peteyrulz

keeping short and simple ...I tried this earlier and I don't know if its working now or not! here it goes just uploading to see what happens.. 

@@CanyonBaby No I feel great! I'm happy! My brain is functioning well because I'm still making the grades! My labs were spot on! I fell good over all, everything is functioning that's why I'm wondering how. I usually eat a Quest bar for Breakfast, go to school (college) for a few hours, drink Water. I get home and have a shake. Hang out with the family...eat a small dinner (usually 1/2 cup) Study and somewhere in the night I have another quest bar or shake. I do take all my Vitamins religiously and I do drink a ton of water food just doesn't interest me so much. I have energy. I'm sure my hunger will kick in somewhere down the road. I had my surgery here with a award winning bariatric and trauma surgeon So I don't think he's the problem. he doesn't seem worried about it even at this last appointment I told him I haven't changed anything as far as eating more or even wanting to and he wasn't freaking out. Our bodies can do some pretty amazing things so I'm not worried about it. If I start to have any issues or symptoms I will defiantly check it out. So no worries for me! I feel the best I ever have!

@Rocky1. I am not saying it's right or wrong...just saying that is how it was for me. And sometimes when you speak little spanish and nurse speaks no english and things happen quickly....it can be hard to make your desires known in a timely fashion. Oh well...next time I will learn the word for gloves before I go to a foreign country for surgery

Got my approval today!!!!! I'm do excited & relieved yet a tad bit anxious/nervous. Part of me thought this day would never come. So glad it did!

They are going to make it right
After 7 months of misquoted benefits CareFirst is going to honor their mistake and grant my surgery.
I just want to thank all the people who take the time to post and write thier stories. You just don't know when what you write may change or save someone's life ( maybe a little dramatic but true in the case of morbid obesity). It was trending towards better news late last week. I found a really human CSR named Amber who was amazing and helped me, she was calling my surgeons office for codes etc... Anyway it can happen as you all have said. I was never covered and now I am getting surgery kind of crazy. The advice and the post I read where spot on and encouraging and that is so helpful.
As a by product it also gave me voice with my VP of HR. Since waiting for surgery I developed pre-diabetes. I was able to ask her why they would make bariatric surgery a plan exclusion when it would cost them between $20-$25k a year if I become a full blown diabetic each year ! Why they would cover 90% of all fertility procedures and abortions but deny something that for many will be life saving. She had no answers for me but it felt good to express my concerns and I am writing a letter to our CEO as well.

Anyone want to work on a packing list for Mexico Sleevers?
I am very type"A" and organized and I don't want to miss a thing. My surgery date is April 15.

Congratulations!! Your perseverance certainly paid off.
That's GREAT news!

So I've been to Mexico numerous times to vacation and I always tip even at all inclusive resorts where they say it isn't "necessary" but I have no idea how this works at the hospitals in Mexico and I even read that it's appropriate to tip your coordinator. Can someone help me out with what is the norm?
Thanks!

Congratulations!! It's right around the corner for you!
I am contacting Nic clinic tmrw. I'll be traveling from Richmond VA area. After almost a year of waiting & jumping hoops, appealing, appealing again, I was looking into Tijuana, but the husband is not comfortable with me traveling to MX alone. I've shown him hundreds of posts from all the happy & healthy MX patients but he's not sold.
Anyhoo....I'll be self-pay & I'm seriously considering the Nicholson clinic. Can't find anything but great things about him!
Good luck & keep us posted!

*First of all, let me make it perfectly clear that this post is not a slam on people who choose to smoke marijuana*
I have recently been interested in the driving forces surrounding the stigma of WLS. I was doing some research on which states exclude WLS as part of their ACA insurance exchange programs. My state is one of them and that is why I ended up going to Mexico for my VSG (great decision, BTW!). What I was surprised was to see that Colorado is on that list. So in other words, the wise elected officials in Colorado feel that marijuana is a medical necessity, but helping it's citizens to lose weight is not. Neither WLS or weight loss programs are covered. And as "open minded" as marijuana supporters may appear to be, they also don't cover acupuncture.
Does this mean the potheads are better organized and have more savvy political skills than us fatties? (And this last sentence is meant to be a joke...Please don't construe it as name calling and I apologize if I anyone found it offensive)

What is the website?? I would definitely trust Dr. Illan...

I just started drinking the Premier Protein shakes and I really enjoyed them. They taste 90% like chocolate and strawberry milk!

