sr910

I am not sleeved yet, but this is also a big concern of mine. Besides muscle-building exercise (building up the muscle gives the skin something to hold on to), look for a skin-firming moisturizer that contains CoEnzyme Q10 Complex. If you've got a few extra bucks to spend, I'm a big fan of Caudalie skin products and recently came across this stuff -- and the reviews say it works! http://www.dermstore.com/product_Firming+Concentrate_8569.htm

hooray! positive thoughts

Hey- does anyone know the type of lip balm people are recommending? I'm trying to create my list- oh and the mouth spray that helps with dry mouth?

Biotene is the mouth spray -- hadn't heard any specific lip balm recommendations, though.

Good luck, Patrick!!

In case anyone is wondering, I figured out that the Anthem H M O that covers the Sharp Community Medical Group is the "California Care H M O"

Yeah I've got Monique's number. How dare she take a vacation :-P lol

Alright so Dr. Mueller has a lady that handles all the insurance. I need to talk to her, but she's on vacation =(

Last night, Dr. Mueller mentioned that Sharp Rees-Steely only covers bypass so I thought no problem I'll just switch to Sharp Community Medical Group. Well, my "Select H M O" doesn't cover Sharp Comm...

My employer offered Kaiser and three different Anthem plans (2 hmos and a ppo). The difference between the two hmos was not clear at all, but I can't do anything about it until open enrollment in November, which wouldn't be usable until January 2013. Lame. I really hope I don't have to wait that long! I'm sure other medical groups within Sharp cover the sleeve... I just need to figure out which one(s)! Insurance lady is on vacation until the middle of next week, btw. Blahhhh. Today was supposed to be productive, dammit!

I just recommended a postpartum shaper -- http://www.bellefit.com/

I've been looking at girdles and Shapewear for after I'm sleeved and for the stomach area, I've been looking at postpartum girdles. It's worth a look... http://www.bellefit.com/

I have the Anthem Blue Cross Classic Select H M O. The sleeve is covered by the insurance, but not with my current medical group. I got assigned to Sharp Rees-Steely (I think because that's the closest to my house?) and that medical group only covers the gastric bypass procedure. Sharp Community Medical Group covers all 3 procedures (lapband, sleeve, bypass), so I'm going to call and see if I can switch over tomorrow, and it should be effective next month... or maybe September... not sure. I'm really hoping I don't have to do the 6-month supervised diet because I've tried and failed so much already -- I just want to get movin' with something that actually works!

Thanks for the warm welcome! And thanks to vst, I've already talked to a couple folks who had my same insurance or surgeon -- so far it looks like my insurance approves pretty quickly and I won't have to do 6 months of supervised dieting, and my surgeon sounds good. I have 150+ to lose, so I'm definitely hoping for a quick approval! Although, I just read a post where a woman's surgeon may have made her sleeve too small/narrow -- I'd never even thought of that! How terrifying!

Welcome to the family! You will love this site' date=' everyone is so helpful and no question is ever stupid, so ask away! I'm so excited for you, I remember sitting in my first seminar and talking to a lady that just had her 2 yr anniversary of her surgery and she had lost 200 lbs, man I wanted my surgery that day! I had my first consult 1week later and my surgery 2 weeks after that, I was a cash patient and you don't have to jump thru as many hoops as you do with insurance. I'm now 5 weeks post-op and I'm down 52 lbs, best decision ever![/quote']

And that is AMAZING!

Hi all. I'm new -- 25 years old from San Diego, CA -- and just wanted to say hi! I am attending a seminar at Sharp Grossmont in a couple days and, although the seminar will be the first formal presentation of wls information, I've already decided that I want the VSG. I'm sure I'll be posting more after I attend this seminar and jump through the inevitable insurance hoops, but I at least wanted to say hi.

SR

Not sleeve related, but my sister has Lupus, Fibromyalgia, and Hashimoto's -- it seems odd that so many people would have more than one in common. Makes me think some more study and clinical research needs to go into these diseases!

I have the same insurance. They didn't require a 6 months waiting period. I was approved very quickly for both the Lap Band surgery, and the revision to the sleeve 12 month later (I got approved for revision t 192 lbs). The only things required were a nutritionist consultant, a chest x-ray, and phsyc consult, and blood work. Both times I had my surgery date 4 to 5 weeks after submission. Oh and I also had to write a letter about my dieting history, medical history, and family weight and medical history.

Best of luck!

I'm only 25, but I could write a book on my dieting history! Thanks for the info, Lianne =)

Does it always *** out H M O?

I have Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and my claim was submitted last week. I am still in shock! My weight is 235 and my height is 5'4". I should also mention that I have high blood pressure so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it.

I have the same insurance. My info was submitted on we'd and I was approved by Thursday morning. So happy you got approved! Do u have a surgery date yet? Mine is aug 7 th! Yay

I also have Anthem Blue Cross (***, California) -- did either of you have to do 6 months of supervised dieting? If no, did you have to submit any kind of proof that you had had unsuccessful dieting in the past? Hoping I won't have a difficult, lengthy process...

Hi all. I am going a seminar with Sharp in San Diego this coming Wednesday (which is one of the surgery pre-approval requirements). If I end up having the surgery, it will be with Dr. George Mueller. I have heard great things about him so far, and his VST profile says he accepts my insurance. I was wondering if anyone else has gotten approved with Anthem Blue Cross of California -- I have an ***, but there is surprisingly very little information on my insurance card. Also, if you went through Anthem, did you have to do the six months of supervised dieting? Wondering if my weight watchers tracker will count or if I have to start 6 months over again...

I'm kinda torn on this one. Most actors & actresses are very motivated & diciplined people. They gain & lose weight for movie rolls on a regular basis. Look at Sylvester Stallone in Copland or Uma Thurman in the movie Monster. These are two examples of 2 normally very healthy people that gained significant weight quickly' date=' the removed it quickly afterward.

One of the major differences here is not only are they diciplined, but they have the means to hire a professional trainer/dietician/chef full time. Though I believe that many in Hollywood have used WLS to trim themselves, I don't believe it's as rampant as we would like to believe.[/quote']

Charlize Theron was in Monster.

Also, Christina Ricci is TINY compared to what she used to be.