ajb1029

Thank you everyone, I hadn't considered fighting for coverage. I made an appointment Tuesday to at least talk to a surgeon to discuss my symptoms, options etc. It isn't my original as while I liked him quite a bit, Baylor Scott and White will never get another dime of money from me.
My other concern is that I am already coming into this low grade anemic but having to take the acid reducers so frequently also messes with the iron absorption so that has also been a concern in the back of my mind as well.
My insurance doesn't cover any bariatric anything regardless of the plan, I even double checked today to see if just waiting and paying more for 2026 coverage would be an option but unless I get a new job with better coverage it's going to be fighting or Mexico.

I'm sorry you're dealing with it too-pretty horrible.
So I did a course of like 3 or 4 weeks of Lansoprazole and that helped a lot. Stopped it and it came back. So I'm back on famotidine multiple times a day depending--I just haven't gotten back to Sam's Club to re-up on another several bottles. I did get a new job with insurance that has bariatric coverage. I'm waiting to hear back from the surgeon's office I did my consult with initially when my insurance didn't offer coverage to hear back from the insurance coordinator to see about coverage and requirements and cost. I'm hoping there will be less hoops to jump through this time but we all know how insurance is. I'll try to keep this thread updated!

UPDATE! I got a new job that actually does show bariatric coverage! My benefits should kick in tomorrow and I need to get down dirty in them to find out the nitty gritty details. They(Premera) of course require pre-approval however they also require using a Blue Distinction Specialty Center of which there are NO bariatric centers in my city (Austin, TX) because of course not. since TECHNICALLY this is like 3 surgeries with only a part of it being the bypass(hernia repair, repairing/taking out the 'kink' and then converting to bypass) so maybe I'll sneak around that little detail for approval. If not, I plan to pursue surgery next year once training is done and my personal/family life has calmed down significantly after the new year and if they insist on a specialty distinction center I'll just have to drive up the road a few hours.
Anyway, just wanted to put in the update in case anyone else is curious or dealing with the same things! Maybe, just maybe, do I have some light at the end of the dark, acidic, burning tunnel!🤞🏻

So update-spoke with a surgeon today who recommended what I have been thinking--hernia repair and do the bypass. I had worries about lack of iron absorption with the bypass but I found out today because I am having to use so much famotidine I basically have very little to zero acid which is necessary for absorption so famotidine is REALLY unsustainable. Also found out on fluoroscopy, my sleeve is not dilated, but I have a kink at the top, which he said is not helping the reflux on top of the hernia.

So now I need all the prayers, warm vibes and well wishes that my insurance can do the right thing and not make this a huge pain in the ass to the point I give up and go to Mexico.

Also-just to get my ducks in a row--anyone SUCCESSFULLY fight and get a revision covered for use of medical need not weight loss where it normally wouldn't be covered?
I'm not gonna lie, I'm not hopeful.

Also, does anyone have experience with and can recommend the best Mexico center for sleeve to bypass with hernia repair? Just so I have plan B.

Thanks for any insight or help anyone can give!!

Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

I agree with SpartanMake above. Be prepared to fight with insurance. It is a medical need and eventually causes cancer. Your bariatric doctor should be able to help after you initially get declined. Fortunately, in my case the hiatal hernia was caught before bariatric surgery, but my doctor still had to fight for me. It turned out the insurance doctor was a retired pediatric physician so was not not well informed. Best of luck to you because the fight is a long hard slog. I personally feel that taking extra vitamins is easy compared to cancer. Do what you need to do whatever your decision.

I know that job and state insurance choices come up yearly. Maybe you could switch to a higher/better coverage plan temporarily to get this done? Just thinking…

Yes, I echo this. My uncle had to have a bypass because he had oesophageal cancer and extreme reflux as a result. He had insurance cover it.

