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In my opinion, there are some snarky responses that show up on here from time to time. Some of them get deleted quickly by the administration. Others are clearly meant not to help, but to shame. A poster being told they didn't deserve surgery, just as one example. I don't see how that's just an honest response or tough love. Bariatric Pal has been an invaluable source of information and inspiration. By a large majority, the people here are supportive and helpful, but I have seen some remarks over the past 1 1/2 years that are just plain mean. Please don't beat me up for this post - just my opinion.

Oh no, that stinks! I have a friend with BCBS OK, and they were told, last year I believe, that WLS was not covered... but I would imagine there are several different plans, and if you have an approval from late December, I don't see how they can back out now! By the way, I live in OK too, just north of OKC proper... I'm having surgery soon, I hope, down in Norman (my friend is a bariatric nurse down there, so I chose that hospital). I think you're the first person I've seen on here from OK, so I just wanted to say hello!

I need help quick before I lose all of my finger nails! My finger nails are so sore from ripping down to the quick. I really don’t know what to do? This just started at month 5. I started losing hair bad about 4 months and upped the vitamins and biotin. I take chewable Bariatric fusion in addition to cal-mag-zinc, k, biotin, A, and fish oil. I get between 75-100 grams of protein daily and average 1000 calories a day. I bought some Hair, skin, and nails and added it one week who but I need a fast fix here. I am not vain about my nails and don’t paint them but just want to keep them for every day use and make them stop hurting. I don’t bite them, don’t drink and don’t smoke. My meat consumption is fairly low but I get protein through Greek yogurt, beans, protein shakes, and small amounts of chicken a few times a week. Please help me keep my finger nails!

Getting banded has been really great so far. My surgery went without a hitch and I was out of bed and rarring to go almost immediately following. Its early days, but I remain hopefully optimistic that this will work out in ways that all the other diets that I have tried have not. I consider myself a professional inexpert dieter --if its out there I have tried it. Low carb, no carb, nutri whatever, ww, fasting, diet pepsi and cigarettes, opti, medi, HMR, slimfast, diet pills (Rx and OTC) added to the mix to keep my appetite in check. My best and longest successful dieting foray was from the winter of 2000 through the summer of 2003. With boatloads of Water, a low carb diet, and as much exercise as I could stand -- I managed to lose about 90 lbs (this left me still needing to lose about 50 or 60 lbs to achieve a healthy weight by American standards and certainly by my standard). However, the long plateau worked to undermine my dedication and the weight began creeping back at a pretty steady clip. I never again got to my high of 292, but at my first weigh in with the lap band surgeon I was about 268 or so. It was a tough decision for me to make. For a variety of reasons I wasn't interested in a bypass....and it killed me that essentially I am paying someone to restrict my food intake. But the yo-yo dieting had really defeated me. I have been forturnate in that I am a relatively healthy fat person -- but I knew that time was working against me and the older I got -- the less likely that that trend would continue. So it was with alot of baggage that I started shopping around for a bariatric doctor to explore the lap band. The whole insurance thing was/is a hassle. They cover, but I couldn't find an in network provider (in NYC or NJ), just out of network with a threatened 70% coverage amount. I haven't seen any bills yet. I will certainly provide updates as that situation unfolds. Post surgically I have "officially" lost 14 lbs.... this is a little sketchy in my opinion. They weighed me at the hospital the day of .. and I was a whopping 274. I think working the day before from home, planted in front of my computer all day with no food after 3pm and no liquid (because I can be overzealous in following pre-surgery instructions) had me retaining major water. If I go by my last weigh in at the doctor the week before my surgery my weight loss as of 12-19-2007 is closer to 4 lbs. Post surgically, I was bullied by my doctor to lose about 10 lbs. Surprisingly, I have found that I am not at all interested in monitoring my weight other than whatever I am forced to do when I go to the doctor. I mean why torture myself? That's why I decided to get the surgery, right? This should not be interpreted as not monitoring my intake.... I have. Although I didn't do so good with the whole crushing pills until 1 month after surgery. Yuck! I just couldn't. I have tried my best to limit my intake, eat three times a day with no snacking and don't eat and drink at the same sitting. The last has proven to be the toughest thing. Also, it has put me in jeopardy of not taking in enough water -- I am trying but if you can't drink during, or up to 30 minutes before or after, and can't gulp it down like medicine.... I am reduced to totting around a bottle and taking sips all damn day. It has proven to be my greatest challenge so far. :faint: But generally speaking -- its so far so good and I am hopeful that I will have lost another couple of pounds when next I see my doctor 1-15-2008. And if I haven't... that's alright. The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year is like 5 lbs, right? If I managed to dodge that bullet -- its all good. Later,

