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I am doing the three month program required by Aetna. If you go to Aetna's website they have what they refer to as a Clinical Policy Bulletin, look for the one on weight loss surgery. Printing this and giving it to your doctor will probably help them a lot if they aren't familiar. My surgeons office has a wonderful program and I am working with their nutritionist and doctors and they have given me a very specific diet plan that is working well when I follow it the way I should! Good luck to you! How did you get someone on the phone from Aetna?!? I got someone who was hard to understand and who just kept referring me back to the website. I would LOVE to speak with someone who coordinates benefits at the insurance company!

The first nut evaluation is nothing to be nervous about. I took a notebook full of questions and she actually answered most of them before I even had a chance to ask them at the end. Mine was a class with two other women and my sister attended with me. They will go over Vitamins, Protein, labels and my office has a diet they ask you to follow until the 2 day presurgery liquid diet. I'm lucky that I only have to do two days, I've seen a lot of people on here who have had to do 2+ weeks. Good luck and take a notebook with you to take notes! And allow yourself to get excited about it!

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I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. But obviously you are not coming to America just to get health care and then leaving. I truly did not mean to offend you or anyone in anyway, and perhaps you are right about it not being the right place.

I work for a respiratory company that gives out cpap/bipap/ventilators. I speak from experience when I tell you what drains our pockets. It isn't the overweight people on a cpap (which actually isn't as high of a percentage as most would think!). It is the people who come over from DR, PR and other such places, apply for temporary medicaid, get the equipment and all health concerns taken care of and then go back to wherever they came from. THAT is the drain on the health care system!!!

When I first made the decision I shouted it from the roof top because I was so happy and excited, now I wish I had been a little more particular about who I shared the information with. After a particularly miserable diet earlier this year that everyone knew about, and the subsequent weight regain and extra gain I had been feeling so bad about myself. I wanted people to know I wasn't just letting myself go and letting myself get fatter, I was taking control! No one that I have shared with has been mean or rude. There have been questions and concerns because they want me to be as informed as possible before I jump into this. The rudest/meanest comments I've heard have been from my mother- but since she weights over 500lbs and does nothing about it- I say screw her! I know there is a great stigma associated with WLS, however I think there is more to be ashamed about in NOT doing something about it! Good luck to you all!

I have Aetna too! I'm happy to hear it isn't always a mess to get approved!

A sippy cup could work while I'm at home, but no way can I do that once I have to work! I am trying to tell as few people at the office as possible! I even installed my own little mini fridge so no one asks questions about all the milk I have been using for my shakes! The spirometer idea came about because I've had a cold for over a week and my sister (who is a nurse) said that a spirometer would help me clear my lungs out faster because it would trigger coughing right now. Then I asked her if it would help improve my PFT tests because I am a reformed smoker (about 6 weeks!) and I want to do well on them. She said it would help, so into the warehouse at work I went and grabbed one. (I work for a respiratory DME company.) It is challenging to regulate a breath to make the little ball stay up for 3-5 seconds... I would recommend everyone getting their hands one one prior to surgery if they can. Ask your doctor, or call a DME company to see if you can purchase one as they shouldn't be very expensive.

Morning all, how you are all off to a fabulous Tuesday. Today's question is... How do you sip? What are the guidelines? I intend to ask my nutritionist when I see her on the 23rd, but with surgery December 5 I just want to start practicing. How did you go about sipping? How long should one spend drinking one ounce? (I've got the top of a cough medicine bottle I can use.) Also, I don't know if you are able to get your hands on one or not, but I totally recommend getting an incentive spirometer if you can get one. My sister is a nurse and I work with a bunch of respiratory therapists so they managed to get one for me. I've been practicing with it and I can feel it working my lungs! Getting my lungs in good shape for my PFTs on the 17th!

Good luck!

I did Medifast this spring for two months. In that time I lost over 25 pounds, but had to stop because something in it was causing breast lumps! It was the only think I did differently at the time I started getting them and within a week of stopping the diet they were gone, even my doctor was stumped by it. The vanilla/strawberry shakes are gross. I prefer the Isopure strawberry much much more. All in all, I don't intend to ever touch Medifast or anything like it again. Too much money, tastes pretty bad and just over bad for you.. And did I mention the regain was way worse than what I lost?

