Search the Community

Had the consult today, everything is set. Also, learned my scale at home has been off. It's reading 3 more pounds than the doctors official bariatric one. So of course I'm on a Quest now researching more accurate scales lol Man, signing all the paperwork really drives home how real it's all becoming. I say that each time I experience something that moves me closer to sx but today kind of really hit me. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

that's great that Bariatric Advantage is releasing some! i was taking the viactiv multi and the calcium b/c i hated all my chewable options, but my nutritionist (at the surgery center) said viactiv is junk and a waste of money. he has me on the bariatric advantage vitaband chews and the calcium. my only problem is taking them on a regular schedule! multi, calcium, Iron, and Vitamin D = a lot of Vitamins to take!

I had my surgery over six years ago, but the resources I utilized are all still relevant for anyone having WLS today. The only exception is probably how I chose my surgeon. At the time, VSG was still considered experimental in the US and my insurance would not cover it. My daughter is a gastroenterologist and did not want me to get a Lapband or bypass because of the complications she sees. As an RN myself, I wasn't too keen on either of those procedures, either. She consulted with colleagues in the bariatric community and they recommended VSG with Dr. Ariel Ortiz in TJ. Made for an easy decision, was a great experience and I had an easy, pain free recovery. After surgery, my main support came through emails with my surgeon, my daughter, my friends, husband, local bariatric support groups and a therapist. I was the only VSG patient in the support groups for a long time, but for the most part the struggles are the same no matter what surgery you have. My friends and DH helped smooth the way and My therapist was instrumental in my long term success since most obesity issues are psychological, not physical. i saw my therapist for about 3 years and attended group support for 5+ years. Due to personality incompatibilities within the group I quit attending and turned to online forums like this one only recently. Glad I had "real life" support when I was a newbie, but the online community provides me a rather interesting touchstone to the bariatric world at this point.

Hi Congrats to you and hope you are feeling well after surgery. If you have facebook, you can look for Boston Bariatrics which has people from all over MA. There are threads on here as well. I live in Holden north of Worcester. I got sleeved on the 31st of Dec.. almost 6 weeks out. I feel back to myself. It gets better with time.

Well I figured it was time to start documenting everything, so here it goes. On March 10, my best friend was telling me about how we should get the lapband to lose weight. Now being a member of weight watchers for many years at first I was very against the idea (if you even mention it on the weight watchers boards you get yelled at!) Then I decided that maybe I should look into this and talk to my doctor. So I say my doctor on March 14 and she said that she thought it was a good idea. I called the surgeons office to sign up for his seminar on March 29 and the moment he started explaining everything I knew this was for me. He gave us a packet of everything we would need to do as far as clearances so I started making appointments. Here is my timeline: April 2 Psychologist April 3 Gastro (need endoscopy) April 4 Cardiologist (need echo) April 5 Chest xray April 11 Pulmonary April 16 Echo April 23 Endoscopy April 23 Nutritionist 1st appt May 8 Nutritionist 2nd appt June 12 Nutritionist 3rd appt June 10 Surgeon!!!!!!!!! June 16 Hospital bariatric coordinator So before I started this process I had called my insurance company HIP and asked what the requirements were and I was told it had to be medically necessary (yeah no six months) then on May 5 I just happened to be on HIPs website when I see that bariatric surgery was revised on April 15, 2008. I almost died when I saw that. According to their website you now needed six months diet. I called HIP and the girl had no idea what bariatric surgery was and I had to give her the link to the website and of course she had no clue and said whatever it says on the website is what it is. Well I was pissed. So I told the nutritionist this and she said ok then come to me for six months. Then I thought did I just open up a can of worms? Although I didn't want to not say anything and get everything else done and then have to start over with a six month diet. So I figured let me just tell her. Then I decided I should probably go talk to the surgeon, even though he doesn't want to see you until you have every clearance including the nutritionist. So I get the appointment and tell him everything about the insurance and he tells me that he probably won't be taking my insurance much longer! I almost cried. He then tells me that he was going to submit everything I had up until this point and for me to get the nutritionist to sign off on the three visits I went to. Well 2 days later I was approved. I could not believe it. Thank God. My surgery date is July 16 and I couldn't be happier.

