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I am having my surgery at Methodist Medical Center. My surgeon is Jayar Salimath. The Methodist Surgery and Weight Loss center is in Peoria, Il here is a list that pops up under my surgeons profile; Other Bariatric Surgeons near Peoria, IL Gerald Cahill ? Evergreen Park Christopher D. Joyce ? Joliet Brian E. Lahmann ? Joliet Constantine T Frantzides M.D., P.H.D., ? Skokie Jeffrey Rosen ? Downers Grove Jonathan W. Wallace ? Hoffman Estates Alexander Nagle ? Chicago James M. Kane Jr. ? Hoffman Estates Stephen Haggerty ? Highland Park Amir Heydari ? Crystal Lake

I'm from the South Bend area and am going to Memorial Weight Loss and Bariatrics (I HIGHLY recommend them - they focus on making over your mind as well, and really teach you everything you need to succeed; there's a NUT, a counselor, and an insurance pro in addition to the surgeon). My surgery is March 13! It took 8 months to get a date after all the insurance and testing but I'm so happy it's finally close!

Enjoy! I like the tight skin where I can not grab the inside of bones! I had not heard of bariatric MD doing tucks new information for me!

VerticalSleeveTalk Newsletter Hey Sleevers!Welcome to summer! We hope you’re looking forward to some well-deserved rest and relaxation, to an exciting vacation or to some extra time with friends and family. VerticalSleeveTalk.com is the happening place to be this summer, and we’re always delighted with the kindness, insights and chatter that our members bring to create this welcoming community! Here are the contents of this month’s newsletter: Sleever Poll: Where Are You in Your Weight Loss Journey? Member Spotlight: Meet M2G! Summer Weight Loss: Tips to Help You Stay Focused! Weight Loss Surgery Safety: Hydration in Summer Things are heating up at VerticalSleeveTalk.com, so don’t miss a moment! Enjoy the newsletter, then head on over to the boards to talk about it – and whatever else is on your mind! Thousands of members are online, so come join the fun. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder VerticalSleeveTalk.com Sleever Poll: Where Are You in Your Weight Loss Journey? One of the great things about our community is that our members are all in different stages of their weight loss journeys. So, we’re curious – where are you in your journey? I’m still exploring my options for weight loss. I don’t know if weight loss surgery is right for me. I’m definitely going for bariatric surgery, but am not yet sure which type. I’m going for the sleeve and have set my surgery date (or am trying to get one set). I got my surgery already and am busy losing weight. I am within 15 pounds of goal weight or am already maintaining it! I am not a weight loss surgery patient, but am on VerticalSleeveTalk.com to support someone who is. Other. Choose your answer and tell us more on the discussion boards using this link! Member Spotlight: Meet M2G! This month, our Member Spotlight is on M2G from Colorado. This busy print graphic artist and student struggled with her weight for 15 years with yo-yo dieting. She didn’t have high cholesterol or blood pressure, but got the sleeve because she was “sick and tired of being fat.” Still hesistant to share her starting weight, this 5’6” woman says she was closer to 300 pounds than 250. Her surgery was in July 2010 and she is at a comfortable, non-obese weight! She’s also proud of her husband who’s approaching his two-year sleeve anniversary! M2G says that the biggest difference in her life has been how she feels about herself. She also appreciates the freedom that she has from not being “weighed down.” Now, she’s able to “do normal things” like climbing stairs and tying her shoes without thinking about them. Her great moments come from “not worrying about weight limits!!” She can go do whatever she wants now, such as sledding, going to Water and amusement parks and playing with her kids on the trampoline in the back yard. She also loves knowing that the clothes in her closet fit and look good, and that she doesn’t have to shop in the plus size section of the store. M2G is proud of her husband for getting off of his blood pressure medications after his surgery. The daily grind has been one of M2G’s greatest challenges. She says that hearing people say that “this surgery isn’t a magic bullet” is one thing, while actually living the challenge is something else. She had to learn to make the best decisions for her weight and health instead of trying to justify a cookie or some cheesecake. M2G says that from the beginning, she was grateful for the information she could get from VerticalSleeveTalk.com. Her surgeon was great but relatively new – M2G was only his 15th sleeve patient! As she says, “the forum was a lifesaver. Virtually “meeting” others who had been sleeved, and not only lived to tell about it but who also shared their experiences was so comforting.” She used it for reassurance that her symptoms were normal and also to get recipes and product ideas. Now, she takes comfort in knowing that the forums are always here if she needs them. Her advice for others is that “the sleeve is a tool; use it wisely.” She suggests underfilling the sleeve rather than risking overfilling it. Nearly three years post-surgery, M2G still eats only 1,100 to 1,200 calories per day. She also reminds other sleevers