SHC

Hope it works out for you..at least yours is 85/15...mine is 80/20 and I don't know how much it will be out of pocket since it will be the start of the new year.

I hope I attached the pic correctly! This is my first post-op pic--I'm wearing a skirt I've had for at least 3 or 4 years, but couldn't wear because it was too little! It was baggy today! Whoop! Whoop! This is what it feels like for dreams to come true, huh???
Sent from my iPhone using VST

The hardest thing for me is waiting 30 minutes after I eat to drink. But everything else is so positive, I can deal with that! LOVE MY SLEEVE!

Thought I was going to have a melt down last night I was so hungry " head" hunger not belly hunger but I stuck it out and got on the scale this morning well 11 pounds down after only 6 days post op and I am so motivated!! Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels! I am. Long way from my goal but I am really focused now!

Maybe food was introduced too soon. You will run a fever if you have an infection so if your not feverish then you are probably fine in that area. I would stay away from anything except liquids for a few days at least.

You look great..keep up the good work, as we all do!!

THAT'S WONDERFUL LADIES. I HAD MY SURGERY ON 2/9 ALSO, I HAVE LOST A TOTAL OF 6LBS SINCE SURGERY. I FIND MYSELF MAKING MYSELF EAT SOMETHING...WHICH IS DIFFERENT, BUT A GOOD DIFFERENT..LETS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LADIES

Tylenol liquid is what my doc recommends. I wouldn't take ibuprofen unless you call your doc first and ask about it. It might be okay, but better safe than sorry. I took the tylenol liquid for some post-op headaches, but I'm not big on any pain meds, so only did that a couple of times.

I'm so excited!!! I start my liquid diet & go in for my pre-op visit tomorrow!
Being self pay this process went super fast as i had my consultation 1/18 and my surgery is 2/13! Saw the nutritionist, pysch dr., physical therapist, had a physical, endoscopy & all related blood tests and so on,all in two weeks!!! (I'm super motivated)!
Been debating wls for years but unt I found the SLEEVE I wasn't comfortable with my options!
This is the not scared I've been but most excited too in a long time.
My kids and husband and friends are very supportive, even though most don't agree or feel I need this, they still support me and that's very important!
Only a serious side i do understand surgery is still risky... So I've printed all my medical Wishes, advanced directives, living will, letters to my husband, kids and a few friends. (not to be open unless tragedy hits me, then husband will give out).
I added all my kids on my bank accts as beneficiaries and made sure to write down all accounts and passwords for anything I can think of for my husband. But after doing all that, which was emotional in itself, I was able to feel ready!
I love my
Surgeon and his staff and the fact that he has every doctor I need to see on staff and he's located in the medical bldg upstairs to the hospital I'll go too. He even has a plastic surgeon on staff for after if I need (and oh I will) to remove skin and lift my breasts.
I finally see a light at the end of a long dark tunnel! I'm always the happy one and people were saying how Surprised they were to hear I would do something so "drastic" and I'm always thinking "look at me I'm 100 pounds over weight", yeah I'm happy cause I have a good life but I'm not healthy and that makes me Unhappy inside!
Now I'll finally feel how I look and look how I feel!
So nervous yet so excited!

Yep. It's those hormones a raging. Once you lose weight, they start flowing the way they're supposed to. Every time I start losing, I chase my hubby around the house like a crazy woman. I can't wait for that to kick in again!!

DO WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU , BECAUSE IF THE SHOE WAS ON THE OTHER FOOT (MIL) AND ANY OTHER, THEY WOULD DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM. IF YOU THINK YOUR REALLY GOING THRU WITH THE SURGERY, MAYBE YOU SHOULD START CHECKING INTO NUTRITIONAL CLASSES (IF REQUIRED BY YOUR INS) SO YOU CAN GET A JUMP START ON YOUR JOURNEY..I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK!

Thanks! My pants were a size 20. I now wear a 2

Hi all,
I'm 5 months post-op and one of my fellow WLS friends is so proud of my progress that she got me all dolled up and put together these before and after shots for me, so I thought I'd share them with you. This is me, more than 60 lbs lighter, and in a size 14, down from size 20.

