Comfy_Blue

If your family arent willing to do the diet with you (my husband is still eating his normal diet but when we're at home he doesn't eat any food, rather he has protein shakes, jello, broth, etc. Last night he couldn't take it so he left and went to McDonald's but ate his food there so I wouldnt smell it) then I might consider leaving the room and going to another part of the house whenever people are eating. It seems extreme and excessive, but this time is so important for us (I'm just starting Day 3) and we've got to make sure we're not sabbotaging ourselves. I almost went into the trashcan to retrieve some chips I threw away, so husband and I decided to empty the trash and throw away all our non canned food (shredded cheese, poptarts, ham slices, etc) so I wouldnt be tempted. You can do this, just do your best to work around your family and try not to cheat! I've heard stories of people who snuck and ate a little which resulted in their surgery being pushed back or instead of laproscopic*, they had to be cut open my more invasive means because of the fatty liver. That's what has been helping me. Imagining myself getting there and being denied because I couldn't stick to the liquid diet. If they cancelled my surgery I feel like I'd have to get reapproved and my changes of that aren't very likely b/c the insurance company will think i'm a bad candidate since I didnt do my part.

I'm starting day 3 of my 9 day pre opt diet. When I was eating my usual high calorie, high fat, high sugar, high carb etc diet I poo between 3 - 4 times a day. Now I'm going once a day and (sorry for the TMI) it's a bit of a strain to get it out and it isn't very much. I'm a little surprised because I'm drinking so many fluids that I assumed I'd be having even more frequent, soft/liquid stools (like diarrhea). How about you guys that are on the clear liquid diet (broth, Protein shakes, Jello, SF popsicles) diet like me? Are you experimenting irregularity compared to your own diet? Are u taking any kind of laxatives or stool softeners? I'm debating if I should call my nutritionist or wait it out.

Today is the first day of my pre opt diet. Technically i am supposed to start on the 16th but i decided to begin two days early because i thought it would be easier on a weekend since people typically go through withdraw, feel tired, weak in the beginning. Maybe it will be easier if you begin on the weekend. I am also doing my best to keep busy by reading a riveting novel, doing laundry, creating a WLS binder that has recipes, nutrition facts, etc in it, doing some online window shopping and lots of rest. I also purchased a journal where I've been keeping track of my thought and emotions because i am an emotional eater. This is HARD but you can do it! It'll be worth it on the loser bench. I've had to fast before for other reasons and it really does get easier, you just have to make it through the first few days.

Congratulations! That's so wonderful to hear especially since I've been feeling really nervous since my procedure is only 11 days away. I can't even imagine how much better your body must feel. I'm sure you can move easier, less pressure on the joints, etc. Keep up the great work!

I kid you not when I say you'll be fine. The psych exam was extremely painless...I was concerned that I would fail because I have a history of anxiety and I am an emotional eater. But he was really nice and mainly asked questions about if I had a history of sexual abuse, what my family life was like as a child, how well did I understand the procedure, how I felt about knowing 85% of my stomach would be removed and if I had any history of an bulimia or anorexia. My exam was on a Friday and he told me the same day I'd be approved and he wrote my approval letter and faxed it to my surgeon that following Monday. As for the endoscopy, it wasn't bad at all! I was put to sleep for the procedure, which I hear is better than when they allow you to stay awake. I posted in more detail about it here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/290141-endoscopy/ Anyhow, *hugs* you'll be fine! I promise

I think that happens moreso in a situation where a person is already unhappily married but stays with their spouse because they are overweight and afraid no one else will want them. For instance, if i had had bariatric surgery while in a relationship with my ex boyfiend we probably would have been divorced after the surgery because losing weight would have increased my confidence to leave his sorry self. (Luckily for me even though i am chunky and was chunkier then, i prefer to be alone then with a man like that who tried to tear me down to build himself up) I also think couples do better if they discuss the changes that are going to happen before hand and if they are in it together. If one spouse is losing weight and getting healthy while the other is content to br a couch potato and scarf chips, then i can see a divorce. I'm not speaking from experience because i am still pre opt, just my opinion.

