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Thank you Diana, If I was not an employee of UHC I would be covered, they do not cover as an employee currently, they stated last year that they were in the works with adding it, they said it may be added this year but its just a waiting game. And yes changing jobs would actually help because a lot of companies in CT offer it - I am a coder so I have lots of options- it is just the fact my company is based in TN I am a remote coder so TN isn't currently a mandated state for offering bariatric surgery, Neither is CT but majority of the companies that I have considered do offer it. I just have to weigh out the fact of being remote for 5 years to going back into an office setting.

I didn't schedule surgery until I had the insurance approval. It took forever due to a computer error that said my plan didn't cover bariatric surgery when in fact it did. I had to scream a lot at the insurance company and the medical review people before they figured out it was a computer system issue. It sounds like you need to be the squeeky wheel and call every other day to check on the status. How long have they been reviewing your paperwork? It took 60 days for me to get approval from the insurance. Now 2.5 months post surgery I am arguing about the level of coverage. I am thankful that insurance paid, but it sure would be nice if they paid it correctly the first time.

So, I did quite a bit of work today to help make the process go a little faster once I finish my last medical weight loss class: both my psychological clearance and my final appointment with my GP have been scheduled on the same day. So, I clarified with the bariatric coordinator from Northern Colorado Surgical Associates that once she phones me the following Tuesday, I can get my consultation that week or possibly the following week, which will allow me to have surgery 4-6 weeks after that point. So, based on these timelines, the earliest possible date for my surgery is the 16th of August and the latest possible date for my surgery is the 8th of September. So now, I have an idea of when about I'll be getting my surgery.

I think the answer is no, but I'd like to get thoughts from folks. I'm 3 days post-op and on full liquid protein at the moment. On my list of approved foods are things like: protein shakes, jello, pudding, etc. I found this awesome bariatric protein recipe site and was SO EXCITED to try the pistachio mint protein shake. Two tsp in it was amazing until I realized that pistachio pudding mix has those itty-bitty chunks of pistachio in it. I stopped right then and moved onto something I know to be completely smooth but I can't help wondering, how at-risk am I from those little chunks I may have consumed?

So this is my first post. I've been researching and contemplating bariatric surgery for a few years now, but it's only recently that I decided to put my foot on the road and start the journey. A little background: I'm a 38 year old woman, 3 kids, and husband, cat mom (hoping to bring in a dog soon too, hehe) I've been overweight all my life. All 3 pregnancies were with gestational diabetes, but I managed without meds, and that has been the only time I've ever lost significant weight. Actually, prior to my first pregnancy, I cut out soda, and stopped relying on hamburger helper/boxed meals for dinner, and went from 255 to about 230. My weight over the years has fluctuated between 200 to 230. My biggest problem now is diabetes. I was diagnosed with type 2 a few years back. I'm on metformin, which my body doesn't handle well. In 2015, I lost my mother, who was over 300lbs and had diabetes to complications from diabetes. It has really scared me, enough that I've had anxiety issues since, and what's really pushing me to find a way to lose weight. After all my research, I'm aiming for the sleeve. I've been to my program's orientation, and met with the Nurse Practitioner. I now have loads of appointments, and a goal of losing 12 lbs by January 24. It feels like a lot, only because my timing is poor and I'm doing all this through the Christmas season. While I'd like surgery in March, I'm actually thinking May would be better since my older kids would still be in school, but my husband would be home (he's a professor) so that he can take care of my 3 year old. I could try to time it right so that it happened over his spring break too, but that's going to take the stars aligning just right, lol. Anyways, I feel like I'm taking on a whole bunch of stuff at once, and I'm not sure how to handle it all. My husband is a good man, who listens, but as he says "I'm not a therapist and other than listening, I'm not sure how to help you." I've got an appointment with a therapist, but not until January, so I'm on my own. So I guess here's my questions...how do you keep focused? I have little direction at this point, and find my confidence wavering. It's always a stressful time of year for me, and while I realize that I have to change how I handle stress, I feel a bit "thrown into the fire" by doing all this now and not say...next month, when I'd have more time to learn more ways to deal with everything. (Another back story, December goes like this: Christmas Eve, Christmas, my oldest' birthday, my youngest birthday, and 10 days later but within the 12 Days of Christmas, my middle child's birthday.) I find the site here too big so I'm not sure where to read in order to get more positive stories and other helpful information. I read a few books, but I guess I'm not ready to invest in any sort of emotional eating books. I'm counting calories and watching what I eat, and trying to exercise more, but really, that's not enough to keep me focused completely. So what other resources do you use? Sites with good articles and information, positive stories of success, etc? And finally, on a grosser note, and a rather...embarrassing question to ask, but how are bowel movements after surgery? I mean mostly on the long term, but I ask because one of the biggest factors to not just simply "losing weight with diet and exercise without the surgery" is I can't handle the thought of being on metformin for the rest of my life. Even at 1000mgs, the loose BM's are horrid and painful and interfering with my every day life (with my current primary care physician pushing for me to move up to 1500mgs despite my protests). I have this worry that I'll still be dealing with intestinal issues after surgery. So if you have had the surgery, and were on metformin, did you get off of it? If you've had intestinal issues in the past, have they continued after surgery? Sorry for the novel!

