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An exclusion for bariatrics means that they don't cover any type of weight loss surgery at all for any reason. My policy has an exclusion as well. But don't lose hope! Many doctors discount their services for self-pay. I would call the surgeon's office and ask them to go over your options. In my case, it was found that I have a hiatal hernia which significantly reduced my out of pocket costs because hernia repair is a separate medical procedure covered by pretty much everyone's insurance. I know that there are lots of people who have financed their surgeries, either via care credit or a bank loan. Don't give up just yet!

Interesting that your surgeon should say that because it seems like I've read several times that more and more practices are switching to the bands and they expect it to be the leading bariatric surgery in just a few years! You might want to consider getting a second opinion. Will your surgeon still be there to give you fills if she's moving away from banding? If you go to the fills forum on this board, you can read about the experience of others. I've rarely heard of a painful fill. Good luck!

The SMMC bariatric program has a scheduled support meeting, unfortunately the time slot for sleeved patients is during the middle of the workday, around 2:30 or 3:30 IIRC. I don't know what they are like now, but they used to be pretty bad. It was a mix of all surgeries so only some of what you were hearing or discussing was relevant to you. There were a lot of politics brought in, and one of the ladies who used to run them (I don't think she's employed by them any longer, but I don't know for sure) was just absolutely miserable. I think they actually bring in people now to talk about relevant topics, but they didn't used to. It used to be... let's just say really bad, in a lot of different ways. I haven't been in years, so in all fairness they could now be wonderful meetings. Several of "us" (their more tenured patients, because when I say "used to be" I'm talking 6 years ago) started doing our own thing. Meeting up for dinner once a month, or an afternoon brunch, or coffee, clothing swaps, "bariatric potlucks," whatever. We'd found a more generic bariatric support group that met at one of the libraries, but I think they sort of disbanded about 2 yrs ago. For a while there were 8 of us who met up somewhat regularly. Most of us participated in a patient consortium sponsored by Allergan in Vegas and were able to meet about 15 other KC area people, but after Vegas we sort of dropped back to our smaller groups, which is too bad, because the larger group had so much more experience (one of the girls even back then was still about 10 yrs out from her surgery). I don't know of any local groups, formal or otherwise currently meeting. If you guys are interested I can send some emails and see what I can find out. I know a few of the ppl who used to run some of the more localized groups - they may know of something more generic going on. BTW I'm in NE KC, near Liberty/Gladstone and I work near Olathe. I've been told that Dr. Malley's support groups are open to the public, but I've never gone so I can't say for sure.

I interviewed about 7 different doctors/clinics and 4 of them had 'program' fees and lots of pre and post-surgery requirements not required by my insurance which means my insurance would also not have paid for these tests. The clinic I finally chose has no program fee and only requires special tests based on the health of each individual, which means they can back it up to the insurance company and it will be covered. I do have to drive an hour one way to the clinic but since I only have to do it every couple weeks for a fill...and then maybe not for months...it's worth it. Personally, I'd keep looking around because there are good bariatric clinics and doctors who do not require a fee.

Second, it was all "good" until the very last paragraph which states: "Client would be a better candidate for bariatric surgery if she took time to prepare for sugery by addressing psychological issues. Major areas of concern to be addressed would be potential for symptom substitution once food is no longer an option and eating behavior that causes reflux. I recommend that client seek psychotherapy prior to and after surgery to address these concerns." I actually don't think this sounds all that bad and I'd let it go. If you are obese, severely obese, or even morbidly obese, there is no doubt all of us have issues with using food as a substitute for dealing with other things in our lives. Yes, we will have to learn how to manage eating for eating sake and not abuse food. I would recommend, and I plan to continue, to see a psychologist/counselor to continue to talk through the feelings I know I will have with dealing with having to limit my food intake and not eating to celebrate, eating when sad, etc. What the letter doesn't say, which is very good, is "I do not recomend this patient have bariatric surgery." they could have been that straight about it and since they didn't I'd just get busy going to a few appointments with a counselor like the others have suggested to document that you are getting prepared in advance of surgery, and that you are willing to work on what they said to do.

Hi Helena, I also went thru a 6 month supervised diet program connected with the hospital I went to and it was good to have the diet and all the tests done by the bariatric center. It was very convenient and I developed a good working relationship with the staff. The diet was kind of a formality for insurance purposes but I did lose close to 10 pounds so that was good. I don't think you have to worry about losing too much - it just shows you are serious about doing what it takes and will use the band as tool. I'm envious of you only having a 12 week diet - it took me 9 months to get all my pre-op testing done. (hectic life) I felt like I was having a baby but just like a pregnancy, the results will be totally worth the wait. The surgery was no big deal at all. Good luck to you!! Smilliegal

