gdetty

I'm almost 1 1/2 years post op and I get nauseated all of the time. You need to know what to eat, what you can tolerate (I tolerate salmon as my most tolerated meal), how to eat and don't over do it. Portion control is controlled by the procedure meaning you can't overeat or it will not stay down. I've noticed that I eat something and get instantly tired. I asked my doctor and he said it's a carbohydrate rush. So I stay away from these foods that make me tired. I now know the meats I can eat and those choices are different than what I could eat before my procedure. Make sure all meats are wet. I cannot eat breaded chicken and tend to stay away from chicken entirely. What seems to help me is I eat my dinner and then eat pretzels that seems to calm my nausea. If you are eating sweets, that is one of the side effects of the Sleeve. Makes you sick. However, for me, if nausea is a lifestyle change I need to tolerate, and the Sleeve is not reversible, then I'm prepared to find the foods best suited for me and I will change my habits to that lifestyle. For me I try something and it goes down well. Then 15 to 1/2 hour later I get the nausea. I then take some Maalox and drink Water. Being nauseated is in levels. Slight, moderate and OMG I think I'm going to vomit. I can only add good luck. It may be a normal part of my new lifestyle but my life is a great deal better than it was before my operation. I can live with it and eat more things that do not bring on the OMG nausea. I don't think it goes away. I also. want to add, I eat @ the same thing every day for Breakfast and lunch. Dinner is a crap-shoot. Eating out, I choose very very carefully.

I'm back at it. I meet next Thursday July 29th for my step 2 appeal for the VSG at UPMC. They asked if I wanted to be there in person ... you bet I do. I have my case prepared and also a trump card that if I'm denied by UPMC Health Insurance, next year I'll switch to the PPO that is offered which is approving the VSG. I have one of those Cadillac health plans as they are called. Yeah right Cadillac my a&%.

I can answer this way. I was sent, (from UPMC) instructional videos that demonstrated the procedures for Gastric Bypass and the LapBand, back in early 2009 from a counselor under one of their programs. After I viewed these procedures I adamantly declined to consider either of these procedures. My reasoning was side effects and these side effects would not be tolerable for what I deemed a quality of life for me and what I do. So although, when I called for pre-approval the first time (December 2009), I may not have known what questions to ask, however when I called UPMC Insurance the second time (January 2010), I knew to not misrepresent the procedure I was requesting e.g. VSG. I specifically asked for that procedure coverage (or hence I would not have started my 6-month supervised weight, diet, evaluation time period pre-surgery, because I had already declined the other two procedures). Having been denied for my appeal, directed at the UPMC insurance company, and since I have an option, when I called Blue Cross of Illinois, I made sure I asked (three-times) if I would be covered for Bariatric Surgery AND specifically the Vertical Sleeve procedure, Each time the party on the other end replied "yes." Maybe it comes down to different coverages under different Plans due to different payments, (or Group numbers). I can draw a parallel this way, my boss had his VSG surgery in December 2009 and it was approved and covered. I may need to call back and tape the conversation, but my intention now is to verify, verify, verify some way, since I will never consider the other options.

Does anyone have information that can help me? I called UPMC Health Plan (University of Pittsburgh) in January and asked if I was covered for the VSG. The answer was yes. I started my 6-month Pre-Surgical supervised diet, weight program; lost weight, lowered my blood glucose, had my psychological evaluation and even met the surgeon. I thought I was ready to go. At this time, I was told to call "again" because on February 5th 2010 UPMC stopped covering the VSG. This was confirmed by the Surgeon and his PA. I appealed. But of course my appeal was denied and I have no proof. Has anyone had a similar experience with UPMC and/or has anyone had the VSG procedure under the UPMC Plan? I am appealing to change my plan from UPMC to Blue Cross of Illinois who is approving the VSG.