armywife4life 0 Posted August 7, 2008 dont' give up, find another way, you can do it!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
melinda122 1 Posted August 7, 2008 no Aetna was excellent, never had a single problem, they approved my surgery within 3 days and I did not have any exisiting medical condition besides my weight. My surgeon's office handled all the paperwork and just had me get a note from my primary dr that the surgery would be good for me. Just make sure you see a dr or nurse practioner monthly for a dieting program, that is an aetna requirement. My plan was 6 months when I started the process, but then my plan went to 3 months so I had my surgery on June 18th. I was 256 and now I am 218 and just had my first fill. I have never felt so good in my life. Good luck with everything, if you have any questions, just let me know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazzey 0 Posted August 8, 2008 maybe in the new insurance I'm changing to will be different. thank you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazzey 0 Posted August 8, 2008 were you in very much pain after surgery?any problems? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
melinda122 1 Posted August 8, 2008 I was sore for the first couple of days, I never needed the pain meds they gave me. I felt much better after the staples were out. It was nothing unbearable. Not nearly as bad as the 2 c-sections I had. I had my surgery on a wednesday and by Sunday I was at a backyardagins live show with my 2 yr old...walk alot is the best thing for dealing with the gas and pain that comes from the gas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazzey 0 Posted August 8, 2008 I was sore for the first couple of days, I never needed the pain meds they gave me. I felt much better after the staples were out. It was nothing unbearable. Not nearly as bad as the 2 c-sections I had. I had my surgery on a wednesday and by Sunday I was at a backyardagins live show with my 2 yr old...walk alot is the best thing for dealing with the gas and pain that comes from the gas. my sister is here visiting and she wants me to have it for my diabeties and we are doing the south beack diet so i should have the four lbs off soon she talked me back into it .so i am going to go at it again hopefully have it before the first of the year .Is there very much gas ?Thank you for your information:smile2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orea15 0 Posted August 8, 2008 My insurance is kaiser and that is their rules how ever I am changing to aetna in Nov open season.kaiser has denied me a c pap machine and wheel chair all because of whereI live So I'm changing in Nov. Jazzey, don't give up! I left Kaiser for Aetna this year to get this surgery because I was very unimpressed with the program they offered. I was banded July 30 by a wonderful surgical team. I didn't have to lose weight successfully (although I did!), I just had to jump through the hoops as prescribed. My surgeon's office and the hospital were fabulous help with this. You can make this happen! Orea Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazzey 0 Posted August 9, 2008 Where did you have it done what state are you in I can't wait to get out of there they are very riget.no more HMO for me from now on ppo is where I go how do you feel now did you have any problems. Thank you so much Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orea15 0 Posted August 9, 2008 Where did you have it done what state are you in I can't wait to get out of there they are very riget.no more HMO for me from now on ppo is where I go how do you feel now did you have any problems.Thank you so much I have "Aetna Open Access HMO" and i live in Northern Virginia. My surgery was done at Fair Oaks Hospital, by Dr. Daniel Tran. I've had no major gas pains, only minor discomfort, and no left shoulder pain. My problem was with drug induced nausea. I started feeling pretty good by day 5 and today have only minor soreness. The weight is falling off this week! Long may it last. :-) Orea Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazzey 0 Posted August 9, 2008 Thank you you are really doing great I'm so happy for you I Am in northern California .I can see from your chart you are really losing .you are so blessed .and thank you for sharing jazz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orea15 0 Posted August 10, 2008 Wishing you the best of luck! You know, one thing that strikes me as odd is that your Kaiser probably asked for a 10% weight loss, while mine only required 3%. Which at the time was a little over 10 pounds. Go figure. You'd think they'd be more consistent. I've been working hard at weight loss for 16 months with varying degrees of success. Finally this year I got it figured out with the help of the dietician at the hospital, whom I saw as part of the Aetna 3 month intensive qualificaton program. I was almost there, but had stalled, and she helped me tweak what I was doing. I had already long since cut out