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Showing results for 'Fed BC/BS'.
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62 5'4" 235 lbs 40.1 BMI Both Knees replaced Spine collapsing (14 herniated discs) High Blood Pressure Post stroke etc, etc, etc, BC/BS Federal with three month clinically supervised diet, once packet was sent in, I was approved in two days. Surgery 12/23/2013 Have lost 65 pounds Currently in one of those hateful stalls where I am battling gram by gram to keep losing.
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Not enough protein shakes
pminshew replied to pminshew's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hmm that's a really good idea. Thanks so much!! I'll check my local GNC to see if they carry anything of the sort. I'm not one to normally say I'm starving bc I'm very fortunate and never have been, but this liquid diet has been tough, tough. My surgeon and the bariatric nurses I had to meet with post op yesterday assured me I wouldn't be hungry in a few days. I just would anything for a taco salad from my local Mexican restaurant! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App -
Have u done something lately that u've ALWAYS wanted to do but didn't.....
vinesqueen replied to Lioness81970's topic in The Lounge
Follow your dream Carmen, follow it. I, of course, never let my weight stand in my way. Two years ago I decided that I wanted to get a college education, I wanted a BS/BA degree. So, I just went for it. Damn the torpedos, full steam ahead! -
weight gain during 6 month waiting period
Susie1226 replied to dreamonique's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I have BCBS and I did 3 months of weights management. I didn't lose but gained bc of the holidays. Luckily there was no specific weight loss requirement. I guess it just varies. -
Anyone willing to share their timeline of events from the start of the process to the approval of the surgery??
SLL replied to AllForMy4's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hi! I wouldn't call myself an "experienced sleever", but I have reached a few milestones I thought I would share. I attended my first-ever WLS seminar on September 24, 2011. Then, my appointment to have my initial labwork done & meet with the Surgeon & my Patient Advocate was on October 6th. I scheduled my own sleep study through my PCP, which I completed October 13th (My results came back positive for central & obstructive sleep apnea & Grade II Obesity). I received my insurance approval letter from UHC already around October 21st! I was surprised, because I didn't know the surgery center had already submitted for approval. In the meantime, I had requested and received my 6 months of medical records from one of the many stretches of weight loss attempts I had tried. Tomorrow, October 25th, I am scheduled to complete my computer psych testing, psych eval, diet review & exercise review. So, from there, I have to begin attending support groups monthly beginning this Thursday. I anticipate scheduling surgery when I go in tomorrow. However.....I am still apprehensive! I haven't told anyone but my husband because I know they will try to talk me out of it. I am worried about having complications and I guess my mind has not really wrapped itself around this whole concept yet. I started the process in September by speaking with my PCP about the surgery bc she had it a year ago from the same surgeon I am seeing. She looks and feels AMAZING! She completely recommends it! Still, I am cautious. So, I thought I would go to a seminar and see what it was all about. Then, after the seminar, I decided I would go ahead and set up an initial consult and "just see what the surgeon had to say". He recommended it, especially since I had labwork that just came in showing a very high blood sugar at 4X the normal high limit! So, I have been blessed by no speedbumps along the way, but I am just doing my research on the internet & taking this one step at a time. It's a HUGE decision & I want to make sure I make the right one! I would love to hear your story if you don't mind sharing your decision-making process! Thanks & good luck! -
5 weeks til 1st Surgeon Appt....how to get a head start?
gina171 posted a topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
My first appointment with my surgeon is on July 14th, so I have a good 5 weeks. I would like to use this time wisely. I don't feel the need to go on weeks of food funerals, though I am sure I will have 3 or 4 favorite meals during this time. But how else can I best use the time til mid-July? Here's what I am in the process of doing now: I have read several books and am well versed on the different surgery types, am uncertain btw. sleeve and RNY, will rely on physician input once he sees the whole health picture. I am seeing my primary care doc on this month to officially record starting weight, and let them know I am getting WLS. I will attend support group meetings. Am getting my psych eval done this week. Trying out different protein products. So I guess the big question is, do I start serious, low carb, dieting now, in the meantime? I am the type who can lose 20 pounds fairly easily, but then....I stall, and I stall HARD, and then I usually get sloppy and start slowly regaining. So I am a little worried about losing my 20 easy pounds, showing up to the surgeon mid-July and he says, hey lose 10% of your body weight before surgery please, and then I am stuck "starting over" right in the really hard part of every diet I have ever been on. Maybe I am whining here? I would like to do everything I can to get a head start before that first surgeon appt, since I'd like to do the surgery as soon as I can bc of work cycles (I work in college administration). I supposedly have no mandatory diet and exercise waiting period (we'll see on that....). I figure that starting to lose weight now will just mean it's some weight at least that I don't have to lose later, so maybe I should just jump in and diet? Try bariatric recipes? What do you recommend? Thanks for any input or advice. -
There's no limit on when you can have the PS though. If you cant afford the time or money right now, you can always do it in a few years time. My boobs are a disaster, they're really bad and I really think for my own comfort and running performance (I'm so addicted to running now) I need a breast reduction and lift. But it wont be happening whilst I'm a lowly university student and whilst we need to buy a bigger house. I figure five years time, I'll be out working, I can then afford the operation. I dont have hanging skin though, as I was lucky enough to nip my weight problem in the bud before it got that serious. So I cant really imagine how hard it will have to be to wait for that. But it will happen for you one day if not immediately. Till then, I"m wonderfully fit, active and so much slimmer than I was. I look great dressed, I do not care that I look like an almost 40 year old women who has birthed and fed three children when I'm naked because that's what I am! Try to enjoy your newfound healthiness - your mental image of yourself and your self esteem is more important than the reality of the shape your skin is in. If its hidden pretty much by clothing and not causing you health problems, be glad of that and just save towards your goal of a fine tuning later on.