I'm sorry you are having a hard time. I have read on these board about a pouch test you might be able to try to help get your pouch back in order. I understand what you are going if I haven't had surgery yet. In one week of not following my nutritionists diet and getting sick I gained back 3-4 pounds of the 10 I had lost. I feel your pain on a certain level. You can do this. And even if you did stretch your pouch, I doubt it is the size it used to be. Just get back on your diet plan and maybe make an appointment to see your nutritionist.

So happy for you! Great work! Now time to kick back and enjoy all the benefits.

You go girl!

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear your sister is having such a hard time. I couldn't help but notice you are located in Fishkill. I work there. Do you attend any local support groups? I haven't found any but I know there must be. Who is your surgeon? I'm seeing Dr. Kaul in Hawthorne.

So, the coordinator at my surgeons office seems to think she will be okay submitting the precert to my insurance on day 84. I work with insurance companies and know that they look for any excuse to deny, not to approve. Was anyone approved prior to 90 days with Aetna? I wasn't even aware of this 90 day rule until today!

I am so so so so so glad I asked this question now! It is so comforting to know I'm not the only one feeling this way. It actually gave me the courage to talk about these particular feelings with my family and I found that to be helpful. I'm blessed to be doing this all at the same time as my cousin and I never even thought to talk to her about feeling this way. But, after this weekend she and I were able to help each other so much. I wish you all the best of luck! We're going to do this, and we'll do it together if that is what it takes!

I am so happy to find out I'm not the only one experiencing this! The days are flying by but at the same time dragging! I don't feel as though my excitement for surgery has decreased at all, just that my interest in every day life has changed. Not that I'm not interested in it, but I'm MUCH MUCH MUCH more interested in the surgery. Heck, my birthday is even this week and I couldn't really care, I just want December 8th!!

Hi guys, another question for those who have already had their surgery. Prior to surgery did you feel like you lost interest in other areas of your life? I still go to work, do my college courses, clean, cook and all the things you have to do. However, it all just feels like something I now have to do to kill time until December. Family members seem to be getting annoyed with me because VSG is one of the only things I want to talk about anymore. I don't think that I'm obsessing, it just seems like every day I've learned something new and want to talk about it with my family because I am excited. Did any of you feel this way? Like the daily motions are just time killers? That all you are interested in is getting the next 41 (who's counting lol) days over with? Thanks, Danielle

I work for a DME company that deals exclusively with CPAP/BIPAPs. You should contact your prescribing physician and update him on your case. He/she are the only people truly qualified to determine if your settings should be changed or not. Does your machine have a ramp feature? This may help you fall asleep before the pressure builds up all the way. In most cases of weight loss the machine does need adjustment and in most cases is eventually no longer necessary. But it is imperative that you keep your doctor informed with what is going on.

My surgery is scheduled for December 8th. My surgeon has your do liquids two days prior to surgery, so I will be able to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family. Following surgery I will be on two weeks of liquids which puts me barely on mushies by Christmas. It will be a bit easier for me because my cousin and I are having our surgeries on the same day at the same hospital. So while our family is chowing down we will have each other to be miserable with This being said, I wouldn't wait any longer than I have to. I'd have been sleeved the day after I made my decision if it wasn't for my dang insurance company!! Good luck to you!

I am planning to start soon. Just got my video camera yesterday and I'm learning how to use it. I've gained so much knowledge from watching YouTube videos that I am hoping to help someone else on their journey.

My insurance has paid their portion, I paid my copay. Then on top of that came the seperate $60 fee for preparing the report.

I paid the money, the surgeon has a copy they faxed. I have a copy. You make a good suggestion about waiting until after approval, but I'm going to take that a step further and make it after surgery. I'm very upset and do feel taken advantage of. For the $110 it cost me, I should have at least laid down on the little uncomfortable couch.

I called the coordinator at my surgeons office today to see if she had received some of my faxed clearances and gave her the dates of the others I have scheduled. While we were talking she was like "Oh yeah, we can definitely get you in before the end of the year. Let's look at the beginning of December." So I heard her flipping through a calendar and she said "Dr. Kaul does surgery on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. You're last appointment with the nutritionist is 11/28. Insurance approval will only take about three days. Might be cutting it close for 12/1 lets look at the next week." She asked me about 12/5 and 12/6 but I prefer to have it done on 12/8, so that's what we scheduled!! As long as my insurance company doesn't buck up and the remaining clearances go okay, I will be getting sleeved on December 8, 2011! The first step to living the rest of my life the way I want to live it!