This is another study on pubmed from JAMA, comparing bariatric surgery procedures and their complication rates to get a handle on what made things go wrong, if they did. Total complication rate for all surgeries was 1.6 percent. Sleeve surgeries alone had a serious complication rate of 2.2 %; mortality rate for sleeve surgeries was exactly zero. The study said that complications were inversely proportional to how many surgeries the hospital handled, and how many surgeries the surgeon had performed. COE status was irrelevant. http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20664044

Hi Juniper, I was in about the same situation. I got my band in 2012 and started having significant reflux last summer. I had my band unfilled which helped the reflux but I packed on 40 pounds. I went to Inova Bariatrics and talked about revision to bypass; they said I had to go through the whole program again, which I did. I did not have the supervised diet part and I continued to gain weight until I went on the 2-week liquid diet just before surgery. I had the band removed and the bypass done March 21. I have Federal Blue Cross and they approved as soon as I met the requirements, including cardiac clearance, primary care physician clearance, etc. I don't quite get where your diet supervisor is coming from; I had comorbidities in addition to the high BMI - reflux was one of them (high bp was the other). I think your doctor is right that the reflux should be enough because reflux is one of the signatures of the band. I wish I had known that in 2012 - I would have done the bypass then instead. If you stay with that practice you might be stuck (pardon the lapband pun) doing as the diet supervisor commands. Different practices have different rules. I like my practice very much but they're in Fair Oaks and Woodbridge, likely a huge trip for you. Remember, even though the pre-op diet is very difficult the reward will be worth it. You can do this!

Anyone had their vsg at Presbyterian in Dallas, Texas? If so, what was your experience? I figured I would be sleeved at Forest Park, but it turns out that my insurance has a stipulation that requires I have my surgery at a bariatric center of excellence (or something like that), so Presby it is.

I am 3 years post-op RNY. For over 6 months prior to my surgery, I walked 30 minutes per day. This really helped my recovery process and reduced my pain level. I told the anesthesiologist that I did not want any pain medicine after surgery. So after I left the recovery room, I received no pain medicine. I didn't really need it because I had very little pain. I was up and walking the halls every 2 hours after surgery around the clock. I could not even tell when my surgery anesthesia subsided. It was a little difficult on the first day to walk the halls because I had to drag around a rolling stand that contained the IV. But by the second day they took this all away and it became easier. I was in the hospital for two days and I obtained very little sleep during that time. I could drink the Water because my taste buds changed and water tasted overly chlorinated. But they had a type of sugar free popsicles that were great. It was basically a waiting game until I was discharged. As I walked the halls, they had several before and after photographs of other individuals that underwent bariatric surgery. It is important to make sure they have a trapeze type bar installed over your bed. It makes it much easier and less painful if you have one.