I decided to tell my story about my fight with BCBS FEP (Federal Employee Program) to cover my sleeve in hopes that maybe it will help someone else. This process took over a YEAR. It was discouraging at times, but I was not going to give up. It’s a long read, but trust me, I shortened it as much as possible.
The process started in September of 2010. I decided I was finally going to do something about my weight and I was looking into the lapband. My husband and I went to a weight loss seminar at one of the surgery centers in my area. During the seminar, the surgeon started talking about the Sleeve and I was immediately excited about it. The idea of having a foreign object in my body didn’t appeal to me, and I had already made the decision with my family not to get the gastric bypass. The Sleeve sounded perfect and I had my heart set on it. After the seminar I spoke with their insurance person, and she said “oh, I’m sorry, your insurance won’t cover that”. Of course I was totally disappointed, but I wasn’t going to change my mind. The next day, I looked at the plan brochure and came across this:
Gastric restrictive procedures, gastric malabsorptive procedures, and combination restrictive and malabsorptive procedures to treat morbid obesity – a condition in which an individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or an individual with a BMI of 35 or more with co-morbidities who has failed conservative treatment; eligible members must be age 18 or over.
This clearly states that it covers the Gastric Restrictive procedures, which the VSG is considered. I called my insurance and gave them the CPT code for the VSG, and the representative said “Yes, it is covered as long as you meet the criteria listed.” (which I did). I was over the moon. I started setting up all of the testing required before submitting to insurance (psych eval, visit with nutritionist, etc.).
November 17, 2010 – the surgeon’s office submitted my paperwork to BCBS FEP
November 29, 2010 - I received a denial letter from BCBS stating that the Sleeve Gastrectomy is considered not medically necessary as a treatment for morbid obesity.
December 10, 2010 – the surgeon’s office submitted a letter of appeal on my behalf.
December 16, 2010 – I received another denial letter that stated “sleeve gastrectomy is considered not medically necessary because it is not appropriate to prevent, diagnose, or treat the condition, illness, or injury."

After I received this letter, I contacted BCBS FEP again. I told her that I spoke with a representative previously who told me that the Sleeve Gastrectomy is covered, and asked why it was being denied. The representative on the phone said yes, it is covered, but I’m not showing that we ever received any paperwork for you. Ugh! She said it could have been sent to the wrong office. I sent her all of the info again, she called back to confirm that she received it and said she would forward it on to the proper department. About a month passes and I get a call stating that it was sent to the wrong area AGAIN and that it was forwarded on to Premera BCBS. During this call I learned that BCBS FEP in Washington State is run by the local administrators, so a lot of times the representatives give you information on the local plan rather than the Federal plan which is very different. Also, there is Regence BCBS and Premera BCBS. The representative on the phone told me that if the procedure will be done on an outpatient basis, it would need to be processed through Premera. If it will be done at a medical facility or hospital, then it would go through Regence. Is this not crazy? Moving along…
February 21, 2011 – I received a denial letter stating that there is no documentation of participation in a medically supervised weight loss program with regularly monthly follow up for a period of at least 3 months.

The reason I hadn’t done that was because I started this process in 2010, and it wasn’t part of the criteria until the 2011. Another set-back. I called the nutritionist and set up 3 months of appointments. After the 3 months of supervised visits, my surgeon’s office sent the paperwork to insurance again, this time stating that all of the requirements have now been met.
June 1, 2011 – A note was faxed back from BCBS FEP to my surgeon’s office stating: This was denied as not medically necessary, not relative to the 3 month supervised weight loss program. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??? Clearly I’m getting the run-around.

After that denial, I called BCBS and explained the situation regarding the request from BCBS to get the supervised visit, and then sending another letter saying that’s not why it was denied. I was angry. The representative on the phone said at first, “hmm, that’s weird, yeah it looks like they want you to get a 3 month supervised visit”, to which I told him that I had, and he said he thought then that it should have been approved. He said he was going to check on something and put me on hold. I was on hold for about 10 minutes before he came back and told me that he was sorry but it was denied. I voiced my frustration and told him that I was going to fight for this, first through the OPM (Office of Personnel Management – the governing officials over Federal Employee Health Benefits), and if that didn’t work I was going to get a lawyer.
June 24, 2011 – Received an APPROVAL from BCBS!!! YAY!!! It was funny how after I mentioned the OPM and a lawyer, I got an approval in the mail. The representative even told me that I would not be receiving any other letters in the mail.