Karey Renewed and Shalee both made great points and I thought I would add my 2 cents worth. I have been following your journey for months now and I know you have had lots of ups and downs and it is really natural, especially as you get near to the date to second and third and fourth guess yourself. Those close to you want to make sure that you are sure in your decision, because they know this is a big deal and they worry for you. You are the only one who really knows how losing a little (or alot) of excess skin and fat can make you feel about yourself. At the end of the day they just can't fully relate, as they have only seen the external battle you have fought. This surgery is obviously really important to you in your journey of self worth and self esteem. You have worked very hard for your results and you are at a time in your life when you can devote some time and resources to achieving your dreams. It is not selfish to want to see the outside you match the you you feel inside. I would guess that after this part of your journey is complete you will be able to turn to other projects again and achieve complete satisfaction in them as well. Maybe try thinking about it this way - you have devoted yourself for years to the projects of your marriage and family and kids and now it is time to spend on the project of YOU!!!! I know you are worried about your brother, but the cruel reality of life is that there are always going to be problems and crisis' that need assistance. You can't always be there to rescue others and maybe one of the lessons of life is that even if we can help out, does that mean we should or that we have to? We all have our own paths to travel and maybe we have to let others get to their own life lessons without us. Only you can decide what you should or shouldn't do. Know that people do support you and understand how difficult this all is. Whatever you decide, it will be for the best. Please take the time to think about what is best for YOU - not everyone else. You deserve it. Jacquie

I don't like pain. Surgery is painful, and gastric bypasses are major surgery. If I were in your shoes, I would try to find another surgeon in my area who would be willing to take on another surgeon's patient. If I couldn't find one, I'd go back to my original doctor. You might get a disapproving look. You might not. Explain that you were discouraged and afraid, but now you're ready to do what you can to make the band work for you (but this part applies only if you are really ready). I'm newly banded, but I've done a lot of reading and have learned that fills are fickle things. The first one doesn't usually give restriction to people. I was told to expect four to six fills (or more!) before mine would be where I need it to be. Maybe one fill wasn't enough for you. Don't forget that nutrition is important, too! If your surgeon didn't give you instructions on how to eat after you were banded, do research or call your surgeon's office! There's a wealth of information available in this and other forums. Find a nutritionist who specializes in bariatric surgery. Exercise!! If I did all of this and the band still wasn't helping me, I would consider other surgeries, but not before. Mainly because of the anesthesia, cutting, and recovery time :confused: Really, this is how *I* would approach it. You have to weigh your options and consider what is best for you. Lap-bands don't work for everyone; neither do bypasses. Sometimes it's because, for whatever reason, the particular method was incompatible with the patient's body. Sometimes it's because the patient cheated the system, which is possible with ANY weight loss procedure. You HAVE to follow the rules or you're not going to be successful. You HAVE to go to follow up appointments to make sure you're doing well and things are working as they should. *hugs* I understand feeling out of control and spiraling into a bad place. That's how I got to be 300 pounds. There came a time when I realized that what I was doing wasn't helping me at all. I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps (that was hard), admit to my mistakes (even harder), and decide what to do about the situation. It sucked! But I did it. And you can too. (Sorry for babbling and/or incoherency. I'm tired!)

