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JoJo, My surgeon said if I really wanted the diet pop, I could have it *but* that most people have a problem with the carbonation. He suggested that if I really wanted it to let it go flat first. It's a myth that the carbonation will expand your pouch. Some people's comfort zone is in obedience without question to their doctors...and that's ok...but they find it difficult to deal with people who see their caregivers as just one more 'book' of knowledge. I've gone to great lengths to choose my doctors. I made appointments, paid their office fee and 'interviewed' many before choosing them. Not just my bariatric surgeon, but my gynecologist, internal medicine, endocrinologist, etc. I respect their knowledge and judgment immensely...but ultimately, this is my body and *I* will make the final decision on how to treat it. I require a 'reason' for why I should or should not do something. In the case of the pop, there was no surgical/health reason to give it up *BUT* there were other reasons. Studies show that the 'sweetness' (even of diet pop) and sodium actually increase the cravings to eat. Also, the chemicals used to create carbonation prevent our bodies from absorbing the Calcium our bones need (if I understand the explanation correctly) increasing our risk of osteoporosis. Based on that information, I chose to give up the pop, but others may not find the reasons compelling enough. I agree with you, by the way, on the craving issue. If I'm craving something, I'll tell myself, not today, but if I want it tomorrow, I'll have it. Usually, the next morning, I don't want it...but if I do, I'll have it. Sometimes those cravings go away because they're just a momentary weakness. My doc and I were talking about this and she said that's a very healthy way to deal with our cravings because she agreed that if we completely deny ourselves, at some point we'll go overboard and binge. We won't have that *one* cookie we've been craving. We'll eat the whole bag. .

If you're talking about Cigna, it's a very well-known national carrier. It's not the easiest to work with, as I understand, but as a rule it does cover bariatric surgery for medically qualified candidates. Your husband's employer may have a specific contract, though, so there's no way to know what it says.

I am SO sorry to hear this! I was hoping that maybe you would be on the road to getting your band. I'm not sure where you are located but I am using Dr.'s Marema and Koppman with US Bariatrics in St. Augustine. They operate out of Flagler Hospital which has EXTREMELY nice facilities. They are VERY thorough and responsive. If I send an email I typically get a response with 24 hours. I have been very pleased with them so far (even though I haven't had my surgery with them yet). A co-worker of mine had her sleeve done with them and has been nothing but happy with them. Dr. Marema has been listed as one of the best bariatric surgeons in the country. I highly recommend them. Please keep us posted.

Congrats on your weight loss Renewed and Darr!!!! Sorry you guys are sick and hope you both feel better soon!!

My sense of taste was out of whack for a few months post-op. And I've seen the question about changes in the way food tastes come up quite often on the board. This article was posted on WebMD - a UK hospital has evidence that it is pretty common to experience changes in the way things taste and smell after bariatric surgery. My personal theory is that since we are literally forced to give up sugar (between the pre-op diet and going through the food stages post-op), our sense of taste is reset and we're no longer under the influence of sugar and processed foods. Taste Changes Reported After Weight-Loss Surgery Sense of smell also altered for some patients in British study WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, April 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- After weight-loss surgery, many patients report changes in appetite, taste and smell, a new study says. One positive aspect of these changes is that they may lead patients to lose even more weight, the researchers suggested. The study included 103 British patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, in which the stomach is made smaller and the small intestines is shortened. Of those, 97 percent said their appetite changed after the surgery, and 42 percent said their sense of smell changed. Taste changes occurred in 73 percent of the patients, especially when it came to sweet and sour tastes, the researchers found. They especially noted changes in the taste of chicken, beef, pork, roast meat, lamb, sausages, fish, fast food, chocolate, greasy food, pasta and rice. Nearly three-quarters of patients said they developed a dislike of certain foods, especially meat products. One-third avoided chicken, minced beef, beef steak, lamb, sausages, bacon or ham. About 12 percent had an aversion to starches such as rice, pasta, bread and pastry and for dairy products such as cream, cheese, ice cream and eggs, 4 percent to vegetables, 3 percent to fruit and 1 percent to canned fish. The researchers also found that patients with a newly developed distaste for certain foods lost an average of nearly 18 pounds more after their surgery than those whose taste wasn't affected, according to the study recently published online in the journal Obesity Surgery. Although the study found an association between weight-loss surgery and sensory changes, it did not establish cause-and-effect. The taste and smell changes experienced by many patients after weight-loss surgery may be due to a combination of gut hormone and central nervous system effects, according to lead author Lisa Graham, of the Leicester Royal Infirmary. She noted that patients considering weight-loss surgery are typically told about the possible loss of taste and smell. http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/news/20140418/appetite-taste-changes-reported-after-weight-loss-surgery

