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Jan 31st: Info session Feb 11th: Meeting with surgeons staff, got my requirements binder starting making appointments March/April/May: 3 month weigh ins and nutritional meetings, tons of appointments (psych, sleep study, cardio, etc etc) May 11th : Minor set back due to weight gain June 1st: last weigh in made June 2nd: Submitted to Insurance June 14th: Approved June 30th: Surgery Date Scheduled Excited, Scared, Shocked, Nauseous, Ready, Not Ready and everything in between!!! Sent from my SM-G920T using the BariatricPal App

Good Morning everyone! I needed some feedback and support regarding insurance not paying for bariatric surgery, I also have Aetna POS here in Louisiana and I too went through the 90 day program one of Aetna requirements, I fit all of the criteria and just last week received noticed I was denied because I gained 1 lb and did not schedule my procedure within 6 months of my initial start date. I was in shock, upset, and very disappointed. how can this be, initial program date 6/25/15 last weigh in date 9/16/15 and immediately was denied, I researched and hired obesity advocate /attorneys to fight this since Dec 2015 to start the first appeal process and last week the appeal was denied because I gained 1 lb. I do not understand that policy, I weighed in summer which means my clothes were lighter, then last weigh in was September which my clothes would have been a little heavier 1 lb is not a significant amount of weight to consider because 1 to 2 lbs can come from many factors such as clothes, time of the month, or if I had a snack or lunch prior to the appointment my clothes alone would weigh 1 to 2 lbs COME ON'. I can understand if I gained 5 lbs to 10 lbs of weight. OMG!! I want to scream...... Has anyone experienced AETNA denying surgery for weight gain and then was approved after it was appealed first or second time? Now we are going for round 2 and want to know if it is worth it bec I am so disappointed with Aetna. HELP!! please ADVISE!!

Does Gastric sleeve help weight gain thats due to meds that you must stay on long term? I'm on meds that made me gain 70 pounds in 2 years and i cant lose more than 10 before i hit a wall. Would the Sleeve help me?

Thanks for the response. I'm on SSRI meds that I'm unable to do without and the only one that works well for me is prozac. Ive been on other meds with much higher weight gain. I'm just starting out into looking at this as an option. Ive never been able to maintain a diet of 1000 calories a day... Not even close. The meds make you both hungrier and slow you ability to lose weight. Do people on this forum have experience with doing or at least research doing sleeve in Mexico... Is that really crazy to think about? not because I'm cheap but rather it's because i don't have the money to do it here in the states.. But if Mexico is considered crazy if like to know. Thank you for your help

Hi! I have an appointment for my first consult next week and they have sent me the paperwork to fill out before hand. I am worried that if I write down or miss writing down something that I may not be approved. So I have some paperwork questions and would like to how you answered the question. 1. Who is your PCP and may we contact them? I have recently gotten my HMO and picked a PCP out of a hat. I have seen him once to establish care (last week) and that is it. What do I say? Because of my insurance I don't need a referal from my PCP so I never brought the subject up of lapband or WLS. 2. Weight loss attempts: Year, how much lost, and how much gained. I started dieting in 1996. How do I answer because I have so many attempts I cannot remember all of them; plus weight lost and weight gained on the attempt. How many do I need to catalog to prove that I have tried multiple times and failed? Thanks for any suggestions you can give me on these questions! Misty :biggrin:

I have Aetna insurance and they require a 90 day supervised diet. I go tomorrow for my 3rd visit with the nutritionist. I am not having any luck on loosing or maintaining my weight. I have gained 3 pounds and I have been documenting in a journal daily my food and exercise. I am getting my daily water in and walking 30 minutes daily. The last couple of times I have seen the nutritionist she's only given my advise on portion control and chewing 20x per bite. She has never set any calorie ranges or other goals to work on to help me loose. However even with portion control and walking I am gaining, now I am terrified that Aetna choice POS II will deny me. My BMI is 45 and I have diabetes, high cholesterol, and PCOS. Can anybody tell me their similar experience with weight gain during 90day diet and insurance approval. Thank you.

