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Ah little green what can I say? I am very happy hubs is returning to work. I know you were s******g bricks there, I want your surgery sooner, that's just me, I don't want anybody I care about to suffer a bit of pain. My problems? They were supposed to have met yesterday morning to review my case, I call it the Bariatric Court of Appeals. I hung around the house Tuesday for a call, finally called them about 2 pm, was told she was on a call and would call me back. Waited a hour, hour and half, called only to be told she had left for the day. Oh well, says person on other end of line, She'll probably call you Wednesday. Bull feathers I'm waiting until 9 AM then I'm gonna. call again.The old saying is: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I'm gonna lurk like a garden variety predator until I get an answer. Reminds me of a Bible verse: (yeah I live in Bible Belt North) "Are you he whom we seek or shall we look for another?" If you are not willing to complete my surgery release me and my records and I'll apply to another program. My late father had a saying S**t or get off the Pot, dang if it don't hold true. I hate, loathe and abominate ambivalence in anything. I've cried, had all kinds of scenarios run through my mind, I'm mentally wrung out. You and I both are going to look Goth with the dark circles under our eyes. I've tried to keep my diet restrained but I don't know if it still is worth it, I have tried so so hard to do this, like there is a reward for diligence and stubbornness. Meanwhile I've maybe lost a couple more pounds, if that. If I could sustain a weight loss that was sizable on my own I wouldn't be seeking surgery.And I try to tell the Newbies it will be worth it all etc. I am starting to feel like always a bridesmaid, never the bride. There are 2 more programs in Columbus, one at Riverside Methodist, the other at Ohio State University-Wexner Medical Center. I applied where I did because it sounded more like my core values and 2. Upon the recommendations of my PCP. He graduated from OSU and did his residency at Riverside but still recommended Mount Carmel. All of the 3 are Bariatric Centers of Excellence. Would either of them accept the pretestings I've done or would I have to start over from the beginning? Do I have the emotional strength to,do this AGAIN? I tell everybody on Bariatric Pal I am strong and can handle anything the world can throw at me but I'm getting so bone*** weary, Little Green. Its not like I have years and years to undo the damage obesity did to ME . I'm getting run down, I still have my allergic pinkeye now I feel like my chest tightness is reverting to pneumonia. I've had both kinds of pneumonia shots but what I've got deep down doesn't seem to be leaving. Probably should go see my PCP, hate admitting to him I haven't had my surgery yet. He's been an emotional cheerleader for me all along. Haven't from heard yet from Fluffy Chix I do hope everything went well yesterday. Well time to put my big girl panties on, yank them up so I give myself a wedgie and call Columbus. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I made the mistake of assuming my weight loss would be speedy. Instead, virtually all of my losses were single digit (1 to 7 pounds monthly) and it took me 18 months to lose 100 pounds. I made the mistake of comparing my weight loss progress to others. The more comparisons I made, the more depressed I became about my snails pace progress. I made the mistake of concluding I'd be the one anomaly for which the gastric sleeve wouldn't work. I made the mistake of downplaying the strong genetic component that drives weight loss after bariatric surgery during the first year. I made the mistake of not having enough faith in the process. Now it's all water under the bridge.

Wow , a bad day turned better for you& not a high out of pocket for you. You dodged that bariatric bullet well. Keep us updated. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

You have to make it a priority. If you want to be successful, you have to break the habit. You have to change your relationship with food. You have to get more active. If you don't do these things, you won't be successful long term. Bottom line. I've seen it over and over again on BP and in real life (including with my entire family). If you don't feel like you can do this on your own, I'd suggest finding a therapist who has experience working with bariatric patients. What's more important, your health or random food?

I will be flying down to Anchorage to Anchorage Bariatrics with Dr. Clark and Dr. Lee. Find me on facebook please. I update much more often on there