I can't find it right now but somone on here said it's Dr Mark Shina and then one time I saw his name on their site. His office in in Jeffersonville and he also comes to Suburban. The day I was looking at their site they said that surgery can be done at a hospital on that side of the river. Dr. Shina is who I'm seeing, I liked him on initial consult and will be sticking with him if I have the surgery. I'm going through Norton and have to pay $300 when I go to Norton Bariatrics neat thing about Dr Shina is he did the consultation before I had to pay the money he's I think he's the only Dr. at Norton that does that. My PCP Refered me to him.

Hi Tiff - bariatric surgery is NOT excluded from our policy, but I do not qualify. My BMI is 36.5 and I have no health issues. I'm not to worried, I'm healthy and I trust my doctor, but you NEVER know, right??!! I am traveling out of state though, so when I'm back home, if something happens, I would have to go to the ER, I wouldn't even have MY doctor near-by. I was just wondering if anybody had any idea!

I'm an insurance agent so I can only from my experience. When there is an exclusion in a policy such as bariatric surgery, any complications/problems associated with that said excluded service/surgery will be excluded as well. I know some people have had part of their hospital bills covered after a complication, but it all truly depends on how your own personal policy spells out exclusions, and how the hospital codes the bill to the insurance company.

Can you please share the name and location of your MTF? I am in Biloxi, MS and as far as I am aware, Keesler AFB's 81st Medical Group at Keesler Medical Center no longer has a Bariatric department due to cutbacks. Thanks in advance Shae

HELLO! my husband is active duty army and tricare did allow me several referrals to civilian doctors for the vsg surgery. i lived in washington dc at the time and they were trying to phase out the program at walter reed (since they are closing it down) and they were building a new hospital on fort belvoir that would include a new bariatric center so that only left bethesda for the whole area and they were on a 8 month to a year wait list to get into the seminar and into the program. it was a pain! i went through 6 referrals to civilians and didn't find one surgeon that i liked. i started to get very discouraged. well i called bethesda and spoke with the bariatric coordinator and discovered that due to the long wait list and the amount of pcs moves that familys in the military make the wait list was much shorter. so i got into the seminar and met the surgeon at bethesda and loved him. he was so personable and kind. the dc area is very different than other areas for weight loss surgery. it took me a year to get all my appointments done and have surgery. i almost didnt get my surgery due to a pcs move. we moved in june and my surgery was in august. i convinced my doc that i would be able to stay in dc until he cleared me to go home to az and after many long talks and emails we made it work. i am now 5.5 months post op and i have lost 85 pounds since surgery and 35 pre op. i still have another 40 or so to go but i will say that this is a fight that i am glad i didnt give up on! best of luck to you!

I want you all to know that the Bariatric Clinic @ San Antonio Military Medical Center in TX(the one that used to be BAMC) is a SELF REFERRAL CLINIC it prides it self on being the best Baritatric Program in the DOD and they do Sleeves...I know because I am going through their process now. A lot of patients come from out of area..Hopefully the Self Referral will spread to all Bariatric programs at MTFs but in case you want to know more about SAMMC program I will post a link to their page.Hope this helps! http://www.bamc.amed...gery/bariatric/

I also went to this site referenced above and read all the fine print. I noticed that under the section marked "Public Comments," this comment and rebuttal was printed: "Comment: Another commenter agrees with the changes as well but recommends that the list of obesity-associated co-morbidities be a complete, inclusive list to prevent inappropriate denial of service. The commenter goes on to state that covered procedures should include the laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch procedures.Show citation box Response: We appreciate the suggestion that morbid obesity multiple co-morbidities be a complete, inclusive list and will consider it as one of many recommendations in revising the benefit policy. We disagree with the commenter's suggestion that vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS) should be covered under the TRICARE Program. The evidence evaluating the safety and efficacy of BPD/DS and VSG do not meet the program specific standards of reliable evidence. Existing data does suggest the use of these procedures is a possible benefit to some patients but there is incomplete information to predict the effect of long-term outcomes. This lack of information relating to the long-term outcomes is a matter of concern to the Department. Medical literature indicates as well that well-controlled trials are needed to determine both short-term and long-term safety and efficacy of BPD/DS and long-term (> 5 years) weight loss and co-morbidity resolution data for VSG. The Agency will continue to monitor the development of the literature and the status of ongoing well-controlled clinical trials regarding the effectiveness of the laparoscopic VSG and BPD/DS procedures. At such time when the reliable evidence demonstrates that these bariatric surgical procedures have proven medical effectiveness, the Director, TMA will initiate action to cover these procedures." I have placed a call to Ms. Gail Jones, who is the contact person for this information. She was not in, but I left a message for her to call me back. When I get anything definitive regarding the possible coverage of VSG, I will post it here.