Hi all! I'm at 6 months down and I'm discouraged by the sagging tummy. I know, the weight loss is most important, but I do the Vitamins, tea, creams and exercise, it isn't shrinking in like it used to. Before I put on the massive weight gain, I used to have a flat belly at this numbered weight before, now I have a sagging belly What are some things people are doing to maintain a tighter body during weight loss? Everything else is going in perfectly, my neck, arms and legs. Just my stomach and thighs are kinda bumming me out.

I have UHC Choice Plus through Georgia Pacific. My only prequalifications are a BMI over 40 (which I have just barely) and a 5 year medical history showing I've been overweight. I only need one Dr's note per year. I also have that with no issues. I also need a letter of medical necessity, which I'll obviously get from my PCP. I'm excited to move forward. I am gathering those Dr's notes now, which has been a little tedious, due to the fact that I would switch doctors because I was ashamed of my weight gain! (also, I had to find Dr's who would prescribe diet pills at different times. I am hoping that I was seeking diet help with MOST of the appointments HELPS me.) Anyway, I'm a step closer to actually being approved and my insurance coordinator at the Dr's office said that UHC is pretty easy to work with! I'm hoping to have surgery around February. THey did say my OOP share will be about 1500 including my 500 deductible.

I am happy I decided to get the surgery. I have lost 25-30 easily in the past many times and regained it again. I started at 282 and am now today 259 on my second day of clear liquid diet and completed 10 of only protein shakes. I have lost a total of 22lbs. I am very excited and I am getting my Hiatial Hernia fixed as well. During my journey they discovered my Hiatial Hernia and Sleep apnea. I found out that sleep apnea can contribute to weight gain because your body is tired and you snack to compensate for that. Maybe that is why I have not been able to stay on the diet long enough to reach my goal along with stress and lives other events. I have been so excited about my journey that I have purchased some things to help me along the way after the surgery and these things I have been using now to keep me on my pre diet. I found an intelligent water bottle that keeps track of your intake and it has a straw that does not let air in your stomach "Hydracoach.com" also 2 different plates with covers that help with measuring your food consumption. They are Baribowl at "bariware.com" and EZ Weigh Plate at "store.ezweightplatestore.com". The baribowl is a tubberware type which is good for taking your lunch because it has 2 side that separate for hot and cold food so you can heat your food separately. On each side there are demarcations marks where you can slide these little plastic thin sleeves in to separate and measure 1oz sections and the whole bowl is 8 oz. A baratric surgeon invented it. It makes you feel/look like you are eating a lot, but is not deep at all. The other is a plate with cup like compartments that you can measure your food because the plate is semi-transparent and is also microwave safe. This I would use at home and especially when my husband cooks it will make it easier for him as well, he likes to cook and likes to make me a plate. Hope to connect and share ideas and accomplishments. Mybella

SO, I screwed up. I was doing well on my low-carb meals, but then I binged out & started a ball rolling in that direction. Now I have a meeting with my surgeon in 4 days & I am starting my liquid diet TODAY. He does not require one, but due to my weight gain & everything... I think that this is the way to go. SO, what does a pre-op liquid diet look like to you? Since he doesn't require it, I never got instruction on it.

Welcome to my life (my old one.) Your story is very common. I've been through hell and back working for "the man." Right now life is awesome, I finally found a lawfirm that let's me combine my analytical mind and organizational skills with the kid inside me. But back in my hell days, there were limited options for me, so I had to put up with a lot of abuse. I consider it abuse and harrassment. Going to HR never helped because it always blew up in my face. I was desperate because my health was deteriorating (insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight gain.) I finally wrote a couple anonymous letters. I chose my words carefully and made sure nobody saw me. Eventually the letters got into the right hands. Things got ugly for a long time with people being pulled into private meetings. Eventually a couple people quit, one got fired, then finally the boss himself was laid off. The same thing happened to my sister, but she exploded in the open and ended up getting the boss fired and getting an apology letter from Time Warner offering her whatever she wanted. You are not alone. My friend Jennifer had the same psycho boss. We each had our reasons for not quitting, but she came over crying every night after work. Then one day she showed up in shock. She was ghost white and couldn't talk because when she got to work, her boss had committed suicide. I don't really have suggestions, but please know that you are not alone and that there is always light at the end of a tunnel.

