sunny2day

Good luck today. I'm sure everything will go well. I will be sleeved next Tiesday. If you can or feel up to it please keep us updated:)

Thanks everyone. I feel better now that I vented. Kinda had a moment there. I could deffinately be retaining Water and also I switched from sodium free bullion to regular chicken bullion cubes and maybe I am retaining salt. I will switch back to the sodium free and see if that doesn't make a difference. I guess I was just freaking out prior to surgery. Also the change in diet has me on edge these days. Sometimes I feel fine and other times I feel like a crazy person. I know it will be worth it once I make it to my surgery date and can honestly say I did it without cheating.

No period. Not expecting it for a few weeks. Just don't understand, weight gain. OHHHHHHH I am frustrated.

I have been on my preop diet which is 900 calories a day which indludes no more than 10g of fat a day, 30 g of carbs, and a minimum of 70g of Protein. I can eat food but I can not exceed these limits. For the most part I have had Protein shakes, grilled chicken breast, chicken broth, egg whites, and occasionally lettuce or cucumber. I have been on the diet 5 days now and I gained 2 pounds, REALLY? This does not seem right to me. I am reading every label and weighing my food. I am also logging everything on my fitness pal. Has this happened to anyone else.

I am scheduled for January 14, 2014, and of course my family members wait until right before surgery to tell me they are dreadfully afraid for my life. I have let every know from the beginning of this journey what my intentions were. I really don't need doubt now. I cant blame them though, last year I had a tuble and almost died from a post op infection. I had to have wound care for two months and was out of work for 3 months, so I can see their hesitation. My biggest fear is not will I recover but how long it will take me to recover. I am trying to stay optimistic and look forward to my update one year from now. I am on a 900 calorie high Protein diet for now until surgery. Wishing all the January sleevers good luck...

Mamato2, my doctor gave me a whole bunch of print outs with his post op diet, here is mine as follows:

Stage 1 diet(Weeks 1 &2 Clear liquid diet) such as:

sugar free Jello

sugar free popsicles

crystal light

sugar free kool aide

propel and other calorie free flavored Water

Water

broth

Protein drings clear only

Stage 2 (Weeks 3-4 is full liquid and weeks 5-6 is pureed foods)

such as:

3-4 weeks

fat free milk

low fat Soups (strained or blended in a blender)

light (sugar free) yourgurt

5-6 weeks

baby food from the jar (meats and veggies only

cottage cheese

pureed Beans

pureed tofu

any other soft lean meats (no beef) or well cooked non startchy veggie

Stage 3 (Weeks 6-12) soft diet

tender meats (no beef)

flaky fish (avoid shell fish)

low fat cheese

egg whites(eggbeaters)

Beans

tofu

soft fruits on occasion

well cooked or canned veggies

Stage 4 Regular Diet 12 weeks on

Start introducing regular food one at a time to see what you can tolerate

I hope this helps and I hope your physician gives you some sort of guidance. Ask them if they can give you print outs with suggestions. I forget everything so the prints helped me. Keep me updated on your surgery. May we both have a smooth and easy recovery.

I am scheduled for surgery in Austin, TX on 01/14/2014. I only have to do a pre op diet for 2 weeks which is 900 calories a day which contain no more than 30 g of carbs, 10g of fat, and a minimum of 70g of Protein a day. I do a Protein shake for Breakfast and lunch. I ate egg whites yesterday because I hit a starving moment and it did the job. Then for dinner I am eating salads, green Beans, broccoli, or some other green vegtable and about 10 ounces of grilled chicken breast. So far I am on my 3rd day and its not as bad as I thought it was going to be. But I can see what people mean when they refer to head hunger and after surgery when I am on complete liquids only, I hope that I feel just as satisfied now. This is definitely a lifestyle change and I have learned so much already in my journey. I wish you luck on your journey and your upcoming surgery.

Rena's Ragdolls ---- That really stink that they did not approve your claim and you are having to appeal. What reason did they give? There are so many comments about denials and appeals, make sure you keep pushing back until you get to a Peer to Peer where the doctor actually talks to the Insurance. Good Luck to come your way......

Congrats. I'm still waiting on my appeal with BCBS of Alabama. I've called my surgeon's office during business hours, but can't get them to call me back with an update. I am about to get depressed with no news....

Hey Lady_H ---- I know exactly what you mean by pins and needles. I am going to send good thoughts your way and wish you lots of luck on your journey.

CONGRATS! My surgery coor. just called me this morning to inform me that she submitted everything this am hopefully I will hear something soon I have BCBS of AL and im on pins and needles!!

I am so excited I just got the call from blue cross blue Sheild Federal that my request was approved and my letter will be mailed out. My doctor submitted the docs on 12/30/13 and I was approved 01/02/2014. I am scheduled to be sleeved on 01/14/2014. This has got to be my year.

I found out that my doctors office just sent my claim to my insurance for gastric sleeve surgery on 12/30/2013. I hope that is enough time to get an approval or denial by my surgery date 01/14/2014. I called BCBS Federal and they confirmed the claim was received and is being reviewed. I am so excited and scared at the same time. I met all of the qualifications, with my insurance you had to have a BMI of 35-45 with one or more comorbidity, or a BMI of 40 for the past two years. I have a BMI of 39 with sleep apnea. I did my 3 month weight loss program which I actually did 4 months so I could wait until January 2014 to be sleeved, and my phsyc. eval. I am so nervouse. I wonder how long it took other people with BCBS federal to get approved once submitted? Looking forward to a new year and a new me hopefully.