So nice to have good friends at work! Schwans has mini pot roasts, 4 to a box. They are expensive, but I think they will be perfect. I plan to order those for the soft phase coming up. One will probably be 3 meals, so they will last awhile and be worth the money for me. I've been staying at my sister's house cat sitting since Monday, and I'm starting to miss my own place. I'll go home tomorrow. My bariatric hot chocolate should be waiting for me, and I'm anxious to try it! Hope everyone has a good weekend.

"Dr. B", welcome to our forums. When did you have your sleeve done, who did it, and how are you progressing? Were you self pay? Actually, Mexico is a wonderful alternative for those who cannot afford to have their surgery in the U.S. Many of the surgeons there actually trained U.S. doctors. What is important is doing your research to make sure you make a good choice in surgeons. Like others, the care I received in Mexico far exceeded any care I have ever received here in the U.S. Additionally, while several years ago there was a problem with surgeons being willing to provide aftercare to Mexico surgery patients, that is not mainstream anymore, partly due to the popularity of people going to Mexico for their surgery. Most primary care physicians are willing to provide their patients any aftercare that is needed. And, many bariatric surgeons are now also willing to provide fills, follow-up care etc. Once again, it all boils down to doing your research and having all your ducks in a row prior to having your surgery.

Drewer, I was a very successful patient with the lap band, until by chance, I discovered that it caused my esophagus some real issues. The scariest thing about my situation or what I now know was a blessing in disguise. I was doing awesome with the band and lost over 120 lbs. at the most successful point of my journey. I had no real obvious symptoms or problems, other than I could eat a bit more and had some very little night issues. My insurance company changed at work and so did the their bariatric service. I was forced to switch bariatric services and doctor and when I saw the new doctor, he asked for a UGI. To my surprise, the UGI technician told me to contact my doctor as soon as possible. Things took off very quickly after that and I ended up getting my band removed and revised to sleeve. Had I not seen the new doctor and UGI performed I would have ended up with much more damage that I had - Thank God! Wish I had gone sleeve originally. My vote: Sleeve 100%! Much luck to you! Jake

Is the entire $10,500 due up front or can you make payments? Call Nancy the front office manager she can fill you in. I know it had to be paid in full on the day of surgery. You could probably set a date with her and make prepayments to fit your budget and when it is paid you will have your surgery. He really is a great surgeon and Nancy is fantastic. Goodle Dr. Shillingford and you will get his number. I actually called the two cheapest options (outside of Mexico) that were posted. Here's a little info for those looking for a cheaper surgery. Dr. Borland's office (New Iberia, Louisiana) - $9,800, but doesn't include the lab work, EKG or chest x-rays. Payment is required before surgery in the form of 4 cashier's checks. The original consultation with the doctor is done over the phone - you don't see him until surgery. The lady didn't give me much more information because apparently she was busy. Dr. Schillingford's office (Boca Raton, Florida) - $10,500, but includes all the lab work, x-rays and EKG as well as a 2 night stay in the hospital. Payment is required before surgery and they take pretty much all forms of payment including credit cards and Care Credit. The consultation is directly with the doctor and after that, you can go ahead and get the lab work and such done and if all is well, they will schedule surgery for the next day, which is great for those of us coming from out of state. Nancy (who was very sweet and helpful) also said the surgery was performed at a "real" hospital and it's one of the Bariatric Centers of Excellence. After weighing the two, I'm going with Dr. Schillingford. It seems like a better value and it gives me a good chance to dip my toes in the surf before my appointment! Thanks to all for the info and suggestions!

Washington State -Seattle Area Bariatric Centers of Excellence, Out patient surgical centers (Not in a hospital) Prices range from $17,000 to $18,000 and that is with your insurance covering the pre-op tests billed against your comorbidities, like blood tests, psych evaluation, endoscopy, sleep test, etc. The $18k price included BLIS self pay insurance.

Found out today that my specific group within united health care choice plus excludes bariatric surgery. Fabulous. So we are going to try and appeal it but overall plan on being private pay. Anyone know round about what the cost range is for sleeves?

