MommyTawnie

Congrats to you!! My thoughts and prayers are with you.. I am being scoped on the day of your surgery to insure all is ok for my surgery Tuesday!!

Ladies that would be nice. I live in Beaumont so not to to far from Houston.. I can't believe my surgery is in 2 days!! Man time is going by quickly.

Thanks All my mother in law is actually starting to come around. She volunteered to stay with the kids tomorrow so I could go in for my scope, and she is offering to help my sister in law watch them for the next couple of days while we are out of town for the surgery. I am 2 days away and soooo excited. I can't believe it is almost my turn!!

My doctor has told me if it fits through a straw and you don't have to chew then he considers it a liquid. However not every doctor looks at it like that. I do know that I am not allowed to have any chunks of anything "banana included" But if it blends up and is able to fit through a straw with out chunks I think I'm ok. However I am staying away from fruits at this moment. I am sticking to my cream soups with chunks strained out. As well as my Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder from GNC. It maybe $45 a jug, but it's sooooo yummy. It was actually very surprising how good it was. I bought the Strawberry kind to Give me something other then Chocolate or Vanilla. Anyway call your doctors office and find out from the nurse/doctor if a banana is considered a liquid if it's blended in well enough. If not try substituting the banana with a jar of baby food banana's. It may not work out to well, but you never know until you try.. Best of Luck!!

This is such great news for you "as well as for my hubby" Our insurance as of this moment is Aetna "my surgery is on the 21st" but starting in January we are switching to United Healthcare, but we weren't sure how well they go about covering surgery when weight loss is involved, but reading on here UHC seems to cover more then we were thinking. No matter which plan we have. When do you start your liquid diet? Mine started today for 5 days and then another week-2 weeks after surgery depending on how my body reacts to the reintroduction of food.. LoL I am holding strong and not feeling a bit hungry. Any way CONGRATULATIONS!! It's such a blessing when we recieve news we so want to hear..

So I officially started my liquid diet this morning. Breakfast wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had some scrambled egg whites "egg beaters" and a very yummy shake. For a grand total of 56g protein "doctors suggest atleast 60g. So I am well into meeting my protein goal for the day. I went looking for Protein Powders yesterday and was met with an overwhelming since of OMG there's to much to choose from. Finally I chose because of what the label read, and not because of the price. I've bought some baby food meals that include meats "another source of protein, and I can use whatever seasonings I want" I really don't think it's going to be all that bad with the liquid diet thing, but then again I am on day 1 meal 1. I can't wait for Tuesday to get here!! My very wonderful loving sister in law is keeping the 2 children and my mother in law is finally getting on board with the whole surgery thing "read previous post Mother in Law totally AGAINST" Lots of thoughts and prayers over the next couple of weeks!!

Sleeve buddies!! I am stoked about my date!! And was very surprised that my doctor only requires a 5 day liquid diet pre-op, and a week-two week liquid diet after. The goal is to get back on mushie foods by the end of the first week, but not to harm the staple line. I went shopping today and my 4 year old was having a fit about me buying baby food to eat "with seasonings" It's got a good amount of protein and it's low on sugar. "Earth's Best from WalMart" I start tomorrow with nothing but liquids.

Congrats!! It took my insurance a week to get me approved but it worked. I was approved on the 8th my surgery is on the 21st. I start my 5 day liquid diet tomorrow!! Enjoy your journey it's a blessing to know that you will have a tool to aid you along your journey!!

I must agree with the other answers. To get 3 false pregnancy test in a row is rather strange. False postives are very rare where blood work is involved. Call your pcp and see if they could do an ultrasound to insure all 3 blood test were indeed false positives. While pregnancy would be a set back would it be a bad thing with your history to have such a miracle happen? Clearance from your pcp to show that it is indeed false positives you are getting would be ideal for day of surgery. You don't want to get there and be told they need to wait a bit to see what's going on with the blood work. Best of Luck to you in any situation!!

Well what I thought would be a week long liquid diet is actually a 5 day liquid diet. I went in yesterday and they provided me with a shopping list of items they recommend to there patients and what "liquid" items I can have.. They said there main rule of thumb if it fits through a straw it considered a liquid. Any soups I eat I have to strain first to get chunks out "cream of anything is fine just without the chunks" The only thing I am going to miss are my meats but I will have them back eventually. I am going shopping today to finish getting the rest of my items. "Sams Club here I come" I go back in on Monday for all of my preop testing and to be scoped. I have to be back at the hospital Tuesday Morning at 5:30 am!!