I don't have tons to offer on the recert process, but am sort of in a similar place. I have Aetna PPO. Had RNY in 1992 (gulp) dropped 100#s, regained most and tried to have a revision 8 years after initial and went through ALL the hoops only for insurance to deny saying I didn't have any comorbidities. I'm hoping that was a LONG time go and things have changed since. I went to surgeon in October (had to view online webinar or go to in person session first). Even for a revision the nurse who does pre-certs said Aetna would require me to do the 3 month diet/multi disciplinary approach. Had to meet with dietitian x 3 1 1:1 sesssion and 2 group sessions-- the group sessions were pretty lame), exercise specialist (not super helpful), get a pysch eval and met with physician a couple times. I had an EGD and upper GI done. Upper GI showed my stomach was near normal capacity, stoma stretched out and small intestines enlarged-- I didn't need the test to tell me that I can tell by the quantity of food I can eat. My insurance actually covered all the pre-op visits with no co-pay except for the psych eval. If I went through their office it was going to be $300 cash. I asked about using a provider in my plan, they made a suggestion and I did my psych eval with her for my regular behavioral health co-pay. She is a eating disorder specialist (all kinds) and I actually opted to end up continuing sessions with her for the time being. It's covered as part of my behavioral health benefit. If I can't figure out what is driving me to eat so much and eat through my surgery having another won't do much good for the long term. I had everything done as of the end of January. The office could have submitted as of Jan 20th but I guess forgot and I didn't think to call to remind. I was in yesterday meeting with their bariatrician and asked and they said they would submit for pre-cert right away. It takes 2-3 weeks. The gal in the office said she's 80-85% sure it will be approved. Since I went through all this years ago and was rejected I'm super anxious. I read through my insurer's coverage documentation for WLS before going to see the doctor. One of the options he recommended is not covered by my insurer because they consider it experimental-- even though it is the least expensive and least invasive. So that is off the table. He said revisions can have A LOT of complications, so I need to think long and hard about revision surgery. If it's approved...I'm going for it. In addition to continuing with seeing the counselor I also opted to see the bariatrician they have in their medical group (they are affiliated / part of the large health system in our area) just yesterday. I figured if surgery isn't approved, I need a plan B and even if it is I need as much concerted effort/focus on trying to make this work as possible. The counselor has suggested medication with or without surgery as an adjunct after our third session based on my eating patterns/habits. The bariatrician prescribed Qsymia which I started today (I'd already had a batter of labs, tests, etc. so knew I was healthy enough to start). She said she has a lot of WLS patients who use medications in addition to or after surgery once they plateau or if they start to regain. She listed out all the med options and I chose this one in particular. It was also the one she said her patients have the best results and least side effects with. She also had me start a food diary and replacing one meal per day with protein shake and gave me an exercise plan-- so not just the script for meds. My insurance won't cover but got a manufacturer's card to help reduce the price. I did find in their coverage determination documentation IF I had tried to lose with for months and was not successful then they would have covered. I don't want to wait around... She said the variety of medications provide a nice arsenal of adjunct support and she has moved patients between different medications if they build up a tolerance. In the past I've responded really well to phentermine and this has that in it, so I'm hopeful. Before hooking up with the bariatric group at the health system I couldn't find a counselor who specialized in eating disorders for adults who are overweight and finding a physician to prescribe the newer WL meds was impossible (I tried both independently). SO, if nothing else, the process has helped me connect with those resources. While I do feel a little like they "herd" patients through the process in some ways (group dietitian visits that weren't super great) they really seem to know how to manage the process. I know I overshared-- more than what you asked about-- but thought some of this might be of use since we are in a similar spot having regained after our first surgery. Curious to hear from anyone else AND how your process shakes out. Best of luck to you! Jolie

I got my band in 2011. Initially lost about 35 lbs, then got busy with life and let it go. I'm now back to my starting weight. I can feel my band when I eat too fast, or 'dry' protein, so I'm wondering if I should go in for a checkup and fill, or just try to eat right for awhile first. I haven't seen my bariatric dr for 6 years.

I’m looking for anyone that’s trying to get surgery through Medicaid, specifically WellCare. I have WellCare of GA and it’s time for my renewal. At this point I think I run the risk of losing my insurance before I even finish all of my pre-op requirements because of my income level, but my job doesn’t offer benefits until you’ve been employed with them for a year. Just trying to get some info and feedback from people with this type of insurance. Thanks!

The first thing that came to mind is that you might have a stricture. This is fairly common after bariatric surgery. The normal solution to correct this problem is to have a upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. This process will allow them to observe the obstruction and correct it with a ballon dilation at the same time. So since you are scheduled to have an endoscopy, you will soon know if this is the cause of your problem. https://renewbariatrics.com/gastric-sleeve-ulcers-stricture/ [But since you have posted about your problem before and I do not recall your posts, there may be other issues at play. So perhaps you have already had an endoscopy in the past.]