Hi Lauren! I'm getting sleeved on Dec. 23 and had an endoscopy a couple weeks ago. I was really scared because I've never had surgery or any kind of anesthesia (not even at the dentist). Here's how it went down: 1. Arrived at hospital's G.I. department, filled out your typical doctor's office form and waited. Then I was called back to a desk where they processed me and asked if I had a living will and that if I was about to die (they worded it nicer) did I want a priest/pastor called in. 2. Next, I went back to a small room where I put on a gown and a nurse took my blood pressure, temperature and went over the procedure with me and answered any questions. They put a needle in my arm and taped it there because that's where the anesthesia goes via an IV. 3. I followed the nurse into an operating room where my surgeon was waiting. They had me sit on the bed and introduced me to my anesthesiologist. He said he'd tell me when he was about to administer the medicine. 4. He sprayed the back of my throat twice with a numbing spray (it tasted like the stuff you spray when you have a sore throat, with a weird cherry aftertaste) 5. They had to lay on my left side and the anesthesiologist stood behind me. He said "okay, I'm administering the medicine now" and at first I didn't feel anything and said so aloud. 6. As I was about to repeat myself, my body began to feel heavy like I was falling asleep but I was a little scared, so I fought it and tried to stay away. I began to hear a ringing in my ears so I decided I would just close my eyes and lean into the pillow. 7. I had a very vivid dream that I was back home with my husband sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner and talking about my procedure 8. What seemed like seconds later, I woke up to find myself being wheeled into another room. I felt a little groggy like I had just woken up. About 20 minutes had passed since I "conked out" 9. My surgeon came in a few minutes later and said everything looked good and I had no ulcers. My mother (who drove me) came in while he was there and he explained the same thing to her and gave me a sheet that had pictures of my insides. 10. The nurse gave me Water and crackers and I had to lay on the bed for a half hour. I felt 100% fine, was laughing and talking normally with the nurse and my mom. 11. After my 30 minutes were up, I got dressed and mom and I ate in the cafeteria. I thought I was going to feel nauseous, but I felt fine. I ate chicken fingers and some chips with a soda. The worse part (and it wasn't even THAT bad) was that the next morning my throat felt a little achy. The ache was worse on the second day and it lasted about 4 days total. It wasn't horrendous, it just felt like someone had choked me and my muscles were sore. I could talk, swallow, etc. All in all, it wasn't a terrible experience. I kept laughing and felt giddy because it was SO not scary at all. I was imagining I'd wake up in the middle of the procedure, or choke or feel like I was dying when they put me under, but none of that happened. It was literally like going to sleep and waking up seconds later, and feeling completely awake within a minute or two. You'll do fine.

At this point in my life, I'm not planning to tell anyone except for those I've already told (my parents, husband and bff who had WLS and confided in me a few years ago) because people will think what I thought "It's an easy way out and now that you've had the surgery you can just eat whatever you want, just in smaller portions, and stay skinny". I don't want to hear anyone's negative opinion and I'm already mentally preparing myself that while most people will likely be happy for me, some others who will be angry/jealous/nasty to me about my weight lost.

I understand completely where you're coming from. I'm getting sleeved on Dec. 23 and though I don't have young children yet, I have a husband, parents, a sibling and wonderful friends. Plus I'm not even 30 yet. I don't want to die or have my life ruined by some complication. When I was making this decision what I told myself (and still tell myself when I have moments of doubt) is that if I continue the path I'm going right now I WILL get sick. I WILL lose even more mobility. I WILL die prematurely. If I have WLS, there's a chance something might go wrong, but there's an even larger chance that things will go right and I will be healthier and happier. Continuing on as I am now, I have no chances of being healthy and happy, just fatter and miserable.