These past five months have gone by fast...it seems like it was just a few days ago that I decided to start this journey... A gal at work got gastric bypass and was telling me about it. The WLS skeptic in me still thought "there's no way in hell I'd ever do that...I can lose the weight on my own..." I told the gal from work that there was no way I could fathom the idea of having my intestines rerouted and there was no way I was getting a band...all the complications and potential removal were just to much for me. She said "why don't you have the sleeve?" "the what? What the hell is the sleeve? Hmmm?" So I quickly googled the sleeve and if I were in a cartoon I would have had a damn lightbulb over my head...the sleeve sounded amazing to me...sure cut out a hunk of my stomach...it's only caused me more weight gain...no band, no port, no rerouting, no tiny stomach pouch! So I started my research and found NWWLS in Everett, Wa. It's a center of excellence and on my insurance. I called for a consult and got in to see Dr. Robert Michaelson. The staff that I met is great...most have bands/weight issues themselves and they make you feel comfortable, you aren't just the fat person in the waiting room. Dr. Michaelson is great...he said I'm the most informed patient he has had. (gotta love the medical assisting diploma and my yearning to be a nurse!) I wish that my family was more supportive. Some people just tell me I need to exercise more or eat better but it's hard...they have no idea. My mom lost 100 lbs but now she drinks...ALOT. It makes me sad when she harps on my weight and when I bring up her drinking its a different story. My sister in Las Vegas is supportive! Love you Ash! I don't really have a dad since he was abusive and I think he helped me become the obese individual that I am. Granted both my mom and dads sides have a high rate of obesity...he was an a*****e. Even when we were younger he would tell us we were fat and if we could pinch an inch we needed to lose weight. My mom was abused and she drowned her sorrow in food. My sisters and I learned the behavior and for me it all created a weight monster. When I started puberty I started getting boobs and hips and my dad called me fat even more. I decided to take matters into my own hands. When we were at the grocery store I secretly bought this weight loss book...you know the little ones by the checkout counter...and I had calories and fat content memorized...I barely ate. During 7th-10th grade I starved myself. I would do exercise in my room for a few hours and I would run down our road...I looked at other gals at school and was envious of how skinny they were...I saw a pic of myself that a friend posted on Facebook and I can't believe how tiny I was. I WAS one of those skinny girls. My collarbones were sticking out...I weighed less than 100 lbs and I was almost 5'4. I'm still 5'4 and often wonder if starving myself stunted my height...I guess I'll never know. I didn't eat Breakfast, for lunch I had a soft pretzel and a lemonade, for dinner I ate rice with some margarine on it. I would eat fruit in season. I think when I met my hubby I was probably 130-150 lbs...I was 19 and I think I ended up partying to that weight. Gradually I think I got comfortable with him and I started eating again. I think my body was in shock and kept on everything I ate...I'm now 319 lbs and ashamed of myself! I have a sedentary job...my boobs have always been huge so its truly hard to exercise!!! Even when I starved myself I wore 2 sports bras and it didn't help. I was the gal running in gym class with my arms up in front of me trying to stop the pain... I'm just so ready to start new!!! I want to have babies...2-4 I hope. I got pregnant when I was 23 and had a miscarriage. I tried after that but it never happened. I think I started eating more after that as well. The doctors I went to always told me it was my weight. So I'm hoping that I'll have babies soon! I have the symptoms of PCOS and my sister has it. I want to run marathons, get out and play games and sports with my friends and family, get my nursing degree and get a job where I'm not sitting all day. I want to... Ride on a plane without a seat belt extender Sky dive Bungee jump not get winded walking upstairs not have achy knees Have my boobs bigger than my stomach Wear regular sized clothes Buy clothes off the rack and not at a specialy shop Buy cute bras and undies Not be so self conscience about mysel Be happy Etc etc lol

Not a happy Justine . I KNEW I had bronchitis. It was brushed off to be allergies. So with surgery being on the 12th this freaked me out a bit so I went to the walk in last night and got my cocktail of drugs so I can be ok for surgery Bee sting: well I had to just mention it because I am the biggest freak when it comes to bees and it nailed me and then my arm looked all weird. Apparently bees are bad this year here. Yeeeeouch!!! One more feel sorry for myself moment- My aunt felt the need to tell me she was glad I'm Doin this surgery. I saw her yesterday and she said that "she couldn't believe it when I saw u - it's only been a few months" (Speaking of my weight gain). This would be the weight gain during my 6 month NUT appts that she is referring to. Feeling like a winner today