Thank god for my nutri bullet shakes are super smooth I'm on Bariatric Advantage Strawberry flavor. I'm hanging in there telling myself this isn't forever I will eat again.

I went to my bariatric surgeon today to get a slight adjustment to my band and we were talking about the positives losing so much weight has had on my life. I was speaking about how thrilled I am that my girls are watching a healthier mom who gets up and moves and takes walks and jumps on the trampoline etc..instead of sitting like a sloth in my chair like I used to. While I was on my tirade, he stopped me to say(something like) this: "Yes, it is great that your kids have a better role model, but the best part is that YOU are having fun. After a life of being trapped and virtually unable to have fun because of your weight, you are having fun...and while the benefits are good for your kids, you're the best part of losing the weight." HOLY SMOKES...He was right. I forgot about me. I, for one, feel infinitely better and am thrilled to be doing this for myself...And I did need to be reminded of that....As a mom, I think I make the mistake of putting my children before me at all times...But I have to remember that one day they will move out and I will be left with myself...so it is imperative that I remember that my weight loss is for me. I have to love myself enough to accept that I am important enough to be the reason. Just a thought.

Wow.... good luck tomorrow! I am also from Green Bay. I actually was going to get sleeved last year by Dr. Kemmerling on April 15th but was a self pay and my mother was not very supportive. I have obtained insurance since then so now am currently going through the insurance hoops. My insurance requires the surgery to be done by a center of excellence and Dr. Kemmerling is not. I will be having my surgery with MIdwest Bariatric Solutions out of Neenah. I am quite happy with going through Midwest Bariatric Solutions rather then Dr. Kemmerling. When I met with him everything went so fast. I had a 5 minute appointment and then he said your good and we scheduled surgery. There were no preop requirements. It was very fast. I don't think I was mentally prepared. With my insurance requirements, I had to do a 6 month supervised diet, and a psych eval. I think I am so much better off w/ MBS then Dr. Kemmerling. I feel so much more prepared. In case you are wondering, I am 25 years old, 5'8 and currently 316 pounds. I wish you luck on your surgery tomorrow. It is a great V-day gift to yourself. I'd love to keep in touch since we are from the same area. I have not met anyone else from GB or the surrounding areas on here. I am hoping to have my surgery by mid March. I have all the requirements together and MBS should be submitting to insurance either the end of last week or the beginning of this week. I'm so excited to finally get this going. It seems so long since I started this process. Once again good luck with Dr. Kemmerling. I've known a few people who have had the surgery with him.

Statistics are going to give you numbers based on wide "testing" collected from various RNY patients. We do have these stall periods in common be it 2 weeks or a month. Still, I would keep them to the extent of what they are: statistics. Honestly, try to focus on yourself and making this tool your biggest success. Follow your Bariatric team's advice and learn discipline and good choices by logging your food and exercise. It will keep you grounded and accountable. Good luck!

What a week! I would like some feedback about my situation. Here it goes...When I first started this process the Bariatric Office said that they would be able to pull my records. Well, I find out yesterday they can't because doctor office is no longer a part of their affiliation. Needless to say I call my OB office to get weight records because I go there yearly. By the way, I requested these records in September and they only sent me results to HIV Test. I called them back then and they were suppose to mail my complete exams to Clinic. Needless to say they didn't. Well, I talk to the medical records lady today and tell her that I am coming to pick up the records because I need them ASAP. No Problem. Well, when I went to pick them up at 3 p.m. (I needed to pick up before 5 because she will be gone) and walked out of the office with the sealed envelope my natural instincts told me to open the envelope. Sure enough, this woman has put 1 record in for 2010 and has left for the day. Needless to say they knew I drove out of my way to get these records so the assistant on duty went to get my file and proceeded to copy everything from 2008. But wait, THERE IS NO RECORD FOR 2009! What the hockey sticks am I to do? So, I called my Family doctor's office to see about getting 2009 records. The lady told me it would take between 2-3 weeks. Mind you I only saw this doctor once in 2009 and was a new patient. Is it that hard to pull 1 record that should still be in my chart seeing as how I don't go but 1 time a year? Ughh, the lady in my OB office senses my frustration and copies records back from 2006. THE BIG QUESTION IS DO YOU THINK I SHOULD HAVE HER SUBMIT FOR INSURANCE AUTHORIZATION TOMORROW WITH HEALTH RECORDS FROM 2006-2008 AND 2010 AND 1 FROM THIS YEAR? I would still get 2009 records just in case we need them. For your information I have AETNA.