I completed my psych exam a couple weeks ago on a Friday and received my approval letter on a Monday. It took me a lot less time than the average person because a lot of the questions. Now that I'm on the other side of the exam, I feel like all those questions are trying to determine: 1. Are you mentally stable 2. Do you have potential for an eating disorder 3. Are you realistic If anything, people who have more issues may take longer because they're unsure of themselves and this huge life change. Not to toot my own horn here, but I was determined to get this procedure done, so I didn't have to think much about my answers. I think you're fine, but please, keep us posted.

Congratulations! I hope that you're all done and in recovery now. Can't wait to take my place on the loser bench beside you in two weeks! Let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it.

I'm getting sleeved on December 23 (two days before Christmas!) and like the OP I feel scared and excited. Even though the idea of losing weight and being healthier and all the other pros to doing this outweigh the cons (possibly having loose skin, 6 months of hair loss, it doesn't work) I'm still pretty nervous. I wish the 23rd would get here so I can stop stressing about it! I'm meeting with my surgeon and nutritionist on Monday to discuss logistics and my pre-op diet. can't wait to see you all on the other side! I love this forum because I've only told my parents, husband and 1 friend (she's a lapbander) that I'm having this procedure done, so it's good to have other people to talk with since none of my friends know.

Cafe First BCBS has been amazing. My friend lives in VA and was able to get her lapband in about a month and a half because they don't require much, just that you have a bmi over 40 and do a psych exam. I have the same insurance, but for Maryland. I was required to have a BMI over 40, do a sleep study, psych exam, have 6 months of a structured weight loss program prior to asking for surgery (weight watchers) and an endoscopy. I started the process in late October. My surgery was approved and is now scheduled for Dec. 23.

My insurance company said they required 6 months of a weight loss program (or 3 consective months of 2 different programs). I turned on my weight watchers card. I had 3 months in a row of weigh in stickers that I actually received from WW, then I wrote in my weights for the next 3 months on the card and added ''eTools'' beside it because I used the website a few times. Since I had my bank statement showing I had paid for WW each month for an entire year, my insurance company accepted it. I think what I did or perhaps using strictly eTools is the closest you can get to not having to do a weight loss program. call your insurance company to find out for sure

thank you sue! i looked on my company's website and i didn't see this claim on my list of claims (instead i say things like my psych eval, my sleep study, my lab reports, etc). Maybe it takes them 24 hours to load it. If I don't see it tomorrow morning I'm going to follow your advice and ask.

I live in Maryland and have Care First BCBS. Yesterday morning my surgeon's RN called and said she was submitting my documents (ie: psych eval, clearance by primary care physician, proof of weight watchers, sleep study results, etc) to my insurance company where another RN would approve or reject me. This morning my surgeon's RN called me back and said the insurance company's RN contacted her and said that I had been approved for a procedure date of Dec. 23. I am obviously excited, but a little confused. Does that mean I am definately, 100% having my surgery, or is it possible that the BCBS nurse approves me and submits me to the insurance company and they reject me? I asked my surgeon's RN and she said that nothing is guareenteed when it comes to an insurance company. I don't know what to think. Has anyone ever been approved by their insurance company's RN, then rejected by the insurance company itself for a procedure? Am I going to receive a letter in the mail from CF BCBS? Is the BCBS RN the one who decides whether or not I will have surgery and since she approved, does that mean I am done waiting for approval?

LoL! Heeey Girl, pretty soon you won't need those lumps because you'll be all smooth. (Real smooth, not poser smooth). :-P

Congratulations! I gotta say, LSP is one of my favorite people. When I read your post it made me smile because as I was reading, I was hearing your words in her voice. Oh my glob!

Thanks. We'll see how it goes.

