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Congratulations... asking my PCP was the hardest part for me in making the decision as well. In fact she didn't take me serious until I called a month later to find out why the referral had not been sent the bariatric center. It was a long year since I had to battle the insurance company right through until the last appeal. I had my surgery 12/28/11 and it's been the best decision of my life. I wish you the very best. I don't think you'll back out once you get fully inspired and are doing this for all the right reasons.

Yes, I think it is possible BUT I do believe it will be an adjustment period. If I were you, I would cut out all bad food options now making the transition easier- minimal sugar, low carbs, nothing fried, etc. seems as though many refuse to let go of things like Diet Coke and struggle fighting the cravings afterwards. I cut Pepsi and Coca-Cola slurpees months ahead and it was the best decision I ever made. On occasions, I do wish to have one in my hand but simply say no because those things were on the list of terrible choices that got me to my highest of 295 pounds. The decisions made now will only help you in the long run. Also, no rush but since you do have time, check out the recipe section and other bariatric recipe sites and build your own cookbook. The same food gets old after awhile Congrats and good luck!!!

I had a gastroplasty back in 2001. I have since regained all the weight, plus more, that I lost. It was a dismal failure but that was the only option back then. Is there anyone here that has had a previous surgery and then a sleeve? I guess I'm wondering if its even possible to have this surgery with the previous one in there.

I'm just in the beginning stages of trying to get insurance to cover LB can anyone tell me if they have HealthSmart which was formerly NTHN? There is an exclusion for bariatric surgery but because of my health probs I'm hoping to get past this. We have already received the 1st denial letter and all of my drs are busy writing letters to help me. I'm just curious to see if anyone has gotten this insurance company to pay and approve.......... I appreciate any help anyone can send my way on advice of this hard situation...... I was so ready yesterday to get this procedure and begin with my new year............:nervous

Your right, you should discuss this with your bariatric staff. Does Stevia affect you, since its a natural sweetener?

I assumed I did if I used water but I didn't want to mess my intake up. I am really not a milk drinker but I will definitely try it with the protein shakes. It seems like it would make them taste better. I am ordering samples of different brands to try and see what I like. I plan on having enough for pre and post op so I can see what I like after surgery before buying a large quantity. Thanks and any other suggests that you have for pre or post of are greatly appreciated!! I am going to Mexico and I am worried about not having a strict diet to go by afterwards. I do best if I am told exactly what to have and how much and when. I am thinking about trying to find a bariatric nutritionist for post op to keep me on track. My insurance does not pay for anything relating to weight loss so I don't know if that would be excluded or not. Ugh! I am just worrying about everything. I have so many lists of what I need, and do's and don'ts from posts I have read on here. I am driving myself crazy thinking about it!!

Yep, you can count any liquid as part of your water consumption. You should really make the shakes with milk (skim or light soy) to make sure you are getting in more nutrients, especially during the pre-op diet. It makes the shakes taste better too. Kind of weird, but I switched to light soy milk for my pre-op diet and now, almost 7 months later, I really only like my protein shakes made with it. I can use skim milk, but the shakes taste "off" to me now. (I have a protein shake every morning for breakfast.) Also, I had my "meal" at noon at work because it was so much easier to be able to eat with my team. I'd have a shake for breakfast at 6, a frozen dinner under 300 calories for lunch at 11, a shake at 2 pm, and a shake for supper. I was able to have unlimited veggies too. I suppose it also helped that my hubby went to visit his parents for a week during that first week of the pre-op diet. It made it SO much easier for ME because I didn't have to be around his food. I never did feel deprived. The shakes I drank were Bariatric Advantage. Very filling and they kept me satisfied 3-4 hours.

Omg..I actually am opposite of you..I had health net 3yrs ago and was referred to Pacific bariatric. .went to seminar in October and by December I was told I would be scscheduled for surgery in January. .did everything from pre op classes to all the testing required. .sadly the medical board denied me last minute despite my countless pages and pages of documented attempts to lose weight that spanned almost 10 years...fast forward to last year in April I am back with Kaiser and I was approved for the options program..had surgery 3weeks ago..Pacific bariatric I thought did good in terms of making you informed. .perhsps not as much as Kaiser but maybe things have changed I was under the care of Dr. Suh at the time...I was happy overall in the way things moved smoothly. .but unfortunately like I said getting approved last minute wsd an issue.

