Search the Community

Hi all. I'm brand new here and brand new to the whole surgery thing too. I have a BMI of about 60 and also have high blood pressure. I haven't yet spoken to my primary about weight loss surgery but I know she'll agree. I am just having a hard time finding out if it's even worth it. There is zero chance I can self pay and I have medicaid in Colorado. Does anyone here know for sure if Colorado Medicaid covers bariatric surgery? If so, any chance someone knows the procedure they require? Thanks.

Could be a stomach ulcer. We are prone to them after surgery. Or gall bladder. Get into you primary care doctor, gastroenterologist or possibly you bariatric surgeon. Good luck!

It's funny but one of my weight loss goals that I've already achieved was to be even able to get on a doctor's scale at all (not counting my bariatric doctor) For a while they would ask me to get on the scale and my weight was more than the max of the scale.

So, yesterday was my last appointment with the surgeon before surgery (see previous blog). I basically met with the surgeon, he had me sign some papers, explained a few things, told me I did NOT need an endoscopy (yay!), and took me off to see the insurance coordinator. That's when I had my little scare. First she tells me that I will will have to go in for pre op 3 to 4 days before surgery, and that they will call me the Friday before to tell me what time I have to be at the hospital for surgery. THEN she tells me that I have to front 20% of the surgeons fee before the surgery. I'm thinking 1,000's of dollars and I start to freak out on the inside. I just stared at her until I finally stuttered that I didn't think I could come up with 1,000's of dollars in two weeks. She then told me it was only going to be around 250. Thank God!! I almost hyperventilated and felt soooo much relief when she told me that. Not that I enjoy paying 250 either, but it's certainly better than what I thought and better than what a lot of other people have to pay. Other than that, everything seems to be going smoothly. She said that once I'm finished with my last Nutrition class (on the 9th) that she will send everything to the insurance. She said she may also call them ahead of time just to make sure everything is on track. Hopefully THAT goes well. I asked her before if she thought I'd get approved and she said she was almost positive I would. However, still fearful after reading the stories on here. I'm praying hard that the last 6 months don't end up being a waste of time and money!! After speaking with her, I stopped in to see the nutritionist as I wasn't sure which protein shakes I could have. I have a choice between four: Bariatric Advantage, Bariatric Fusion, Unjury or GNC 100% Whey. I need to have 6 servings a day for 9 days. As of right now (unless suggested otherwise) I think I'm going to go with GNC. It seems to be the cheapest out of the 4, plus more convenient as there is a store right down the street and I won't have to pay for shipping. Even as the cheapest it's going to cost almost 60 bucks because I need the 5lb jug to get me through the pre op. I also made my appointment with my primary care doctor for Monday to receive his approval. The insurance coordinator made me feel a little better because she said that they have faxed over all my stuff to him, so I know he knows I'm getting this surgery. It shouldn't be a problem receiving the approval thank goodness. p.s. While waiting the surgeon, the nurse who took my blood pressure was telling me that she saw a segment about the Sleeve on Goodmorning America that morning! She said it was all positive things. She also said that I was lucky because I'm young, that my skin should bounce back to shape while losing the weight. I know however, that it also depends on genetics, but a girl can hope!! Haha. She also stated that she was going to call in all the medicines I will need to my pharmacy so I won't have to wait for them, just go pick them up. Very nice lady and I'm loving my experience at the center I'm going to! Seriously excited! Only 16 days away!!

I have the VSG last August at CER with Dr. Garcia, and my experience was very positive. He and his staff were kind, attentive, and efficient. I experienced minimal pain and discomfort, and felt that I was take care off throughout the duration of my stay. My room was spacious, completely private, and had everything I needed. I brought a HDMI cable to hook my laptop up to the TV so my parents and I could watch movies while I was recovering. My parents were my support team, and they stayed at the Marriott and had a free shuttle back and forth to CER every day. They enjoyed their stay. Other supporters stayed in the room with the patient, but didn't get much rest with the nurses coming in throughout the night (to be expected) and the chaise lounge not being very comfortable. The only negative for CER was that it was extremely noisy when I was there. It's new, and they're still working on construction on some of the floors. There's also construction just outside the hospital. Babies with cleft palates were being treated on the same floor, so naturally they were crying at night. If you're a light sleeper or are prone to headaches from noise, I'd consider bringing some earplugs and comfortable headphones. I also have this tiny portable white noise machine that I take with me to help drown out noise when I'm traveling (I've stayed in a lot of hotels next to airports). I did not receive much follow-up care through Dr. Garcia, but I also didn't seek it out. I could have emailed them with any questions. I was given a folder with nutritional guidelines, and a package with pain medication, bandages and such for the incisions. For me, this was sufficient because I consulted with a local Registered Dietician who has worked with bariatric patients, and my endocrinologist had agreed in advance to provide follow-up care. I'm extremely happy with my decision. I have lost 70 pounds in the past 11 months, have had no complications, have perfect lab results, and have no skin issues, and little hair loss. I've gone from a BMI in the low 30s to a BMI in the low 20s.