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HOW is eating different post sleeve - don't you miss it?
HEARTonmySLEEVE2014 replied to lovelyme's topic in Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story
My experience has been a little different. I was sleeved 3 weeks ago to the day. Although I dont really feel hunger, I experience what Ive seen refered to as "head hunger". In the beginning, it was really bad. I found this surprising, bc Ive always been a very picky eater, but I found myself craving foods that I didnt even like. I think this was a result of being on the liquid diet. Everything looked good to me. And everytime a commercial came on tv, it seemed to be a food commercial smh. That was my experience during the two weeks before my surgery and the two weeks after. Now the problem that Im having (although still mental), is that although I can only eat a very small amount, my brain is still telling me to eat more. For example, I had a chicken wing the other day (not a large on, but the little one that would come in an appetizer). I could only eat half of it, and was stuffed. Although physically I knew I could not eat anymore, my brain was saying "really though? 1/2 of a wing?..thats not even right". So although I dont fell hunger, and Ive started to be able to gauge how much my sleeve can handle at a time, its been a big mind game for me. -
So no luck yet, I called the office and the manager that deals with insurance is out today and I'm sooo tempted to call the insurance company myself but I don't want to sabotage anything and I'm sure the doctors office has experience with this stuff. @@lolarose13 I have CDPHP which is a local insurance to upstate NY it's actually a really good plan but apparently my high blood pressure is not medically refractory hypertension bc I only take one medication. Pcos isn't a qualifying co morbidity for my plan which is unfortunate bc I blame that and my endometriosis on having a metabolic disease which I think contributes to my weight and my inability to lose and keep it off (well that and all the Desserts I eat, I'm definitely not one to blame all my weight issues on other things, my poor eating habits contribute I'm sure!! Lol)! Sounds like you have a fighting chance though depending on your insurance requirements, I wish you luck!!
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I HATE I GOT THIS STUPID SURGERY!
Sheribear68 replied to theexfatgirl's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I’m sorry that you’re hurting I’m sorry that you’re struggling I am going to call you out though for lashing out very rudely. Whether you like the advice or not, someone took time out to give a response. Yes, maybe the wording was a bit harsh, but please take the message and go back to all of the months of physical and psychological prep that went into this. There are many of us here from decades-long veterans to those surgeried just in the last few weeks that can help. The first 2 weeks are the absolute worst. Your body is tired, your mind is tired and everything is dramatically different. However, I haven’t heard of a single weight loss patient who didn’t know this going in, so refer to your action plan and work the plan. Drink Protein shakes (if possible) Vitamins Rest Work with your NUT and bariatric clinic. They don’t disappear after surgery, they are there and want you to succeed. For the first 8 days post-op, I “consumed” a total of 800 calories. For 8 days. Didn’t hit a single protein goal ANY of those days. Emailed my NUT panicked 3 times that week bc I couldn’t hold in anything thicker than water. Her advice was to relax and not stress too much about the protein as long as the water happened. She was right and within 2 more weeks I finally hit my first protein goal. It took me 3 weeks after surgery to do that, so you’re still good. It won’t always be easy, but life changing measures seldom come easily.- 89 replies
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Tiff, hang in there. I know exactly how you are feeling. My husband fought on the front line in the first Gulf War back in 1991 and I didn't hear from him for the duration of the war. He was away for 6 months too and my daughter was only a baby then. We lived in Germany in an age before the internet or mobile phones. I had no family nearby and the unit my husband was detached with didn't even realise he had a wife and family! He also did other tours of duty where he was away for months at a time but luckily had done his time by the time Iraq and Afghanistan came up again. Anyway, on a lighter note, we used to love your PX when we were in Germany. We were allowed to shop there and the stuff was different to what we were used to and a lot cheaper. We would travel for 3 hours to the one in Frankfurt just to get a Burger King! There were no Burger Kings in Germany at that time and the American ones were just out of this world! And the Americans are far more polite and well mannered than the Brits too! Soldiers would hold the door open for you..... I'm fed up today although i don't really know why. I'm still not feeling 100% better as my abdomen is still swollen from where I had my muscles stitched up. I went to the hospital on sunday as I was worried and they gave me some antibiotics just in case it's a hematoma. I just want to be better know but I think that having 2 ops in the space of 3 weeks has really taken it out of me, especially as the last was 2 ops in one! Sorry about your losses too Judy. Hope you are feeling much better soon. You are all so lovely and friendly on this site. I am glad I found you. Take care all, Helenxxx