I to have Aetna, and I was told by one surgeon that I needed to do a 3 month supervised diet with my pcp, as well as a pych eval, and a meeting with a dietician nothing about all 3 during the 3 months. I did all 3 months the way I was told, and at the last month switched to a more recommended doctor and was told they did not give me the correct info. During the 3 months you are suppose to be supervised by your pcp as well as a dietician and an exercise therapist. Sometimes the Dietician can do both the meetings and the exercise therapist part. Thankfully I had 4 months under my belt and was able to finish out the last 2 months with my pcp for the 6 consecutive months of supervised dieting.. If not I would have had to start all over with the 3 months or continue for 3 more months with my pcp.. The first surgeon that told me the 3 months I have since found out lies in there charts so that it appears you have met all requirements for approval. So sorry you have been told this now and not then. It frustrated me to but I finished out the 2 last months and my surgery is next Tuesday! Stay strong and if you ever have any questions call your insurance company and see what they require yourself..

Thanks to all.. My mother in law is at a stage now where she wants to say something but decides to keep it to herself. Thank goodness!! She will come around is what everyone tells me we will see.. I went in today for my pre-op package and all my instructions.. I start my liquid diet on Thursday. Go back on Monday to be scoped, and pre-registry. Then surgery TUESDAY!!

Sorry all I loose track of what I post. When the lady told me they had just come out of clinicals and was being assigned to a nurse. It was her way of letting me know that all the paper work has been submitted and it has to go through the right people before being assigned a nurse. More less they want to make sure you have done everything they requir before taking it to the next step..

I live in Beaumont but I'm using Dr. Chung out of Lake Charles, LA.. He was recommended by a friend that had her surgery last year, and he is such a wonderful doctor. I have many friends in the area and constantly meeting new people that have had there surgery already. They are my support through it all. I am getting sleeved on December 21st!!! Hubby is starting is Supervised 6 month Diet in January hoping to get sleeved late summer early fall...

I'm not shy about my surgery either. I don't view it as a way out. I see it as a chance to get my life back. My family knows all about the surgery and they are very supportive. Out of my husbands family only my sister in law and mother in law know. My mother in law has thrown a big fit and has made it known that she doesn't approve of my having surgery. I could care less what people think this surgery is happening, but at the same time I wish she would get on board with it and be happy that I have found something to add in my weight loss and in the end result in a new healthier happier me. That's the extent of people knowing about my surgery. I don't air it out for the world to see my decision. If people ask then yes I will tell, but if they have anything negative to say I don't have time to hear it and walk off. Don't let this bother you. Maybe they are jealous that you are getting time off for a surgery that's optional for some and very much needed for others. Stay strong and don't let others bring you down. Met surgeon for first time March 3, 2010 Started supervised diet June 3, 2010 Met new surgeon September 27, 2010 Finsihed Supervised Diet November 15, 2010 Approved for Surgery December 8, 2010 Surgery Date December 21, 2010

I'm not totally worried about what she thinks. This surgery is happening I just wish she could see where I am coming from.. I think her main problem with it all is her friend of 50+ years has always been over weight, and has managed to loose almost 40lbs on his own over the last year, but he is still over weight. She told my husband that this surgery is such a drastic measure to take to loose the weight, and that she doesn't see why I am willing to risk my life for a surgery that's going to help me loose weight. I look at it like this. If I don't have this surgery and I am unable to loose the weight on my own "and lets face it I've been trying for the past 4 years" My health is going to eventually get worse. I have 2 young children "her grandchildren" I want to be here for them. I don't want to live the rest of my life over weight and eventually end up with health problems I am eventually going to develope. My family supports me 100% in my decision to have tis surgery. My mom has been over weight for years now, and has tried the dieting/exercising, and it works for so long and the weight comes back. So she knows where I am coming from in my decision to take a step toward actually being able to rid myself of this excess weight. Very few people in my hubby's family is overweight so maybe that is why she doesn't understand where I am coming from. I just know I am excited about the surgery and I'm not going to let anyone ruin this for me. Surgery date December 21, 2010 my rebirth to a newer happier/healthier ME!!