My question is will Care First accept one month of "Weight Watchers e-Tools"? I have my bank statement to show that I have paid for a WW membership for the last year, plus I have my WW weigh-in card with the stickers. All the dates below that are in black are dates that I actually went into WW and received a sticker with my weight on it. The only problem is that you are supposed to have 2 three-month concurrent (back to back) periods where you tried the program. My card looks like this: Feb. 23, 2012 Mar. 1, 2012 Mar. 8, 2012 APRIL WEIGHT DONE ONLINE WITH E-TOOLS MAY WEIGHT DONE ONLINE WITH E-TOOLS June 28, 2012 Nov. 17, 2012 Nov. 24, 2012 Feb.16, 2013 Feb. 24, 2013 March 9, 2013 March 23, 2013 March 30, 2013 April 6, 2013 April 13, 2013 April 20, 2013 August 2013 Nov. 16, 2013 My surgeon's office says that sometimes insurance companies don't accept WW e-Tools, but the fact that I have so many dates that I actually went in for weight in, will that help? Also I was forced to use e-Tools for April and May because my grandmother was extremely ill and ended up passing away, so we were in the midst of a family crisis and I was the first responder because my parents and cousin (her daughter) all work in the city from 9 - 5, whereas I am a teacher and was able to leave work easier because I have a really amazing boss who understood my circumstance. So getting to meetings was hard, so I purchased a Weight Watchers scale from Target and used that Should I write a letter explaining that part?

@Fluff: I did the exact same thing, except for a week leading up! It's surprising how hard it is to gain weight when you are actively trying. I also did not realize how much our weight flucuates throughout the day either. One day, I was 239 in the morning, 248 when I got home, then 244 right before bed

@Re147: I know exactly what you mean! When I got on the scale, I kept praying and praying that my weight would be high enough. It's so weird because I am about 90 - 100lbs overweight, but if I had gone in 2 months ago (my weight had dropped to 235 - 238lbs) I probably would have been denied. I feel like anyone that is nearly 100lbs overweight should qualify, but BCBS makes you jump through so many hoops.

Thank you both so much for your replies. I think I was worried for nothing. When I got there, the nurse led me to a large, electronic scale (it had handles on either side and kind of reminded me of what they weighed my dog on at the Vet's). She said I could take off my shoes or keep them on. I opted to keep them off. My weight was 244lbs (never thought I'd be HAPPY to be heavier than expected. lol) which put my BMI at something like 240.4 which means I am heavy enough! WHOO HOO!!!

Hello All, I would really appreciate any advice or answers to my questions because I'm getting very nervous. I'm submitting all my paperwork and going to my initial consultation with the surgeon on Friday. I am feeling nervous about my weight because I am on the "lighter" side of heavy. I'm 5'5, 240lbs and even though my knees and hips are killing me, my weight has caused my arches to fall(which means I wear orthodics 24/7 and cannot go barefoot without pain in my knees and hips) I get winded easily and I wear a size 18/20, when I calculate my BMI, it says I am a 39.9 BMI which is so close, yet so far from 40BMI. My mom says not to worry, that I should keep my shoes on when they weigh me and with my clothes, I'll definately be closer to 40. So anyway, what I'm wondering is: 1. How do they weigh you? Are you allowed to keeep on your shoes and clothes? Or do you get barefoot and in a gown? 2. Do they weigh you and then deduct 2 - 5 lbs for your clothes and shoes? 3. Did they use an old fashioned scale (the kind where you move the large piece across) or an electronic one that sends a pulse through your body to check your weight? 4. Has anyone ever been denied for being only slightly under like me? 5. Did they check your height?

My husband had a non-WLS related sleep study because I suspected he had sleep apnea and he said the same thing! It's definately a bit awkward, but try your best to relax and sleep even if it's only for a little awhile. He said he felt like he barely got any sleep, but he went into dreamland long enough for them to identify his breathing issues. At one point he said they woke him up and put him on the C-Pap machine and he felt a lot better. I hope you're able to get some rest tonight