Silly Phylly

You may be experiencing some esophageal spasms. Might want to mention to doc. Acid reducer can help. Otherwise your esophagus and tummy just needs more time. Stressing is not helping acid production or spasming, if that is what it is. Sounds like it, though. I am a nurse.

Hips hurt? Unexplained blood? Are you sure it is from the vaginal area? All your symptoms could be a severe kidney infection or stone! Sip sports drink and try to get in at least 1 oz every 3o minutes. If no better today, you need to go back to your PCP or ER!

Saw my PCP today for my first weigh in for my 6 month diet. Had I been at 40 BMI I would not have had to do this. I was 39.18! I understand how frustrated you are! My PCP summed it up pretty well, she said that I need this 6 months to prepare myself for this major life change and proove that I am serious and capable of following the strict diet recommendations that this type surgery requires. I felt much better about the situation after that. Start the diet for the first full day tomorrow and signed up with a fitness center today. Here we go! Let's do this!

I have one of those little dessert freezers that you put the container in the deep freeze overnight and next day pour in your ice cream mix and turn it on to spin. I never thought of making ice cream with the shakes! Sounds yummy! Another thing you could do if you wanted a creamier texture is put it into a zip-lock bag and freeze and squeeze every couple of hours. I will see if I can get me some popcicle molds too!

I am a teacher/nurse. I sort of told my vice-principal that I was trying to get approval for lap-band. For some reason that does not shock people so much. I figured I needed to give someone a heads up about having to go to appointments etc... Plus. I knew she would be my worst critic. She seemed to be supportive, but reminded me that I was fearfully and wonderfully made. I told her she was so right and that I had no plans of altering the alimentary canal like by-pass. I reminded her that God did not make me obese, Me, food and the devil did! Now I have the power to undo what I did to my temple!

Take is from me, Ms. 39.18 at her first surgeon appt! You best keep that, or even up it a tad. I am BCBS and my policy requires the 40 for full coverage automatic approval. I am scheduled to see my pcp this week to start the 6 month diet that BCBS requires because I was under 40. Now I have got to endure 6 months of frustration and uncertainty because of 3 lbs! People have been denied for diet non-compliance and denied because they succeeded on the diet. I have got to determine what the happy medium is gonna be and pray! I even had a provider tell me to gain at some point during my 6 months! It is so ridiculous that they make us jump through these hoops when we are wanting to get healthy and save them money in the long run. Oh! I am pre-diabetic on med, diagnosed fatty liver and asthma! However that is obviously not unhealthy enough. I have been a very dishearted and disappointed gal this week! Congrats, you are in a good position right now, the way I see it.

Thanks for the reply! I am a nurse and it is amazing the questions that even I am coming up with!

I tend to have some esophageal spasms fairly often, which tells me I need to be on a proton pump inhibitor, but just have not addressed it with my doc yet. Just curious to know if any of you have had to have your esophagus dialated before or after your surgery? Has anyones doc done the procedure along with the sleeve?

Thank you circa! Now, just how much should I lose on this diet without sabotaging my approval? I've heard of denial due to non-compliance and denial because they did too well. Do I stay within a certain BMI or lose only so many pounds? This is ridiculous! If I knew I would be approved I would hop to this diet like there is no tomorrow and be happy to get myself prepared! Ughhh!

Do either of these surgeons offer an insurance policy for any complications that may come up and require further surgery or is that something we should purchase state side? Insurance does not cover anything like that according to my recent dr. seminar. Can you purchase it state side without being involved with a state side dr.? So many questions!!!!

I have BCBS AL as well and paperwork will be submitted Monday. My bmi is 58 I'm just so scared that they're gonna say my obesity is pre existing! I didn't have insurance before I got this policy in January through my husband's job. I'm praying for an approval quickly after Submitted.

You would think they would see it as a way to get you healthy and keep you healthy! This one procedure vs several hospital stays for Lord only knows what! One hospital stay runs about the same as this procedure, certainly if ER is involved and God forbid ICU! I feel good about you!

I live in Birmingham but I was sleeved in Las Vegas on January 20th. I'm down 75lbs in 6 mths. It's been an amazing journey so far!!

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Girl, you know your gonna need to explain Las Vegas for those of us that may have to go to plan B! Hope it doesn't come to self-pay, but I will go in debt if I must!

Best of luck to you Mrs. T! As you see we are all in this together and you will certainly be glad you found it! Thanks to all for your support and advice folks. As I said in another post the other day, I did consider putting a rockin my bra and I figured that's what I get for thinking such. It will all work out somehow! I do have plan B, which is Dr. Alvarez, but I need to keep my head on straight and try the insurance route first. I shall pray for patience! Patience is so hard considering I want to be healthy now. If I knew I would be approved I would hop on that 6 month diet like white on rice! But who wants to put themselves through all that frustration, knowing full well you will gain it back because you are a food addict, and you have a stomach that constantly reminds you! I have seen a case on here that did it and got turned down because they did good and I have seen a case that was turned down for non-compliance. Please pray that I can meet in the middle and satisfy the insurance review team!

