Need Advice...

[lovinglife84 0]

Hey everyone, I am so happy to have found this website. As a single mom, who wants to get out and start dating probably within the next year, I am considering getting the sleeve done. However, I have some questions that I HOPE someone can help me with!

My stats are 5'0 TALL, 239lbs.

Let me apologize ahead of time for my humor...=)

First, let me say I don't want to loose the weight just to "date", I've actually looked into this option in the past four years but have always been talked out of it, apparently my ex's agenda was to keep me fat so I wouldn't leave, hmmm was he wrong!! So, here I am and I'm done being over weight, no energy, etc. I am a fighter of PCOS and in order to cure this disease I have to loose weight, but I can't loose weight because I have PCOS...it's a vicious cycle I tell you!!

Like everyone else I have some vanity questions, let me be frank...I LOVE my boobs. I always have! I could care less about saggy stomach skin, or bat wings *is that what their called??*, but please for the love of God someone PLEASE tell me my boobs will remain firm, round, and scrumptious! I don't want deflated boobs...no offense intended here, just I really, really, REALLY like having cleavage lol

Oh and I wear a 44DD, plus being big breasted runs in my family. All the women are blessed, I'm hoping this will work in my favor!?!

Second, I have BCBS...I am hoping I can get this surgery covered completely. Does anyone have experience with this insurance?

Third, what is the normal time from start to surgery?

Lastly, how do I go about finding a good doctor who will accept insurance and will fight to get me approved? I've used the finder on here but the one Dr. I found close to me, upon further googling *oh google how I loath the* I found he only accepts being paid by the patient. I'm looking in the Joplin, Missouri area if anyone has any idea.

Oh, and one more tiny question, as a single mom I can't be out of commission for very long work wise...how soon can I expect to be back at work. I work with special ed kids so I am up and down all day long.

I forgot to add...my ultimate goal is to be 150lbs. Accounding to the BMI and other Dr. weight crap I should technically be 107ish but I don't want to be a stick. I was extremely happy with 150lbs...so with this in mind, will I be able to stabilize around this weight?

Thank you so much for any help you might have!!

[mokee 588]

I have BCBS fed and it takes 90 days which is 3 nutritionist visits. Then the Dr can apply to the insurance. I'm hearing that BCBS is different in many states. First of all find a Dr in your area and go to a meeting. They will answer a lot of your questions there. Find a Dr that is experienced in sleeve surgery. If you must go to more than one meeting at different Dr's. This way you hear different opinions about the procedures. Most of your major hospitals have a bariatric practice and this is where you find the meetings and the drs. Best of luck and let us know how it went.

[iceshayw 4]

Glad you're here! Welcome

[vinnyfan 23]

I have BCBS and they approved my surgery the day after my surgeon's office submitted the paperwork. If your BMI is over a certain point, you don't have to go through a lot of the other pre-requisites for surgery.

[melting me 9]

My spouse has attempted to sabatoge me every step of the way. From not being available to take the kids so I can attend classes. I have bcbs and they as in the prior blog accepted right away. I was required to get an upper gi, psych eval, 3 months of classes, the dr visits, pre op exam, blood work, the liquid diet. All together I've spent about $2000. Be prepared!

I'm sure your breasts will decrease as they are fat tissue, but I wouldn't be concerned. We are young and as long as we make the lifestyle change they won't be deflated as you may think. Weight training will help with the saggy skin.

My spouse is doing everything he can to keep me fat so no one else will want me and I won't leave. I've more powerfull than that and so are you. Find a center of excellence near you and research before you jump. My surgery is tomorrow and I am excited about starting the rest of my life.

[Izuri 428]

Insurance: It really depends on which BCBS plan you have. BCBS federal does not have a high BMI override for the requirements. BCBS of MI will override the months of supervised dieting if your BMI is above 50. Some plans require comorbidities depending on your BMI, some require numerous health tests/visits. The best thing to do in this aspect would be to call the number on the back of your insurance card and have them read out for your requirement by requirement what they need for you BMI (You can calculate your BMI here: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ ). I found it helpful to write down who I talked to and repeat the requirements back to them to make sure I had both documentation and a clear understanding.

Boobs: Unfortunately on this one anyone's guess would be about as accurate as one of those magic 8 balls. Some people are lucky and retain their figure, some aren't. I'm worried about this same thing, but I suppose worst case scenario in a couple years I can save up and have a boob job. I'd still rather have loose skin/boobs than wear a size 28 pants. You'll still be able to get a good guy with your slammin figure after!