Thank you everyone for your support.... I still feel a bit humiliated by the doctors approach not because of the request for me to Lose wt but his general cavalier glib attitude. I sure do appreciate everyones support... I wish I knew other Washington state bariatric surgeons ..... Any suggestions? Thank you......

is your PCP all bariatrics? or do they do other surgeries? i'd almost encourage you to look into a diff program bc thats a lot of requirements.. the other program i looked into also said no BC d/t the clotting chance.. but id say if ur IUD doesnt contain hormones, then theres no clotting increase.. its the hormones my doc wanted down.

my doc gave me a list, first 3 days after surgery = liquid diet days 4-7 full liquid days 8-10 = puree days 11-14 minced week 3 soft week 4 bariatric regular not a whole lot to choose from on the list, everything is fat free, sugar free, and you got the Protein first cottage cheese, mashed pototes, pureed meats, pureed veggies, sf yogurts, cream of wheat, oatmeal, then on week 4 you can pretty much eat anything just cut into tiny pieces, some things like raw veggies, tough fruit and hot peppers are to be avoided for like 6 months hope that helps good luck

I'm adding to my list. I'm going to go back to school to study to be a Bariatric Nutritionist or for those who are Super / Morbidly Obese. I will also have a side job as a Personal Trainer. Can't wait!!!

You would be amazed at how many surgeons are doing bariatric surgery but aren't certified in it........

I had the exact same problem. I was in Virginia when I had my first surgery. They took me to the operating room and unfortunately they couldn't do it since my liver was enlarged. When I went to sacramento to see dr. Eslami in sacramento Slimlifesolutions.com he operated on me three months later and I got my sleeve. I think it all depends in surgeons experience. The only thing is I had to pay cash since my insurance didn't cover here in ca. I'm so happy with the surgery and so thankful to dr. Eslami. I was informed that having enlarge liver is common and happens in over weight patients. I would recommend dr. Eslami he's a great bariatric surgeon. I don't know where you live but you should check out their website. Mary, Love my new life

I went private. I would not have qualified for public. I went to a great bariatric specialist here in Auckland but she doesn't do the plastics unfortunately. I know a few who have gone to Thailand for plastics so it may be worth exploring. I always get travel insurance when we travel (your Mum is right ) and I had never thought about how there is probably an option for medical travel insurance so I will look into it!

those are the 2 classes I have to take thru Bridges Bariatric center before my surgery

Please help, I just got a denial letter from my surgeons office saying that I didn't have 2 comorbids that have not responded to maximum medical management that are generally expected to be reversed or improved by bariatric treatment!!!! My BMI is 35.6 my comorbids are a high cholesterol of 254 and sleep apnea. I have had high cholesterol for years with no medication and I have had a sleep study done years ago but I dont use a cpap. Any ideas on how to appeal this decision?? My surgeon's office submitted all other requirements. I have tried other weight loss methods like weight watchers, used phen phen, atkins diet, dexatrim, slim fast, scarsdale medical diet, grapefruit diet, etc..Any info would help... I am desperate !!! I am scheduled for surgery on November 4th supposedly. Very upset and can't stop crying here..

Use google to find SI or Manhattan (if you want) surgeons. You can then research the ones that seem convenient for you and then make appointments for seminars or consultations with the doc or docs that appeal to you the most. Once you select a surgeon, they can pretty much set you up with whatever else you need from there for the surgery and for your insurance, including a PCP for the supervised diet and etc. I am assuming you have already checked with your insurance provider to see if your policy covers bariatric surgery. Welcome to the site and good luck to you! Let us know how things go.