Hello All, I am in Maine and I am surprised to be having my consult with the bariatric surgeon on Monday March 15. A couple questions; Is there anyone else here that has had the surgery in Maine? Which will help with the following question... how soon can you expect surgery after your initial consult? I am a little excited and nervous at the same time. I put off exploring bariatric surgery for years and finally decided enough was enough... any feedback you can provide will be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance!

I went to my first required support group meeting last night. I have to attend another one next month. It's not as easy as I expected to get the surgery done. I'll pretty much have to jump through hoops - one more meeting, then see a bariatric internist, then a nutritionist, then on to the shrink, thennnnn onwards toward surgery, but only after I lose at least 30 pounds on my own. AHHHG! I'm sure this is all normal stuff that everyone has to go through, but dang, they want a lot. If I can lose 30 pounds on my own, why do I need surgery? That's the part that gets me a little confounded. If it was so easy to drop 30 pounds, don't they think everyone would have done it already?!?! There were some recent patients at the meeting. The bypass patients all looked pale, sickly, and shriveled - not to be mean, they lost the weight - great for them.. but the bandsters looked a whole helluva lot healthier. I also got to meet my surgeon, and he's sweet as can be. That was nice. Ok, well, I'm rambling.. just figured I'd pop in with an update. Hope everyone is doing well, two thumbs way up for the successful, *hugs* of support to those that aren't there yet (you will be!). El

Elektralite- I am right there with you in the jumping through hoops.. I have my surgery scheduled for June 13th at this point. I called insurance and they said it was covered under my plan with nothing to hold me back. Well, met my dr (ok, already know him.....we sit on the sidelines each week at our girls' :soccer: game). He is an awesome individual and calmed my nerves very quickly. We scheduled my date - hoping to do it the week after school gets out.....before summer school starts. (this date works best for me because I do daycare and my summer census is lower then than during the school year). AND suprise suprise suprise....insurance slapped me with their conditions....First of all they complained that we didn't submitt the correct information. So, I did my psych eval and did my nutritional eval like they requested.....and re-submitted everything. (we are trying to ignore the 6 mo doctor supervised diet that they are requesting). We also got a letter from my regular doctor that says this is the only answer for me - she does not suggest any other diet or drug because of other health issues. I have been to one support group meeting -- we are required to attend atleast 6 meetings post op. The group was small and very interesting -There have only been @ 40 LB surgeries at my local hospital - great success stories and very good after care :nanahump: . I just talked to the bariatric nurse and she thinks if the insurance company can get off their lazy :tape: asses and reply within the next week or so .....my surgery is still a go on June 13th. (otherwise the schedule is now full through August) I am extremely excited but starting to feel the crunch....If I am approved, I need to start my 10-day liquid diet about June 1st. That really isn't that far away. I also need to inform my daycare families about time off/get my mom to come for a few days to help with my three children, go shopping and the list goes on and on. I just wish I knew what was happening. Good luck at your journey of hoop jumping - Tracy

I went to what I thought was an appointment with a nutrionist at Kaiser and it turned out to be a seminar for Gastric Bypass surgery. About 1/2 way through thank goodness someone asked about the lapband. The nutrionist was very abrupt and said "Kaiser doesn't cover that surgery". Funny, 3 different people at Kaiser told me over the phone that they do. I switched my insurance for that reason. Their 200+ page handbook says that they cover bariatric surgery. To me that would cover quite a few different surgeries!!! Including Lap Band. Under exclusions, lap band is not mentioned. Now what?? This was 2 nights ago and I am still fuming! I guess it is time to start writing letters. Everyday if I have to. Wish me luck!!