The basic procedure upon which the RNY is based has been done for some 140 years for a variety of GI maladies, so it's mostly a matter of billing codes, and some minor variations in configuration, that make it a bariatric procedure vs. one for cancer, gastroparesis, etc., so insurance shouldn't be a factor if that is what is needed.
As to whether the "RNY" is needed for your case is a judgement call; try to avoid self diagnosis and let the doctors make the recommendation as to what is appropriate to treat your particular case. GERD is a classic symptom of a hiatal hernia, and given that you didn't have any particular problem with it for some years post op indicates that it is the hernia and not the sleeve that is the primary problem. Again, let the experts weigh in on this.
My preference when considering something like this would be to seek out an opinion from a bariatric practice that is associated with a regional cancer center, as they tend to treat a broader range of GI maladies than a general bariatric practice, and will probably have a wider range of options to consider. If you come across a surgeon who quickly determines that you have GERD and a sleeve, therefore you need a bypass, without looking at any imaging, I would tend to move on to someone else - they probably don't understand the sleeve as well as they should to make that determination.
My philosophy is to try to avoid going to a bypass is possible, as it does present some diagnostic and treatment limitations down the line should they be needed as we get older. The blind stomach and duodenum that can't be readily imaged or manipulated endoscopically and medication limitations (of which NSAIDs are the largest class,) are the primary things that come to mind. They usually aren't big deals if that is what is needed, but I don't like giving up options unnecessarily. RNY patients can develop GERD later on, and occasionally (though rarely,) such a revision does not correct a GERD problem, so we're talking more of a statistical improvement rather than an outright cure. If that happens, then where does one go - the bypass is something of a one way street surgically (though is can technically be reversed)? So, my inclination is to go one step at a time and treat the hernia and then go from there is that doesn't correct the problem.

Hey y'all,
Haven't posted in a while but I need some insight from the community. I was sleeved December 2020, took RX strength omeprazole for 90 days post op since that was what my surgeon did., had zero issues with heartburn incidences. However, heartburn runs in my family---in the males, I didn't have issues beyond maybe once in a frozen blue moon I MIGHT have a mild case that 2 Tums fixed before surgery.
Fast forward a couple of years-heartburn incidences starts getting worse/becoming more numerous, would get up choking on acid if I laid down to soon after eating and everything seemed to cause it. Water, protein shakes, sugar/no sugar, etc it's just stupid. I had a bad attack of pain and nausea a few months ago that honestly had me worried about a heart attack but ended up with a CT scan and was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia--the ER doc I saw said my surgery site/stomach looked fine though. I have regained about 35-40ishlbs from where I was but I have maintained a loss of close to 80lbs. In order to survive mostly comfortably, I am living off of a lot of days multiple famotidines sprinkled through the day. Sometimes NOT eating also causes heartburn. I'm over it 120%.
Here's my question---my current insurance covers NO bariatric surgery for ANY reason. Should I pursue JUST the hernia repair in the US or should I look into going to Mexico for a revision to the Bypass with maybe also a hernia repair if that's offered? The reason I went with the sleeve in the first place was my already mild anemia that is genetic-runs in the family on the women's side unfortunately and I didn't want to contend with possibly getting really anemic or not being able to keep up with the nutrition/vitamin requirements but I can't live with this heartburn issue for another 50-60+ years (currently 35 years old).
Thanks for anyone who wants to give me some thoughts/input!

Thank you everyone, I hadn't considered fighting for coverage. I made an appointment Tuesday to at least talk to a surgeon to discuss my symptoms, options etc. It isn't my original as while I liked him quite a bit, Baylor Scott and White will never get another dime of money from me.
My other concern is that I am already coming into this low grade anemic but having to take the acid reducers so frequently also messes with the iron absorption so that has also been a concern in the back of my mind as well.
My insurance doesn't cover any bariatric anything regardless of the plan, I even double checked today to see if just waiting and paying more for 2026 coverage would be an option but unless I get a new job with better coverage it's going to be fighting or Mexico.

Thank you everyone, I hadn't considered fighting for coverage. I made an appointment Tuesday to at least talk to a surgeon to discuss my symptoms, options etc. It isn't my original as while I liked him quite a bit, Baylor Scott and White will never get another dime of money from me.
My other concern is that I am already coming into this low grade anemic but having to take the acid reducers so frequently also messes with the iron absorption so that has also been a concern in the back of my mind as well.
My insurance doesn't cover any bariatric anything regardless of the plan, I even double checked today to see if just waiting and paying more for 2026 coverage would be an option but unless I get a new job with better coverage it's going to be fighting or Mexico.

