PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Has anyone had surgery and did okay... BUT you didn’t stick to the liquid diet 100%???

Has anyone had their surgery and had to drink liquid carbs beforehand? Sounds strange. The program at my hospital is making changes starting for surgeries in feb (I'm on the 26th) One of them is a bottle of liquid carbs the night before and 2 the morning of surgery. They also changed the hospital stay from usually 2 to 1. And we no longer get pain medicine that you self administer as needed.

CONGRATS & GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!! - Those who've done WLS & those getting ready to! Well, this is surgery #2 for me. The lapband was done in 2001 @405lbs. It was removed in 2017 after causing complications @297lbs. I started this new journey at 364.4lbs and now at 340. I have 15lbs more to lose for surgery. I'm looking forward to a healthier life. #WillNotQuit

If you’re someone who is patient you will not be able to relate! I just needed to vent because this sucks! I have every single thing done for surgery. Every piece of paper has been turned in, every procedure for testing done. I was submitted for insurance and approved. My clinic does not require any further testing. I have not one more appointment. I got a message today being told I was approved and that they are sending my file for clinical review, and to allow 10-14 business days. I would understand if there was more things to complete. But I am 100% ready! And then after I get the call for consultation, I will have to wait two more weeks to get into the consultation…

My pre-op appointment is tomorrow and I kept telling myself that I would write down questions for my Surgeon as they came up in my mind BUT I didn’t... what are some good questions I can ask at tomorrow’s appointment? I’ll be sitting with a note pad thinking about what came to mind the past couple of weeks but I’d appreciate input.

Hi! I’m new to the forum but have been lurking for a few weeks. I just started the process to get approved for the VGS. My currently BMI is about 38, and I have high blood pressure as my comorbidity. My insurance is BCBS of MA, and so far their requirements aren’t too strict. I did my nutrition, psych eval and surgeon consult yesterday. I still need to do some tests and follow a 3 month diet (per surgeon, not insurance) to help transition eating habits. I am still so nervous of getting denied even with my comorbidity. Mostly because my BP is mostly contained with a combination medication, but it still does go higher than is ideal. I’m just …

Is anyone taking Victoza prior to or post WLS.

I just found out I'm diabetic..all the more reason for having my surgery right!!

Never had this issue So I’m currently in the process of going through the steps for gastric surgery (my insurance requires at least 6 months of supervised weight loss). In the beginning my a1c was 7 putting me at type 2 diabetes (long family history, I’m only 26, hence one of the reasons I want to get the surgery). I have since lost about 10lbs and had my a1c checked today. In the matter of 3 months my a1c has dropped from 7 to 5.5 which is a normal range. My program is worried that if I drop below the BMI of 40 my insurance will deny me as we weren’t worried before with the Type 2 diabetes diagnosis but because now I’m in normal range they may say that my a1c is norma…

I started my clear liquids today. I don’t mean to be gross but liquids in means liquids out. Is this ever going to stop????

My surgery is Feb 12th and I started the meal replacement liquids today. I’m curious what y’all take for liquid dirt and if you were ready to just scream.

Trying to decide between these 2 surgeries. I have had a failed lap band and need to loose 115 lbs

I am officially scheduled for gastric bypass Wednesday December 04 with George Eid at West Penn hospital. Any surgery twins?????

I have WellCare in KY, I was wondering if anyone familiar with the insurance process could help me. I received this message from my insurance: “Our records indicate that the authorization was received and approved. The authorization was approved for 1 day/visit(s) and is valid from 3/30/2020 to 5/30/2020.” Does this mean the earliest I could have my surgery is 3/30/2020?

I had to re-schedule from last Monday because my blood sugar was 435. Mostly my fault because I stopped medication way too early. (I thought if a little time is good, a lot must be better) I've been getting it down every day. Down to 360. I'm running out of time. I've called, faxed, emailed my doctor and any one in his sphere of influence. He doesn't work Fridays. He takes the day off to rape sheep or drop acid or something. They are trying to get a message to him. He may not get back to me until Monday, and surgery is Wednesday! You think he will shoot me up with insulin, or will it be too late by then? I'm screwed, aren't I ? I'm frank…

Hi guys i have my operation date for 25 .2 scheduled and on 4 February i am going to see dietician for liver shrinking diet looking forward to surgery but at the same time scared as hell but i need to do it to improve my health as i am diabetic for so many years and now its getting worse any help or suggestions would help me please

Let me start by saying that insurance approved my surgery Tuesday morning. I did a particularly vigorous happy dance around my office, which drew a few stares. My NP said it would take at least 4 weeks because Aetna was behind and my decision came back in 2 business days. Does that mean I was an open and shut case and so obvious that they didn't need to think about it? While I'm thrilled, I'm also a little disconcerted. My team's insurance clearance girl must really know exactly what to say and how to say it. Now, I'm waiting on my surgeon's office to call to schedule my pre-op visit which is apparently when we'll set "the date". All in all, I'm excited that th…

Does it hurt once you have had the surgery.....not hurt when you eat the wrong food but does your insides hurt? Does it feel like you just had most of your stomach removed?

My son was murdered this week, he died yesterday morning and took his last breath at 5: 46 AM. I'm devastated and trying to understand why this is happening to us, me. I will be taking a break from BP, postponing my surgery next week, because I have to prepare to lay my only child to rest. He was my biggest supporter of this surgery, so I'll be back because he was going to be there with me and believed in this. My heart is hurting and forever broken.

I’m currently on week five of my 4-8 week wait to hear from the insurance company. Anyone else waiting and want to commiserate with me? I’m also waiting for other things in life to roll along so it’s a just a season of waiting for me right now, over all. ?

On my 90-day medically supervised diet required by Medicare. Have 2nd weigh-in Feb 17. My goal weight before last weigh-in is 229. This AM my weight is 233[emoji847][emoji847] Will likely get below 229 a month early. Getting excited about having gastric sleeve surgery. I will be 67 in March and have 5 comorbidities. My BMI is 45. My PCP told me in December I was now pre-diabetic. That made my decision for WLS immediately. Already have PCP approval and Psych Eval. I drink one Premier Protein to replace a meal each day. Really like Caramel flavor and will likely continue this plan for several months after surgery. Just discovered Sam's Club has 12-pack for $17.79 which is…

Hello all. I’m so glad to have found this forum. I’m just starting the process. I meet with the nurse practitioner in February. I am concerned about passing the psych evaluation as I have a history of mental health issues. Does that automatically disqualify me from having weight loss surgery?

Attended the weight loss seminar last night. Next step is getting a doctor to refer me to the program. Even though I have a PPO insurance, I still need a referral letter. My BMI is right at 40.. The small fear I have is going threw all the steps and then being denied. But I’m going to go full steam ahead and fight for my health! Good luck to everyone in their journey.

I am feeling pretty hopeless right now because Cigna denied my precertification for surgery. I am so totally shocked. Even though I meet the requirements which is BMI 35-40, 1 Comorbidity, and a letter from my PCP they denied it. My BMI fluctuates between 35-39 and I have hypertension which is what they list as requirements. I got on chat with a Cigna rep who looked into why and it says not medically appropriate due BMI. I don't get it. I have left a message for the lady handling my insurance at the surgeon's office to see what I can do. I know I don't have as high of a BMI as some people but it did fall under their guidelines. I don't know how they could have denied it…

Ok so all of my required documents for surgery precertification was received by Cigna according to their website on 1/13. I am so not a patient person. I keep pulling it up and it says in progress! I sure hope I hear soon!

Headed to Atlanta for my EGD tomorrow!! Its getting closer, got 1 more appt with dietitian on the 13th!!

Well it's the pre op diet and I cheated. I had a vegemite sandwich ?? I'm disgusted in myself Is this a fail now Do I need to cancel my surgery that is in 4 weeks

Some history: I am a 29-year-old American woman living in Denmark on a residency permit with my husband and his kids. We tried to get pregnant for a while, but after many failed attempts, we decided to bring our concerns to an OB/GYN. I was diagnosed with PCOS and was asked to lose quite a bit of weight before they would help via fertility treatments. It has been a struggle to get any assistance at all in regards to PCOS related symptoms because of my weight, never mind the fertility issues that come along with it. I decided to go for bariatric surgery, as recommended by my GP. Meetings held & requirements so far: A week prior to my meetings, I was…

I’ve been participating in my medically supervised weight loss program for 5 months. I’ve lost over 60 lbs and got a surgery date last week (March 11). I felt like I was cruising along. The past week, however, has been incredibly hard for me. My cravings have been really intense and it’s been so tough to consistently make the right decisions. I’ve definitely deviated from my plan more in this past week than I have in the 5 months before. I feel guilty and I’m angry with myself. Honestly I feel like this is a pattern that’s always happened in the past when I’ve lost weight. Around this point, several months in and down a lot of weight, it’s become increasingly hard…

I started my 3 week pre-op diet this past Monday (Jan. 20th). I am allowed up to 250 cal of low glycemic veggies and can add some spices/vinegar if desired. I'm also supposed to have 3 protein shakes, and can have some caffeine free black coffee/tea with artificial sweetener. So far, I have lost 12 pounds in 5 days. Is this normal? I haven't been any more active than usual.

Hi everyone! I’m at the very beginning of this process and I’m so glad I found this support group. I go to my first seminar next week and getting ready to meet with a doctor to start the program. I have been thinking about this surgery for YEARS and I’m ready to now go for it. I’ll be watching and cheering you all on from my side. Good luck and I’m looking forward to the official approval date :)

Hello all! Tomorrow Is my big day. And I am nervous and anxious. I’m ready to get it over with. I’m curious about if anyone was able to drink Gatorade after midnight?

I am trying to lose more weight before my gastric surgery. I am struggling with the excess skin I have dangling between my legs it is getting infected and sore as it has no support it is like I have 3 legs it is nearly down past my knees. I can't exercise properly I feel disgusting and I am trying to get sorted before my daughters wedding in august. Can anyone recommend any proper support underwear that will lift and support the excess skin. No one seems to be able to help me and I am losing my battle with myself everyday

I'm new here and just saying hello. In December I finished all of my preliminary tests to see if I'm a candidate for gastric surgery and met my surgeon on 12/23/19 for my "decision visit." He said I was a good candidate for either bypass or sleeve and that I could decide which surgery I wanted. I elected the sleeve because it is slightly less scary to me. Now I try to make lifestyle changes while waiting 4-8 weeks for insurance approval. I've already cut out caffeinated/carbonated drinks with the exception of the marginal amount of caffeine in unsweet iced tea. (I had already cut out sugary drinks for Diet Coke a long time ago... and actually being off the aspartame…

My surgery is in 3 weeks but I’m wondering what I should pack. So far here is my plan- my favorite PJs, a thin robe, my house slippers (they are slides), fuzzy socks, chap stick, a lap blanket. I don’t start my supplemental vitamins for two weeks post surgery, but I was going to bring those as well since the nutritionist will be visiting me before I leave. Any other suggestions to make life easier? I’m only in one night PTL but I want it to be as comfortable as possible so that I can concentrate on recovery and what I’m supposed to be drinking.

Well I am only in day 3 of my 4 week pre sleeve optifast diet. I have to have 3 protein shakes/bars a day in replacement of meals. I am allowed low carb vegetables and some berries. I have severe headaches that panadol just can't get rid of. My belly is currently grumbling as I type this I am also currently considering going out and picking at the left over dinner I cooked my family. Am I actually hungry or do I need to be mentally stronger and push through. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm pre-op scheduled for 2/14, wondering how long after surgery/recovery did you start to see a daily increase in energy levels? Every single day I drag and I'm so looking forward to substantially more energy...just wondering how long that takes on average.

So I’m still a few months out from surgery (hopefully first week in May) and I’m feeling a little discouraged. I’m so excited and ready for the next part of my life to begin but knowing it’s still months away is a little disheartening. How is everyone else that’s still preop dealing with these feelings?