I haven't heard anything yet from my insurance either. I was told my claim was submitted by Blossom Bariatrics last Friday. Still, nothing is popping up on my insurance website about the claim. I've heard my insurance is pretty fast at authorizing this but I'm not quite sure it was really submitted last Friday. We'll see. Any news on yours yet?

I wish it was a range of responses. The questions per my bariatric program are all short answer. It may even take 2 sessions to get through them all

I too had my surgery on 6/21/2017. My nutritionist put me on a 60 grams of protein. I really don't like the bariatric shakes. But I found that perimer protein shakes are not chalky but smooth, and they are 30 grams of protein per shake. I am in the 2nd phase with soft mushy foods and still have one more week of this phase till I move to phase three. However, phase two is a learning experience for me. I do throw up when my body doesn't agree with it or if I don't chew my food 28 times. But I've gotten smart, I now put my foods through a good processor where is greetings everything up for me so I can eat. Note: I'm only able to consume about 3 to 4oz of food, sometime less than that. But the key is to pay attention to your pouch be or stomach. Also, the main key is to get your 64 oz of water and 2 protein shake before attempting to eat. Anyway, if you have any question please feel free to ask. Sent from my LG-K540 using BariatricPal mobile app

When I started considering WLS, particularly VSG Surgery, I researched extensively. I read medical studies, case histories, personal blogs and watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos posted by patients and bariatric surgeons. I cannot remember where I read or saw the European study called "The Three Month Marker", nor have I been able to find the article or video again. The "supposed" study was of VSG patients and their success rates. The results of the study indicated that the total average weight loss at 12 months post-op was double the amount lost at the 3 month post-op mark for patients who closely followed the bariatric guidelines. Has anyone else heard about "The Three Month Marker"? For those who are at least 12 months post-op, does this study relate to your experience?

I agree with the others - I've never heard of that, and I've been hanging out on bariatric boards for a few years now. It's probably just a coincidence.

I have Cigna and I started with one bariatric clinic and ended up choosing another. The first told me that Cigna is very strict and to not gain a pound or I would be denied. They also had a chart to fill out that had a box for diet and exercise, and that if both were not filled out, it wouldn’t be approved. The second clinic did not mention a thing to me and even allowed a visit with my primary care doctor to be counted as my first month. We talked about dieting and obesity, but not like I do with the weight loss clinic. I am not sure what was in the notes but I can’t imagine it was much. Cigna approved my claim in 48 hours due to being 37 and already having a knee replacement. Age: 37 Height: 5’6 BMI: 37 VSG scheduled for 4/16/18 GW: 160 MFP: Fit4LifeAR

I am sorry about your complications. I have PB'd occasionally... but never on a regular basis like that. I agree with you though that it is not a "light" matter like some people seem to want to make it. My PB's are violent... and while they may not have stomach acid... it definitely is not a good situation. Thankfully over the 4.5 years I have had the band... I would say I have PB'd less than 20 times. I hope that this time around it will be easier for you to focus on slowing down. Make that your main focus! (once you figure out what is going to happen) It is so hard to be mindful constantly. I struggled with the decision on whether to remove my band or reposition it. I opted to reposition it because insurance actually covered it (I was self-pay due to bariatric clause). I have been up and down on whether or not I made the right decision. My hunger is starting to return and I have 2 weeks until my "first" fill. I have been measuring my portions and eating slow. Well this afternoon I ate a little faster than I would have if I had restriction... and I was able to eat my entire lunch (1/2 cup spinach, 1/4 cup ground turkey, 1/2 avocado, and a pinch of cheese & salsa). Normally I eat about half to 2/3rd's and toss the rest. When I finished my plate at lunch today... I realized that my band really HAS been helping me. So I am glad I kept it. I hope you are able to keep yours and continue on your journey to your goal. Something obviously has to change with your behavior, you realize that, or at least it seems that way from your post. It is not worth permanent damage continuing with non-compliant eating behaviors. Thank you for sharing your struggle. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes.

Hello ladies im from wichita ks travling to oklahoma for surgery, my insurance does not cover so paying cash any pointers on thst or financing?, theres oklahoma weight loss or bariatric center of oklahoma have you heard anything about them? Like I said im self pay hit all the roadblocks so just looking for advice thanks!