that the journey “has no destination.” You always need to mindful of your diet, and the sleeve will help. M2G, thanks for making time in your busy schedule to be in our Member Spotlight! Congratulations on looking great and on leading a healthier life with your husband! Do you like learning more about our members? Help us keep the Member Spotlight feature going strong by nominating a member on our Member Spotlight forum. You can also nominate yourself! If you’re shy and don’t want to post on the forum, just send Alex Brecher a private message that you want to be in the spotlight. Thanks! Summer Weight Loss: Tips to Help You Stay Focused! You can get off track with your weight loss if you lose focus during the long, hot days of summer. This year’s New Year’s resolutions feel like ancient history; the city streets are emptier because children are out of school and people are out of town on vacation; and in June, the summer ahead seems limitless. Don’t let the long, hot days of summer interfere with your weight loss. Here are a few tips to keep you on track. Set your goals. Make them specific and realistic, and work towards achieving them every day. Pick one or more events to “get in shape for,” and think about them as you’re sticking to your diet. An upcoming wedding, family reunion, vacation or summer party can keep you motivated. Stay positive. We can all feel a little bit down when it’s just too hot, but keep your eyes on the prize. Remind yourself to just take it a day at a time, and think how proud you’ll be at the end of summer when you’ve stuck to your diet. Reward yourself. An ice cream social isn’t the thing after weight loss surgery….but a trip to the beach can keep you cool. Pack a healthy lunch and hang out all day. Walking on the sand is a great workout! Go shopping. The air-conditioned mall lets you walk and window shop. It’s a great time to pick out your dream outfits so you can stay motivated to lose enough weight to fit into them! Don’t fight the heat – beat it! If it’s too hot, don’t exercise outside at high noon. Instead, keep to the cool hours of the early morning or late evening and drink plenty of water. You can also avoid the intense heat by going to the air-conditioned gym, working out at home or walking laps at the mall. Go swimming. Many public pools open in summer, so use the opportunity to try a new activity if you’re not a regular swimmer the rest of the year. Walk or jog in the pool, swim laps or take a water aerobics class. Freeze diet iced tea, lemonade made with a sugar substitute (such as Splenda) or a low-calorie diet juice drink (such as diet Snapple) in ice cube trays. When you get a craving for something cold and sweet, don’t go for the ice cream. Instead, grab an ice cube and save hundreds of calories. Prepare your Protein ahead of time. It’s too hot to cook or bake frequently. Instead, make enough grilled chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, and lean ground turkey for several servings. Refrigerate or freeze your protein so it’s available whenever you need it without needing to turn on the oven or stove. If you follow these tips and stick to your bariatric surgery diet, you’ll see results by the end of summer. Let 2013 be a summer to proudly remember because you did everything you could to lose weight and get healthy! Weight Loss Surgery Safety: Hydration in Summer Everyone’s at risk for dehydration in the summer, but weight loss surgery can present an extra threat. Drinking can make you feel nauseous or too full. After surgery, you can’t have sugary treats like sweet tea or iced mochas, or carbonated soft drinks. Some patients even find that water doesn’t taste good anymore after surgery. So how can you stay hydrated? Try ice water. Jazz up your water with lemon, lime, or mint leaves. Try chilled diet iced tea. Try shaved ice with sugar-free syrup. Make low-calorie cold coffee drinks with sugar substitute instead of sugar. Drink sugar-free Kool-Aid, Crystal Light or another low-calorie fruit drink. Keep a water bottle with you all the time so you automatically sip on it between meals. Drink extra before and after workouts, and sip regularly as you’re sweating. Let your weight loss surgery motivate you to stay healthily hydrated this summer! When you get enough to drink, you have more energy and are less hungry. That’s what we have for this month’s newsletter! We hope it was motivating and helpful. Don’t forget that we’re always happy to hear member feedback, so feel free to contact us! If you ever want to look through the old newsletters, you can check them out, too. Thanks as always for your support! Take care of yourself and each other. Sincerely, Alex ============================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I've been watching a show called "Fat Doctor" on YouTube. It's a British show which documents different people and their weight loss surgeries with a doctor named Shaw Somers. Very well made (very graphic surgery scenes too) FYI - for those of you like me who love their smart phones apps - you can Stream YouTube shows to your tv with a FREE app called Twonky if you have a Roku box or Xbox or Wii and some of the DVD players that have Netflix capabilities (I love this app it's the best invention ever) PM if you need any help with it ! (No I'm not affiliated and I'm not a salesperson !!)