I should back up just a bit because right before I got the approval, I was looking for information online about my insurance and I found a post from someone stating that it would be cheaper to do the procedure inpatient. I looked into this and really started considering it. If I went with the outpatient surgical center, it would cost me a little under $5,000 out of pocket. If I went with inpatient, I would end up paying under $1,000 out of pocket. So yes, the approval was wonderful news, and even after all that I went through to get it approved, I decided I wanted to do the procedure inpatient so as to save us some money. I had spoken with the outpatient surgery center and they didn’t offer to come down on the price at all, so I started pursuing another surgeon at a local hospital. They got everything going really quickly, but really wanted me to have a sleep study because if I did have apnea, they believed it would be helpful to have a CPAP during recovery. I did the sleep study, found out I have Sleep Apnea, and got a CPAP.
I mentioned earlier that there are 2 parts of BCBS FEP in Washington State. Because of this, I had to resubmit my paperwork to Regence as it was now going to be done at a hospital. Here we go again. The new surgeon’s office was to fax all of the new documentation, along with the old documentation, and I believe it got lost 3 times. :banghead: There were a lot of phone calls during this time, I followed up and followed up again to make sure everything was where it needed to be.
September 12, 2011 – I received another APPROVAL from BCBS, this time for the inpatient surgery!

This was the happiest day. I finally won the battle!!!

One more thing, when I notified the outpatient surgery center that I would definitely be switching to the inpatient facility, I got a call from the director of the outpatient center. He wanted to know why I left and I told him it was about the money, and also that I’d feel safer if I stayed overnight in a hospital. He offered to match the price I was paying at the hospital. I said thank you, but no. He called again and said that this was his final offer – he would give me the surgery for free, and also give me a $2000 credit for a future plastic surgery. Some people may think I’m crazy for this, but I turned down that offer as well. I just had a strong feeling about wanting to do it at the hospital and I had to trust my gut. When I talked to my husband about it, he felt the same way, so that made me feel better about the decision. In the end I only ended up paying $250 out of pocket. :biggrin:
SEPTEMBER 27. 2011 – SURGERY DATE!

THE BEGINNING

I just wanted to scream out that today I wore a size 9 blue jeans to church!!! SIZE 9!! not stretchy ones either! just a few months ago I was lucky to squeeze into a size 20. I'm only 17 lbs from my goal and I LOVE MY SLEEVE!! This summer is going to rock cause I will get to wear some cute, cute clothes. Also my cousin had VSG 3 weeks ago and one of my best friends told me at church today that I have inspired her to have surgery too. Who knew!?! Have a great day guys.

I posted a list of resources with tips for getting WLS approved easier with your insurance company. Hope it helps! :-)
http://www.formerlyfluffy.com/weight-loss-surgery-insurance-approval-resource/

Hey Sleevees,
Noob here, this is my second post. I am two days post op and though I'd post my experience for those who are about to go through the VGS.
Standard stuff:
Arrived at hospital 2 hrs prior to surgery to prep. Prep consisted of the standard things (IV, blood pressure checks, sugar checks) Wear lose clothes. I had to be naked in a gown for the proceedure. Also, remember not to wear contact lenses. They put leg compression socks around my legs. Don't worry about the leg compression machine. It actually feels good as it massages the legs to prevent clots.
Next they wheeled me into the OR slap a gas mask on me and then next think I know it I'm waking up in recovery room. Now when first waking up you're in a complete daze. I was very nauseated but I never got to the point of puking. I sat in recovery for 3 hrs waiting for a hospital room to open up then they wheeled me in there. Once in the room they are pumping you full of meds and fluids through IV. I had a JP drain in place and an On-Q pain pump. Never was in unbearable pain, just general discomfort. By day two I had felt much better and started walking around the hospital floor while carting around my IV. I mainly did it because I was bored. I was in the hospital one full day and was discharged on day two since I was able to drink and eat Clear liquids with no complications.
Drinking/JP Drain/On-q pain pump:
For me drinking creates gas and thats the annoying pains that come and go. I take gas-x at home and they gave me a script for it. Now for the most horrific image thats going to remain in my memory for a long while....the removal of the JP drain. I was looking down and watched the whole thing being removed...DO NOT DO THIS. The drain has a stem inside of you a good 4 inches deep and when they pull that it out it will take your breath away...but it does go quickly. As for the On-Q pain pump, they sent me home with it still in my stomach which I took out this morning. Removing the On-Q is cake...two small tubes about 6-8 inches deep in your chest, you just keep pulling them out and then you throw the pump away...no pain involved. THEN YOU GET TO SHOWER...horray. My prep didn't allow me to shower the day of surgery due to the bacterial wipes I was given to put on the tummy.
Things I'm experiening today:
Today has been not really bad, especially after I showered. I felt so much better. Breakfast fo rme was a 3 oz Protein shot, lunch was Vitamins and a nap and I"ve been drinking regular Water and now I have a Propel peach flavored water beside me. Remember on your new Vitamin regiment, the Vitamins need to be gel caps, liquids, chewable, or smaller than the size of an M & M candy, my doc said. Make sure you're bought these and your two week post op foods BEFORE surgery. You're really not going to feel like going to a grocery store (or I wouldn't have) after surgery. A neat trick on food I picked up from my brother who had the band is to use regular campbells chicken noodle Soup BUT drain out just the broth. This broth is 100 times better tasting than the broth you buy in a can or box. So, the main things I'm dealing with today are gas pains and some minor pains on the incisions which is getting better more and more.
My Story.
B