So i've searched & read many of the previous "stall" threads but none seem to be similar to my issue. My HW was 387, SW 338(sleeved on 6/20/18), CW 250lbs. My macros are 1000-1200cals depending on lifting days, 90-110g protein, 50-60g carb per day. I'm lifting heavy 4 days per week with 45min HIIT cardio 5-6x/week. Per Apple Watch I'm burning between 4500-5500 cals per day so clearly burning 3x what I take in. My nut says I am were I need to be macro wise but the scale is just not friggin moving. My goal is cutting another 40lbs. I wonder if I am just not getting enough calories but don't think I can eat more. I don't want to lose any muscle mass, just burn fat. I've spoken with a few trainers who train bodybuilders & they think I am not getting enough calories but they admittedly don't have experience with bariatric surgery. The flip side is I've made a lot of progress and body has changed. I've dropped several sizes(4x to 2x), 50" waist to 40" but have more to go. Seeing people with better numbers and doing much less work is getting very frustrating. My question is- has anyone had a lengthy stall like this and was working out heavy? Was upping calories the answer? Was lowering your macros the answer? and were you able to maintain your muscle mass? TIA!

Mari3997, Pre-op diet will definitely help you and helps get "your head" into the right place for your new fabulous healthy life. Support system? I have no one. My husband tried to talk me out of it, NOPE! My body, my life, I make my own decisions...autonomy. Find support groups here, Facebook, IG, etc, research youtube videos on bariatric surgeries. Some FEAR is normal but still wasted energy and can become crippling. Find a way to reduce fear to a reasonable concern. I responded to another post with this...it might help you, I hope so, just do it. Definitely do it! At 71, 100lbs overweight, in pain constantly, both knees destroyed by arthritis, peripheral neuropathy in both feet with hot burning pins and needles when standing and walking, back pain. My journey started in orthopedics with knees, steroid injections, worked well most of the time, but didn't stop the occasional fall [3 to 4 times a year]. I knew sooner or later something would break. I would have had knee replacement sooner except for covid & elective surgeries were cancelled for two years [socialized medicine ***] weight gain, but developed hypertension. Researched weight loss thru ***, and because I had obstructive sleep apnea, I would qualify, and found this bariatric surgery should be first before the knees. I researched, attended classes, youtube videos, surgeons, after care, supplements etc. I wanted the Roux-N-Y but at my age surgeon said no, VSG. The surgeon recommended to me, is EXTREMELY strict and no BS kind of guy, he canceled my first surgery date because he didn't like something I did, so I really buckled down to his protocol. I knew I would have nausea and vomiting from anesthesia so I told EVERYONE, to give me whatever so this didn't happen. Well...it happened, no medication, and postop recovery the uncontrollable violent projectile dry heaves started, nurse good, gave IV Zofran, the IV Reglan and within a few minutes it stopped, but it was bad. I went home the next day. I had all my foods for week two, supplements etc. I am keeping up with supplements and fluids but not hungry. Dr said eat 1/4 cup every 2-3 hours otherwise your body will try to hold on to everything and the metabolism shifts. I'm going to add the vitamin patches from Bariatric Pal to my daily regimen of chews and capsules, [ I am very fatigued] for a while and see how this works. I use Mira Lax/:axa Clear equivalent in my morning water bottle and use a stool softener at night. Find whatever works for you, the stool softeners alone did not work for me. Trying to find my new normal, I knew it would be a process. I have NO regrets, and would tell anyone considering surgery to 'go for it' and FOLLOW directions strictly. Once I pass the phase of full liquids and get into pureed foods it will be another advancement. During surgery found a hiatal hernia and did the repair. Who Knew?! I didn't, glad it's done. My significant weight loss will help me in recovery for total knee replacement. I'm looking forward to repairing the rest of my body in my older age. Best wishes to you. Surgery May 15. 

I am 1 week post op today and I can say im down almost 10 pounds. I am drinking the different protein premium drinks, sugar free Gatorade and water. Trust me when I say its a struggle at times getting 64 oz in if I dont start drinking by 6am. But what I hate so far is this nauseous feeling. Also I hate these muxed berry chewable vitamins by bariatric advantage. They are nasty as hell and makes me want to puke. The wild cherry chewable calcium citrate vitamins not too bad. I call myself getting bariatric specific so i want have to take alot of pills. Im thinking now I probably have should went with the flintstone vitamins.