I also will be taking my 3 antidepressants in addition to my bariatric medications. I hope I'm able to d/c the cholesterol meds and Metformin. I'm really concerned how in the world will I get all these meds in?

At first googling, all I spotted was the facebook link, not your own site. Thanks. Now I have more googling to do! This is the first I'm hearing "licensed bariatric educator" and "certified bariatric coaches." Interesting how things keep evolving.

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

Almost 10 months out - went thru Kaiser Panorama City - but had surgery at Kaiser West L.A. really happy with the bariatric program and how it all panned out. I would never have imagined that this dream came true for me. I have been a slow loser and I am at a standstill right now, but slow and sure has worked for me. I have to really push now to try and get alot closer to goal. How about you? Have you reached your goal yet?

Good evening, Unfortunately yes, Even though I thought the nutrional and psych counseling was a big waste of time and money but I had to play the game. The longest part for me was getting the paper work from my PCP. His office staff is not the smartest. They kept faxing in various months of my dietary plan opposed to sending in 2 three consecutive months or 6 months of documentation. Finally, the office manager took care of everything. All she placed on all six months of diet documentation was: The month (make sure they are consecutive with Aetna) The dosage of Phentermine my weight each month and the doctor stated that he provided nutrition information. Medical history that proved that I have been overweight for the past 5 years and the Bariatric surgeon requested bloodwork and EKG. Thats all I started the process on May 18th 2007 with my consultation May 21st (nutrition counseling) June 3rd (psych counseling) June 28th (office visit: EKG, bloodwork, etc) then at the end of July my doctors office faxed over all documents and the insurance company approved me. I hope this helps...if not..... Please feel free to ask me any question....as I will be happy to respond.

I take the Bariatric Fusion also. My surgeon suggested 2 in the am and 2 in the pm. I like the berry flavor. They are so much better than the Celebrate ones I was taking before.

Which band to go with? The Realize or LAP-Band? I'm sure I'll talk it over with the surgeon but it's definitely something to think about. I had my big 4 hour appointment today with everyone under the sun. The dietician was super nice. We first did the informational session on life and diet post banding. I then saw the Internist/Endocrinologist for an hour. He was nice...reminded me of Rain Man but very thorough. After hearing my symptoms that I've dealt with my whole life, he wants to do one additional lab test (24 hour urine collection - yippee!) to test for a Phenochromocytoma (benign tumor in the adrenal gland)but decided I didn't need any furter pre-op testing. Whew! I then had the 1:1 with the dietician. Not surprisingly, my method of skipping meals then ravenously eating isn't the best. After that I had the 1 hour Physical Education class which was interesting but nothing I didn't already know but still, another check mark off my list of To-Do. After my psych appointment March 27 then April 2, I'll be ready to schedule with the surgeon! Super excited. I start my pre-bariatric surgery diet tomorrow. No, not the scary 2-4 week skim milk diet, but the very low calorie, balanced, high-protein diet. They gave me basically a list of foods from 4 food groups to pick from for each meal, and two protein drinks as snacks between meals, and that's it! I do really well with a regime, and it's expected that I lose weight before seeing the surgeon, so it looks like my journey begins tomorrow!

