suggested) #2 I lost 100 lbs with the BAND & thought why would I switch. Now after a year & few months I'm having issues with tightness & gerd. I keep going up & down with the fills which is not good. My BMI is under 30 but my Insurance will pay because I'm having same symptoms as first time plus more & I cannot tolerate fills. So all ins & my Doctor requires is an EGD (my last one was 2010) also Labwork & EKG. My EGD is on April 30th. I exercise & still eat small portions & protein shakes everyday. My PCP & Bariatric Surgeon calls me their star patient, because I'm not giving up or giving in to old bad eating habits. Sooooooooooo that's my story & I've done lots of research on the SLEEVE & I know this is for me. I've also been to two support groups which wasn't asked or required. I felt that "I" needed to do that for me.

I was just sleeved 3 days ago and I can't believe how professional and kind the staff at Little Company of Mary in Evergreen Park, IL was! I was treated with respect, kindness, and sensitivity. The first night was hard...a lot of pain in the belly and shoulder. The staff were attentive while I moaned and groaned, I was really uncomfortable! But I knew what I had signed up for and I kept myself in a positive mood mostly. By the next morning, I was able to tolerate broths and my leak test came back negative! I was very weak and my nurses and caregivers were awesome! They just went over and beyond what was reasonable care by sitting with me, coming quickly when I called, and giving me encouragement! I was able to walk 3 times around the floor but still had to figure out how to manage break through pain. I found out that waiting too long for pain meds actually triggered my nausea. My family came to visit and I became so exhausted from talking! I did feel very loved and supported, which I worried about before the surgery. I didn't think I would get so much support, but I was wrong! Today I was able to do 2 lapse at a time around the floor, energy was up, mood still positive. The most important things for me were to keep my spirits high and follow ALL directives given to me by the staff. I know I have just started this journey but I am so convinced that I made the right choice! I shutter to think of the life I would be living had I not made this choice to have bariatric surgery. The possibilities are endless to me know! Well, I just wanted to post the beginning of my story. I love this forum and I look forward to being successful with all of you!

YAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow you are losing weight already!!! Good for you. I will start mine on monday and im kinda excited but i hope i keep this" positive' atitude when im hungry and watching my family eat we can go through this "together" I have the Bariatric Advantage shakes and bars. ill look at how many cals/ carbs/protein and ill let you know yaaa!!!!!!! high five to you! Y