Glad you enjoyed,my post. I'm all over Bariatric Pal so I turn up more often than a bad penny. After many years of being a wet soggy doormat for my family and the world I have developed late stage spunkiness. I try to tell the truth with a touch,of humor. Ain't an one of us gonna get out of life alive, we are all travellers on the road of life., so might as well share the journey.Don't panic about your surgery approaching, it's just a day you'll be committing to a new and improved way of life. I look forward to my own, I might even say I get a little excited. Think it will be next month but,I'll know for certain by the end of this day. Hope we can all help you,on your journies also. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Kowgirl1988 I too am glad to have you back in the Bariatric fold. Maybe it's the grandma in me but I want all my little chicks safe. So now will you be going to Anchorage, Juneau or somewhere else? Must confess I don't know who are running programs in Alaska but trust you'll find the best for you. God Bless and keep you safe until his return. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi All, Being nearly 40 and fed up of being a fat bloke I’ve decided to get myself some WLS. Thinking sleeve as don’t like the re-plumbing idea! My GP has referred me to the NHS bariatric service but I can’t face the wait so am looking at private options. Curently thinking of traveling to Belgium using either Prof Dillemans or Chris De Bruyne. Does anyone have any experiences of these guys and of getting aftercare back home in the UK?

Yes Tealael! There is research in regard to hair loss and l-lysine but I am not aware of any research of its use specifically to bariatric patients.

I've tried to respond 5 times and IE keep shutting down. Suffice to say I think someone noted that the clock started ticking after the first meeting with bariatric surgeon. I've been trying to get all of these other things out of the way while Ive been LOOKING for a surgeon. May have to rethink that. Thanks to all!!

February 20th seems to be a,popular day for Bariatric surgery. Beginning to think they all took Presidents Day off and they're telescoping the whole week into,that day. At any rate please update us when your surgeries are completed. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm located in Lawton, OK. Just moved here a couple weeks ago. My insurance is Tricare & I'm interested in getting the Gastric sleeve. I'm trying to avoid going on base. So I was wondering if anyone knows of any places that does bariatric surgery and accepts tricare as insurance. Please message me (: Sent from my LGLS676 using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh wow I have Aetna too (POS II) I am also doing the 3 month multi disciplinary program. In order to get the initial consultation I had to see a quality of excellence center. So the first original Bariatric center I went with they would not allow me to move forward with because it was not a quality center of Excellence. So I had to call Aetna and get the locations in my city that were. Since then I haven’t had any issues and I really hope I do not run into any. My requirements are pretty much the same as yours. 3 month Nutrition Visits, Psych Evaluation, 1 support meeting and PCP medical clearance.

I have Aetna and it was actually even hard for me to get approved for my initial consultation with my bariatric surgeon. I got denied twice, and took it up with the state (requested an external review). The external review overturned the decision of my insurance plan! Im doing the 90 day multi-disciplinary regimen which requires the below. Luckily, im not required to go to my PCP's office every time to get a montly weigh in. Its nerve wrecking around this period because supposedly you cant gain weight or lose too much. Psych eval 3 x Nutrition visits (Once a month) 1 Support group meeting Once approved for surgery, you have to scramble to get the below done in a timely manner: EKG Chest X-Ray Pre-op Blood Work I've heard of Aetna denying people for random stuff before surgery so im getting ready to take it up with the state again. I don't even mess around with insurance. I learned if Insurance is giving me a hardtime, to just file a complaint with a DMHC. Insurance is in the business of denying people to keep their money.

Welcome little urchin. No problems with your life with me. Life is too short to not have someone to love who loves you back. I helped my cousin come out to his mother, and a few years later when he married his husband he paid my cousin Shani and I the great honor of escorting him down the aisle. And yes I cried just as much there as all the straight weddings I've,been to. He and his Casey are so happy together. My Baribuddy Fluffy Chix had a cartoon I loved, said "anybody's mean to you I'll be on them like a monkey on Mountain Dew." Mountain Dew is very high caffeine soft drink. I think you'll find acceptance on Bariatric Pal and we are loyal to our own here. We' ve fought our "fat" battles and I think we are better and nicer people for it. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

According to the bariatric surgery policy of my medical insurance company (GEHA/United Healthcare): "clinically severe significant obstructive sleep apnea defined as an AHI >= 30 documented within prior 2 years"

