sunny2day

I had my surgery January 14th also and I came home yesterday. I had to have a hiatial hernia repaired in addition to sleeve. I think I'm in shock also at how hard it is to get the required liquids in. I have to stay on a clear liquid diet for two weeks post op. So far my tummy makes lots of sounds and all I can drink are two sips at best. Also when it gets to my stomach there is a tight pressure pain feeling that comes and goes real quick. But it's taking everything I got to get fluids in. They say week 1 is the worst, right?

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 have bcbs fed and my doc is submitting all my paper work Monday. The doctor say that I will most likely be approved ..but still very nervous they will reject me. I have met all the requirements....so I'm praying and crossing my fingers.

Could you be retaining Water? Would you consider asking your doctor for a more structured pre-op diet, such as 3 shakes per day and a couple of bars?ould you be retaining Water? Maybe that will help eliminate some hidden calories that you might be taking? I lost 14lbs in 14 days on my pre-op with Optifast 800.
Best of luck!

first week of my 3 week diet, I lost 5 lbs then the second week I gained it back. this is my last week and i'm not sure if i want to get on the scale lol
best of luck to everyone!

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.

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.

Hello! I have one more test, an endoscopy this coming week, and then the paperwork goes into insurance. I'm excited and nervous. Hoping for a date at end of January. Please share your experience post-surgery when you are able to. God bless & good luck on the 8th!

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...

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.

Hi I too am being sleeved 1/14 and am on a 800 calorie diet for 2 weeks I am confused about my post op diet what were you told is the timeframe of what you are consuming for how long! Praying for a successful surgery for both us!

Congrats! I received my approval from BCBS Fed before Christmas and I'm scheduled to be sleeved 1/29. Tomorrow I go to hospital for preregistration, labs, EKG, chest X-ray initial dietary program appointment and pulmonary function test. Low carb diet starts next week and two weeks later I start the liquid diet.

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.

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!!

My BCBS Federal was submitted on November 20, 2013. I was supposed to patiently wait for the doctor's office to give me the call-back. But I learned from others on this site to be pro-active. So, on Monday 11/25 I called BCBS and was told my surgery had been approved on 11/22.
I called the doctor's office and was told that the certification specialist was out the whole week for Thanksgiving. Lucky for me, On 11/26, I received a letter from BCBS stating that they had approved five days 12/23 - /12/27/2013 for my hospital stay. I faxed this document to the surgeon, and they went ahead and locked in my date for 12/23.
I wish everyone could have my surgeon, Dr. Bipan Chand at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. So, I was sleeved on 12/23/2013 and have had NO shoulder gas pain. I am 8 days out now, and starting to get some energy back, and no longer need pain meds. The steri strips fell off today.
Count your blessings that you have BCBS Federal. It is the best insurance I have ever had - ever! Good luck to you. I will see you on the other side.....

Relax. They waited until 2 weeks out to submit mind to Avmed. They do this routinely. God Bless and enjoy your New Year's Eve!!!!!!!!!

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.

I have BCBS Fed and I was just approved for the surgery. It doesnt matter if you gain or lose during the 3 month supervised weightloss plan as long as you stay within the BMI of 35. I was actually underweight during my first appt. and I gained for the next 2 weightloss visits.There is no rule against gaining or losing as for now, however other insurance plans do require you not to lose or gain. Hope this helps and good luck

My papers were submitted on 11/21. I called BCBS on the 23rd and was told I had approval. I called the doctor's office that next Monday (before Thanksgiving) and was told that the certification specialist was on vacation all week, and she would be the one to call me to tell me the approval was in.
I faxed a copy of a letter I got from BCBS approving up to 5 days for my hospital stay at Loyola. With that info, the surgeon's nurse went ahead and confirmed my date (next Monday 12/23 yeah!).
It was still midweek after Thanksgiving and I had not heard from the cert. specialist....so I called. She confirmed that I was approved, but had no explanation for her delay. This is not the first time I have heard of BCBS Federal doing their part, and then you get the delay from a paperwork pusher at the doctor's office. Be proactive.
Just a note...BCBS Federal is the best paying insurance I have ever had...ever...and I am retired.

I also have BCBS Federal but was submitted around the Thanksgiving holiday and was approved within a week. I would think that it shouldnt slow down any approval progress even though its a holiday. If anything they might be closed for one day (Christmas) but even then I dont know how they can. I mean people get sick every single day so someone has to be there to help them. My positve thinking says youll be fine

I did not submit during the holidays, but have Blue Shield/Blue Cross Federal and received approval in one day.

I was federal BC/BS and got the approval within 2 weeks...

Hi Rgrana, I too have BCBS Federal and I'm also on the 3 month supervised diet. I lost 4 pounds the first month and none the second month. My last weigh in is mid January. The nutritionist told me if we can maintain during the holidays without gaining, that is still very good. She still wants me to lose as much as I can between now and mid January to make the surgery easier. At the beginning she did tell me there was no certain amount that Insurance required us to lose and they wouldn't deny us for not losing so I am holding her to it. I am trying very hard to get some of the weight off but I am not stressing over it either. I'm in Mississippi, where are you? Do you have a tentative date yet? My tentative date is February 11th. I hope it will happen then and not later as I am planning a 2 week vacation out of the country in June. I want to be able to eat regular food. Good luck and let me know how it turns out since we are in the same boat.

When I got my approval letter it was good for 6 months.

When I talked to bcbs today they said it was still waiting for an RN to look at it. It was submitted on the 10th. I wonder if it has been loaded into the system. They said they had 15 calendar days to make a decision.