I take it you don't have any co-problems like diabetes, thyroid... My understanding is... Depending on your insurance... But I'm right on the line too. My BMI was 40.8 and my dr told me he wanted me to show that I could lose some weight so he said lose 5% which would have been 14 lbs and check back in 6 months.... (Meanwhile I had already lost 74 lbs 2 yrs ago but have put back on 35 lbs-he knows I can do it) so those 14 lbs would have put me under the 40. But he still wrote in his notes that I would be a good candidate. So honestly I don't know if my insurance would still cover me or not. So what I did was go to the Illinois Bariatric Center... I'm not screwing around with my dr. I had my consultation, physical and already saw the dietician. When I weighed in there I weighed a few lbs heavier...a little extra Water weight from fixin to come on my period and left on my gym shoes. I came on at 43%. The sent it off to my insurance and I'm waiting to hear back. Fingers are crossed. All goes as planned I'm tentative for May!

Hi - had anyone been approved by Aetna without 2 year weight history showing BMI over 40? I am almost ready to submit but am so afraid of being denied. I have 1 year showing BMI of 36.2 from 2010 and a Jenny Craig paper from 2011 showing 38.3. Any advice is sooo appreciated ! I called the Bariatric nurse at Aetna 4 times over the last 3 months and she said not to worry- she said that since my BMI is 40.4- I should be approved with no problem . Is she lying?

I feel like a giddy school girl! I was sleeved 11/2012 in Mexico as my husbands insurance didn't cover any form of bariatric care and he's watched as I've lost the weight and been successful. He's finally decided that he's ready to make his own sleeve journey! I'm so excited for him!! Luckily, his current insurance carrier now does cover bariatric surgery, so I've contacted their 'Bariatric resource center', they've set up a referral in their system, and they're supposed to be calling within 3-5 business days to get him enrolled in the program, and tell us what to expect. Does anyone already know? Does anyone have United through Raytheon? What services do they cover? Do they cover the sleeve?! Of course my husband and I both are partial to the sleeve as that's what I've had and been highly successful, of course we've done all of the research and feel the sleeve is best anyway. We are so excited for this journey for him, and know we'll get the info in about a week anyway, but does anyone else out there already know?! Having been a Mexico sleever, my process was pretty quick and seamless, choose your Dr., the surgery, pay, do a 2 week liquid diet, fly to Mexico and have surgery! I know it won't be nearly as quick and easy, but just wondering if United requires a 6 month supervised diet, does it depend on co-morbidities? My husband has a BMI of 49 and also has a heart murmer. Any info will be great! I'm just as excited now as I was when I had first decided to be sleeved and started my journey! YAY!

Asking your provider (insurance provider?) or asking the hospital what their cash price is? These are 2 different things. My surgery billed at 38K but the insurance agreed rate was under 12K (what BCBSIL actually paid). A lot of hospitals in the US offer cash prices in the 11-12K range. http://kcbariatric.com/compare/ http://www.hoab.org/procedures/gastric-sleeve-st-louis-mo/ I believe someone who posted on here said blossom was 10K and that was in 2013. http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/27844392/blossom-bariatrics-at-the-forefront-of-low-cost-weight-loss-surgery Everyone has to make a choice that is comfortable for them. You don't really have to have long term care from your surgeon, you can do your follow up care with your primary. If cost is an issue, there are lots of avenues to explore. Depending on where you live in Illinois a BCBS single plan is going to cost you around $300-500 or more a month for one person (it varies by age and county). I think the lowest out of pocket max on a plan is $4500. So premiums and out of pocket are going to be 7500-9500 alone. Might as well cash pay, because you are basically cash paying at that point anyway. Unless you have your heart set on using Northwestern or University of Chicago, I don't see any other center in Illinois being worth the cost and hassle of insurance.

If you're talking about an open enrollment period at his place of employment, you don't need to take a chance. Call the insurance company--or check their website--to determine their policy for covering bariatric surgery. (And don't let them get away with saying it has to be "medically necessary." When they told me that, I said, "So, if any doctor says I need this, you're going to pay for it, right?" THEN, they found the criteria.) If it looks like you meet that criteria, change insurance in November, but change back the following year. Unless the insurance is $1000/month out of pocket, you'll still save money. And even if THAT doesn't work, see if his employer offers a Section 125 account, which will let you pay out of pocket with tax free money.