I incorrectly thought it was the only way. food addiction is mental. You will regain after bariatric surgery if you don't work in it. You can lose weight without bariatric surgery if you work on the addiction. I would recommend seeking counselling for the food addiction before even considering this drastic surgery

The bad outcomes from bariatric surgery were mostly from one doctor in the area, who has now moved to another state, and a few from the local doctors who are through the hospital I work at. A few were lap bands that had problems that turned into other problems, but most were from gastric bypass or DS surgeries. The bypass/DS patients were ones that were usually over 400pounds, got put on a vent after surgery and then took a while to come off. Once they did get discharged from ICU they have to come to rehab because now they are weak from post op diet intake, being bedridden, and as a result stay where I am at for weeks. They usually go home with family and home health care, some even go to a nursing home. Being fat and the road to being skinny is a scary thing, but I can't not walk it because I see what happens when you don't. I had an obese 35 year old co-worker who had one large and two smaller strokes last week that were a direct result of bad lifestyle and being obese.

I work as a nurse and my typical patient is usually elderly, a new post op patient, a recent moderate to severe stroke victim, a bariatric patient who had a bad outcome, an accident victim, and/or a person who has been debilitated for a long period of time. The typical patient is a one person hard tranfer or a two person mild transfer. They weight anywhere from 100lbs to 500lbs, with the average being around 200lbs. They need to be tranferred into and out of the bed/wheelchair/bathroom and lifted and repositioned often while in bed, I work three-12 hour night shifts in a row so lots of this. I am hoping to have my sleeve done during a two week planned vacation, and return back to work about 10 days post op. I will be able to avoid a lot of the lifting by saying that I have had stomach surgery, but there is always times when it is hard to do. For anyone out there that is in a job like mine with this type of lifting, what is the amount of time you took off. I want to let my body heal properly, but at the same time I hate to make my co-workers work a lot of extra days to cover my days if I am off, so I would like to be back as soon as possible. Worse case I can tell my boss that I had the surgery and will only work if there are always two other people there with me, sometime there is only me and another worker. I hate to take this road because there are to many things that can go wrong and it is a major hassle to always make sure everyone hasn't forgotten that I need these needs met. Plus I hate feeling like I am whining or not pulling my weigh, I went through a year and a half of many complications with my lap band so everyone knows I have had these type needs in the past, so I really hate to go down that road once again. Any advice would be welcomed.

Most bariatric surgeons want each patient to have the cpap machine. Anesthesia can be tricky for anyone, let along an overweight person. It just helps with recovery as well. I has trace of sleep apnea which means it was barely detected during my test but the docs said I had to have it since I was going through the bariatric program

I have struggled with my weight my whole life. Im 29 and weigh 255 pounds. I have finally scheduled my informational session for bariatric surgery in January. From there I will get a consult with a surgeon. I am having to follow steps in order to get my insurance to pay for the surgery. I'm stuck between Gastric Sleeve and Gastric Bypass. What is everyone's opinion on the two? What are some things that can help me through this process?

@@Canadian lady, You are having surgery in a few weeks? Has your surgeons office given you information about both surgeries and the expectations for post op care? If not I would suggest you ask for this information so you have everything you need to do to prepare yourself for success. Having WLS requires a great amount of work on your part to be successful. The answer to your question about regain is yes, absolutely you can gain all of your weight back down the road if you do not follow the plan. It is important that you are given a plan and speak with a therapist to ensure there is a plan to deal with any current eating habits that got you here. Otherwise it is very possible to eat around your surgery. I would definately reach out to your surgeon asap and ask for their expectations post surgery. I went to a bariatric center of excellence and was given a giant binder that informed me of all the surgery options, their risks, what I could expect afterwards and a food and exercise plan. I believe most surgeons have something similiar. Best of luck on your upcoming surgery!

My name is Melissa and I am 39 years old. I have two children ages 17 and 10 and I run a daycare in my home, which I've done for over 10 years. I had surgery on July 5, 2006 and my surgeon was Dr. Oldham with Bluegrass Bariatrics. I've lost about 40 lbs. and know that I need to get serious and follow the band rules because sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I'm going Friday for another fill. I made the mistake of staying too tight and had to have most of it taken out. I'm now starting to get restriction again. Good luck to each of you wherever you may be on your journey!

I take a chewable probiotic called FloraVantage Chewable. It's from the Bariatric Advantage brand. It has really improved my digestion/bathroom trips. Also, Smooth Move tea. Works wonders and very gentle on the tummy!

@LadyReyvenet let us know what you find works for you. I start my liquid diet this Sunday and it is with Bariatrics Advantage as well. Good luck!