Hi Everyone! It's been a couple weeks since my first consultation with the bariatric surgeon in Atlanta. I am feeling confident and focused on moving forward with the surgery. I am planning to work with my insurance company to have the procedure. My surgeon and insurance require 90 days of tests (EKG, Gast. X-ray?, blood panel, Physical Therapy, Psychiatric Evaluation and Supervised Nutrition Plan). I am following the plan and taking it seriously. I have been told that I cannot gain any weight between my consultation and my nutritionist's appointments. I don't have to lose any weight, but I cannot gain or my insurance will not approve of the surgery. Makes sense. (I figure.. this is my last resort, so let's give it 150%!) I am also incorporating more steps into my day. I work a sedentary job in an office, so I am at approximately 8K steps when I am conscious of getting up and walking. My days consist of a lot of meetings in conference rooms or sitting at my desk working on my next presentations. So- I am trying to mind my health habits while staying focused on my work goals. While I try to eat "healthy," I am accepting the fact that I am a binge eater. Specifically, on carbs (bread, bread, bread). Throughout the work day, I eat balanced snacks of high protein, low carbs and keep my caloric count in check. However, when I go home, I am famished. I am so hungry and want to feel full. This has always been my eating habit in life and over the years-- it has caught up with me. I will talk about that more in a separate post. For now, I am looking to meet others who might have the same issues who would like to be support friends? Any else work in an office and have the same issues? Did you have bing eating issues?

You have to be careful with this surgery because not everything involved in the workup is covered by insurance. Many of my blood tests were not covered, despite the fact that the surgery is. It's good to check with the bariatric center and find out every test they expect of you (get the codes for each procedure and test if you can), then run those by your insurance company to find out what is and what isn't paid for by them. Good luck!

I never worried about carbs and fats while losing, as if the calories are low enough to promote the desired weight loss, and the protein is appropriate maintaining your muscle mass (typically somewhere around 60-80 g per day for women, 80-100 g for men), then the carbs and fats will be functionally very low. A good default for calories seems to be in the 600-800 range (some with stronger metabolisms can get away with more, but it's good to start low because it's very hard to cut back once you're used to one level). RDA for fiber is around 25 g per day, and that seems to work well for most on a bariatric diet. Sugar should usually be minimized, particularly added sugar in processed or packaged food; that which is naturally occuring in our fruits and veg are less of an issue, and has a purpose for us (or nature wouldn't have put it there - the added stuff in the packaged foods is just there to sell it to us and make up for the flavor stripped out by the processing.

I was in group session at my bariatric surgeons office and one of the fellow rny bypassers stated she can feel her remnant stomach...can even burp it. I've never even thought about my other stomach thats floating around still. It kinda blew my mind. So i was wondering if anyone else feels it.

I am writing this to help others plan for their surgery. It's August 12 and I started on my journey in mid-May. I am a self pay patient. I have chosen Puget Sound Bariatric Center. The clinic is over an hour away from my house, but has an excellent reputation. I was worried about commute times, but thought I would only have a few pre-op appointments at the clinic per my discussions on the phone with their rep. I have to plan that every appointment will include 3 hours of drive time round trip. When I first called them, I was told if I completed my tests soon, I would be scheduled for surgery within a month. The initial representative misspoke. Therefore, I wasn't fully prepared for the amount of time it would take to qualify for surgery even though I was self-paying. It takes several months. Unfortunately, I canceled all of my summer plans and now regret that. I wish that clinics would be more accurate in setting expectations. In June, I met with a Dr. and got my lab orders. The first meeting lasts a few hours because you meet the rest of the team, fill out paperwork, etc. Next, got all of my labs done and returned to office. Then spent nearly a day at the office meeting with all of the specialists. I had a lab request for a sleep study, ultimately, this required 5 trips to the pulmonologist and an overnight stay. My advice to people who are self-paying is to plan for this to take 4 months and estimate about 18-24 hours of appointments (including the sleep study). You will also need to chase everything down. People don't follow up like they are supposed to, results don't get faxed to the right place, you think things are being processed but they are languishing in someone's in box. I still don't have a surgery date. Maybe some time in September? In the end, my hope is that it is all worth it. But had I known how much time this process would take, I would have taken a 2 week summer vacation to relax. This is all very stressful. I still feel good about the Dr. and clinic, but they are not nearly as organized as they believe. I've communicated my concerns to them and they are working hard to correct things. Some of this is out of their control due to errors made by a sleep center. I hope this information is useful to others.