I had my procedure done at the Peachtree Surgical and Bariatrics/Surgery center of Atlanta my surgeon was Dr. Tuggle

I see Dr. Kim is your surgeon. You should have received a white book with dietary guidelines at one of your last appointments, usually "Bariatric U." All the post-op dietary requirements are in there.

@@Hiraeth I have someone like that at work too. I also have this lady who I KNOW has had bariatric surgery. I can just "tell". But she won't talk about it or admit it. I used to knock her for not being honest and just saying it but now I realize why she doesn't. It's like Jenn said, some people are against it out of legitimate concern, others for fear you may succeed. good luck to you! xoxo

Okay, so my PCP referral came through on Saturday for the bariatric surgeon and I had to work on my patience to wait until Monday to call for an appointment. The surgeon had an opening on Wednesday morning, so I am headed there tomorrow to do my intake appointment. The nurse said it will take 2-3 hours. Can anyone help me with what to expect?? I am so nervous, I don't want to mess it up somehow. I know I am a "good" candidate (High BMI, T2D), and I want to have the surgery so badly. I am just afraid of being turned down. Anyone have any tips, or even words of encouragement??? I haven't told anyone about this journey yet, so I am sort of out here alone. Thanks!!

Ok, yes! Be hard on yourself. WTF? Seriously. Call your surgeon and get a referral to your RD and to the bariatric counselor. Start therapy now. This may sound harsh? But you are 4 WEEKS post op! This is the "easiest" and the "hardest" you will ever have it and the time you will feel LEAST like eating in your entire journey. Cuz barring complications like it sounds like you're asking for, your restriction will get increasingly less and less as the months go by and you continue to heal and evolve. You either take care of your food/behavior problems now? Or you could be doomed to either never see goal, or regain. Tough? Fu*k yes. I am being tough and shocking. I hope it shocks you into getting a grip and getting real with your bad choices. It begs to be asked...Why did you have this life-changing surgery if you weren't ready to get serious about living a new life? Ask yourself, WHAT IS YOUR WHY? WHY did you want the surgery? WHY did you want a new lease on life? How important are YOU? How important is your marriage? Your LIFE? (Seriously one of the saddest posts I've ever read and I've read a bunch including a post-op eating pizza at 4 days.)

Try a laxative suppository. When I have got constipation really bad, that did the trick in about 20 minutes. Then once you get that taken care of, take a probiotic and stool softener daily to keep everything moving. The walmart generic stool softener works great, and I like the Bariatric Advantage probiotic. We all know that pain and hope you get it resolved soon.

