LindsJ83

Im having surgery on the 19

Hi Everyone! I wanted to thank you all for your kind words, wisdom, encouragement and inspiration. But even more than that your prayers. Everything went well and we are already home
❤11-11-13❤

Hi and welcome! We are birthday surgery people! I'm having mine on my 30th birthday!!!

Omgosh how funny is that!! I start mine on Thursday and then my surgery is on the 22nd!!! 17 days girls!! 17 days til I stand up on the bench and shout "I'm herrrrree!!!" I'm so happy we are all connecting. Makes it SO much easier for me to get through all of this with you!! And I know I said it before but the 22nd is also my 30th bday! It will be my birthdaysurgiversary each year then!!

Omgosh how funny is that!! I start mine on Thursday and then my surgery is on the 22nd!!! 17 days girls!! 17 days til I stand up on the bench and shout "I'm herrrrree!!!" I'm so happy we are all connecting. Makes it SO much easier for me to get through all of this with you!! And I know I said it before but the 22nd is also my 30th bday! It will be my birthdaysurgiversary each year then!!

Save me one too. I'll be there on the 13th

I'm at my H&P appointment. Started my pre op today. I'm so excited! 14 days till I'm on the losers bench.

I have NEVER heard of an insurance company denying someone because they lost weight/gained weight. Insurance companies aren't worried about the little things (like dr offices are) they want the big picture. Have you met all of their requirements? They go through a checklist. It's not about gaining 5 pounds here or losing 10 pounds there. When I was waiting for my surgery to be approved, I was fine the first day and then a wreck for the next week!! I really truly think your surgery will be approved - especially if you have finished all of the requirements! From May to October (my 6 month diet) I lost 8 pounds and I swear 5 of those pounds were just from stopping soda/carbonated beverages. I really do believe you will have a surgery date soon!!

My highest weight was 344. When I started my whole process back in May, I had the same questions you did. Once I met with my nutritionist, she put me on a 1700 calorie plan. I really didn't change how I was eating, just HOW MUCH I was eating. I stopped drinking soda and caffeinated stuff and cut out about 95% of sugary drinks. I am at about 330 now and am getting ready to start my pre-op diet on the 7th for surgery on the 22nd. I was worried that if I lost TOO much or was TOO successful that insurance wouldn't cover it but that isn't the case. I would say talk to your PCP about things you can do NOW until you get an appointment in January, that way you are already implementing healthy eating.

I'm 2 days away from the bench! Can't wait for Wednesday!
HW: 267 CW: 257<br />surgery date 11/6/13

My surgery is tomorrow! I am so ready to start my new life Congrats to all of you with surgery dates in November! It won't be long now!!!

HAHAHA. UK-SLEEVER is hilarious! That's everything I was going to say. If someone can't be happy for you, then keep it moving! He should be a little more worried about his grammar than anything else...

YAY! I'M ECSTATIC! I just got approved for my surgery a few days ago and officially got my date. I'll be having RNY done on November 22nd - which also happens to be my 30th birthday!!! I can't ask for a better present. And, I'm so excited to be sharing this journey with all of you...

YAY! I'M ECSTATIC! I just got approved for my surgery a few days ago and officially got my date. I'll be having RNY done on November 22nd - which also happens to be my 30th birthday!!! I can't ask for a better present. And, I'm so excited to be sharing this journey with all of you...

YAY! I'M ECSTATIC! I just got approved for my surgery a few days ago and officially got my date. I'll be having RNY done on November 22nd - which also happens to be my 30th birthday!!! I can't ask for a better present. And, I'm so excited to be sharing this journey with all of you...

YAY! I'M ECSTATIC! I just got approved for my surgery a few days ago and officially got my date. I'll be having RNY done on November 22nd - which also happens to be my 30th birthday!!! I can't ask for a better present. And, I'm so excited to be sharing this journey with all of you...

Hey, I don't have my date yet however, I am pretty sure I am submitting to insurance the first week of October which would put me at about November for a surgery date. As part of my insurance requirements, I have to do the 6 month diet prior along with weigh-ins. I have my very last one with my PCP on the 1rst. This can't come quick enough is what I say!!! (I can't believe how fast the last few months have flown by when I thought they would go slow).

I wouldn't rush into any diet plan/protein shake stuff just yet. I can tell you from personal experience! First, you need to find out what your insurance company requires you to do. It sounds like your appointment with your doctor was to discuss Gastric Bypass (was this the only reason?) The reason I ask is because when you do your 6 month diet and you meet with your PCP each month, it HAS to be coded under "obesity" or "dietary counseling" so insurance can see. It can't be for a sore throat AND a weight check, etc. Does your surgeon require you to go to an informational meeting? I just finished my 6 month diet (per insurance). Usually surgeon's offices have registered dietitian's on hand. You will more than likely meet with the RD (the only reason you would want to wait on that diet) in which you will spend about an hour going over your typical foods and then the RD will give you a certain meal plan to follow. It's always best to start trying to eat healthy anyway but I wouldn't go too far to the other end just in case you end up on a particular plan that is drastically different from what you are doing. Every surgeon is different - just make sure you have a good one! LOL. In hindsight (I'm not going to lie, it was painful hearing that I had to wait 6 months) I'm glad it was 6 months. Between having to go for a barium series, an endoscopy, psych eval, dr checks, surgeon checks, nutritionist visits, blood panels and ekgs - you'll be grateful if you have to wait 6 months!!! Anyway, I hope this helps and good luck! Feel free to message me if you have any questions about the process. I'm submitting to insurance in a few weeks!