@@Miss_Sleeve_Bound - Hi there. I also cheated on my liquid diet. I'm now 11 weeks out from surgery and 50 lbs down and you can be too. I "cheated" on the liquid diet, but I did not cheat on myself. I got a chipotle salad with no rice and only a little bit of beans, I stopped at whole foods and got a ton of greens with a little chicken and toppings. Even though I "cheated" I still ate healthy. Believe me, I am NOT judging you for eating McDs. I used to do the drive through at Wendys on a regular basis. The good news is that post surgery, a commercial with a hamburger on tv would make me nauseous. So be kind to yourself, understand that the first 3 days without your drug of choice are going to be hard and you are going to be in withdrawal. So plan a "cheat". You heard me plan your cheats. Cheat with something healthy and high protein and low carb. When I was "cheating" on mine, I also started to try some of the allowable "post-op" foods to see which ones I liked. I highly recommend Dannon Greek strawberry cheesecake (yum yum). And finally, your body needs nutrients. I am not hocking any protein powder brand name per se, but I did find the bariatric advantage powder and vitamins to be very good. My hair actually started growing thicker! I was also allowed to put in half a banana or 1/2 a cup of berries into my pre-op protein shakes for extra potassium. Again, I am not advocating one brand over another but just found that nutritionally the BA shakes and vitamins were superior. Finally, it is a matter of YOUR SAFETY as Dub said. So for several days, weeks out from surgery stick to the liquids only as instructed. It is for your health. It is time for YOU to make the investment in YOU. It is time for you to make the decision that you are going to be prepared with a healthy snack should your cravings over power you. It is time to make the decision that you will not tolerate any of that toxic $#!t from McDs, because you and your tummy deserve so much better. And you do. And I tell you that if you can just hold on for 3 days of drinking your shakes, taking your vitamins, and having one very healthy meal of lean meat and veggies that you will feel SO MUCH BETTER by day 4, that you will never go back, that you will never look back, and you will never want that toxic $#!t to have that hold on you again. You can do it. I know you can. Now get out there and give your body the nutrients that you deserve. And then get back on track and follow your Drs instructions and do it for your own health and safety. Big hugs!

I didn’t know what to title this. My surgery was April 29th, I ended up in the ER the day after my release from the hospital with pneumonia, critically low potassium and acute UTI. I was also diagnosed with esophageal dysphasia. Because of that my follow up appointments got thrown off course. I had two appointments close together. The second appointment he had me go for a upper gi fluoroscopy and endoscopy. Which found stoma stricture, Schatzki ring, sliding hiatal hernia and ulcers. TBH after the endoscopy I didn’t want to schedule my next follow up appointment. And the doctor hadn’t said when. It should have been 2-3 months post-op but it’s almost 4 1/2 months. I see my surgeon on Thursday and because I need medical transportation it turns into practically an all day affair. I am actually dreading this appointment. He is a great surgeon but my communication skills, especially when I’m fatigued are sorely lacking. I’m at a loss what to say since I feel like I can’t do anything right. While yes my weight has gone down (rather slow) and I think I’ve hit around 53lb loss - I haven’t been able to progress in certain things and have to keep my calories very low otherwise I stall. Due to the esophageal dysphasia I’m not drinking a lot of water. I haven’t attempted purées again and should probably even be into regular foods by now. The most I’ve been able to manage is yogurt mixed with protein powder for breakfast (sometimes a shake) cottage cheese, BariatricPal protein soup (if I have any) juice flavor protein mixes, and sometimes soft boiled egg but I get kind of sick from it so not too often. It’s more an allergy thing with that. My surgeon never really said anything after the endoscopy. I read on the results that he balloon dilated the stricture which it seems to me he did it too much at once and I don’t feel better. The fluoroscopy showed it at 3mm and he dilated 10mm and assumed it was ok because the scope passed? I find it perplexing. And maybe they think the other issues too minor? I don’t. I don’t want to be stuck on proton pump inhibitors. They cause constipation and are not safe long term for things like magnesium, bone density etc. which I have enough bone density loss as is. I told My gastroenterologist about new issues with this of course they said talk to the surgeon and also my PCP. I’ve been having crushing chest pain. And weird strong spasms below my ribs on the left side. Of course I forgot to mention it to my PCP I was too annoyed by her attitude when I caught her up on the surgery and everything after it (she was on maternity leave a few months) well that’s a long story I won’t bore anyone with. My gastroenterologist scheduled me for a colonoscopy the end of this month to rule out possible colitis (a ct scan result said colitis) I was supposed to have had it before my RNY but it didn’t work out that way. I’m not sure how I’ll manage prep. They gave me a prescription for one that is less to drink but I’m allergic to it. Ill have to do clear liquids two days prior to the colonoscopy. Does clear protein count as a clear liquid or do I not have protein? I’ve had colonoscopies before but this is my first after RNY. Also. I have endometriosis and it’s possible he won’t see the problem in the colonoscopy since that won’t show up if it’s on the outside. I worry it won’t answer the problems there. As for endometriosis. I saw my uro/gyn because of hemorrhagic cysts on my one remaining ovary. Which also has endometriosis on it. I guess it’s time to have it out now and I’m scheduled for that October 14th. Which means .............. menopause. But I’m hoping it will ease the endometriosis and pcos symptoms. He had removed my other ovary that was covered with endometriosis during other procedures he was doing at the time. I’m too chicken to ask him about an issue with one of the other procedures he did. Just like my follow up with my bariatric surgeon. I’m at a loss what to say and when I’m exhausted I lose my words. Also doesn’t help that I speak to several people before he enters the room. I feel like they expect me to be cured of all my ailments after surgery, even my pcp had that attitude but with lifelong chronic illness it doesn’t work that way. In fact I knew things likely would get worse for me but this was my last chance at a tool to fight my out of control weight gain. You can only eat so little calories without help of some kind. My surgery wasn’t reliant on comorbidities since my BMI was 40. I have them. But most wont just go away with weight loss. But it doesn’t mean I regret the surgery. (My pcp had the attitude of why did I have it if it didn’t help those things ... well I was already at least 208lbs and BMI 40 (height 5’) like isn’t that enough of a reason? Im sorry I just wrote a very long rant. My memory is so terrible I don’t remember when my last two appointments were and what was discussed at the last one. I don’t think they even mentioned my bloodwork. All I know is that was when he scheduled the tests. Now I’m following up on that. I almost don’t even want to go. I feel like I won’t be able to explain anything. And honestly surgeons just want to hear that you lost a huge amount of weight and that you’re doing great not “it’s complicated. “

