April 2020

[Repeatingthoughts 77]

Welcome @dancinagain. Congrats on The approval. Such a great feeling. I began my process in July and just like you I am in no rush and don’t mind the wait. Time is flying by for sure!!

[Machalo 283]

Update: Got my insurance approval at the end of January. Have first visit with the surgeon on the 27th, along with Respiratory Fitness testing and Cardiac Clearance on the 28th. Still don't have a date, but I'm still hoping it will be April. I'm told my surgeon books out a good 3 months so it may turn into May, but it will be sometime in the near-er future.

Hope y'all are doing well. :)

[danielleleigh90 124]

8 minutes ago, Machalo said:

Update: Got my insurance approval at the end of January. Have first visit with the surgeon on the 27th, along with Respiratory Fitness testing and Cardiac Clearance on the 28th. Still don't have a date, but I'm still hoping it will be April. I'm told my surgeon books out a good 3 months so it may turn into May, but it will be sometime in the near-er future.

Hope y'all are doing well.

That's so bomb! I really wish my insurance would do approvals prior to finishing every appointment. But, I'm super optimistic! Congrats on that approval, you're almost there!!

[Doodle210 1]

I was just scheduled for April 4th. I just started the process a few weeks ago but I’m self-pay and I’m going to Mexico. So nervous and excited!


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[VIN_IN_AL 55]

I have one last insurance appeal in place but confidence of a reversal is low. I will not allow the results to derail my desired procedure date of 2nd week of April. I already have funds in place to "self-pay" within minutes of appeal update so either way its happening.

[bethow 114]

I encourage you to do so. My employer kept changing insurance carriers the last two years I worked before my retirement. During that time, I worked with my PCP and watched what I ate and exercised. I was not able to get my surgery until after I became eligible for Medicare coverage. I had lost 35 pounds on my own before my surgery on 8/21/19. I just passed my six month anniversary from surgery and I am down an additional 78 pounds.

My starting weight in 2017 was 315 pounds. At surgery I weighed 280. I am now down to 201. I can’t believe that I am one pound shy of being less than 200 pounds. I haven’t weighed so little since my twenties!

[orange_lily 69]

April 15th is my day! I think I have everything completed except my pre-op class (2/26) and pre-op appt with my surgeon (3/25). I have already cut caffeine out of my diet, as I figured that would be my biggest struggle. Man, I love soda. I need to continue working on mindful and structured eating, as well as building a strong exercise habit. Hoping I can lose about 15 lbs before surgery.

[bethow 114]

Orange Lily, I have great news for you; I would have classified myself as a cocoaholic before my sleeve surgery on 8/21/19. For reasons too long to go into, it took me nearly two years to get my surgery done but during that time I started using a Fitbit, watching what I ate and logging everything in the Fitbit app as well as my exercising which I started doing more faithfully. I cannot stress how immeasurably helpful this has been in my weight loss goal. Instead of two or three sodas a day, I restricted myself to one. During that two year delay in my surgery I lost 35 pounds and my PCP even asked me if I wanted to reconsider the surgery. What?! No way! I am having my surgery!
Now for the good news; when I started my two week pre-surgery liquid diet, I stopped the soda completely and I haven’t had a soda since.
One night my husband was having a coke and I asked for a sip (I was scared because it was a habit that I did not want to restart) ; one sip and I could barely swallow it because it was so sickenly sweet to me. 2/21/20 I passed my six month anniversary of my surgery and have lost another 79 pounds. I started at 315 pounds and I am getting ready to pass the 200 pound mark and enter the 100’s. I am at a point where I have less to lose than the weight I have already lost.
Even if I never lost another pound, I would be happy with my results. I won’t lie though; eating is like Russian roulette; things I used to eat upset my stomach and I do get heartburn more often now but I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. I exercise for an hour five or six times a week. I started off with a recumbent bike (I have back issues that started my never ending weight issues about 20 years ago). I have added a Teeter Freestep (a marvelous invention that I fortunately found used and got for $125) and come spring I am investing I am investing in an above ground pool so that I can increase my exercise.

I was the oldest of five patients and the heaviest that my surgeon operated on that morning. He has told me that of the five, I have lost the most weight and had the fewest complaints and that he thinks it’s because of my efforts prior to my surgery as well as after the surgery.

So, good luck my friend on the exciting adventure that lies before you. By the way, I have gone from morbidly obese (a designation I despised to severely obese and I can’t wait until I leave that designation behind me.

[Machalo 283]

Well, I finally got my date! April 13 for me. Woot! I'm very excited to now have a definitive date deadline to gain my new tool. Since last September I've lost 39 pounds which I'm just thrilled about. I'm up to a mile and a half walking 4 times a week and I work one of the weight machines that I've figured out how to use at my Recreation Center. All in all, it's a great Monday!

[Hill_Billy 14]

Hey everyone! Congrats to all of you for making it this far!!

I just got my surgery date: 29 Apr! I finished my insurance company's mandatory six month bariatric program on 12 Feb, received approval for surgery a few days later, and finally met with my surgeon today. When I picked up the NINE pre-/post-op prescriptions, it started to feel very real! But I'm so excited! Like all of you, this has been a long time coming. I've been struggling with my weight since 4th grade and have lost and gained the same 100lbs. at least five times. I'm so ready to start this new chapter of my life!

A few details:

• Started Kaiser's six month bariatric program: 3 Sep 2019
• Hospital: Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Springs, MD
• Surgery : VSG

What are you worried about the most right now? For me, I think I'm dreading the two week pre-op liquid diet more than anything else!

[bethow 114]

Fear not! I, too was intimidated at the the thought of two weeks if nothing but liquids. It turned out much easier than I had expected. However, it will be a long while before I crave chicken Soup. The sugar free hello helped immensely.

[fee p 0]

I’m that day too :) super excited. I live in Australia and our system is easier by the sounds of it

[Machalo 283]

20 hours ago, Hill_Billy said:

What are you worried about the most right now? For me, I think I'm dreading the two week pre-op liquid diet more than anything else!

I'm fortunate in that my pre-op liquid diet is just the day prior to surgery! It will be the week following that will be liquids for me. Then purees for a week, then soft for a week, then back to introducing real food. I think they may be overly confident about that schedule, but we'll see how I progress.

The thing I'm most concerned about is post-surgery, not being able to lift anything over a gallon of milk for 3 weeks. My husband is disabled but will probably be able to lift groceries into the car. Walking them from car to house I'm not 100% sure of though I know he'll try. I've tentatively asked my neighbor and friend if I can borrow her sons to help if needed.

Other than that, I'm not really too concerned. Everything seems to be falling into place. I'm now conceptualizing the meals I need to prepare in advance, portion and freeze for my husband for a couple of weeks post-op. I'm checking things off my list of to-do's before surgery, so I'm feeling pretty on top of it right now.

Good luck to us all as we prepare for our upcoming events!

[LisaDee1 25]

I am super excited..... just received my date yesterday April 13th it is!!!!! I live in Nashville, but am having the sleeve in Atlanta due to insurance.

[barbieater 27]

Hello!

I just got my date for a sleeve surgery, April 21st Having my surgery in Stockholm Sweden