Hey, I don't have my date yet however, I am pretty sure I am submitting to insurance the first week of October which would put me at about November for a surgery date. As part of my insurance requirements, I have to do the 6 month diet prior along with weigh-ins. I have my very last one with my PCP on the 1rst. This can't come quick enough is what I say!!! (I can't believe how fast the last few months have flown by when I thought they would go slow).

When I attended my informational session my surgeon had told all of us "Everytime there is a get together with my friends, my work and my patients always come up. Many people wonder about the people who choose to do these kinds of surgeries and whether or not they have the willpower because they are heavy, obviously can't lose wait and don't seem like they have tried. I tell them this: my patients are incredible people with incredible willpower. This surgery won't make them look like supermodels. But it will give them the confidence to believe they can be. This is more than just a few bad diets. This is a genetic problem. This isn't about success and failure." I wanted to share that with you because when I heard that, I wanted to shout from the rooftops that I was having this surgery. For the first time in my LIFE - I felt proud for trying. And knowing I would succeed. If you change your way of thinking now, and embrace what a wonderful decision you have made - you will go so far! Xo.

LOL, I already took them back to CVS..... I will try the flintstones if the ones from Celebrate Vitamins aren't enough.

LOL, I agree Sheri! And thank you for easing my mind. The radiology tech told me after that the gi series is worse than the endo - but I have a hard time believing medical professionals when they say "ohhh, no big deal." There were two interns in the room as well and I told them part of their graduation requirements should be drinking a cup of barium. It was horrific! I spent the rest of the day in bed with a Migraine, so sick! If all food tasted like that, I wouldn't need surgery!!!

Hi Theresa - This is my opinion and best educated guess: Because your current insurance plan does not cover bariatric surgery, there is a very real possibility that when you switch to your new insurance plan during the open enrollment they will require you to start from square one. There are two distinct scenarios here and I will give you both: Scenario 1 - Your insurance is effective January 1, 2014 and you have done mostly all of what you need to do. Your surgery will be scheduled soon after. Scenario 2 - Your insurance is effective January 1, 2014 and you have done mostly all of what you need to do. Then, you find out you have to start all over again. All insurance companies won't lay things out for you so that's really why you need to rely on your surgeon and his office to take care of your stuff so that 1rst letter of approval will come through. Do you have a surgeon picked out already? Have you gone to an informational session? More importantly, seeing a nutritionist is a wonderful thing to do however, most surgeon's offices have an on-site RD that you are REQUIRED to meet with at least once before your surgery. As far as photos go - the more ammunition you have for the insurance company, the better. But, keep in mind that your visits to your PCP MUST include your documented weight/health at the time of the visit. They need to be for at least 6 months in conjunction with your PCP and/or RD. You sound a LOT like me when I started: I am a planner, I don't like surprises and I like to get as much out of the way as possible. So, it practically killed me knowing I had to wait...and wait some more...and more. This is what I can definitely promise you: As each day passes, you will be more sure in your decision to do things. My surgeon's office said the quickest they have seen someone go through the process has been 3 months. Insurance approval is completely separate from what a surgeon's office asks of you. They are all different. I have heard someone having to write 5 or 6 different essays, contacting post-op patients, etc. You will also need clearance from multiple doctors in different areas of specialty. For most patients, they need an upper gi series, an ultrasound, an endoscopy. Some need pulmonary, cardiology, sleep testing. For all patients, they need labwork. All of these obviously go beyond insurance requirements and approval. The best thing you can do is: Pick a surgeon if you haven't yet, go to an informational session, support groups, find out about this new insurance as much as possible so that when January does come - you are at least 10 pounds lighter (you will need to lose weight anyway before surgery so your liver is the healthiest it can be) and you have ammunition for the surgeon/insurance company. Unfortunately, there is no real yes or no answer. This is a life changing decision, so remind yourself every day that it will take some time to get everything figured out. I hope this helps a bit! And, good luck and love to you. All my best. -Lindsay

LOL, I agree Sheri! And thank you for easing my mind. The radiology tech told me after that the gi series is worse than the endo - but I have a hard time believing medical professionals when they say "ohhh, no big deal." There were two interns in the room as well and I told them part of their graduation requirements should be drinking a cup of barium. It was horrific! I spent the rest of the day in bed with a Migraine, so sick! If all food tasted like that, I wouldn't need surgery!!!