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Yesterday I saw my surgeon for my pre-op. About 3 weeks ago I was having some blood pressure and irregular heart beat issue. My surgery is scheduled for October 21. My echocardiogram was normal but the results from the holter monitor were not back yet. He let me keep my date but said if the slightest thing pings on the holter he will reschedule my surgery. I'll find out for sure on Friday when I see my PCP. He believes the issues were caused by a new medication I had started 3 days before the problems started. Since then I have stopped the meds and have not had any problems. Anyways he gave me instructions leading up to surgery. He told me I do not need to do the 2 weeks pre-op diet. I just need to do a 24 hour liquid diet the day before surgery. I've lost 20 pounds during this process, I started out at 250. I am now 230. He told me to keep the 20 lbs off and continue to try and lose more. If I gain even a pound he will cancel my surgery. I'm over here kinda panicking, I terrified I'll gain bc it will be right before my period and my weight fluctuates about 3 pounds every month. Once I start the weight falls right back off. He also said I need to start tracking everything I eat and drink. So what are your pre-op directions?
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Can't Get Motivated to Exercise
LumpySpacePrincess posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I will get ready to workout in the mornings and then it takes every ounce of mental strength I have just to start. Once I'm in a good rhythm, I feel good and even better when I'm done. I just can't seem to get going. I feel sluggish and lethargic. I'm not quite 3 months out, so I know this is the magic time when I should be exercising, but I seem to have a million reasons not to, even though I know they're all bs. Someone help motivate me! -
How long did you wait to return to work?
Ilovecats1985 replied to Gemini0621's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I'm a stay at home mom of 5 kids. My dr told me and my husband, no driving for 7 days, no housework for 3 weeks bc the bending, stretching and lifting can tear the stitches. He also said if I try to do something and I get pain to wait another week before trying again. Now I know me, I'm gonna be going out of my mind. I had a spinal tap a little over a week ago and I've had complications from it. I've been down since the tap and I'm going insane! -
Chest Pain After 1 Week With Lap Band .... Gas?
I-Can-Do-This!! replied to wesmommy's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I had my surgery on the 16th of Nov and i am going through the same pain. it hurts sooooo bad. Its to the point that it was affecting my breathing also. Ive been taking chewable gas-x and drinking hot liquids n soups n walking n it helps but not nearly enough. THis is normal. I also have been using a blender to mix my protein shakes n i have to stop using the blender bc it was causing bubbles which makes for a gassy person so i had to get this hand mixed that has a wisk type ball in it n just manually shake it. Things we took for graunted we really need to take a step back and see if it could be causing gas. Good luck!!! -
Ok so to give u an idea before surgery I was in a 22 top and a 22/24 bottom. I was never able to fit into regular women's size xxl. Well today I went shopping bc the clothes I am currently wearing r getting to big. I went to kohls and shopped in the regular woman department and bough an XL sweater and it fits! I also went to old navy and bought a couple of tops that were also XL! I am now down to a size 18 jean:). It just feels so good to be able to shop in a regular department store!
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Needing tips and ideas..two days out
lpnryyz replied to CanHardlyWait's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
og man i feel for you.... i had it bad for about 5 days postop... i finally got fed up and took milk of magnesia... more than the required amount... that cleaned me out!... are u taking pain killers?.. the codeine in it will make u constipated so only take it if you need to... the gas will subside.. and walking helps but ready to spend some time in the bathroom if u go with milk of magnesia. -
I dont think she is bitter. Just fed up.
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Did anyone start their journey weighing over 400lbs?