The following extract brought it home to me totally - I can so relate to all the efforts it takes. I wish many fellow bariatric patients would read it - especially those at the beginning of the journey or trying to decide about surgery. Because let's face it: apart from a few lucky ones who can stay at their target weight without much of an effort, this is what we are all facing after loosing so much weight: Extract: "...Janice Bridge, a registry member who has successfully maintained a 135-pound weight loss for about five years, is a perfect example. “It’s one of the hardest things there is,” she says. “It’s something that has to be focused on every minute. I’m not always thinking about food, but I am always aware of food.” Bridge, who is 66 and lives in Davis, Calif., was overweight as a child and remembers going on her first diet of 1,400 calories a day at 14. At the time, her slow pace of weight loss prompted her doctor to accuse her of cheating. Friends told her she must not be paying attention to what she was eating. “No one would believe me that I was doing everything I was told,” she says. “You can imagine how tremendously depressing it was and what a feeling of rebellion and anger was building up.” After peaking at 330 pounds in 2004, she tried again to lose weight. She managed to drop 30 pounds, but then her weight loss stalled. In 2006, at age 60, she joined a medically supervised weight-loss program with her husband, Adam, who weighed 310 pounds. After nine months on an 800-calorie diet, she slimmed down to 165 pounds. Adam lost about 110 pounds and now weighs about 200. During the first years after her weight loss, Bridge tried to test the limits of how much she could eat. She used exercise to justify eating more. The death of her mother in 2009 consumed her attention; she lost focus and slowly regained 30 pounds. She has decided to try to maintain this higher weight of 195, which is still 135 pounds fewer than her heaviest weight. “It doesn’t take a lot of variance from my current maintenance for me to pop on another two or three pounds,” she says. “It’s been a real struggle to stay at this weight, but it’s worth it, it’s good for me, it makes me feel better. But my body would put on weight almost instantaneously if I ever let up.” So she never lets up. Since October 2006 she has weighed herself every morning and recorded the result in a weight diary. She even carries a scale with her when she travels. In the past six years, she made only one exception to this routine: a two-week, no-weigh vacation in Hawaii. She also weighs everything in the kitchen. She knows that lettuce is about 5 calories a cup, while flour is about 400. If she goes out to dinner, she conducts a Web search first to look at the menu and calculate calories to help her decide what to order. She avoids anything with sugar or white flour, which she calls her “gateway drugs” for cravings and overeating. She has also found that drinking copious amounts of Water seems to help; she carries a 20-ounce water bottle and fills it five times a day. She writes down everything she eats. At night, she transfers all the information to an electronic record. Adam also keeps track but prefers to keep his record with pencil and paper. “That transfer process is really important; it’s my accountability,” she says. “It comes up with the total number of calories I’ve eaten today and the amount of Protein. I do a little bit of self-analysis every night.” Bridge and her husband each sought the help of therapists, and in her sessions, Janice learned that she had a tendency to eat when she was bored or stressed. “We are very much aware of how our culture taught us to use food for all kinds of reasons that aren’t related to its nutritive value,” Bridge says. Bridge supports her careful diet with an equally rigorous regimen of physical activity. She exercises from 100 to 120 minutes a day, six or seven days a week, often by riding her bicycle to the gym, where she takes a water-aerobics class. She also works out on an elliptical trainer at home and uses a recumbent bike to “walk” the dog, who loves to run alongside the low, three-wheeled machine. She enjoys gardening as a hobby but allows herself to count it as exercise on only those occasions when she needs to “garden vigorously.” Adam is also a committed exerciser, riding his bike at least two hours a day, five days a week. Janice Bridge has used years of her exercise and diet data to calculate her own personal fuel efficiency. She knows that her body burns about three calories a minute during gardening, about four calories a minute on the recumbent bike and during water aerobics and about five a minute when she zips around town on her regular bike. “Practically anyone will tell you someone biking is going to burn 11 calories a minute,” she says. “That’s not my body. I know it because of the statistics I’ve kept.” Based on metabolism data she collected from the weight-loss clinic and her own calculations, she has discovered that to keep her current weight of 195 pounds, she can eat 2,000 calories a day as long as she burns 500 calories in exercise. She avoids junk food, bread and Pasta and many dairy products and tries to make sure nearly a third of her calories come from protein. The Bridges will occasionally share a dessert, or eat an individual portion of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, so they know exactly how many calories they are ingesting. Because she knows errors can creep in, either because a rainy day cuts exercise short or a mismeasured snack portion adds hidden calories, she allows herself only 1,800 daily calories of food. (The average estimate for a similarly active woman of her age and size is about 2,300 calories.) Just talking to Bridge about the effort required to maintain her weight is exhausting. I find her story inspiring, but it also makes me wonder whether I have what it takes to be thin. I have tried on several occasions (and as recently as a couple weeks ago) to keep a daily diary of my eating and exercise habits, but it’s easy to let it slide. I can’t quite imagine how I would ever make time to weigh and measure food when some days it’s all I can do to get dinner on the table between finishing my work and carting my daughter to dance class or volleyball practice. And while I enjoy exercising for 30- or 40-minute stretches, I also learned from six months of marathon training that devoting one to two hours a day to exercise takes an impossible toll on my family life..." Extract ends.