Hello, I am new to this site. I am 40 years old with a BMI of 39.6. I have been overweight for most of my life, with the exception of high school and a couple of years after I was married. Right before my wedding, I had dieted down to 130 pounds with the help of Phen Fen. I had my daughter when I was 30 and gained over 60 pounds that I was never able to lose. In fact, the weight kept creeping up after that, and I now weigh about 10 pounds more than I did when I was full-term pregnant. I have been trying for the past 10 years to lose the weight, but I can only lose a little bit at a time, then I gain it all back plus more. You all know how it goes. I have lost and gained the same six pounds for the past year or so. I can never make any long term progress. I got fed up and started considering a lap band, because I thought that was the only option besides a gastric by-pass, which I am not willing to do. When I called Bluegrass Bariatrics, they suggested that I consider the gastric plication. They said they had had a lot of success with it, and it was the cheapest option, which makes a difference for me because my health insurance won't cover a dime. I've read all the posts here, and I am both excited about the prospect of having the surgery, and terrified all at the same time. I want my life back, I want to be able to do all the things that I can't or won't due because of my weight. Part of me still thinks this is ridiculous, that I should just be able to knuckle down and diet and exercise and lose the weight without any surgical intervention. But I've read the statistics, that only about 3-5% will actually succeed with this approach. I went to a seminar this past weekend and met Dr. Oldham. I really liked him, and he's gotten good reviews on this site. I have my intake appointment on 2/15, and when all those results are back, I will have my surgeon consult. I am going through the process, with the knowledge that I can still back out if the fear gets to be too much for me to go through with it. I am terrified of severe pain and complications, although I have been through a c-section with a vertical incision. My husband is also very scared for me to do this, and people keep telling me that I'm not big enough that I should be considering surgery. Is what I'm feeling pretty normal? I would love to hear from some others who have been through this, and also folks who have had their surgeries wiht Bluegrass Bariatrics. I am looking forward to talking with you all, and I thank you in advance for sharing your experiences with me.

It's a new chapter in my life as I pack up all the things my Ex gave me over the years, I put it in a box and put it away. I woke up not sad for the first time I woke up rejuvenated! That I will find somebody who will want the same desires as me. For now I start the most important task: Taking care of myself! Seeing the Bariatric Surgeon is the first step this coming Wednesday. Then taking the rest from there. I need to rebuild myself inner to outer. This is my Time to Shine. Lisa

In that case, there are large bariatric surgery centers at UCSF, CPMC (San Francisco); John Muir Concord (both Dr. Chin and his group, and Dr. Kwan and her colleagues; Valleycare in Pleasanton, and Alta Bates-Summit in Oakland (First Surgical). I believe there is also one down the Peninsula, but I don't know for certain. My PCP's office had such trouble with Dr. Chin's office staff that I was switched to Dr. Kwan and I'm very, very happy with both her and her staff. I manage a lot of clients who use both First Surgical and Valleycare, and they are happy with both. I don't have any first hand experience with the San Francisco locations or surgeons.

Wow, no vitamins? Not even chewables made for Bariatric patients? Geeze that's rough. I know I'm not getting enough vitamins and minerals from these Protein drinks alone. So that's why I added these in. My Pre-surgical nurse said all my meds were fine. Except I can't take my metformin the morning of and I am not allowed NSAIDS either. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Loved how Bariatric Pal treated me so well I decided to work for them. LOL how about that for an Endorsement!!

I just had my sleeve done last Tuesday and I wasn't nervous until everyone started to ask me if I was nervous. I fear the future a bit, I know 2 close friends who had a bypass, one has it 12 years ago and gained about 25 back, the other cannot control herself and eats like she did pre-surgery and she had her bypass less than 3 years ago and has gained every single pound back plus MORE. Her diabetes is back and almost uncontrollable. So...I worry, but then I think of how hard I worked tO get here and how I feel right now (not the best, but not the worst ever either) the change is up to us. To me, failure is not an option! And I am sure every bariatric program has its support groups. My group is an hour and a half from me but if I feel out of control or lost, I will definitely go. It's a tool, not a magic pill or fix (as we all know). You will do great!

Kim, get up and walk as soon as you can after surgery and walk every hour. It's hard but it will get the gas out of you. The gas pain was way worse than the surgery pain, I swear. Walk walk walk! I walked twice per hour in the hosp. The nurses said they never saw a bariatric patient walk so much. LOL. But it worked. That gas was out of me in a day. Again, good luck.

What the issuance rep tells you is not always accurate. I UHC called when I started my journey and the rep told me that there was absolutely nothing they covered associated with WLS. Turns out the info for bariatric survey was given through Optum, not just from the UHC reps. I didn't learn this until I talked with a WLS center and they called the insurance company to verify, and sure enough they cover it.

Actually, My doctor has had bariatric surgery. That is one of the reasons I chose him..I figured having gone through it he at least understood the issues. In that aspect, I was very happy.