Here is the general gist of what my Doc wants - mind you all Dr.s are different. Here are my doc's recommendations on supplements: Multivitamin mineral supplement - bariatric specific or 200% dose of standard multivitamin. Should be 100% of at least 2/3 nutrients. Should contain at least 400 IU of Vitamin D, 400 mcg folic acid, 1.2 mg thiamine B-1, 15 mg zinc, and 18-27 mg. Iron. It should also contain copper and selenium. If you take 200%, it should not exceed 10,000IU Vitamin A, or 1,000 mg (1500IU) of vitamin E. Elemental Iron - ASMBS guidelines call for a minimum of 36 mg per day. For menstruating women or those at risk of anemia total intake should be 50-100 mg per day. B-50 complex daily - the B50's I take are Bariatric Advantage in capsule form and have 50 mg each of thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin and 400 mcg of folate, 250 mcg of B12, 500 mcg Biotin, and 50 mg of pantotheric acid. also contains choline 25 mg, inositol 25 mg. B-12 - 500 micrograms per day or 1,000 microgram injection monthly calcium citrate - 1,500 to 2,000 mg calcium citrate Vitamin D: Dose dependent on labs - since we are in Seattle I am still taking 10,000 IU's a day in liquid form. I am getting ready for my 6 month labs soon - I have dropped the D down to 5k, and am taking Celebrate multi-vitamin capsules instead of chewables 9they can make me want to yak if i take them all at once, so i space them out) and the Citrical petites - which are not really all that petite lol. I still take Omeprazole (prilosec) daily, it will help to keep you from forming ulcers post surgery.

I am not aware of any free samples but did buy samples of Unjury from their website (they were $1.99 each plus shipping). Also purchased a 10 pack sample of Syntrax Nectar from my bariatric pantry online. You can make a note in their comment section about what favors you want. I loved this as I knew I wouldn't be stuck with flavors I definately wouldn't like.

is there anyway you can keep the insurance you have by applying for insurance on your own with a bcbs plan that does offer the bariatric surgery? So frustrating, I hope this works out for you.

I have Medicare and I just went to a bariatric center of excellence. They did everything for me. Scheduled all of my appointments with nutritionist, psych, physical therapist, etc and all I had to do was be there for them so I'm not sure. They did all of it. My surgery is feb 18 April