sweets, sugars, white flour products, etc. And I was eating lots of veggies, both cooked and in salads. So I was doing a lot of it right. I was eating too many fats, for one thing. And she said to look for easy ways to cut 100 calories. That got me really looking at what I was eating and where I could pare it down. I joined CalorieKing.com and started journaling every bite I ate. I found out some of the things I was eating were far worse than I realized. I was screaming periodically for the first two weeks! For example, my favorite Panera sandwich is over 1,000 calories! And that didn't include the chips or the lemonade I usually had with it. I was shocked at the calorie count of plain cooked rice! I started finding which foods satisfied me for the least cost and highest nutrition. This past March 9, when I joined Calorieking, I weighed 364. The day before my surgery, I weighed 321. I'm proud that I did this much myself, and I have to say that the way I was eating, with the lean Proteins, all of the piles of veggies and whole grains and Beans and such, I felt better than I have ever felt. Period. Now that I am on pureed/mushies, I'm adding in those Beans and soft veggies because I love them and want them. And I missed them! Let me know if I can help you further in any way. Good luck! Orea Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazzey 0 Posted August 15, 2008 Wishing you the best of luck! You know, one thing that strikes me as odd is that your Kaiser probably asked for a 10% weight loss, while mine only required 3%. Which at the time was a little over 10 pounds. Go figure. You'd think they'd be more consistent. I've been working hard at weight loss for 16 months with varying degrees of success. Finally this year I got it figured out with the help of the dietician at the hospital, whom I saw as part of the Aetna 3 month intensive qualificaton program. I was almost there, but had stalled, and she helped me tweak what I was doing. I had already long since cut out sweets, sugars, white flour products, etc. And I was eating lots of veggies, both cooked and in salads. So I was doing a lot of it right. I was eating too many fats, for one thing. And she said to look for easy ways to cut 100 calories. That got me really looking at what I was eating and where I could pare it down. I joined CalorieKing.com and started journaling every bite I ate. I found out some of the things I was eating were far worse than I realized. I was screaming periodically for the first two weeks! For example, my favorite Panera sandwich is over 1,000 calories! And that didn't include the chips or the lemonade I usually had with it. I was shocked at the calorie count of plain cooked rice! I started finding which foods satisfied me for the least cost and highest nutrition. This past March 9, when I joined Calorieking, I weighed 364. The day before my surgery, I weighed 321. I'm proud that I did this much myself, and I have to say that the way I was eating, with the lean Proteins, all of the piles of veggies and whole grains and Beans and such, I felt better than I have ever felt. Period. Now that I am on pureed/mushies, I'm adding in those Beans and soft veggies because I love them and want them. And I missed them! Let me know if I can help you further in any way. :thumbup: Good luck! Orea Thank you so much you have really given me insight into this thing.I was doing the south beach last week when I developed pain and swelling in my ankle and could barely walk I went to the doctor and he gave me two shots one morfine and anothe for infection and some pills to take for a week I have now finished the pills I still have pain the medication took me upto 226 from 218 then my blood sugar rose to 4 73 now my blood sugar in down and I am at 221 this morning and still haven't lost the 4 lbs I've beentrying to lose for the last 4 months .my sister talked me into going on and have the surgery because of the diabites .I decided to wait until the medication is out of my system and then start back on the south beach I am going to go to that web site .you are such a nice caring and help ful person God bless you I don't switch over to Aetna until Nov .and It becomes effective until Jan . God bless you with the rest of your weight loss Jazz:rolleyes2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orea15 0 Posted August 15, 2008 I didn't lose too well with South Beach, but I realize now I ate too much cheese and too many nuts and other high fat things. I didn't think so at the time! :thumbup: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jazzey 0 Posted August 18, 2008 I didn't lose any thing because of the medication I was on for the pain in my ankle I seem to be coming down sense I have finished it I now have a cold I will wait till The cold is gone and I will start over in Phrase 1 I only have 4 lbs to go Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orea15 0 Posted August 18, 2008 You can do it!!!! I'm pulling for you! :wink2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites