PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

March 11! I am sooo ready for this!!!

My Dr. Approve me for the gastric sleeve to the bypass surgery. I am so excited waiting on insurance now.

Part of Aetna's requirements is a supervised exercise program with an exercise therapist or "other qualified professional". I'm going to call my insurance company on Monday to ask, but until then, does anyone know what counts as a qualified professional? Could it be a physical therapist at my gym? Just wondering if anyone else had Aetna or similar insurance requirements.

I have just started my journey for weight loss. I have BCBS of NJ. Just wondering if anyone has any experience in what they require. I have my 1st meeting with Nutrition/Dietician in 2 weeks.

Just starting my journey. Had my first apt on the first with my surgeon, having my endoscopy on the 22nd, my nutritionist apt the 9th...all my paperwork is coming together... but however, I’m just really thinking this is going to all be for nothing because insurance will deny me. I’m barely squeaking by with BMI even though I have severe hypertension and need a knee replacement. I have my insurance requirements printed out and I’m trying to make sure I line all my ducks in a row but I can’t shake this feeling they’ll snag me somewhere... anyone have an issue getting approved when they were on the lower BMI side?

So, my doctor's office sent the information to my insurance 02/15, I called my insurance on 02/25 and they told me that my surgery had been approved. But once I called and talk to the insurance coordinator at my doctor's office she said that that is only the first part of the approval and that we cannot look at scheduling yet. I haven't heard anything back since and its now been almost 3 weeks since submitting. Has anyone else gone through this?

So excited my intake coordinator has scheduled all my initial appts March 12 pulmonary, March 14 GI, March 15 Cardiology and March 29 Dietitian awaiting on the psychological appt. Praying everything goes well

I am feeling super overwhelmed right now. I am a teacher, and I thought I'd have my surgery in January. But, no word on my application. We had a strike. I slipped and fell down a staircase. Strike ended. Went back to work. January ended. Found out my paperwork went missing. February came and went. Then, this Wednesday, my approval letter came. Thursday, at the end of the day, the surgeon's office called and said it was next week or May...I went for the 15th for lots of reasons, but now I'm freaking out. I am missing tons of work, very suddenly. I think I made the wrong call, but I can't take off in May because that's when the state test is administered, and subs can't pro…

For those of you who have tried saxenda, what were your results? How many pounds did you lose and over what period of time? I’ve heard there can be some quick results and then it tapers off. Has this been your experience as well? Was anybody concerned about the long-term side effects?

I'm having the RNY on March 14th and I'm the lead singer in 2 bands. Oneof my bands has a gig booked on March 24th and one on April 6th. How long did it take you guys to heal? Any chance that anyone here thinks I'll be ready to rock by March 24th?

I’m 3 days from surgery. I have been trying so hard to stick to my liquid diet, but I have cheated a little.... like today, I liquified the chili I made. Now, it’s a liquid, and high in protein low, low in fat, but I dont know if I’m really supposed to have it. Any cheating I’ve done has been healthy; like a salad, absolutely no junk food! I’m so grumpy though and I hate it anyone have any suggestions or words of wisdom to share? Or just reassure me that this too will pass. I’m getting nervous about surgery too (I’ve never had surgery before), and that doesn’t help I’m sure. It’s like I feel out of control while being in control... if that makes any sense ?

My surgery is on March 14th. I'm doing my pre-op diet right now and last night I was waking up with terrible calve cramps. Anyone else have this problem?

So i found this this app hoping to get better out look on my surgery i dont get out offten to scared to look at myself or others to look at me. I have been off and on thinking about getting a gastric bypass done. So nervous tomorrow i have a 3 hour information class. Then i get to see a surgon to go from there. [emoji26] [emoji26]

I feel like time is just dragging on. I am so excited to get through my Endoscopy and the dr. Appt. To find out what is next. The tentative plan is to turn my sleeve into the RNY.

Hi everyone! I am in the six month pre-op period and have a dr. Appointment this week. I have gained a couple of lbs since my last dr appointment and am curious if his happened to anyone else and what happened...does the six months start over? Do they give you a pass as long as you lose weight the remaining months of the initial six months? I’m so extremely disappointed in myself and have had a stressful month (not an excuse I know)...this is just stressing me out even more. Anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance! :)

Hey everyone x my surgery is on 1 n half days, and I fell off the wagon so many times on my pre op, mostly not badly thankfully but once was, I’m on my feet all day running around and feel so faint, I should of booked these days off of work (I’m leaving this work place soon after surgery thank goodness!). But anyway now I’m so scared my liver will be too big, I’m not eating anything else until surgery.. but gah I’m so scared and so mad! My dietician said she’s never heard of that happening but people online have.. idk if my liver is currently big or anything not had a test that shows.. just.. any advice? I feel so numb and lost and scared that it’ll be too big …

Just asking.. I had the lap band a few years back (wrong choice) and the Dr didn't require me to complete the 6 month requirements my insurance had. ? He doesn't do the sleeve procedure and I don't want to go back to him anyways, but this 6 month waiting game has me so bummed out .. Are there any Drs in Michigan that might work around that? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

It's getting closer and closer. I am hoping everything is going to go well and that I get approved for turning my sleeve into bypass.

Is anyone from the Tallahassee or within the surrounding area thats going through the process

I feel like I am at a standstill. I have all of my requirements completed as of this Thursday the 7th except for my psych. I am required to establish care with a mental health professional, which I personally feel is a waste of time. The Psychiatrist told me they want to make sure I have the appropriate tools for my anxiety/depression before I get the surgery, which I appreciate. However, I have been living with theses disorders for my entire life and I feel that I know exactly how to handle them. I am not sure when I can request another eval, if I can select a different psychologist or if I have to wait for the same doctor to approve me. I am ready to get my surger…

I have read that some people used liquid Tylenol vs the prescription pain medicine. Did you just buy a lot of children's liquid? For the right dosage that seems like you could go thru several bottles in days. Did you purchase an adult/stronger dosage? If so where from? Is it a prescription? Also, I tend to get very nauseous. Did you take an over the counter or prescription? Was it a liquid or suppository?

So I am trying all the liquid shakes and I just can't seem to drink them... omg! My doctor has you drink bariatric advantage and to me it is just like slime. I don't know what to do or try to make this any better, does anyone have suggestions with this? Need help this 2 weeks will be horrid!

JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE TO A LOCAL SURGEONS OFFICE; THE RECEPTIONIST TELLS ME THE SURGEON PREFERS ONLY TO DO VSG AS FIRST CHOICE FOR VIRGIN BARIATRIC PATIENTS MY BMI IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH NEED TO PUT ON WEIGHT... WTF never been told before I'm not heavy enough.... My BMI is 43 but oh we've seen 50-60 bmi like seriously she was so rude said the surgeons first choice is VSG.... And that's basically it.. Really turned me off with her tone and attitude, I was looking there because they are better prices but forget it I'll pay extra for better SURGEONS and so I rang my 2nd choice and the reception was much nicer said the surgeon will listen to your decision an…

So excited on yesterday I had my first consultation with the Dr. So how long does it usually take before surgery date. I have to meet with nutrition for 3 months

By nature, I'm a fairly impulsive person. I decided to look into bariatric surgery after seeing the gastric balloon on Instagram about 3 days ago, from there I went down a rabbit hole of research and decided if it went down a bariatric road, then the sleeve seemed to suit me most. I'm now looking at clinics and checking procedures, reviews, surgeons etc it's only been a few days and I'm fairly sure I've made up my mind I want this done. (I'd dismissed it the past as my best friend, sister-in-law, mom and nan all had problems with lap band surgeries, now I know the differences between surgeries) How long did you research WLS before you decided you were …

Anybody had success getting approved with this particular plan? How long did it take to get approval? If you were denied what did they require to get approved? My doctors office has never dealt with this particular plan so they sent in my stuff earlier then normal just to see what they came back with for a response. I have spoken to 3 different agents and gotten a copy of their pre auth form and their bariatric medical policy but all are very vague about what they want for proof of previous attempts and number of dietician appointments they require for approval.? thanks!

http://bariatrictimes.com/talking-to-patients-about-expectations-for-outcome-after-bariatric-surgery/ Interesting read.

So, my surgery is in TWO WEEKS! I need to get my psych eval done. Unfortunately, the psychologist my surgeon works with is not covered by my insurance and won't see me. I haven't put this off, I was just able to get time off from work last minute and the surgeon was able to accommodate. This is the last thing I need to do! Does anyone know of an online psych eval place besides Advantage Point? Or someone in Austin, TX who can do one this week? Thanks!

Interestingly enough although I work for BCBSM, I can't don't have access to information for the Medicaid side of this business. I know a lot of plans updated their requirements this year. I'm hoping someone could give me the Bariatric requirements for BCBS complete. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I was told that I couldn't have black pepper two weeks prior to surgery. I start my pre-op diet on Monday so I ordered some bone broth. After I already ordered the broth, I noticed in the ingredients it lists black pepper. Does anyone know why we can't have black pepper? Or has anyone had black pepper with no problems? I'd like to find out what others did prior to surgery! Thanks!!

Hey Everyone! I am in the process of doing all my pre-op appointments and testing. I have my upper GI x-ray tomorrow morning and then my psych eval on Tuesday. After that, I am done! (YAY!) I received an email from the psychologist that is going to be doing my evaluation and she told me how much it is going to cost. The appointment is supposed to be between 2-3 hours long (first half talking to psychologist and second half doing assessments) and she is charging around $575 after insurance. My insurance is a $1500 deductible and then after insurance, I have to pay a 20% coinsurance until I am at my out of pocket maximum of $3000. Before the appointment, I am ab…

I start this process last year. I was denied twice due to my thyroid level. I have surgery date of 3/28/19. Hopefully I will I get a approval again.

Hey all! I'm new here but have been lurking for a bit. I have my initial consultation next week but I'm curious to know what sort of pre-op things you had to do before the surgery whether required by insurance or your surgeon. My insurance requires a 3 mo physician supervised diet, 1 year of documented morbid obesity, psych eval (I'm a paramedic passing that will be a challenge ?), evidence past weight loss attempts were unsuccessful, and a visit with a nutritionist for pre-op/post-op diet counseling. I have been seeing that people have been doing EGDs and swallow evals as pre-op requirements, if your surgeon required these what was the reasoning behind that? …

This is my first post so here’s little history...I’m 5’9, I weigh 235-240 lbs, I’m hoping to be anywhere between 140 & 160 lbs. I come from a long line of morbidly obese women, both my mother and grandmother have had weight loss surgery, although my mother had a failed lap band and has now developed diabetes, while my Nan has lost 9 stone and her diabetes is practically cured-so as you can see, my genes don’t help. I’ve lost 2-5 stone a few times, only to end up right back where I am now, I always thought surgery was out of my reach, financially, but now I realise, I need to do everything I can to enjoy my life and as much a hate admitting it, my happiness always see…

I’m into my pre op diet, good thing I started on Friday. Today, I’m tired and have been resting. They said it should only last a few days. Can someone tell me their experience with pre op diet. Strangely enough, I have not been hungry. Drinking premier protein 3X’s a day, water, and broth.

Hi everyone, I'm new to posting but have lurked here before and I'm so thankful for this community and all information and stories shared. I'm having my VSG surgery in 2 days 2/25/19 and I'm incredibly nervous, excited, terrified, happy...Just a mess of emotions. It doesn't help that I've never had surgery before. I'm sure these feelings are normal but I'm typically a zen, chilled out person so my question is... what are some things you did PRE-OP to calm your nerves before surgery?

I had my first bariatric sleeve consult appointment today. I was told that since I have gallstones, I should have my gallbladder taken out before I have the gastric sleeve. Is it common to have problems with your gallbladder after gastric sleeve?