Like Mini-Me, I was outpatient with the same surgeon. In at 7:00, at the Golden Nugget by 12:00. Took a nap and was out to dinner with my wife and even played a little at the tables that night.
Set myself up for success in my hotel and it worked out great.
Loved not being in the hospital. There are sick people there.

I stayed in the hospital 2 nights.Only because my surgery was later in the day..I was back to work in one week..yep one week.

There's no excuse for you to be treated like that, nor should your kids behave like that. No offense, but for him to treat you like crap for 10yrs he has to lack self esteem for whatever reason. If your kids are young and you decide to separate, they will get over it, you need to think about your happiness as well. I bet if you sought child support and alimony he may change his tune. I wish you all the happiness...Take care!

My husband is pretty good, although he has said a stupid thing (or 2 or 3...)(I will be married 30 yrs this yr). The first time he talked disrespectful to me, I was shocked and took it. Then I started taking different approaches like I say to him "Let me get this right, that's how you talk to YOUR WIFE, the ONLY one that truly loves you, no matter YOUR shortcomings? Or You are talking to me like I am a piece of S**T?" How would you like it if I spoke to you like that? OR I'm glad your so perfect and then I point out one of his shortcomings, Or "I may be fat, but I can change. I guess you are just nasty. Maybe you should work on that". Or I have also snapped back "WTF you Jacka**". I find though if you curse too much it loses its effectiveness. I have also said, "How would you like it if someone talked to YOUR daughter like that? Your daughter hears you, and she is going to think this bulls**t is ok. How would you like to get a call from her, at 2 am, crying that her husband treated her this way? (This I found particularly effective). Vary your response, because I think you need to catch him off guard to be effective. Just make sure you respond EVERYTIME he asks like a fool. Anyone who has been married long enough has put up with some stupidity- you are NOT alone! Good luck.

Don't underestimate the damage the abuse is doing to the kids. Staying for the kids isn't a good thing. It is teaching them that it is acceptable to treat a woman this way and if they are girls it is showing them that is what they should expect from a relationship. I know it can be hard and take a long time and lots of planning to make it right, but it sounds like you need to consider where things will go in the future. Have you tried marriage counseling?

Just remember, YOU are paying her salary. She is working for you, so you have the right to say,' that's really inappropriate. I am here for advice and support, not for you to be rude to me'. You don't have to be mean when you say it, just matter-of-fact. She has problebly gotten away with this for too, long. I would ask for a different dietician. You can do it!! What's the worst thing that can happen? I would say something to the doctor, too. Again, this is a customer service issue. You are the customer and remember, she works for you. Just think, if it weren't for you, she wouldn't have a job:) Good luck!

Hi everyone. My name is Judy. I just had my lap band October 28, 2011. I am doing great so far.

It's been 16 months since I had the Gov'ner installed and I have lost 100 pounds! Woo Hoo! From 344 to 244, from 56" waist to a 42", from knee pain to running steps, to a completely new wardrobe. I have 44 more pounds to lose to reach my goal but the finish line is in sight!
Ya'll have a Merry Christmas.