“What can I do to prevent hair loss after bariatric surgery?” This is a common question I hear from my clients. Biotin has a reputation of preventing hair loss, but does it really work? Is there anything else you can do? A certain amount of hair loss is expected after bariatric surgery due to the stress of surgery on your body and the effect of rapid weight loss. Hair loss usually peaks about 3-4 months after surgery and may last up to 6 months. If you continue to have hair loss after 6 months then it may be nutritionally related. The three biggest nutrients that can affect hair loss are….drumroll please… Iron Zinc Protein These three nutrients have been proven in multiple studies to be helpful in mitigating hair loss after bariatric surgery. So how can you make sure you are getting adequate amounts of these nutrients? Check your vitamin and mineral levels before surgery If you are obese then you are at higher risk for micronutrient deficiencies. It is important to check your nutrient levels before surgery. In fact, The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recommends that all patients are prescreened for nutrient deficiencies before surgery. This helps correct deficiencies before surgery and give you the best outcome. Start taking a multivitamin before surgery Taking a multivitamin before surgery may help you in two ways. First, it may improve your nutritional status before surgery. And second, it will help you to develop the habit of taking a multivitamin daily since this will be crucial lifelong habit after surgery. Take a quality multivitamin after surgery There are so many multivitamins out there it can become dizzying. Follow your surgeon’s team advice for which multivitamin to use. Ideally, it should be chewable or liquid form during the first two months after surgery and then after that you can switch to capsule form. Higher quality vitamins tend to be more money than generic brands but the micronutrients in the higher quality vitamins, such as iron and zinc, are usually easier for your body to absorb. Eat protein at every meal This tip should come as no surprise. Since your stomach size is smaller after surgery it is important to include protein at each meal. Ideally, it should be a high quality protein such as eggs, fish, poultry, or dairy (if you can tolerate it!). Most bariatric programs recommend between 60-120 g protein daily but please follow your surgery center’s guidance. Depending on how far out you are from surgery you will likely need to supplement with protein drinks to meet your protein goals. Check your vitamin and mineral levels after surgery Every bariatric center is different but typically your doctor will monitor your labs multiple times during the first year after surgery and then yearly after that. It is much easier to correct a nutritional deficiency early on. It is important that you attend your follow-up appointments so your doctor can monitor your nutrient levels after surgery. Eat your vitamins and minerals Lastly, focus on getting your iron, zinc and protein from real food. Even though you can get these nutrients from your supplements, food sources are the best. Good sources of these nutrients include beans, chicken, turkey, or liver. So what about biotin? Despite its reputation, biotin has not been shown to be helpful in preventing hair loss unless you have a deficiency. However, I know lots of clients who swear by it! Do you take biotin to prevent hair loss? Do you feel it works? Let me know in the comments below.

So it took 3-4 months at Blossom Bariatrics? They have not mentioned anything about months of waiting, but I did just complete the 6 months my insurance required before turning around and saying it was not even a covered service. It feels like it has been one road block after the next.

I had a wonderful experience!! Everyone at the bariatric center is great, I felt very prepared going into surgery. My hospital stays was good too. I was only there one night. My surgery took 45 min and then I was in my room. They make you get up every 2 hours to walk the unit . I plan on losing 100, the doc says I can loose a little more. My hair is falling out, not bad but I notice it more than anyone else. I take biotin and it seems to help.

IU Bariatric

I would say stick to the diet it made my surgery and recovery easier than the stories I've heard from other bariatric pals.

FYI After my referral from my Primary Care Physician's office, I received my package from the Health Education Department within a week. The package included a Kaiser book call "Bariatric Surgery Preparation Program Options program" That booklet contained a lot of useful information, answered many questions, and listed what the next step would be for the procedure...which is to attend an informational class about the entire process and procedures. Best of luck for your journey. It's a step towards a happier and healthier lifestyle. Well worth the effort.:thumbup1:

@thin2be: Congrats on getting closer to finishing the Options classes!! I was so happy to be done with them, but I also thought they were super informative. I didn't meet my case manager until after the Options classes were completed. That might be because after the classes, some people decide not to do the surgery. My case manager called me to schedule a post-Options appointment with the referring bariatric doctor. She told me to do the blood work, chest x-ray, and ekg to be completely ready for the doctor to give his referral. They run all your Vitamins plus a whole bunch of other stuff (they took 16 vials from me!). These results are needed for the doctor to give his referal to the surgeon. When I went to my appointment, the doctor was able to review all the results and give his blessing. Now it is just a matter of getting in to my surgeon (which is happening on Thursday!) I went to the classes in Panorama City so it may be slightly different in Corona. Perhaps someone else has gone thru the procedure in Corona? I'm not sure if this is standard for Kaiser.