That's the bariatric surgery center my insurance company (Anthem Blue Cross HMO/Monarch) would have me use. Interested in feedback about each of their doctors, or the one you're familiar with: if you have preference for one doctor (& why?) patience? responsiveness if there's a problem or concern? Will one or both doc's really go to bat for me with the insur company if I only want the band, or just make a half-hearted attempt to appease me? if its not the insurance comp requiring it, do either of these doc's put you thru the hoop with 6mos or a yr of dieting beforehand, psych eval, that esophegeal test I've read about, etc? Any other thoughts about them, negative or positive, all appreciated. If you had any complications, what were they, and who was your doctor? Did you have to have band removed? What is your age, gender, your starting weight, time since surgery, and current weight?

Hi, I would highly recommend Dr Tiffany Jessee. She has offices in Largo where I go and also in Tampa. Here is a link to her website. Lap Band Surgery Florida | Bariatric Surgeon | Dr. Tiffany Jessee Check it out and see what you think...I think she is the best!

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS. My policy does not have an exclusion for bariatric surgery. BCBS of Illinois admitted that my denial was a MISTAKE. BCBS is now going over my file and an approval should be coming within 24 hrs. They apologized for the error, will re-evaluate my request for surgery and hopefully get back to me quickly. The Dr's office has also been informed by me that I want my surgery scheduled as soon as they get the approval. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! WHAT A JOKE. It looks like the last 24 hrs of torture were a character building experience. I don't have the approval yet, but am confident it should be forthcoming. Prayers really do work. I thank everyone of you who sympathized with me. Your responses of support were really helpful. Again, sincerely, I thank you. Me

Right now I am so devastated I can barely type. My process began on March 20 2013, when I notified BCBS of Illinois concerning Bariatric Surgery. Below is a copy of the correspondence: 03/20/2013 18:44:00 -- Member Question: Hello Unfortunately, at this time I am looking into Bariatric Surgery at the recommendation of my internist. We have a Blue Distinction Bariatric Center in Portland. What are the different steps that Blue Cross requires, under my plan for this surgery. Response: Bariatric Surgery 03/21/2013 15:12:31 - HCSC Response: Hi Patrice, Surgical treatment of morbid obesity may be considered eligible for coverage when all of the physical, clinical and psychological indications are documented according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois current medical policy. A letter of support and/or explanation is helpful but alone will not be considered sufficient documentation to make a medical necessity determination. We are not in a position to consider the request for surgical treatment of morbid obesity due to the lack of available medical documentation to determine medical necessity based on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois medical policy. The following documented clinical information is necessary for further review. For a member to be considered eligible for benefit coverage of bariatric surgery to treat morbid obesity, the member must meet the following two criteria: 1. Diagnosis of morbid obesity, defined as a: - Body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 40 kg/meter (* see guidelines below for BMI calculation); OR - BMI equal to or greater than 35kg/meters with at least two (2) of the following comorbid conditions related to obesity that have not responded to maximum medical management and that are generally expected to be reversed or improved by bariatric treatment: o Hypertension, OR o Dyslipidemia, OR o Diabetes mellitus, OR o Coronary heart disease, OR o sleep apnea, OR o Osteoarthritis; AND 2. Documentation from the requesting surgical program that: - Growth is completed (generally, growth is considered completed by 18 years of age); AND - Documentation from the surgeon attesting that the patient has been educated in and understands the post-operative regimen, which should include ALL of the following components: 1. Nutrition program, which may include a very low calorie diet or a recognized commercial diet-based weight loss program; AND 2. Behavior modification or behavioral health interventions; AND 3. Counseling and instruction on exercise and increased physical activity; AND 4. Ongoing support for lifestyle changes to make and maintain appropriate choices that will reduce health risk factors and improve overall health; AND - Patient has completed an evaluation by a licensed professional counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist within the 12 months preceding the request for surgery. This evaluation should document: 1. The absence of significant psychopathology that would hinder the ability of an individual to understand the procedure and comply with medical/surgical recommendations, AND 2. The absence of any psychological comorbidity that could contribute to weight mismanagement or a diagnosed eating disorder, AND 3. The patient's willingness to comply with preoperative and postoperative treatment plans. The member and their physician(s) are urged to review the full text of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois (BCBSIL) medical policy on this subject on the BCBSIL Website at www.bcbsil.com. Choose the "provider" link at the top of the Website and select medical policies: Surgery for Morbid Obesity (search by policy title). If you any further questions or concerns, please contact our customer service department at the toll-free number on the back of your Blue Cross Blue Shield identification card or via the Message Center on Blue Access for Members. Sincerely, Cheryl M. Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois Customer Service Center For the last six months I have seen the Bariatric Centers Dr's, nutritionist, physical therapist, psychologist and 80% of every appointment was covered by my policy. I have pain my 1500.00 out of pocket expenses and ready to go. Today I found out that my insurance policy has an exemption on Bariatric Surgery. WHAT?????? The insurance company gave me the info above and paid all of the pre surgery visits. I assumed the Dr's office did their job, Submit an electronic Eligibility & Benefits Inquiry (ANSI 270 transaction) to BCBSIL through your preferred online vendor portal. Now I am left disappointed and totally depressed. I just can't understand how this happens.