My last appointment with the bariatric medical specialist and dietitian at my surgeon's office on Friday, April 4. I am feeling very anxious about everything because I am afraid I will not get approved. I have several comorbidities: diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, GERD, and a bmi of 46. Should I be this worried?

This is a quick question, I'm rereading my letter to meet the surgeon and says "initial assessment for bariatric surgery" I'm from the UK so may be different from other places but does anyone know what this means/what I'll have to have done? I'm just so nervous, I feel like I just need to know everything when meeting them.

Today, Oct 20th, marks my second anniversary of this surgery we call RnY. In a very real sense it feels like the second birthday of the new and improved me. I can't help but reflect back on all of the changes that the last two years have seen. And at the same time, thinking in terms of new goals and challenges for the coming year. The first year following my surgery was an exciting time indeed. I was laser focused on one thing - achieving my optimum weight. I decided even before my surgery that rather than set a specific goal weight, I would allow my body to tell me when it was where it wanted to be. Just over a year later, that message came at 155 lbs. My weight stabilized. I felt great. And in my one year follow-up visit with my surgeon, she recommended that I not lose any more. It was time to shift my thinking, and my actions, away from losing and toward maintaining the new, 130 lb lighter, me. I had reached my destination. When I looked back at that first year, it occurred to me that is was much like what walking a tightrope would be. Maintaining an average calorie intake of just under 1300 calories a day was something of a delicate balancing act. There were days when I was over my goal. And those days had to be followed by "corrections" - days when I was under my goal. It was all about balance. And in the back of my mind the nagging, and always present fear that one misstep could result in all being lost. The more rational, confident part of me did not think that would happen. Still, I knew the surgery could be defeated. What if... So in that same follow-up appointment, my surgeon recommended that I increase my calories to approximately 1800 a day. To be sure, the number had some appeal. But I was concerned that it might be too high. What if? So I opted for a gradual increase to a more conservative 1600 calorie goal. My decision was undoubtedly due in part to a concern that kept going through my mind. It seemed that everywhere I looked, I read that many (if not most) bariatric surgery patients gain 10-20 lbs somewhere between 12 to 18 months post-op. A weight gain that is often described as "bounce back". That was out of the question. I was determined to not let that happen. So my goal for this past year became ensuring that I held my weight at, or very close to, the 155 lb mark. As the days and weeks went by my confidence grew. I decided it was time to really get to know my new body. I was tired of the balancing act. I wanted to enjoy a nice dinner at a nice restaurant with my wife, our family or friends. Or Celebrate a holiday or birthday enjoying the food that is inevitably part of festivities. I needed to test my limits. And I needed to know whether or not I had what it takes to do those things and still control my weight. Thanks to the amazing power of my food log, I got my answer. And it was in pursuit of that Quest that I discovered something quite remarkable. First there was the occasional 1800 calorie day. Not surprisingly, the following morning weigh-in usually reflected a gain of a pound or so. So my calorie goal became 1400-1500 for the next day or two. And sure enough, my weight would drop back down. Not just once or twice, but a number of times over the weeks and months that followed. Then came the occasional 2000 calorie day. Not often, but every now and then. Weight went up. Calories were reduced for a day or two. Weight came back down. At some point along the way I had a revelation. Controlling your weight is not about walking a tightrope - it's about riding a teeter totter. Up...and down. Up...and down. Gently. Relaxed. No fear. One misstep is not catastrophic. Wow. Since hitting the 155 lb mark almost a year ago, my weight has never been more than 156, or less than 151. This morning, this second anniversary of the new me, 152.2. No bounce back. Wow. So my goal for the coming year? More of the same. I have read in many places, including this forum, that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult after the two year mark. But I will be facing that new challenge coming not from a place of fear, but of vigilance. My food log will guide me. And it will tell the story. So next year, same time, same place - the next chapter in this amazing, life-changing journey.