Let me provide an update on my journey ... This evening (7-20-2010), I attended the third of my scheduled 12 "Options" classes Kaiser Permanente requires before being cleared for a Bariatric procedure. So far, I think the program is superb, and I look forward to the remaining weekly meetings. My classes take place in the Health Education Center at the Kaiser Hospital and Medical Center in Panorama City. The class was described by one of the instructors as a "boot camp" for Bariatric candidates, which is very accurate. By the end of the 12 sessions, each participant will know and understand the actual procedures of the surgery and be ready mentally to make the life changes required for the procedure to be a total success. Prior to each weeks session, each participant is scheduled for an appointment with one of the nurses in the Metabolic clinic. In my case, the appointments are scheduled for 4:40pm. The Options class starts at 5:00pm. At the appointment, participants have an "official" weigh-in, and a Blood Pressure reading is obtained. At the conclusion of this procedure, which takes less than 5 minutes, each participant is presented with an "After Visit Summary" which list the results. The Options group that I am a part of is lead by two Kaiser Health Care Professionals--one leads the classes on odd numbered weeks, the other taking over on the even numbered weeks. On the "odd" numbered weeks. the instructor is a Behaviorist, while on the even numbered weeks, we are lead by a Nutritionist. Both instructors are extremely well trained, knowledgeable, and committed to the success of the participants. The Behaviorist discusses the social and psychological aspects of the procedures while the Nutritionist discuss the dietary needs as well as individual food plans for each participant. Based on your weight, a specific calorie program is recommended for each party. The "rule of thumb" used to determine the correct calorie intake program is for the participant to take his or her current weight, and multiply that number by 10. The resulting number is an estimation on how many calories are required to maintain that weight. One pound being equivalent to 3500 calories, an eating program is suggested to to reduce the number of calories daily for the next seven days. Reducing calories by 500 each day will result in ingesting 3500 fewer calories per week, or a loss of 1 pound each week. Required exercise (in my case, walking) will also burn calories. We are cautioned to remember that your intent is not fully understood by the brain. When your brain is alerted that fewer calories are being consumed, it could signal the rest of the body "starvation" and starts to "slow down" the body's functions as a matter of self preservation. This is why you can do everything you're supposed to do, but the weight doesn't immediately come off. The "plateau" will be defeated as long as the participant sticks with the program and continues to exercise. For me, I thought that skipping an occasional meal (usually) breakfast would help my weight loss efforts ... WRONG. Regular meals help to keep the metabolism strong, which will result in success. Each Options class last for 90 minutes. Prior to the start of each class, participants pick up a packet of notebook pages that covers that weeks subject. Participants also pick blank food and exercise diary pages to be used for the coming week. In addition to information to be covered during that session, pages in the packet contains a number of quizzes and personal information gathering documents. At the beginning of each class, the completed packets from the previous class, along with the completed food and exercise diaries are collected by the instructor. The packets are returned to the participants on the following week after being reviewed by the instructor. Participants are free to discuss either in the group setting or in a individual conversation with the instructor any comment or concerns written by the instructor on the "homework". The class that I am a part of has approximately 25 members with 80% of the group being female. I don't know if it is typical in other classes, but about 1/4 of our class is comprised of Kaiser employees who are interested in having the procedure performed. So far, each session has brought a weight loss for me. While this is important, the real goal is to adjust to the "behavior modifications" required to insure total success for the procedure. We are reminded that the actual surgery is no more than a "tool" to assist in the cause. Success depends on a lifelong commitment to be selective in choosing foods, consuming a well balanced diet, and EXERCISING on a regular basis. The program surgeon recommends that each participant looses at least 10% of their starting weight PRIOR to the surgery. This is designed to reduce the fat around the liver and makes the actual surgical procedure safer to perform. For me, this spoke highly of the program. One concern I had was that If someone were to loose too much weight and reduce their BMI, could this be a reason for the surgery to be denied. I was informed by Kaiser the pre-surgery, candidates are encouraged to loose as much weight as possible, AND the surgical procedure would NOT be refused or declined by the surgeon based on a new pre-surgery weight and stats. My next Options class is scheduled for July 27th. On July 28th, I have an appoint at another Kaiser facility in Reseda for my psychological evaluation, another required part of the process. I will return following that appointment with more info. As of now... My initial meeting with the Bariatric surgeon was on June 8th and my weight was 324 pounds On the day of my first Options meeting on July 6th, my weight eas 316 pounds. On the day of my second Options meeting on July 13th, my weight was 312 pounds. Today at my third Options meeting (3/20/10), my weight was 309 pounds. While I am pleased with these numbers, I must remind myself not to become a "slave" of the scale. My self worth, efforts, and commitment are NOT dependant on a number I read on a scale. The human body is a "complicated" machine, and often exhibits a mind of it's own. I consider the group participants to be the real magic behind the program. It's always nice to be in an environment with a group of people who have experienced the same challenges, and it is nice to exchange and receive information from peers who really understand the struggle of being over-weight, but the warmth and friendliness of the group members is fantastic. Just within my short time in the program, I have had the opportunity to meet some of the greatest people on the planet.