Oh jamieohhh I am not going to be your favorite person. i am your height and at your age probably the same poundage.At 37.4 BMI you are a time bomb, sure you might not detonate today or even tomorrow, but eventually,it will happen. Let a Bariatric Granny tell you how it is. I told myself I wasn't obese I was a big [emoji66] and most of my life off and on, i was. I was born when the Second World War was finishing, my mother nursed me, yeah breastfed is best fed, at least Mama and her family thought so. My mother's doctor insisted she feed me a 8oz bottle of Carnation evaporated milk formula after each nursing. Its well know once fat cells develop they are there for life. Sure you might deflate them. but they'll hang around. At the age of 1 --I was 35 inches tall and weighed 36 lbs. Yeah the size of a chunky 2 to 2 1/2 year old. I remained tall and although I slendered out some my flesh has always been soft, I became bone strong but never muscular. And yeah I played as much as everyone else. Things were going on fairly smooth until puberty hit. Went from a 30AA to a 34C kaboom, still pretty good until I turned 15. I want from 110 to 175+ in less than 6 months. Mama drug me into the doctor cause I was still eating normal portion sizes. Doctor reassures her it's just puberty, as soon as her hormones level out she'll lose that weight. Been waiting close to 60 years, hasn't happened yet. In my early adulthood I continued to gain albeit slowly. I left 100--l and and went into the 200s by the time I had my children I was about 250ish, every pregnancy I lost but then it got me again. I was never a binge eater exactly, I was a mommy and rather than refrigerate things I scraped out many a casserole. I might also mention I am double-jointed-- one of its cute facets is joint laxity. The selfsame ability to clap the soles of one's feet together predisposes you to arthritis 85%. So it hurts to move, I was offically diagnosed with degenerative arthritis at 25, although I continued to try to stay active it hurt more and more. I was the reverse of most, I gained weight because I didn't move as much. And my joints began to break down until they were bone on bone. Partly from arthritis but a good contribution from lugging excess pounds around. Now I've had 2 knee replacements, sure they're good to have but at best 85-90% as good as natural ones. I really should have my hips done too but hope my weight loss surgery will buy me some time there. You will, by the time you reach my age- 72, be over 300 lbs like me. You do know overweight does shorten your lifespan? Also increases your chances of diabetes and cancer. The fact I've dodged both is a minor miracle. It is a fluke that I have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, no diabetes and no cancers, no heart disease.What I do have sleep apnea, have to sleep with a c pap mask at night, lungs and legs that won't let me walk too far. On my good days I walk with a cane. If I try to do something I have to rest half way thru. Your body slows down, you either sit down a lot or you stay lying down in bed cause you hate the pain. You pop NSAIDS like they are m&ms, you take so many you get gastritis and an ulcer. Ulcer hasn't been fun, constant hunger sensations that food doesn't satisfy. People your age start dying and you wonder if you'll be next. And you get sick and tired of being sick and tired. Life gets tedious, instead of Good Morning Lord, it's a beautiful day" it becomes" Oh Lord why did You let me live another day?" This is why at 72 I am planning surgery. I have stared my own mortality in the face and it isn't pretty. I should have a RnY early-mid March at Mount Carmel in Columbus Ohio. It will be an uphill battle for me, I may not heal as quickly as the younger people on Bariatric Pal. But the hope of a thinner healthier life is still in front of me. I find I'm not ready to die yet, I am committing my remaining strength towards this goal. I've been given hope, I was a failure with diets & the surgery will give me a new tool to work with. Would I have listened to somebody like me at your age? Probably not, I still thought I could beat it with the right diet, Lord knows I tried so many of them. One of my doctors said to me "I'd like you to weigh 148 pounds" told him I would too but I've lived long enough to realize without surgery it isn't going to happen. And any rate I hope you take my advice, get your surgery and improve your life before it's almost too late. God Bless Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