MaureenVA replied to MaureenVA's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
You guys hit the nail on the head. My last WLS information meeting bc every patient who stood up to tell her story talked about how awful they were at, say, 240 lbs and their life sucked. I'm starting my journey at 403lbs and dream of the day I'm 240! The lowest weight I ever remember being was 272. Though the struggle is real for us all, we "BBMI" folks have further challenges. Exercise is a challenge...bc movement is SO restricted. Machines weren't built for bodies like ours. Unless their names are Bob and Jillian, trainers have little experience with people of my size. It makes me feel like even more of an outcast. Like I'm too fat to be with the fat folks. I'm glad y'all spoke up. I feel less alone. I'm going to attempt to start a group/area just for us. If you're interested (even if you didn't/haven't replied to this post) message me and I'll invite you when it's all set up. -
ive got that comment many times..even when i was thinner..and it really sux..i got that comment a few months ago..and started laughing for how nervous i was.. basically i was working at the bank..and we were selling bottlesof Water for the terry fox foundation..the bottles were at room temparature and this client wanted it cold..so my supervisor..asked me in the clients presents..can u please go grab him a bottle downstairs for the fridge..i said sure!! when the client heard that..he turned to my supervisor and said..how dare you make her go down the stairs to get me a bottle of water..the poor girl is pregnant..i bursted into laughter! not knowing how to react..my supervisor felt bad for me..and started laughing as well.. the client was confused..and kept on repeating how can u treat a pregnant girl like that..!! i got sooo fed up of him saying that!! i looked at the client with a serious face and said '' listen only because i am overweight doesnt automatically mean that i am pregnant!!'' he didnt know how to respond he didnt say a word and left and he didnt even buy a bottle the a*****e!!
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Almost passing out while working out....
Graciesmom04 replied to twil1980's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
When I was in HS and college I was always on the very skinny side. My blood sugar and blood pressure were both always very low. I had chronic issues with getting up too fast and blacking out and issues with my blood sugar getting so low I'd get shaky and weak. Gaining weight, that all went away, for years. Now that I'm down quite a bit on my wt, all these things are back again. I do okay when I'm up exercising, but it's either after I'm done I get shaky or if I haven't had a good meal, I get that way. All normal for the wt loss but need to just make sure you've eaten a good amount of Protein and carbs before a work out to keep that blood sugar up. Have your blood pressure taken weekly for awhile and see where that is at so you are aware. Sugary foods will just raise your blood sugar high then bottom them out, so Peanut Butter, bananas, grapes, milk are all good sources of protein that will bring bs up and keep it up. As far as feeling like you're going to black out when standing up...sit up first, before standing, to get your BP acclimated. Stand slowly and stay in place before moving. Your BP is bottoming out and it's taking that blood from your head, causing that black out feeling. Once it's stable you start to feel okay. -
Do I need a Pizza Funeral
sarahbee replied to ShareeB's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I've done tortilla pizzas and those are great for a craving. I've also had regular pizza - today actually I had a slice of thin crust pizza from papa johns. I'm 2 mos out. Was full after a slice but man, don't love how many calories they are with so little protein. So I'll be sure to keep it to special occasions. Esp bc I love pizza and that's probably what got me where I am! -
How long did you wait for your approval?
2gina replied to EnchantedRuby's topic in Insurance & Financing
Hi Susan I would like a copy of your letter you sent in for appeal.I thought about asking you that when I saw you have BCBS/Fed EMP. I have not gotten an answere and was suprised you can appeal it. Please send it to gina_hill@hotmail.com if you dont mind. Thanks in advance Gina -
I didn't have it to begin with. I had a hole in my diaphragm and my stomach was slipping up into that hole and twisting cutting off all blood flow to my stomach. (Form of hiatial hernia). When my stomach would come back down it stretched more and more causing what appeared to be an extra stomach. My surgeon didn't know that until getting in there. He said he wanted to cut that part out but was afraid the insurance would see it as a partial bs and decline the claim so he used it as a wrap. My surgery was very complicated and took about 5 hrs to do.
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Hey there. I just got banded on 8/30! I'm finally excited about this journey. Has a bunch of complications with my insurance, but the day actually arrived. I'm 28 relatively healthy, but just obese since childhood. This Clear liquids is about to kill me. Everything us just so sweet! The only thing I want is milk BC it's not too sweet. (I did put a French fry in my mouth today and spit it back out...smh just a shame but I know i'm not alone!) I have 11 more days of clear then I get to move to full for 2 Weeks...I hope I can make it lol! I'm already feeling much better, I can lay down all the way and I don't need any assistance getting up or anything. I'm walking around with relative ease and I only took a Tylenol today. Just the gas under my left shoulder is about to knock me out. I can't take it!