Time from start to surgery: There is no specific amount of time from start to finish. For me the whole process took about a month and a half or so, but I have heard of people having to take up to 9 months or a year. I was on a clock because my insurance was changing at the end of the month. Because of my BMI the required months of supervised dieting was waived. So this depends mostly on your insurance company and what requirements your surgeon has. You may need additional NUT visits, psych visits, or tests like cardiac stress test, etc.

Finding a surgeon: I found my surgeon on Google too. I looked up bariatric surgeons in Michigan. Then once I found some I looked up a bunch of patient reviews. I know there's a way to look up doctors on here, but I can't remember how. Another option is you could call your insurance company and ask them to tell you which doctors are 'in network' for the surgery in your area. That way you know you're picking one your insurance accepts (Although making sure that they accept/bill insurance is another matter) and you'll find one in your area.

Taking time off: I've seen a lot of variation on this. I told my work I was going to need 4 weeks post-op off and that I would call them if I felt good enough to come in any sooner. I was lucky enough that they would do this (I only work part time) plus I'm a full time student and I wanted to make sure I would have adequate recovery time before school starts in september. My doctor's office told me that they recommend 4-6 weeks off, but have heard of people taking 8 weeks (I think at that point I'd be going stir crazy!). However, I have read posts from people on here saying they have gone back in 1-2 weeks. I think it really depends on how well your body recovers, which is individual, and how difficult your job is (Standing vs Sitting, etc). One thing that cannot be compromised is you need to allow yourself whatever number of weeks your doctor recommends before lifting. You do not want to give yourself a hernia or cause any issues. This is usually 4-6 weeks, or longer if the procedure is open vs laproscopic.

Goal Weight: I know what you mean about your goal weight being much lower than you can see yourself. This is between you and your physician. Usually a goal is picked in the area of normal BMI. For my height that's about 150lbs. I haven't been that low since I was probably in middle school. So for me, my long term goal is set at 180, and somewhere along the way when I am closer, I will reassess what I think is a reasonable goal weight for me. 150 might seem too low now, but once I get to 180 I might feel differently. No one says your goal weight is set in stone.

Lastly, welcome =) I hope that everything goes well for you. Keep us updated as you continue your journey!

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

Hi, loving life, I'm from the Springfield area, and to be completely honest, I didn't have any luck finding anyone in SW Missouri that even offered the surgery. The medical community in this area seems to behind the times, still pushing RNY. I would recommend checking the Tulsa, KC, or Bentonville areas.

And to be completely straight, yes, it is very likely that your breast will be affected by the weight loss, a good chance hat at 5'0" your weight loss won't stop at 150#, there are several ladies here in this site that are below their goal weights. Not saying that you can't stop the weight loss but if you follow through with the lifestyle change that comes with this surgery, your body will fid a place where it is comfortable.

[girlnamedNikki 19]

My spouse has attempted to sabatoge me every step of the way. From not being available to take the kids so I can attend classes. I have bcbs and they as in the prior blog accepted right away. I was required to get an upper gi' date=' psych eval, 3 months of classes, the dr visits, pre op exam, blood work, the liquid diet. All together I've spent about 2000. Be prepared!

I'm sure your breasts will decrease as they are fat tissue, but I wouldn't be concerned. We are young and as long as we make the lifestyle change they won't be deflated as you may think. Weight training will help with the saggy skin.

My spouse is doing everything he can to keep me fat so no one else will want me and I won't leave. I've more powerfull than that and so are you. Find a center of excellence near you and research before you jump. My surgery is tomorrow and I am excited about starting the rest of my life.[/quote']

Hun, just want to say I hope you can overcome your husband, how selfish. Remind him of his vows to you and that you need to be healthy for you and him. And that being healthy at a smaller size doesn't mean you will leave him but him not supporting you could mean you would. (at least it would for me) He's your partner, best friend and lover last he needs to respect you and be your support. Sorry just really upsets me to see people who's spouses don't support another person, especially their loved one trying to be healthy. In my opinion they are basically saying: I'm ok wih you killing yourself. Sounds dramatic but we all know where our obesity was taking us. Anyway I'm here if you ever want a shoulder or ear. Good luck with all!