Okay so I have blue shield and my insurance is requiring the 6 months of monitored nutritional visits. This Friday will be my third visit. At my first visit I weighed in at 271, my second visit I weighed 264. Since my last visit I've gained about 4 lbs. So my question is...will I not be approved for surgery if my weight fluctuates during the 6 months? Throughout the month my weight usually goes up and down a few lbs and i'm scared they won't give me surgery because of it. Anyone know how that works ?

am really pleased at where I am! When I started this segment of the journey in late April, I was 271lbs and spent most of the day knitting and reading at the computer. When I finally made the decision to be Sleeved I was determined that I would succed. I had video conferences with my surgeon (who had been in Germany earlier so I know him) and the nutritionist every 2 weeks. I started using My Fitness Pal to track my food and excerise. Now I am officially calling myself a 'GYM BUNNY' . I am working out every day for 1-2 hours. I never thought I would be this active! I actually feel guilty if I don't do any excerise during the day-now THAT is a major WOOT! This morning I weighed 251lbs and I am so close to being under 250 for the first time in 25years that I can taste it!!!!! I am down 1 size in jeans and underwear. I really enjoyed throwing out those size 12's!!!! During the last couple of weeks I have had ups and downs and discovered just what kind of mind games we play with ourselves. I was out walking and started thinking...'I don't need no frickin' surgery. All I need it 1600 calories a day and 1 hour of excerise daily. Why go through the stress and strain of surgery that will totally change my life.' Well the answer is that I have been down this road many times before and know that my body will stall big time. Not just a little one but up to a year with no change or with weight gain. As hard as the excerise and diets are it will all be worth it when my son sees me weighing under 200lbs for the first time in his life (he just turned 25!). That is worth it all. Next week I have the final surgeon vist and ambualtory surgery visit. Then D-Day on the 22nd!!!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother, my sincerest condolences. I have records going back over 20 yrs of my attempts to lose weight. So my insurance company had proof that I had many failed attempts at losing weight including taking that scandalous drug combo phen-fen. Does anyone remember the phen-fen craze? People were getting pretty sick and there was a class action suit where the pharmaceutical company had to pay for ECG's because people were having irreversible damage done to their hearts. Luckily, my ECG read normal but that was a big scandal either in the 80's or 90's not sure. Anyway, my point is I did not have to go on a 6 wk diet or a 30 day diet to be approved by my insurance. My PCP documented that it was medically necessary for me to have this surgery due to all my health issues. So I wouldn't worry about a weight gain, I mean, you've been through a lot and you are attempting to lose weight and it is being documented. Good luck to you. Sorry I got off the track but I tend to go off the subject but I hope you get my point. God bless.

Thank you all for your condolences. I don't think my weight gain has anything to do with Phycological trouble or things I haven't dealt with. I had a rough first year but now my life is fantastic, I'm back on my feet and loving life again. I think most of my weight was due to not making proper meals and endless snacking cause I didn't have someone there to give me the sideways glance when I go for the huge bowl of ice cream. Or popcorn, coke and bag of candy at the movies. Lol Even my dog has gained weight cause I now share with her instead of my late hubby. I really really want the change and currently feel like I'm a young skinny athletic girl trapped in this fat girl body. I know I hear all the success stores but I just worry with out having someone to be accountable to I will fail myself and the band. I have an amazing surgeon lined up but he's based across the country. What tricks helped you stay in track and accountable? I'm also concerned because for the last 12 yrs I've struggled with esophagitis and this causes me to choke on my food and have bad reflex. Is there anyone out there that has dealt with this issue and the band was still successful or the esophagitis got better after the band?? Thanks again!

Hey guys! I'm new to this site and been having a hard time finding info on PCOS and the sleeve... I have severe PCOS and my symptoms are out of control... between the hot flashes/sweating, hair loss, no energy, of course the weight gain..all the fun stuff. Just wondering if any ladies who have had the sleeve w/ PCOS notice any changes since surgery!? I'm anxious and so excited about my upcoming sleeve!! thanks!!