The decision whether to get weight loss surgery is one of the most important ones you will ever make. If it is right for you, bariatric surgery can give you a new lease on life as you lose weight and feel great. If you are not ready, weight loss surgery can be a painful experience that does not solve your weight problems. If you are on the fence about it, take your time coming to a decision. Even if you are theoretically eligible for it, you might have a funny feeling about it still. Here are five signs that might be saying that you are not yet ready for WLS. 1. You want to know how soon you can have … Whatever “…” may be, if you are counting down the days until you can have it after your surgery, you might be missing the point. This is a lifetime commitment. It is not a 30-day period of abstinence from alcohol or from pizza. If your mindset is that this is a short-term race to goal weight, bariatric surgery might land you where other diets have: at goal weight and then back to starting weight, plus a few pounds. 2. You’re looking for any excuse to be found ineligible. You may technically qualify for weight loss surgery based on your BMI and any obesity-related health conditions you may have, but are you ready? You might not be if you are grasping at straws to come with reasons you that you “should not” have surgery. For example, you practically ask a doctor to disqualify you because your great-grandfather (who was a smoker) died of a heart attack at age 92 and therefore you worry your heart is not strong enough to withstand surgery. (Note: it is absolutely the right thing to do to explore all of your health history to be sure that the surgery is a relatively safe option for you. Just distinguish between real and imaginary reasons). 3. You are seeking fourth, fifth, and sixth-second opinions. Let’s say your primary care doctor recommends that you have the surgery, and you found a surgeon who gave you the go-ahead. It’s one thing to ask another expert for a second opinion, just to be sure that you are making the right choice. It is quite another to ask several more experts for their opinions, hoping that one of them will advise against surgery. If that is the case, it might be a sign that you are not ready to commit to weight loss surgery and the lifestyle changes that are part of that commitment. 4. You are not sure how it would be different than dieting. Bariatric surgery is worlds away from dieting. If you are thinking of bariatric surgery as a new diet that you will follow until you reach goal weight, you probably will not be prepared to sustain your new eating habits for life, and the weight will come back, just like it may have after countless diets. If you cannot explain to yourself why this is different than previous diet attempts, you might end up with the same results. 5. Your SO is doing more research than you. It seems like every day, your significant other or your mom or your sister is telling you factoids about surgery that they discovered while researching online or talking to people. In the meantime, you have not seemed to be able to find the time to look things up. The fact may be that you are just not that engaged, which may be a sign that, deep down, you are not ready to take the plunge.

If you are on the fence about it, take your time coming to a decision. Even if you are theoretically eligible for it, you might have a funny feeling about it still. Here are five signs that might be saying that you are not yet ready for WLS. 1. You want to know how soon you can have … Whatever “…” may be, if you are counting down the days until you can have it after your surgery, you might be missing the point. This is a lifetime commitment. It is not a 30-day period of abstinence from alcohol or from pizza. If your mindset is that this is a short-term race to goal weight, bariatric surgery might land you where other diets have: at goal weight and then back to starting weight, plus a few pounds. 2. You’re looking for any excuse to be found ineligible. You may technically qualify for weight loss surgery based on your BMI and any obesity-related health conditions you may have, but are you ready? You might not be if you are grasping at straws to come with reasons you that you “should not” have surgery. For example, you practically ask a doctor to disqualify you because your great-grandfather (who was a smoker) died of a heart attack at age 92 and therefore you worry your heart is not strong enough to withstand surgery. (Note: it is absolutely the right thing to do to explore all of your health history to be sure that the surgery is a relatively safe option for you. Just distinguish between real and imaginary reasons). 3. You are seeking fourth, fifth, and sixth-second opinions. Let’s say your primary care doctor recommends that you have the surgery, and you found a surgeon who gave you the go-ahead. It’s one thing to ask another expert for a second opinion, just to be sure that you are making the right choice. It is quite another to ask several more experts for their opinions, hoping that one of them will advise against surgery. If that is the case, it might be a sign that you are not ready to commit to weight loss surgery and the lifestyle changes that are part of that commitment. 4. You are not sure how it would be different than dieting. Bariatric surgery is worlds away from dieting. If you are thinking of bariatric surgery as a new diet that you will follow until you reach goal weight, you probably will not be prepared to sustain your new eating habits for life, and the weight will come back, just like it may have after countless diets. If you cannot explain to yourself why this is different than previous diet attempts, you might end up with the same results. 5. Your SO is doing more research than you. It seems like every day, your significant other or your mom or your sister is telling you factoids about surgery that they discovered while researching online or talking to people. In the meantime, you have not seemed to be able to find the time to look things up. The fact may be that you are just not that engaged, which may be a sign that, deep down, you are not ready to take the plunge.

Thank you, Hannah83! It has been a roller coaster ride. Nutritionalist did blood, urine, stool & saliva test that shows I’m not absorbing some nutrients & amino acids well, but bariatric surgeon says everything is fine. Based on some research I did. Bariatric doctors are well aware of post mental health worsening, especially in patients w/genetic predisposition. Why Bariatric practitioners & mental health practitioners ignore this correlation is beyond me, unless it’s all about the $$ for bariatric surgeons.

In my case everything you list as out of pocket is still covered by Cigna, they're just not included as part of the cost of the bariatric procedure. Everything is subject to the regular co-pays and deductibles, of course. I've got Cigna as well (Open Access PPO) and the only thing they don't cover is the psychiatric consult from the psychiatrist my surgeon recommended. My surgeon told me the psych exam will cost $400 because and there are no psychiatrists in-network in the area who do this type of evaluation. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure about that and I will be calling Cigna to confirm that. Also, I can do it over the phone, which means I don't have to take any time off from work and drive who knows where, I might just go ahead and pay it.