Welcome to the anxious and frustrated pre-op newbie club! Wish my blood pressure would have spiked the other day in the docs office. My insurance requires a BMI of 40 for auto approval, well doc comes in and informs me that before I can be submitted I was going to have to do a 6 month doc followed diet because I was not a 40. When I asked what I was I thought I would faint! 39.18! Needless to say, I am not going to be a happy camper for the next 6 months and at the end of this there is no gaurantee they will approve me! "Deep dark depression, excessive misery, if it were'nt for bad luck I would have no luck at all! Gloom, dispair and agony on me!" (This was words to a song of the old comedy show Hee Haw) Hope your journey gets better from here my dear! You will love this site for all the support and great tips you will recieve along the way! Good luck!

Thank you all for your speedy responses. It is 6 am now and I haven't been able to get to sleep yet. It has been a long time since I have been pregnant and I am afraid to close my eyes and wake up to find that it was all a dream. I do see a pain specialist and I have an appointment with him on the 7th. I am also on Cymbalta, so that will need to be discussed with my PCP as well. Those are the 2 I am worried about. I have been taking 2 multivitamins for women since I had my surgery. Plus the Calcium, B12, and D. I am guessing a NUT means a nutritionist? I have been seeing my OB/GYN for the past 20 years and he is very aware of my high risk situation. I am healthier now than I have ever been in my adult life. I am sure they will get my in right away, once the office opens on Monday. This is the down side of finding out it is positive on a Friday night!

My oldest daughter birthed this beautiful little doll you see in my profile back in January while on seizure meds. We new there was an increased risk with cleft palate, but that was a risk we all were willing to take for her to be able to have a child. As you see she is healthy and has even been above percentile in reaching milestones. You have the main appts in progress so continued good luck to you. Don't know if you are a religious person,but I am sure you wouldn't mind some prayers going up! Gotcha covered!

you are going to have to stop those meds and have ob/gyn help you come up with a new option for pain control. You may discover that you are more pain tolerant during this than you once thought. Best wishes!

Docs have you sign those agreements to cover their backsides! In this world of lawsuits anything involving pregnancy is at high risk for litigation. Their malpractice insurance requires such practice! You have a sleeve which has little to no issues with malabsorption and Vitamin deficiancy. You control what goes in your mouth. See your ob/gyn and call your NUT. asap to determine your daily protien and calorie intake. Weightloss is not your goal right now, however you can continue to get healthy for you and the baby at the same time! If you were a by-pass patient if would be different. I am sure you are at a much healthier state right now than you were before your surgery. Hop on a prenatal vitamin with folic acid as soon you can! However, if you have been doing your protien shakes etc... as you should have you have given baby a good start! No worries sweetie, healthy babies are born into much worse situations than this! By the way congratulations! Stop stressing! Thanks to your sleeve and you getting healthy it made it easier for you to become pregnant! Lucky you will have your weightloss tool already in place to take off the baby weight. If you follow your NUT's advice you may not have much baby weight to lose! Keep us posted! By the way I am a nurse.

Dr. Miles St Vincent's East B'ham. Not sleeved yet,due to 6 month diet requirement for BCBS! Ughhh!

Alvarez seems to be the man! I am going to try my best to jump through BCBS's hoops for the next six months or so, but if denied I will be seeing Dr. Alvarez someway somehow!

Sorry for ranting about my situation! This was a conversation about protien bars which I do need to know more about. Do keep us all posted with suggestions and reviews of different brands. Got a feeling I will need to stash some away in my desk too! Thanks ladies for being here to help me through all this!

I'm a teacher too so I definitely understand! I always had them and some Peanut Butter and almonds in my drawer. This was pre-op doing low carb, I was told not to try nuts yet. I'm lucky to have a fridge very close by that only a few of us share so in there I always kept some string cheese and lunch meat. I don't want to have to think about planning for school just yet! Teachers start back August 17th for us.

Funny how things happen, I am a teacher as well as a nurse! Took a radicle sabatical from nursing, which was contributing to my food addiction, due to the depression and anxiety involved with the particular position I held. Child's school found out I had stepped down and contacted me in less than a week to fill-in for a teacher leaving mid-year. That was 5 years ago and now I am the science department! Love teaching, but it has its own stress that does not help my addiction either. However, my worst days at school are still better than the stress I endured while nursing. I just wish so bad I could have gotten my surgery this summer so I could enjoy this upcoming school year while getting healthier. I have got to get a better attitude about my situation before August 6th when I go back! This 6 month diet because my BMI was 39.18 instead of the 40 has got me very depressed. If I knew for sure I would be approved in the end it would not be so bad.

Certainly, Carb intake should be taken into account! Many ways to do it without blowing the carb count. All green veggies are awesome for you!

Thanks for the heads up! Looks like I am going to have to read that book too. My mother of all people bought it! With all the chatter going on about it I suppose it might help me get my mind off of me and this 6 month diet! Some distraction huh?

Have the juicer, but not that kind of husband! Don't get me wrong I love my hubby, but he is just not the nurturing type. That's why he married me! I may go get the old juicer out and try it some during this blasted 6 month diet period.

It is so awesome you have a husband that obviously loves you enough to be concerned about your nutrition! As a former nurse I would highly recommend you stick with it as long as he is willing to buy the the fruits and veggies and prepare them for you. What a gift! This will positivley effect your longterm health more so than anything. Cut your cancer risk greatly! Wish I had that kind of support and the means to be able to do it daily. I am actually teaching all sciences at my child's Christian school, therefore I do not make nurse money anymore. Juicing can be quite expensive! If he is willing drink it baby! Make sure he drinks it with you to keep him healthy! You need to keep him around for many years to come!