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey Sleevers!The lull of summer is ending, and autumn is just around the corner. How did you do in meeting your goals this summer? We hope you met your weight loss and health goals, but if not, don’t worry. It’s the perfect time to get back into your weight loss routine if you got sidetracked during a summer vacation. Pick yourself up, return to your bariatric surgery diet and, of course, let us help! Here is what you’ll find in this month’s newsletter. Sleever Poll: How Did You Find Out About SleevePlicationTalk.com? Your Sleeve Plication lunch – Packing Your food for a Busy Day Keep the Forums Positive! Take a look at the newsletter and then join us at SleevePlicationTalk.com! We’re always looking for more participation, and we welcome your feedback, so drop us a line whenever you want! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Sleever Poll: How Did You Find Out About SleevePlicationTalk.com? A. Search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc…please tell us which one) B. Friend or family member C. Your surgeon D. Your primary care physician (PCP) E. An offline support group F. Your nutritionist or dietitian G. Someone else from your doctor’s or surgeon’s office (e.g., a nurse or receptionist) H. App store (e.g., iTunes, Google Apps Marketplace) I. Another way. Mark your answer and discuss it in the forums! Your Sleeve Plication Lunch – Packing Your Food for a Busy Day By mid-September, many of us are back into regular routines. If you have children who take their lunches to school, you make sure their lunches are appetizing and healthy. Your own lunch deserves just as much care. These tips can help you create easy sleeve-friendly sack lunches to take to work. Have these helpful items on hand: An insulated lunch bag A small spoon, fork and knife A set of small containers with tight-fitting lids Plastic baggies An insulated beverage container (unless you stick to Water bottles) Once a week: Figure out how many days you will need to take a lunch to work in the coming week. Plan your lunch menus, make a shopping list and get the groceries you need The night before: What can you do so that packing your lunch is easier in the morning? Measure your chicken breast Pack a serving of leftovers from dinner in a small container with a tight-fitting lid Wash and cut some fruit and vegetables Pack your utensils and a bottle of water Count your crackers Portable protein: Just as it does when you’re at home, Protein comes first when you’re on the go. These are some ideas for brown baggers. Tuna or chicken in cans or pouches Hard-boiled eggs (If you have a fridge at work): cottage cheese Fat-free canned refried Beans or low-sodium pinto, black or garbanzo beans Low-fat string cheese or light Laughing Cow cheese Lean ham or turkey breast Leftover grilled chicken or fish Peanut Butter If you’re still in the pureed foods stage, try lentil Soup, Protein shakes, hummus and Greek yogurt. Nutritious combinations: Combine your protein with vegetables, fruits and whole grains for their Fiber and other nutrients Dip and raw vegetables, such as carrot and celery sticks, grape tomatoes and cauliflower florets salad with chicken or tuna and shredded low-fat cheese Peanut butter on whole grain crackers or with apple slices Ham and low-fat cheese rolled up in a small whole-grain tortilla Greek yogurt with high-fiber Cereal or melon One-half small whole-wheat bagel with fat-free cream cheese and canned salmon If you’re post-op and not at the solid foods stage yet, try fat-free cottage cheese with pureed canned peaches, fat-free refried beans with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese and instant oatmeal with skim milk and Protein powder. Have extras on hand. You might get stuck working late or unable to make your planned lunch-time trip to a grocery store. Stash protein-containing Snacks at work for those occasions. Protein Bars and powder, canned tuna and chicken, roasted soybeans and almonds provide protein and do not need refrigeration, so you can keep them at work or in the car. Lunch after weight loss surgery can be a disaster if you opt for fast food or whatever’s in the vending machine, plan, but you can easily pack a healthy lunch that fits into your diet. Plan ahead, have the containers and utensils you need and focus on lean protein and other nutritious choices so that your lunch supports weight loss. Keep the Forums Positive! You come to SleevePlicationTalk.com for information and support. Unlike many other online forums, SleevePlicationTalk.com maintains a positive atmosphere and has zero tolerance for rudeness. We welcome anyone who is interested in weight loss surgery, regardless of their personal beliefs about it. When you see a post that is inappropriate or offensive, please report it using the “report post” link located at the bottom of the post. We realize and appreciate that nearly all members try hard to be welcoming, helpful and polite. These are a few tips to help you avoid avoid accidentally saying something that can be hurtful to another member. Say, “my surgeon told me…,” not, “the only right way is…” Say, “I think I would choose …,” not, “You made the wrong choice.” Say, “Have you considered…?,” not, “You’re not ready for your weight loss journey.” Say, “I have found that …,” not, “The right way is …” Each of these statements let you give your own opinion and advice without accusing other members of doing something wrong. Thank you for keeping the boards positive! That’s what we have for this month’s newsletter. Thank you for reading it and for your contributions to the board! You can always check out the old newsletters in the archive section. Take care of yourself and each other! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I received an email with this article today. It discusses three long term studies of the MGB in France. http://www.bariatricnews.net/?utm_source=Bariatric+News&utm_campaign=0495caff80-BN+Gen+24%2F02%2F14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_99b9868979-0495caff80-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&ct=t%28BN+Gen+24%2F02%2F14%29

Hello fellow bariatric surgery patients! I own a company that assists patients in appealing for denied surgical procedures and medications under health insurance benefits. Currently my company is competing in a competition sponsored by Chase bank. We are hoping to gain enough votes to move forward in hiring more nurses to expand more services to patients in all areas. If you could click on the link below or vote for Benefit Defender on the Chase Mission Main Street Grant website, I would appreciate the votes. If you have questions involving insurance denials you could message me here as well and I can attempt to provide you some insight that might be helpful in gaining help with bariatric coverage under your insurance coverage. https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/b/25689 Benefit Defender - Chase Mission Main Street Grants Vote for Benefit Defender at https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/b/25689 - Chase's Mission Main Street Grants program for Small Business is in full swing! Apply or vote today! Learn more here: www.missionmainstreetgrants.com missionmainstreetgrants.com