My husband let it slip to his mom that I was having surgery for weight loss. She totally flipped out on me telling me that I can loose the weight on my own, and I don't need surgery to achieve my goal. Then she asked what kind of surgery it was. When I told her the sleeve you would have thought I had told her I murdered someone. She can't understand why I have chosen to have surgery and why it has to be something so invasive. I told her I was considering the lapband, but after further research felt it would be more of a hassel and in the end may fail me or worse require surgery to fix damage it could possibly cause. I have done my research, I have asked every question in the book. I stuck to the 6 month diet which actually ended up being a 8 month diet. I may have lost weight while doing the supervised diet but the last couple of months the weight started coming back. She then went on to tell me I am addicted to surgery. WTH first of all c-section couldn't have been helped. My hysterectomy wasn't my decision it was something that had to happen. My other surgeries were to remove my ovaries because of tumors. I have been through hell and back and still can't seem to loose weight, and now she wants me to change my mind about surgery. It's not going to happen. I have worked to hard to get to where I am. My fear with it all is loosing my husbands support. He tells me he is there for me and is even starting his supervised diet in January for possible surgery this summer/fall. But if his mom is this unsupportive what is it going to do to him when I have the surgery on the 21st? I'm excited about my new journey I just wish everyone would keep opinions to themselves and try to be supportive as well. Will it ever happen though?

So I was approved today for my weight loss surgery.. I am so so happy with the approval and can't wait for the 21st to get here. I am just confused as to how the liquid diet works. I get my packet on the 14th that will explain everything to me, but I would like to start getting things together before then. What are the best protein shakes, and what beverages can I have "water, milk, juics, etc." These are things I would love to go ahead and stock up on. I go grocery shopping once a week, and want to get it now instead of waiting. Any experience with this sort of thing is greatly appriciated..

I am over the moon excited. Surgery is soon but I am fine with that. As of now my surgery isn't going to cost us a penny!! I have had 2 surgeries this past year so my deductable and copay is met 100%. We change insurance in January so I have to get it before the 1st of the year.. No matter what I am stoked March to now is a long process.. Thanks for the wishes!!

OMG I got the call this morning from the surgeons office. I was approved.. It took a week and a half to get the approval, but it happend.. I am sooooo excited surgery is the 21st. I start pre-op diet on the 14th and do all my pre-op surgery stuff on the 20th.. I can't believe it is going to happen for me.. I have been on this journey since March. Wish me luck and I will keep everyone posted on how it goes.. Time for before photos I suppose!!

My paperwork was submitted to insurance on Monday.. It's Thursday and I am still waiting to hear back from them.. It feels like it's taking forever.. When I called today the lady told me that the paper work just came out of Clinicals, and was given to a nurse to look over and evaluate.. I am crossing my fingers and hoping she or he sees that I have done everything possible to insure I was approved, and gives the go ahead for surgery. The lady I talked to said I should hear something back by tomorrow if not then Monday for sure!! I can't believe the time is here. The surgery date we handed in was for the 10th if everything goes as planned I could have surgery NEXT WEEK!!! YaY!!!

Call insurance yourself and see what you can do on your end.. If you can submit everything then go for it.. If they only take it from the surgeons office then you have no choice but to wait..

You have to stay on top of Aetna once its sent to them.. I have a friend that had her surgery a year ago, and she called every other day for a week. Finally they approved her and she had the surgery. I am just hoping the fast track fax number actually pushes it through faster. It's suppose to take no more then a day to have it looked at and get an answer back. I have been on this journey since March.. I am ready to take the next step SURGERY!! I have sleep apnea which is considered a co-morbidity so that should help seal the deal with Aetna!! Thoughts and Prayers over the next few days..

I called today to check on the process of my paperwork, and the lady I talked to told me they have not recieved it in the precertification department yet.. Bummer I know, but then she went on to ask me if the doctors office knew there were 3 different ways to submit? Umm I don't know, but I will take the info and call them with it asap. Process number 1 Surgeons office can fax the paperwork to aetna it can take 3-4 days to reach the precert department. Process number 2 Surgeons office can fax the paperwork to there fast track number it can be approved as early as that same day.. Process number 3 Surgeons office can call in the info and it could be approved on the spot.. As soon as I hung up the phone I was calling the doctors office with the new info I had to offer. The lady that submits the paperwork actually answered the phone. I shared my new knowledge with her and she is going to resubmit to the fast track number!! I am soo excited I could have an actual surgery date as early as tomorrow!!!

All of my paperwork was submitted yesterday to insurance. I completed my 6 months on the 15th along with pych eval, and dietican consult. I had a sleep study done as well "sometimes aetna request one be done". I actually talked to a lady today through Aetna's precertification department that told me there are 2 different numbers paperwork can be submitted to. 1 number takes the paperwork through all of the process which can take up to 3-4 days. The other number is what they call the fast track number. It actually sends the paperwork through to the precertification number right then and can be approved that day or the next. I called the office back to see if they could re-fax it to the fast track number. I am ready to get this going.. I have never been this excited about anything other then the birth of my children, and my wedding of course.. This is a new beginning for me!! Let me know how long it takes for yours to go through!!