Hey y'all,
Haven't posted in a while but I need some insight from the community. I was sleeved December 2020, took RX strength omeprazole for 90 days post op since that was what my surgeon did., had zero issues with heartburn incidences. However, heartburn runs in my family---in the males, I didn't have issues beyond maybe once in a frozen blue moon I MIGHT have a mild case that 2 Tums fixed before surgery.
Fast forward a couple of years-heartburn incidences starts getting worse/becoming more numerous, would get up choking on acid if I laid down to soon after eating and everything seemed to cause it. Water, protein shakes, sugar/no sugar, etc it's just stupid. I had a bad attack of pain and nausea a few months ago that honestly had me worried about a heart attack but ended up with a CT scan and was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia--the ER doc I saw said my surgery site/stomach looked fine though. I have regained about 35-40ishlbs from where I was but I have maintained a loss of close to 80lbs. In order to survive mostly comfortably, I am living off of a lot of days multiple famotidines sprinkled through the day. Sometimes NOT eating also causes heartburn. I'm over it 120%.
Here's my question---my current insurance covers NO bariatric surgery for ANY reason. Should I pursue JUST the hernia repair in the US or should I look into going to Mexico for a revision to the Bypass with maybe also a hernia repair if that's offered? The reason I went with the sleeve in the first place was my already mild anemia that is genetic-runs in the family on the women's side unfortunately and I didn't want to contend with possibly getting really anemic or not being able to keep up with the nutrition/vitamin requirements but I can't live with this heartburn issue for another 50-60+ years (currently 35 years old).
Thanks for anyone who wants to give me some thoughts/input!

Thank you!
It is a sci-fi story centering on family, betrayal and redemption. It's only been bouncing around in my brain for years, started as a simple remembered fragment of a dream that kinda blew up into a multi planet saga that lately I feel incredibly out of my league. My biggest issue is I can SEE the story in movie form in my head in scenes and it is amazing but writing that down and in order is, in a word...difficult. Why the little creative Amandas running my brain decided on coming up with new alien civilizations with societal rules, looks, religions etc is beyond me because it is freaking hard! LOL

Hi! Good luck with this journey! I have ADHD (diagnosed by a provider) and have actually been off any meds for a couple years now just simply due to pregnancy and a continued effort to get pregnant, again. I have never tried Strattera but was on Concerta for years. I hope it gives you the focus and direction that you are looking for!
What is your novel about?!

Thank you everyone again for all the amazing feedback!! I have gone back to tracking all my food and found that that does help deter me from making bad decisions(not all the time but there is a definite downturn in bad decisions) when I have to input the calories/carbs that make me cringe on 1 piece of food/snack etc.

I also realized the ridiculous amount of financial and emotional stress my dog is putting me through these last couple of months and for the next 3 or 4 has also affected me more than I realized(I stress eat and not good things). I have my annual with my PCP next week and am looking forward to a candid conversation about anxiety and ADD symptom management with hopes that getting my mental health back on track it will also help my mindset with the weight loss.
I found an excess weight calcluator and I actually have lost 70% of my excess weight from my highest of 347lbs! So I am doing better than I thought. I am shooting for my surgeon's goal of 193 in June for my 18 month post op visit....one day and choice at a time!

Firstly, you have done so amazingly well this year PLUS you've seen where you're going wrong and are doing something about it, so I have no doubt at all that you will lose those last 30lbs. Everyone here has given really good advice so as a fellow sugarholic I would just echo that, especially the cutting out of all sugar, all slider foods, and going back to basics - either yes, re-set your diet with a 2 week pre-op diet stint, or straight back to 3 meals of: protein first, veg next, carbs last (or not at all) and protein-heavy snacks in between if you need them - your greek yoghurt sounds ideal. I go for slices of chicken or turkey or even ham because they are easy to carry about. Or a hard boiled egg if you're really hungry in between meals. For work lunches I love soup (heavy on the beans/lentils etc so you get your protein) or a chicken salad. Don't forget to load up on fluids before you eat and no drinking at all for at least half an hour after - if I forget and drink soon after eating I get hungry again quickly too!
Best of luck - let us know how this week goes. You've already got this.

Try some chia pudding too - bonus protein. I flavoured mine with vanilla which I love but there are lots of flavour options about - just watch the calories of some of them.

I still have “dessert” after dinner. I was also a raging chocoholic, but almost a month out from my sleeve, I have dessert 30 mins after I finish dinner. Dessert consists of a sugar free applesauce, jello cup, sugar free pudding, sugar free popsicle. I like this approach because it satisfies the urge for a sweet to end dinner, but doesn’t blow my calories or carbs. Right now this works for me and keeps me from feeling too deprived. Not protein rich at all, but satisfies the sweet tooth and are very portable.