With a job loss, you might qualify for state insurance, and most medicaid insurance covers bariatric surgery now. I wish you hugs and luck, hang in there it is just a bump in the road, but the road is still there.

Wow this topic is like a few years old... but who cares. Anyway I wanted to respond because I just got approved for stage 2 with Molina... and I am just feeling like why even bother at this point. I don't care about the 12 visits with each of the providers. I can jump through those hoops no problem, if they were all local hoops... but they are telling me that the mental health provider has to be one that specializes in bariatric stuff... and the nearest one to me is a 3 hour drive away. They expect me to drive 6 hours a week for 12 weeks to see this therapist? It's insane... My nurse at my doctor's office said that. I am trying to double check this information with Molina themselves but like.. there's no way my health would permit me to drive that much. Just no way. Does anyone here know if this is true? I thought the 12 visits with the mental health provider could be with literally any mental health provider as long as they write up an assessment at the end. I didn't know it had to be with some specialized one that has certain credentials. But the nurse at my clinic is adamant about it. She says it's that way even with private insurance and is acting like she sets these things up all the time. I said that might be the case with the psych eval, but I can't imagine that's the case for all 12 visits with the therapist. I don't understand why I can't just see a local one... She might as well just be telling me to throw in the towel right now. Does anyone know anything about this? I am so stressed out right now...

Good morning! I am scheduled for gastric sleeve tomorrow morning 1/26. I just want to thank you ALL for keeping this place alive. Bariatric pal has been a HUGE wealth of information for me that I believe I would have even paid a fee for (but glad I don't have too LOL) Like I said I just want to give a thanks to all my BP friends that I've never met before but have more in common with than my daily life friends. Love to you all!!! Amy☆☆☆

You may want to check out ProCare, Celebrate, Opurity, and Bariatric Advantage. Several of them offer free or low cost samples.

Hi everyone, I'm so new to this so please forgive me if this has been spoken about before. I live in New York and have Affinity insurance. From what I have heard, if you have a BMI over 40, you will have no problem getting surgery. If you have a BMI over 35 but under 40, you have to have comorbidity with other conditions... I am almost positive I have none of them but my BMI is just under 40. I'm really concerned I won't be approved. Also, does anyone have Affinity and know how they are with covering bariatric surgery? I have yet to get any answers from them and I'm really nervous that they aren't going to cover me. I was hoping if I do qualify for surgery, they would have me pay my deductible and then cover the rest but maybe that is the best situation and I'm very wrong.. Lol.. Help! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App