I'll be praying for you.I started my journey at 286 pounds.I am 36 and a mom of 6.I am part of a bariatric program that encourages you to follow the south beach diet.I have lost 40 pounds pre op and am having my gastric sleeve done on Oct 1st.Something just seemed to click for me, especially once I knew hope wason the horizon.You can do this, don't lose hope.Keep us posted on your progress, I know you'll do great

I feel exactly the same way, and worry about the same things I'm still pre-op after I had my psych eval. he recommended for me to see a therapist for depression for 6 months before he would approve me for surgery. My 6 months is up at the end of August and I am too scared to call and schedule my second appt. to get approval from the bariatric psychiatrist. I wish I could just quit thinking about it and do it!!!

I can't believe I haven't updated my journal since one week post-op. I enjoy reading all the other journals, but have been lax in updating mine. Went back and got my list of things I wanted to do, so am updating it here: I hope to be able to do all these things when I lose some weight: 1) Ride my horse without worrying that I am breaking his back!! Too hot, haven't even tried. He's having fun in the pasture. 2) Have the energy to clean my house and shovel out all the stuff I gathered thru the years. I have more energy, and have started cleaning out some (namely clothes that are getting too big) but sad to say not real enthused about this yet!! 3) Stick my arm in that blood pressure thing at Walmart and not have it get stuck there!! And use a normal blood pressure cuff! Haven't tried it yet! 4) Walk somewhere without huffing and puffing and stopping to rest 20 times. Can walk 45 minutes on the treadmill and am finding daily walking a lot easier! 5) Get off all these pills I am taking - or at least most of them!! My blood pressure is pretty much normal now (with the pills), but it will probably be a while longer before I decrease them. My blood sugar has decreased but still a ways to go. Went off Metformin when I got the surgery. Going to the doctor tomorrow and will get blood tests for sugar, cholesterol, etc. 6) Quit getting my butt stuck in chairs/theatre seats, etc with arms. This has decreased dramatically, with just a 24 lb weight loss. 7) Have enough energy to play with grandkids, do some gardening, ride my bike. Stayed off the bike for the 6 weeks after surgery, still not gotten back on it yet. Maybe today if it's cool enough! 8) Not be the biggest person in the room. (Already accomplished this when I went to the bariatric clinic-how sad. Finally sat in a chair too big for me!! But I don't consider this a NSV) What a sick mentality I have that I rejoice that someone in the room is bigger than me - this isn't usually the case tho. 9) Do something besides read, crochet and watch soaps on tv all day long because I don't feel like doing much else. Still need to work on this. 10) I'm sure there are many more but I have gone brain-dead for now.