Thank you so much!?
I don't have a therapist currently but I am almost positive I have ADD so next month at my annual I plan on discussing ideas/meds/therapy referral for it. It has made doing online school difficult at times, well a lot. And honestly the job I have (vet receptionist) requires so much focus and multi-tasking WELL I think takes all ability to do the same amount of focus later the same day on schoolwork. I could find a therapist without my PCP doing a referral but the therapist I found is in the same network as my PCP (Baylor Scott & White) and she specializes in several things including bariatrics so I figured I'd wait a few months to get a referral from my PCP...I called to get in sooner but my PCP was booked until March and my appointment was in early February so I was like I'll just wait thanks...?
Agree on the snacks thing although does eating my allotted food for breakfast/lunch etc over the course of my day count as snacking if it isn't extra stuff? And yes, I agree with the "low sugar" etc snacks open up the wormhole. I just signed up for the monthly BariatricPal box so I am hoping I will discover new snacks and foods that are specifically for us I can add into my rotations---I think a lot of my snacks while normal aren't really 'normal' for me anymore--I bought myself some almonds but struggle with the idea of spending 180 of my calories on like 6 grams of protein--I do love the Greek yogurt at 120 calories and anywhere from 12-20 grams of protein!
I can't avoid the break area, I work at a vet clinic and it is not so strategically located right by the doctor's office where I am in and out all day to talk to my doctors about cases. And our break area is a sink, counter with microwave and snacks piled on top of it. ? I need to work on my will power and I am glad to see the holidays to be on their way out!
I have found with me, cold turkey is the best way to nix cravings. I don't get to be one of those people who can have "just one piece" here and there because that one piece on day 1 becomes me constantly snacking and seeking out sugar on day 5 or 6....it snowballs. I am debating going back for a week or two to the preop diet I had which was 2-3 protein shakes with a sensible dinner of lean meat and a vegetable and maybe I'll add in a fruit depending on how that goes to get me back on track. Stupid brain liking stupid garbage sugar. ?

Hey friends!
Here I am a year out and over 100lbs lighter than I was, but stalled because my inner fat kid still loves sugar and snacks. I am moving more but I need to get with a chiropractor I think since walking is painful mostly in my hips although now I find myself able to jog for over a minute at a time! ?

So here's my need, I have about 30lbs to go to hit my surgeon's goal of 193lbs, I wanna be there by June. 30ish pounds in like over 5 months, I think I can do that but I need some help. I KNOW I'm off track on my eating-I blame my lack of power over my sweet tooth and the holidays. I plan on quitting sugar cold turkey but to that I need ideas for protein heavy, calorie light snacks because when I quit sugar I snack hardcore. I want to have foods I can track (prepackaged-I find being able to scan bar codes the night befoer into Baritastic app allows me some peace of mind that I can eat whatever I have in my lunch box anytime during my 12-15 hour day and not have to worry about continually getting my phone out to log. Also, I can always delete foods if I don't get around to eating everything I bring with me) and have me around 900-1200 calories a day.
I have used P3s, greek yogurt, Quest chips (the sweet chili ones are my favorite!), apples are my commute home snack I share with my dog(she gets to go to work with me everyday ), raspberries, Sandwich Bros pita burger things as some of the examples--they are also what I find myself using on a normal basis. I do have an issue in that I had covid back in August, I lost my taste and smell and it has come back mostly all the way but it has really messed up my taste buds namely for tomato based foods(although ketchup is okay, go figure), there are other types that have an 'off' taste to them but I eating those isn't as much of an issue, and of course anything sugary/sweet has not had that wonderful off putting taste in it, in fact because they taste so close to normal that may be another reason I have gravitated so strongly to the sweets. Also I work at a vet clinic and all clients have gotten us for the past couple of months has been sugar(brownies, chocolate, doughnuts, etc etc--we joke you look at the break area and you get diabetes)?...
I don't need lectures at this point....okay, maybe I do. ? I know I'm off track. ? I am getting in around 100oz of water a day (made the water a priority when a plasma center opened up and my lemon of a dog decides she's going to need a few of the local specialty departments at the vet hospital and I have had zero issues donating at all), protein around 60-90 grams and my vitamins are on track BUT for the most part I have gotten lazy tracking my food intake-another big no-no so calories could be anywhere from 900-1400 maybe more if I'm snacking all day.
So what are your go to snacks? Any help quitting sugar? I plan to do so when I am off since I know I'm a raging b*tch when I have quit sugar-at least the first 3ish days and my job is heavily customer facing. Is it worth it to just nix the snacks, stock up on a crap load of water, protein shakes and do the almost fully liquid diet I had to do preop(it was 2-3 protein shakes with one healthy meal) to help reset my taste buds? I have unflavored protein powder-anyone successfully add that into like a muffin cup(like a Kodiak Cake brand)? What about adding it into water with crystal light-kind of like the gatorade protein drinks but less chalky?
Thanks for any insight/help/tips etc you can pass my way, I appreciate it all!