I just had my last visit and my surgeon said they will be submitting around 12/27/2013, I know the feeling of excitement. I wish you luck and let us know once you get a response.

So my doctors office said they are waiting until after Christmas to submit the info to the insurance. They said they will probably submit on or around 12/27/2013, I will let everyone know how long it took to get a response from the insurance. I am very nervous and excited. Thank you all for your responses.

• Thank you all for your feedback, guess I was freaking out cause I am at the end of the insurance journey. I went to my surgeons office yesterday and I actually lost two pounds from last month. Looks like my scale may be broken, no surprise there. Now the doctors office said they will probably submit to the insurance sometime at the end of next week and we will wait to hear. I am tentivly scheduled for surgery on 01/14/2014. I am super excited.

My doctor will be submitting my case to my insurance on Friday 12/20/2013 right before the holidays. I am scheduled for Surgery on 01/14/2014 pending verification and approval through the insurance. My question is for those who have had blue cross blue shield basic and applied for approval during the holidays, how long did it take to get a response from the time you submitted your documents until you were approved or denied. Thanks for the feedback.

I have been required by my insurance to participate in a 3 month supervised weight loss plan prior to submitting a request for weight loss surgery. I weighed in on November 07, 2013 and I have to do my final weigh in on December 19, 2013 prior to my doctor submitting a claim to my insurance, blue cross blue shield federal plan. My question is this, I believe I have gained about 4 pounds since my last weigh in and the whole time I have been on the diet I have lost. I am guessing I did not do as good as I thought throught the holidays. Has anyone ever gained weight in the supervised diet with blue cross blue shield federal and got denied or approved. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I was just wondering if there were any individuals out there who had seizure disorder prior to having the sleeve done. If so what kind of seizure disorder did you have and do feel like you have any side effects from the gastric sleeve that is negative torward your seizure disorder?

Thank you for sharing. You look fantastic, and I am sure you feel even better than you look. Keep up the great work, you are definitely an inspiration for us newbies.

I am having my second to last appointment with my surgeon prior to surgery and I got to thinking, I wonder if there are questions I am not thinking to ask. I want to find out from those who have been sleeved already, if you could go back in time and ask a question to your surgeon prior to surgery what would you ask? Thanks for any advise.

Thank you so much Muttlover those points are so right on topic. Last year I went to have a tubal and ended up with a severe abdominal infection that literally almost killed me. I was hospitalized for two months. This was not planned. My husband has a job that does not care if you are sick or even hospitalized, in Texas it is an at will employer state. They don't have to have a reason to fire you. I have a 3 year old that climbs on me all the time. With my office job we have to have a certain level of staff available everyday we are open because we work with the public. I am one of two required people to be available for all of November and December. Most of my office takes off during this time. I would hate to take two weeks off and someone else have to work. I have absolutely no family except what was my husbands. My mother in law who would help me when needed passed away about a year ago, so I am trying to plan for worst case scenario so my husband and children are not burdened and my coworkers are not burdened again. I really appreciate all of the comments. I am very ready for this surgery. I was actually going to try and do it last year but because of the seriouseness of my infection after my tubal the surgeon suggested I allow my body a whole year to wait, that's why I had to put it off. I am very committed to success from this tool. Luckily I do not have a deductible with my insurance plan, just a $150.00 surgeon copay and $150.00 hospital copay for each night I spend in the hospital up to 5 nights. I cant wait until I can have the surgery but since this is a elected surgery I am trying to be considerate and balance mine and my family and coworkers needs also since its the holidays.

My dilemma is I did not realize when I started the preliminary steps that it would put me at possibly being approved during the holidays. My senority where I work is at the bottom. If I choose to go ahead and have the surgery during the holidays then someone else in my office will have to forfeit their holiday plans and work for me. I also have small children in daycare and if I do it during the holidays they will be home during the day while their daycare centers are closed.(I would like them to be at daycare during the day so I can focus on recovery) I am trying to not impact any one else's holiday plans at work and schedule my surgery after the holidays if possible. I have blue cross blue shield federal Basic plan and I will not be loosing any benefits by waiting. I called the insurance and for blue cross blue shield basic they said the approval is good for 6 consecutive months after approval. Thank you so much for all of your feedback. This forum is so great.

It looks like if I am approved it will be right before or after Thanksgiving and I am trying to figure out if I waited until after the new year to schedule surgery if that would be too long after approval causing me to have to repeat all of the required preliminary steps.

I have blue cross blue shield federal insurance and I am required to do a three month weight loss plan with a physician and a psychiatric evaluation. After I have completed all of this and the doctor submits the paperwork to the insurance for approval and the insurance approves it, how long can I wait after approval to schedule surgery without having to redo all of the requirements.

I have not been sleeved yet, but my main reason for wanting the sleeve is because I constantly feel hungry. I am hoping the sleeve will help curve this craving, but luckily my doc is making me really work on what I am eating now so that after the sleeve I have a foundation to work with. Good Luck, I really hope this is a phase for you and it will slowly dissipate. I can really relate to hunger issues.