I was given a 6 week no swallowing whole pills restriction, but every surgeon is different. The hospitalist tried to tell me I'd have to crush pills forever because the new stomach is too small to quickly break down a big pill and you'd just poop it out. I'm ultimately going with my own doc's advice, as the hospitalist was not strictly a bariatric doc. I'm just wondering about time released stuff. Can't crush that.

My insurance required that I enter a 6 month medically supervised weight loss and exercise program. In the program I kept a journal of what I ate and met with a nutritionist/doctor once per month and went over my diet and exercise. Monthly weigh-ins. I was also advised to go to monthly Bariatric Surgery group meetings. I received a signed form at each of these that showed I attended. I lost 20 pounds during the process, primarily by giving up my 6 diet coke a day habit. My nutritionist/doctor then wrote a letter stating my progress and this went to the surgeon's office who then wrote a letter recommending my surgery. I did not have a set weight loss requirement to qualify for insurance. Obviously gaining weight during this period would set off some alarm bells. Watching "My 600 pound life" which is a TV series about individuals undergoing bariatric surgery, those that are very heavy seem to have a set weight loss amount pre-surgery by THEIR SURGEON. I think this is because they need to prove to the surgeon that they have the capacity to lose the weight and maintain the weight loss after surgery. It may also have to do with the fact that too much fat may make it difficult to perform the operation (no working room). Some individuals who do not need this 6 month diet and exercise program to qualify for insurance undergo a liver shrink diet for the same reason.

first see your primary care physician, most all insurance companies require a letter from your PCP to write a letter of medical necessity and medical clearance referring you to a bariatric surgeon. It will be a good idea to write your own and take it to the PCP as most do not know how to write the letter. Search sample letters of medical necessity for bariatric surgery emory healthcare. It should provide you a search result from emory healthcare that offers sample letters of medical necessity that you can tailor to your needs. I did and was approved on my first submission and had my RNY surgery on October 26, 2016. Hope this helps I will be glad to offer you any other information that I can. Also, search on this board BCBS requirements and see what others have said your insurance required for them, there can be some differences based on how your policy is set up versus someone else who has the same insurance. This can also help inform you. Once you see the bariatric surgeon of your choice they will tell you the requirements of your insurance to be approved. Sometime the insurance companies may tell you, sometimes they won't telling you that you must get that information from the bariatric surgeon.

@@NewLifeFinny My PT told me the OTC Tens are just as good. I have DDD too and don't look forward to it worsening post-op. I've had a pinched nerve in my neck since July 1st that I am supposed to get a cortisone injection but waiting to talk to my Bariatric surgeon first.

October 3, 2016 PNWSleever, I went to my appointment with my first choice doctor this morning. The reception and treatment I received was great. I was able to meet with the surgeon who was also great. I received my clearance needed (subtracted) from what I turned in this morning, she too said that there were few requirements for BCBSIL. I asked her how long did it take for approval, she advised that it was taking awhile because the paperwork in confusion between Teamcare and BCBSIL. Teamcare just started covering the surgery this year in January. I advised the now there is no confusion because BCBSIL is aware that they approve the bariatric surgeries, I found this out calling Teamcare who told me to call BCBSIL for information on the surgery. The only other thing they asked me to do was the psych evaluation. I have my psych evaluation tomorrow at 12n. I was told my paperwork would be ready in 2-3 days. Racshelle Racshelle