I had my band for almost 8 years. (just 2 months shy) and I did the yo-yo weight loss all 8 years. I never lost more than 50% of my excess weight, and it always came right back on, no matter what I did. I started having issues keeping anything down last Feb (2013) and by the end of March, I had been in the ER 4 times with uncontrolled vomiting. (still didn't lose any weight) I had an endoscope, and a stomach emptying test, nothing abnormal other than reflux in either test. I was also checked for spasms in my esophagus, all normal. I had my band placed in Chicago, and had moved to Florida in the mean time, so I didn't have a band doctor. I knew someone that had just been sleeved, and she LOVED her bariatric surgeon, so I set up a consult with him on the suggesting of my GI doc. Because I was having issues, they waived their program fee and agreed to see me, knowing my band would most likely have to be removed. He did a barium swallow, and saw instantly that my stomach had prolapsed into my band, and the band would have to be removed. This was already the last part of April. The surgeon submitted to my Insurance and they were fine with the sleeve surgery, but didn't want to cover the band removal. How stupid is that???? He called them when they received the reply from the insurance, and told them if they didn't approve the band removal, he would keep me in the hospital on IV fluids and bed rest until they got their head out of their asses and approved me. I was approved within 48 hours, and had my band removed, and the sleeve done on May 8th last year. I was at goal before Thanksgiving. I'm now 115 pounds, and a size 4/6. I have managed to actually get under my original goal. When I get the sleeve I said I would like to be in single digit sizes, for the first time since highschool, I surpassed that goal, and then I wanted to be 135 pounds (that would put me in the middle of the "healthy" bmi scale) now I am borderline underweight. I don't regret the revision for one single moment, and I made him swear to me that he would do my sleeve if at all possible at the same time, and if not in the same surgery then as soon as I was healed I would be sleeved, the surgeon agreed, and the rest as they say is history. I can't tell you how very happy I am.

Also Syntrax Matrix 2.0 has samples. I can't think of the site. I think it's bariatric pantry. I will get it when I go to work.

I know they are fabulous but this isn’t a thread about whether I should buy one or not. The question is how well do bariatric patients do with eating food from an Air Fryer? What’s your experience? Every non-bariatric person I know loves theirs. But I’ve seen several articles lately discussing how the end product is not good for those that have had WLS as the food isn’t as tender or smooth as it should be. Most articles referred to items with crunchy outsides. So, thoughts?

This is really true. I don't know specifically about bariatric surgeons, but my GP, the kids' pediatrician, the orthopedist, the neurologist all have signs up in their office saying they don't take the CA Exchange plans including Blue Cross. I always have to clarify WHICH Blue Cross I have when signing in

I would call and talk to the bariatric coordinator at El Camino hospital - that's where Pamf does it's WLS. She probably knows the best plans. I just had my VGS done by one of their best - no complaints. Pm me if you want more details.

My bariatric team has a nurse manager whom I can take issues to. Short of bugging the surgeon, I can contact her when the process is not going smoothly. Stay on it and stay pro-active. Stay in their face about it.

I just decided last week to get the sleeve. I was going in for a band removal (slippage), get GERD fixed, and removal of gallbladder; but recently was told I'm diabetic. I've been pre diabetic for a year, but the crap hit the fan a month ago! My bariatric doc told me 2 years ago that if I had not lost a significant amount of weight, I should consider the sleeve. The diabetes diagnosis threw me for a loop, and I figured since they are already in there, now is the time! I lost 49 lbs with the band, but I would have done it without. It worked great for a year, but then I busted my butt to lose more and keep it up! I've been obese my entire life! I'll be 50 next year, and I'm so tired all the time! I have IgA Nephropathy (kidney) that makes me exhausted all the time. I have to drop this weight if I am going to have a chance at life! I cannot remember the last time I was under 300lbs! When I hit the 200s, I'll be the happiest ever!!! I'm 323 now, hoping the sleeve will give me the push needed to lose weight for my health! Good Luck Everyone!

I get the shake mix at hi health. I don't know if they have one in your area, but I do know they ship. I also got all my vitamins there, they have a brand specifically for our needs. They are very Bariatric surgery friendly there.

Hi Ladies. It is nice to see some posters over 50 (age not BMI). I am not sleeved yet but my op is booked for 3 April. I won't use numbers for the date because as you can see from my username I am in the UK and we write our dates the other way round so 3 april is 3/4/12 which I believe for you reads 4 March 12. It causes me great confusion when I am reading posts. Anyway I will be 53 when I have my op. I am very calm about it all at the moment but no doubt the nerves will kick in closer to the time. Sleeves and wraps are not so common here in the UK yet though the sleeve market is growing. That is why I follow a US forum as there are more people giving feedback. I am a self funder as bariatric surgery is very limited (on the nhs) in the UK and usually you need a BMI of 50 to be considered or have health issues. My BMI is 43 and I did not want to put more weight on just to get in the maybe line. This is my first post but I have been looking for a month or so. Cathy