I'm not sure if you will get any responses right now about Renew Bariatrics, but if you use the search tool here on BP you can find threads from the past, which might give you some insight about your topic... Best wishes. https://www.bariatricpal.com/search/?q=renew bariatrics

I was told only chewables for the first 3 months. Thank goodness. I had the Bariatric Advantage ones and they were so gross. I stay away from the gummies...they have sugar and some have up to 50 calories. No thanks!

I suppose at some level, most folks have a bit of judgmental views about wls. At some level. It's been a learning experience for me. Sure...learned lots about nutrition and such.....but learned heaps more about myself. I was one of those who was ill informed over wls....even though I have a close family member who has been highly successful with it after their surgery 15 years ago. Highly successful. It took a unique set of circumstances to stack up in my life for me to seriously consider wls. I't temporarily lost the ability to "just go to the gym and diet and get the weight off" as I'd done in the past. The health issues mounted....and it became abundantly clear that losing a huge amount of weight would be the first step towards addressing the issues. Here's the bottom line for me.....I've done well in losing and getting temporarily fit before. I can kick into gear with the best of them.....until I couldn't. I became interested and focused on the wls as an aid.....educated myself on it as best I could......went through a couple surgeons and found the right one.....and took his advice on the optimum surgery for me. Everything has unfolded as he predicted. I'm very grateful. The coolest thing about all this is that I've already passed the point where I've stopped in the past. I'm more fit now. I'm more lean. I feel better. My health metrics are much better. I'm in a great place.....yet I am not satisfied. I will continue to get to my goal fighting weight and live there. I look at myself and do so much differently than I have in the past attempts when I'd gotten 2/3 this far. Then I was happy and ready to enjoy myself. Now....I'm grateful for the progress, sure.....but it's just a pleasant observation on the way to where I'm really headed. I couldn't see the intricacies of wls.....couldn't really understand it.......did pass judgement on it.......until I lived it and my eyes were opened by my own experiences. I'd always kept my opinions to myself....glad I did as they were based on ignorance. I feel that on balance, there is insufficient mental preparation for patients prior to surgery. The nutritional part is fairly straightforward.....but the mental game is one that must be the foundation and build on solid ground. I am tremendously grateful for Dr. Stapleton. She works with the patients in my bariatric center and is a vital resource. Her pre-op training is thought provoking and really helped me prepare. I'm being educated in wls each and every day and have been humbled by the experience. I now see my back injury some 13 months ago as a gift. It was the final straw that gave that last push I needed. WLS followed 7 months later and I'm significantly lighter now and can see maybe hitting my goal weight prior to my one year surgiversary. Cool thought.......

I am also required to do a 6 month diet documentation. I'm tracking my sugar intake through my fitness pal and keeping my sugar grams below 24 g, since I'm a diabetic. My focus is high Protein (between 80-100 g) and low carbs. So far, I've lost 13 pounds since the beginning of December. My blood sugar levels are thanking me because they are fantastic. I've also started taking a bariatric Vitamin.

Hello, all. I'm hoping that someone here has some insight/experience having a duodenal switch done with Tijuana Bariatrics / Dr. Fernando Garcia. I am scheduled to have this done in late July with him and I am honestly a little nervous.

Keep in mind I'm 2.5 years out and have been in maintenance for 1 year. I drink with meals. I don't follow the 30-minute rule. I've never consumed the recommended 64 ounces of water a day. On most days I'm lucky to down one 16-ounce bottle of water. Too much water sends me to the toilet every 15 minutes. I'm a snacker. My favorite snacks are peanuts, string cheese, turkey sausage, and fruit. Snacking is discouraged in the realm of bariatric surgery. I don't chew my food 20 times before swallowing.

I have the card. My surgeon gave it to me. Most places I tell them I had bariatric surgery and they are very nice and let me order off the kids menu. Other places ask for the card and then are very nice about working with me. I really enjoy eating out with my spouse. We went to a Mongolian bbq and they don't let you take anything home but with my card they let me take my meal home.

But do you still feed your family the same way you did before you got healthy yourself? I just worry that my poor eating habits have gotten us all into a rut of unhealthy and high-carb foods. I'm just looking for ways to sneak more healthy into my family's diet as well. I don't my 3 kids to grow up to have to have bariatric surgery like me.

I've heard of people doing the same with beef jerky. The only problem with chewing the juice out of something and spitting out the remainder is that if done often enough, it could possibly lead to the formation of bulemic type behavior. Just be very aware of what you are doing. Are you still on liquids or can you have soft/mushy foods yet? I think the suggestion of putting the fruit in the food processor or blender is a reasonable alternative. What do your bariatric nurses/doctor say about what you are doing?

I went to therapy through my Bariatric Program to help with emotional eating! I just left being "cleared" for surgery! I can't tell you how much it's helped me - including non weight loss issues. I feel completely ready for life after surgery!