I apparently have an unusual insurance question on my hands because my insurance company doesn’t seem to be understanding my question. For surgery approval, I am required to do six months of weight loss appointments with my general practitioner. At my initial consultation my bariatric surgeon told me to be very careful with how I do my six months of appointments because he’s had patients mess up and not get approved because of the how they did their 6 months due to their insurance companies being very strict. What I’m wanting to know is do my appointments need to be spread out 30 days apart, which is going to be really hard to do with my doctors busy schedule, or can th…

What is typically the course of action when your insurance requires diet monitoring? Obviously, my goal is to qualify for surgery, but I am kind of close to the BMI line, and I am not too confident diet is a long term solution for me. Did you all have to do it and if so, what was it like? thanks. new to this forum and glad I found it.

My Doctor is Dr. Berghoff at NKCH in Kansas City, Mo. I am currently on the week prior to surgery liquid diet. My surgery is scheduled for Jan. 9th 2020. This is not my first rodeo, I’ve had many surgeries, but this one is unnerving me for some reason.

Not sure if anyone remembers me since it's been a while since I posted. I finally got the surgery date for my gastric bypass! It's on March 2nd 2020. Naturally I'm super nervous I've never had major surgery. Recently, I've been talking to some other people who have mentioned some side effects they had then nobody warned them about, such as severe diarrhea. So, that's made me wonder, what side effects did you experience post-surgery that you wish someone had warned you about.

Hi all. I'm new to this. I am due to have my surgery on 6th April. I just want to know if anyone can tell me how to update my surgery/pre surgery details on this app tho please? It doesnt seem to be giving me an option. Thanks in advance and good luck with your journey all x

I just started the process of inquiring into Bariatric Surgery even though I’ve been considering it for years. I’m 43 and have been overweight since I graduated from high school. I’m currently 5’9, 254, and my BMI is 37. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos hypothyroidism 3 years ago. I suffer from GERD and recently found out that I have high cholesterol and Hepatic Steatosis. My endocrinologist just ordered a sleep apnea test for me because she thinks I might also have that. Within the last 6 years I’ve tried every weight loss medication out there and have had some success but have always gained the weight back. Once I found out I had fatty liver disease (I…

My surgery is exactly one week away and I’m starting to get cold feet I am starting to think if I really need this and if my weight is really that bad. I keep hearing from others that the first week is very very painful. Especially that I had someone close to me tell me that it’s not worth it I think this also is affect me.

Ok so today I have my 2nd meeting with with Nutritionist..for the last couple of weeks my scale was showing 306.8 & I weighed this morning to send her my weight ot reads 308..so I'm thinking I'm doing really good..started @ 311..so I'm okay with a little, at least I didn't gain!![emoji16]

How on earth do you update your stats?? I click on and nothing happens, wont let me edit at all, only basic profile stuff

I want to lay out my intro and also not say what I know some of you have already read 100 times. I first understood my weight was more than it should be at 8 yrs old. I spent my teens dieting and mostly starving to keep off the lbs. I got married at 22 and had my first c section at 24 in 2010. Eating for 2 was a dream come true. I ate for the sake of eating and loved every second. I thought I would shed the weight easily after the birth. Nope. I've had three more kinds since then (2012, 2014, and 2016). I have continued to inch up the scale landing me at my current all time highest weight of 320 lbs. After years of trying every diet on the planet with little success…

Hello, Just when I thought I had all my ducks in a row before calling my surgeon and getting the process started for gastric sleeve surgery, I was gutted to find out that my insurance doesn't cover the surgery even if deemed medically necessary. All over my providers site it says they do cover weight loss surgeries. But of course when I call my health care provider directly, they say they don't cover any kinds of surgery. I was devastated. I won't go into the long diatribes of my struggles because I'm sure everyone else here has either gone through the same thing that brought them to looking into the surgery if not similar things like constant yo-yo diets, losin…

Does anyone here have PEEHIP insurance? If so, what is your approval hoops you had to jump through?