Do you just eat what you want, but in tiny portions? That's what i'm finding...and am still losing, I tend to think it's still about calories in vs out....And i've cut back on almost all of my carbs.Hi Joshua - here's my question's for you in this order: 1) where do you live? I have an endless list of "honey-do" home improvement projects that never get done. I need base baseboards, a full bathroom remodel, a new light fixture hung... The list could go on and on. Of course all of this will likely be put on hold in favor of a tummy tuck and a new set of knockers now that I'm living life at goal weight and I had to choose how to spend my money! 2) Do you have access to the Internet? Of course you do! You're on here! I find it concerning that your receiving minimal after-care post-surgery. It is bothersome that your surgeon and his/her team are not available to you for support. However, there is a wealth of information about the Bariatric lifestyle available online including food stages and timing. May I also suggest the book our buddy Alex of BP wrote? I think it's called The big book on the Gastric Sleeve. It's available on Amazon. Just google his name. To answer your question about eating whatever you want - yes, during the entire 14 months post WLS, I have been pretty much able to eat whatever I want in smaller quantities. Does this mean that I CHOSE to eat whatever I want? We will save that for later. I DID however follow the rules regarding the progression from liquids to puréed to soft foods, etc. This is SO important as your stomach has been cut open and it is trying to mend itself. Do you really want something sharp in there risking you to develop a leak?!? I tried to find my WLS binder to take pictures of the food stages and suggested meals. It's MIA. Maybe someone else can do that here for you. Also get on the Internet and do some research!!! Here's the other reason why I'm going to tell you not to rush into solid foods - it's during these first few weeks specifically that you will lose the greatest amount of weight. As you start to introduce more food into your diet and as time goes on, your weight loss WILL slow down. It's the biggest mystery here. I'm 14 months out and living life at goal weight, but there's plenty people on here who are exercising like crazy, taking in less than 1200 a day and their weight loss has hit a plateau. They SHOULD be losing weight if it was all about the input vs. output theory. So yes, right now, so early after surgery, you are in what we call the "honeymoon" phase. It's when you can eat like crap if you chose and still lose weight. It's an awesome feeling, huh? Can I make a suggestion? Read this forum. Often. Perhaps visit the veterans board. The process begins to change the farther you get out from surgery. At some point you WILL stop losing unless you start putting some effort in. WHEN exactly this occurs is different for each of us. For me, the process was a tad easy. I suspect it was because I started the process at a lower BMI. I considered myself a slow loser, but I had no issue reaching my surgeon's goal for me and surpassing it by 10 pounds before a year's time. Now with that being said, my personal stretch goal is another 10-12 pounds from where I am. My body is quite content in staying exactly where I am IF I continue doing what I have been doing the past 14 months since surgery - eating what I want and exercising (sporadically.). Some people have to put more effort in to work their "tool." My time has come. What I can tell you is this time in the journey is really tough for those who haven't developed healthy lifestyles. This requires that we are honest with ourselves and take a look at the reasons at how or why we were significantly overweight. At 14 months out, I still have restriction, but I could easily eat around the sleeve if I wanted to. Regain at this stage is really common. I wasn't always over weight and gained weight as a result of poor work-life balance after having children. This past year I have made efforts to plan meals ahead of time to eliminate eating on the go and take out. I never really considered myself an emotional eater, but I've always known there are certain foods I can't have in my house so I've never bought them - Cookies, chips, soda, crackers are foods I would easily binge on. Why risk it? I went into this process already implementing a lot of the lifestyle habits they require post-WLS. I believe this may be in part why the process has been so easy for me. I didn't find it a struggle to adapt at all. I track everything I eat on the loseit app on my phone. This helps me with accountability. I don't really view any food as taboo at this point as long as I account for it and don't forgo Protein or other import nutrients. I stay away from carbs as much as I can. My post is getting long and this point I can't even remember your original question! ????????????????

Hello everyone, I have decided to see a patient advocate at TrueResults in Phoenix to see if I am qualified for the gastric sleeve. I gave all my insurance information to them before my appointment (I have Highmark BCBS through my employer, Centene Corp). The patient advocate informed me that they verified my coverage and that I meet all the requirements for a bariatric surgery. However, my BMI is under 40 and I do have one of the co-morbidity mentioned in the insurance requirements which is HBP. My dilemma is that the patient advocate said that I am required to be on two blood pressure pills in order to qualify - which I am - but the customer service people at Highmark BCBS keep telling me that I need to be on three HBP pills in order to qualify (they even sent me a hard copy of the requirements). I don't know who is right and I don't want to start this journey and to find out that I am denied. Has anybody else experience something like this ? I would think that the insurance people at TrueResults have accurate information, but I doubt it right now. The customer service rep at Highmark gave me the requirements for Highmark BCBS in general, but I know every employer might override these general requirements. Please help ! Thank you. Isabella

I am having my surgery in Danville on August 19th. Docs name is Jon Gabrielse. Are you having a full incision surgery?I have been going to danville since November 2013. The horrible winter caused some delay in attending all the sessions i had to go to, but am now fully ready...I think I learned a great deal from each member of their team, and they are easy to talk to. we drive over 2 hours to get to Geisinger, but its been worth it. Are you going to the main hospital or one of the clinics? that doctor isnt one on my list from the bariatric center.

Ok here goes, i was banded june of 2010, i weighed 215, i did fine and lost 60 lbs over the last two years, then in october of 2012 i felt i was more hungry and was putting on a little weight so i went to my gastro for a fill, when the asst dr looked at the band under floro i was told it had prolapsed and all the Fluid had to be removed for one month, i was pretty bummed to say the least, after the month i had gained 10lbs and they put a couple ccs in the band, sfter a couple weeks of no restriction i went back to be told it had prolapsed again, fluid was removed again for one month (this of course was during all the eating holidays of course) i went back in dec and had it filled again, again no restriction even though they say looking at the band under fluro that it is tight enough!!, finally in febuary of 2013 i went back to see the surgeon himself instead of his assistances and told him about everything that had been happening, he pulled up the photos of the past fills and unfills and said it had NOT prolapsed!!!! he took me down to radiology and under fluro checked with blue dye and confirmed all was well he put me to 3ccs and said i was tight!!! well guess what?? i have absoulutly no restriction what so ever and have gained 30 lbs through this mess and have during this mess i had new insurance with no bariatric coverage and recieved a bill foe 1700.00 for all the times i was back and forth for fills!!! i have gotten so desperate i purchased 19 gauge 1.5 inch needles and saline and am planning on adding a fill by myself!!!! PLEASE anyone that can add insight to any of this please help i am desperate, frustrated and fat again,!!!!! PS every time i went back in i was questioned about my eating and made to feel this was my fault and i have to do better, WELL hello i am obviuosly an overeater and had the lapband fpr help in this area!!!

Sorry I'm not sure how to reply to a particular thread...I'm new to this. I have been talking with alighterme and they gave me one price for Dr. Ortiz, but when I told them I wanted Dr. Lopez they told me $750 more (I'm not letting money make my decision especially not worth my life over $750 dollars). I then read on here that Dr. Lopez was not with alighterme anymore so I tried contacting Dr. Lopez direct which lead me to Mexico Bariatric Center where she told me that alighterme is lying to me about Dr. Lopez working for them. In the meantime I have a friend that used alighterme a year ago (Dr. Ortiz assisted Dr. Lopez with her surgery). She contacted alighterme & they told her he was with them until the end of the year. I'm so CONFUSED & overwhelmed with making a decision. Talking to both of these companies has now made me very skeptical of using either one. I'm not sure who to believe and not sure if I want to put my trust in them for my surgery.

For a multivitamin with iron included I think I'm going to order these. Only one a day and it's chewable and cheap. http://www.procarenow.com/Chewable-One-A-Day-Bariatric-Multi-Vitamin--30-ct_p_10002.html

U look so happy, refreshed, and beautiful. I am truly happy for you. My highest weight was 360. Right now I am 338 and I feel miserable. And just like you said I am only existing and not living life. I can not wait to start living life because at the weight I am right now it doesn't seem possible. Thank u for being an inspiration. I can not wait to get this bariatric program rolling so that I can get my surgery.

Hi, That's great result. Concerning me, I have lost 34 punds far and still have to lose 22 pounds to reach my personal goal. I did that in less than 3 months and I am proud of this result. Actually Dr. Habib Ajami, the bariatric surgeon , was of great support . That's why I think the doctor usually plays a very important role in his patient's new life. Good luck again

Advances in Obesity Coverage Under the ACA The ACA does have some provisions that help to reduce obesity on a national level. It includes $15 billion in funding for wellness and disease prevention programs, many of which will target obesity. Another preventive measure is that the ACA requires restaurant chains to post calorie counts on menus. The ACA requires Medicare providers to cover obesity screening and counseling when you go to the doctor, and many healthcare insurance providers are also providing these services. Another provision of the ACA is that employees in qualifying programs are reimbursed for their healthy behaviors. If they do not smoke, maintain a healthy weight, and have blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels within the normal range, employees can get up to $800 per year. Employees with obesity can get cash back if they lose at least 10 percent of their body weight, but will not receive the money until they reach a BMI under 30. The ACA also forbids health insurance providers to deny you coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Since obesity is now recognized as a disease, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), health insurance providers cannot refuse to accept you just because of your obesity. You also cannot be denied coverage just because you had weight loss surgery in the past. Measurable Benefits Expected With These ACA Provisions Each of the above provisions can lead to small amounts of weight loss. For example, counseling for weight loss can lead to a loss of about 5 percent of body weight on average. This modest weight loss can improve blood sugar, blood pressure, and other measures of health, and it can save you, your provider, and the government money. Limitations/More Is Needed However, if you are a weight loss surgery candidate, losing 5 percent of body weight will still leave you with a good amount of excess body weight. Obesity-related health conditions such as diabetes and arthritis are still a threat, and your obesity is likely to continue to interfere with your daily life. Bariatric surgery can be effective against obesity, and it can also fight diabetes and other conditions. With its potential to treat obesity, you might expect it to be covered under the ACA. Unfortunately, only some states cover it. State by State Differences in Healthcare Coverage – Benchmark Plans The ACA requires states to offer acceptable health insurance plans, but these plans may vary by state. The plans that states can offer to fulfill the requirements are known as benchmark plans. These plans set the minimum level of benefits that a state must provide, and the benefits are based on current plans within a state. So, states where competing private plans do not cover weight loss surgery are not likely to offer Obamacare plans that cover weight loss surgery. To make matters worse, the states that do not cover weight loss surgery tend to be the states with the highest rates of obesity. In effect, the more likely you are to have obesity, the less likely you are to live in a state that covers bariatric surgery. You can find out more about each state’s benchmark plan from the government’s The Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) site. Which States Cover Weight Loss Surgery? So far, 22 states cover bariatric surgery. Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming Five states and cover weight loss programs, but do not necessarily cover weight loss surgery. California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico Twenty-eight states do not cover bariatric surgery or other extensive obesity treatment. Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin Coverage Often Seems Reluctant Even if your health care coverage includes weight loss surgery, it can come with a lot of hoops. For example, you may need to wait a certain number of months or diet to lose a certain amount of weight before you can get the surgery. Your plan may not cover the type of weight loss surgery that you are hoping to get, especially in the case of newer surgery types such as the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve). There can also be a lifetime limit of one surgery, which does you no good if your first surgery did not work. If surgery is a disease, shouldn't you be entitled to treatment that works? What Can You Do? You can advocate for making weight loss surgery a required service under Obamacare by reaching out to state and federal representatives. If you live in a state where bariatric surgery is already covered, contact your representatives in Congress. If you live in a state where bariatric surgery is not yet covered, contact your Congress people, and also contact your state representatives. In your letter, phone call, or email to your representative, explain what bariatric surgery means to you and to the thousands of others like you. Explain why you need it to lose weight, and how you feel that it could impact your life. Describe the obstacles and health problems that you face because of obesity. Your goal is to convince the representative that weight loss surgery needs to be covered. If weight loss surgery is the only effective treatment for obesity, it should be included in a healthcare plan. Otherwise, we will continue to struggle with these same problems because not everyone can afford the thousands of dollars it takes to get the surgery done.