I’m going to jump right in & focus on your inner child sugar & snack craving & ask if you saw or still see a therapist? If not it may be worth asking your medical team for a recommendation to a one who specialises in supporting bariatric patients, disordered eating, etc. The battle to overpower those cravings will only be won when you deal with that inner child. At the moment that child is winning. Are you eating because you are truely hungry (because your body needs the calories to function) or is it just your inner child wanting to be satisfied & comforted?
Honestly, I didn’t specifically crave sugar or salt - I was an equal opportunity treat eater: sweet & savoury. ? I got them out of my house. If I don’t buy those foods & don’t have them in my house, I can’t eat them. I know it can be hard when it’s in the work place but try to avoid the break area. Go outside to eat if possible. I also try to prep most of what I eat myself so I can control the ingredients & how it’s cooked. While I was losing I ate pretty simply & a lot on repeat. It wasn’t boring. I actually found it less pressure because I didn’t have to think about what I was going to cook or eat. I had one snack a day: cheese, yoghurt (tub or drink), chunk of cucumber or fruit. Once you have those meals & food snacks in your app you can just select them each day. You don’t have to recreate them every time. So a little hard work to begin.
Go back to only eating three times a day & no snacks or only one a day. It won’t be easy. Snacks add the calories which will slow your weight loss a lot. If the child screams at you, sip water, have a cup of herbal or green tea, eat a little chicken, ham, or other deli meat, have some yoghurt, or a little piece of cheese as your snack - note they are all protein dominant. Watch the fruit because of the high sugar content (though natural) so be selective - berries are best. Try to avoid traditional style snacks even if they’re high protein, low fat or low sugar versions - they keep the snack habit & craving alive. Try to avoid artificial sweeteners for the same reason - they continue to feed your sugar craving. You can explore them when you’re maintaining.
You don’t have to jump in with both feet & go cold turkey. Even making one change to what & how you eat at a time helps. Drop something this week. In a week or two swap something else out. Little changes are easy to accept & are little wins.
Just some suggestions. Feel free to ignore them all. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions! Because of my budget I actually ended up with Ryka Ultimate Running shoe, it is incredibly comfortable and the brand comes in wide! While the amount of cushioning is probably gonna wear it relatively quickly, I plan to buy the same brand walking shoe(Academy did not have those in wide but their website does). The difference was almost immediate, I could barely walk into and out of Academy but I switched shoes to go to Sam's and I could already tell a difference in pain levels. A couple of days of wearing them and there is no pain!

Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

Okay, today's the day and I can't believe it! I've taken my preop anti nausea medication and had my presurgery shake and will be heading to the surgery center here in about 25 minutes. I'm nervous but not as worried as I was last night. Prayed and cried a lot last night but feeling much more at ease now. Did write myself a letter to reference going forward and one for my mom in the super rare event I don't make it home(it puts me more at eas.
I don't think I'd be as ready without these forums, so thank you everyone for your input and guidance! It is my turn to hit the loser's bench!
Anyone else going in this morning?
Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

Okay, today's the day and I can't believe it! I've taken my preop anti nausea medication and had my presurgery shake and will be heading to the surgery center here in about 25 minutes. I'm nervous but not as worried as I was last night. Prayed and cried a lot last night but feeling much more at ease now. Did write myself a letter to reference going forward and one for my mom in the super rare event I don't make it home(it puts me more at eas.
I don't think I'd be as ready without these forums, so thank you everyone for your input and guidance! It is my turn to hit the loser's bench!
Anyone else going in this morning?
Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

I use MyFitnessPal. It's free and it measures a daily food diary, weight, and measurements.