A couple of weeks ago I started experiencing tingling in hands and fingers (peripheral neuropathy) - I have had this to much lesser degree before I have read many causes of this - Diabetes, nerve damage etc. I really feel this is due to my weight gain and I'm interested to hear anyone else's experiences with this

Hello fellow weight loss pals, well im in a bit of a dilemma.. to start off I had a gastric banding done in the year 2008. Since then I have lost about 660 pounds. I was happy with the banding until last year when I was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia. Now to fix the hiatus the docs here suggest that I have to take out the band else the hiatus can always reoccur. My fear obviously is the weight gain once the band is out, to which the doctors have suggested to do a gastric sleeve. Now my apprehensions for this are: 1) Gastric banding is a reversible procedure however a sleeve is permanent. How does it affect the life in future 2) I don't have any children yet, but would a sleeve be a hindrance if and when I do get pregnant in terms of the diet I need to follow, the nutrition required for the fetus and the quantities???? 3) Is the sleeve same as having a band in terms of eating habits. the reflux?? or is there a difference??? 4) I have read that even with the sleeve there are chances of putting on the weight again?? is that true??? I would really appreciate if someone could throw some light on these issues Await your help and suggestions. Love, Gia

The check list is the most important thing in starting on the journey with insurance.. With out it you may miss something, and not be approved. They usually want to make sure your not gaining weight while on the diet, and see that you are making the effort to loose or maintain whichever you are able to do. Through out my 6 months I was loosing weight till I hit the 5th month. I had a 3 pound weight gain even though I was on the same 12-1500 calorie diet with 30 minutes of exercise a day. I do hope it doesn't affect my approval, but it's like I've told every doctor that I have seen I loose and no matter what I do it starts coming back. I am just pushing myself extra extra hard over the next couple of weeks to insure I maintain atleast.. Best of Luck!!

Many people experience a fear of failure when it comes to weight loss. This is cemented into their minds by the failures they experienced by years of "yo-yo" dieting. RNY gastric bypass surgery is a whole different experience. After surgery I completely lost my hunger. I found that it was not hard to lose weight when hunger was not constantly and incessantly gnawing at my bones. Back to your problem, weight gain during the pre-op stage. Here are some recommendations: Begin attending Bariatric Surgery Support Group meetings. They are generally free. Walk 30 minutes every day. Give up all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds on giving up my 6 diet Coke a day habit pre-op alone. Read the calorie labels of everything you consume, especially at fast food restaurants and try and pick low calorie foods. I use to love milk shakes at "Steak and Shake" but after reading the number of calories in a milkshake, I gave that up for life. On the other hand a crunchy taco at Taco Bell isn't bad nor a bowl of chili at Wendy's.

As others have stated, this is an extremely personal decision that only you and your husband can make. (well, and your surgeon if you go for surgery first, since many require 2 years, but you'd want to know what your specific surgeon has to say about it). Since you did follow up and ask specifically what we would do - personally, if I was healthy enough to conceive and carry a child before surgery, I would do that. If I had 'baby fever' now, it would be excruciating to wait to have surgery (especially if there was a 6 month diet, like my insurance requires), then 2 more years on top of that (as my surgeon would require). Then, time to conceive, 9 more months until delivery, etc. I also have a fear of regain post-surgery, so I'd rather be done with intentional weight gain, like with pregnancy, before having surgery so there won't be any other instances looming in my future where I KNOW I'll need to gain some weight. But again, this is an extremely personal decision and only you know what's right for you. Good luck with whatever you decide!

They try to get in ur mind if I have any mental stuff going on u want to make sure to stay on the subject of weight loss wanting to be healthy etc....they will ask if u feel something bad in life caused ur overeating etc.... Just make sure how I answer if it looks as though I are suffering from depression etc... They may not clear u...... For example my weight gain started when I lost my brother at u yrs old to leukemia I admitted that to the psych but I also said that I've moved passed it I miss him but that was 22yrs ago and it's been a fight to take those lbs off and I need a tool to help me I want to be healthy and live life tothefullest..... I was cleared my cousin however was more like I want to feel good about my self I'm so depressed I think this will help....... Took her 2 yrs to get cleared from psych because She was so depressed Sorry.... Autocorrect sucks lolz

@@Boudala Don't worry about the weight gain from your period. The liquid diet is to shrink your leaking surgery safer- not really about weight loss. It'll go back down quickly. The stairs may be a little difficult but hold a pillow to your abdomen and take them slowly. Good luck.