Today i got a call form my surgeon and told me he wants to do my surgery on march 11 and told me too start today my liquid diet so today i went to buy my shakes and i got slim fast advance 20 g i dont know if thats the right one or its the original?

Does anyone else feel like time goes by slowly when your waiting for your surgery date and other Dr. Appt.? I have a scheduled Endoscopy, but I feel like I am waiting FOREVER..

Anyone have any last cheat meals or drink of alcohol? I have a month until I get surgery and my doctor kinda gave me the okay to go enjoy myself a little, but do not go over board. Anyone have any last minute confessions before surgery? Is it ok if I just self indulge a few more times before surgery dine and wine? Let me know your experience. Will the surgery still go good?

I’m super excited to start this journey. My insurance requires a 3 month program so I still have 2 months to go. I have watched many YouTube videos, researched websites, read books just so I will know what I’m getting myself into. I know everyone’s journey is different but many go through some of the same things. So my question is what advice would you give to someone who’s just getting started on this journey ? For example, I know hair loss seem to be common among Bariatric patients, would you suggest taking vitamins now ? Are there questions you would have asked your doctor but didn’t know to ask at the time ? Any advice would be greatly appreciated ?

Hi guys! Revision patient here. I was banded in 2011, then had my band removed last June and am now scheduled and approved for bypass on Thursday. Im so scared, I keep thinking maybe I should reschedule. Wondering if anyone else has/had these thoughts: -what if i die -can I commit to the lifetime of changes -what if I gain weight back -what if I lose all the weight and still am not happy -what if, what if, what if.... Also, this is silly but I can’t miss weeks of work. Anyone go back fairly soon after?

First of all, I am a Family Nurse Practitioner. I have worked in the medical field since I turned 18 years old. I have struggled with obesity since my early 20's. When I found out my SIHO insurance would not pay for Gastric Sleeve or any other type of obesity surgery, I was very upset. My friend who is an RN started looking at surgery in other countries. I was not sure about trying surgery anywhere except in the US. We both did a lot of research and I finally settled on somewhere I had already visited before. Puerto Vallarta is where I visited on a Cruise. We arrived at the airport on June 8th, 2015, my best friend Sarah the RN and I were met by the cab service that Dr. H…

Can anyone who has had the band and then the sleeve, did you have restriction ? from the sleeve like the band ?

2nd day of liver shrink surgery in 13 days Woo this is tough but Gods got me!!!!!!

So, I'm scheduled to arrive at the hospital at 8:30 am on Monday and I'm just now thinking of what I should wear to the hospital? What do I pack?

My nurse called me that my surgery date is on march 21 !!!! Im so excited and nervous at the same time! I start my liquid diet on the 7 and on the 8 i see my surgeon , what should i expect on the visit ? Is there anything i should be aware of before going to the appointment?

Ok so I’m 15 days post op & I’m pain free, tolerated liquid stage really well & puree is pretty good too. Cut to today & I made the family salmon fillets. “Well this should be easy” I thought, it’s soft & mushes easily...so had two forks of salmon & chewed it to mush. Cue two minutes later sheer agony. I can feel it just sat at the top of my stomach...gurgling, painful & stuck. YUK. That’ll teach me!!! Will I ever eat solid food again!!!

I'm having a hard time . I have others health problems like getting dizzy and falling. Started way before surgery but it's preventing me from walking around like I want to do. I fell off my elliptical and I hit my face. I now walk with a walker. ?Point is I'm timed now. Doctors don't know what wrong yet. Any advice?

So today I received a call from the Dr. office stating that I need to have a sleep study. What is the purpose of the sleep study other than checking for sleep apnea ? I have had 2 other major surgeries where I had to be put to sleep, does the study help with that as well ? I was also told that it had to be for 3 nights and that I could have it home. I just need to pay $150 and pick up the machine. What was your experience like, if you had a at home sleep study ?