Hello everyone. last week I found out that I received a denial due to not having the supporting documents demonstrating a structured nutrition program within 2 years preceding the submittal to insurance.
I do have the documentation and just sent it to the surgeons office today to forward on to my insurance for an appeal.
My concern is yet again the surgeons office. When I was informed of the denial, the administration nurse told me that I needed to have the program completed after the submission to my insurance. I have had issues with the administration part of the office since day 1 and followed up myself and found out that was incorrect. It has to be prior.
I am afraid that they are going to hold my forms based off their understanding of the policy. Of course my thought is to submit it myself but my insurance company said that the appeal has to be through the surgeons office.
Any advice on this? I'm thinking of asking for a conference call between the office, insurance and myself so that we can all be on the same page. It took forever to get them to submit my packet in the first place.
Also what are the chances of an approval after a denial?

@@Jrs_lovely1, unfortunately, with some people, you have to nip at their heels to get things done.

Since you have the documentation, hopefully it will be smoothe. There are lots of people that have to appeal and are successful doing so.
As far as the doctor's office goes, I would suggest meeting with the office manager to share your concerns. Also, I would suggest writing a letter to the insurance company detailing your weight loss efforts and attaching the documentation anyway! That way you can be sure they have the information and gives you some leverage.
Good Luck

I have Aetna and was denied VSG surgery due to my BMI being 36.8 and my sleep apnea only being mild. I found Lindstrom Advocacy from this forum and hired them to do my appeal. They just emailed me today to say I was approved!!! We only had to do one appeal! Kelley and Walter were wonderful to work with. I highly recommend them to anyone who is in my position!

Well this morning I finally made it to goal! It took me exactly 7 1/2 months to get here and I'm totally thrilled with the entire journey! For those wondering how it happened so quickly, I can only say that I followed all the rules meticulously: 80-100 grams of Protein, no starches/sugars, some veggies, no booze/soda, and 64-120 ounces of Water every...single...day, plus daily walking and once a week workouts. I always had a plan for what I was going to eat, even at parties and restaurants, and if I deviated from the plan, it was always protein-based, like cheese, nuts and beef/turkey Jerky. So... going in, was I worried about missing out on food? Yes. Did I feel deprived during my journey? Nope, as my tag-line says, "Nothing tastes as good as slender feels!" What's next? Lose 4-5 more pounds so I can have a little wiggle-room and still stay at or below my goal weight. Will I go crazy now and eat all the stuff I've missed? I don't think so because I've tried to get my head straight about this being a lifelong effort. Can you do it too? Absolutely!!! Thank you to all who have given me support and guidance along the way. I hope I was able to help you too. And my plan is to keep coming here and posting my message about The Dreaded Week-3 Stall, because it almost broke me at the beginning of my journey. I wish everyone who reads this a world of success!!! If you want to ask questions or get tips on how I worked my program, send me a message and I'll try to give you a thoughtful answer. Okay, here are some embarrassing photos and some slightly less embarrassing photos.....

You should reconsider - Keep doing your research. Last few months Dr. Almanza has had six deaths and two dozen in the hospital after his surgeries and he doesn't care. He's running the proverbial butcher shop.
Please review
http://globalnews.ca/news/1581936/north-van-woman-still-recovering-after-gastric-sleeve-surgery-in-mexico/
And
http://globalnews.ca/video/1569692/mexico-surgery-warning

I started to explore the idea of weight loss surgery in 2007. At that point I weighed 320 pounds and had several co-morbidities, but they were manageable. For some reason, I could not get past the idea of having my intestines rearranged. I went to fat farms, weight loss centers, etc. I got my weight down only to have it go back up.
In 2013 I saw a cardiologist who insisted I have surgery. I finally knew that if I wanted to live, I had to lose weight, and that the surgery would be my only way. My diabetes was in bad shape, and I was living in compression socks and taking more and more medication. What I did not notice was that I was losing the vision in my left eye.
In October of 2014, I finally had the surgery. Things started improving immediately. Before the surgery, I had an eye exam that revealed my failing vision. I was referred to an ophthalmologist who prescribed surgery. Eye surgery is not pleasant as you have to be awake for the procedure so they only use a local. The eye problem was a result of high blood pressure and diabetes. There is no doubt about it. The vision in my eye is improving, but I still do not know if my vision will improve, or be correctable with glasses.
If you think you need the surgery, please do not delay. If you have good health but need to lose weight, please remember that the health issues are waiting for you down the road. I didn't have problems until I was past 50. Weight loss for vanity's sake is a good reason for surgery. But at the same time you are pretty much assuring that you will avoid some major health problems.
Good luck as you explore your possibilities.
Best wishes.

Since your ears are hurting its possible its an ear infection. Get thee to a doctor!
Hope you feel better soon.

@@amponder, I am not a violent person, but I would have been sorely tempted to punch your MIL in the face. I couldn't handle snide, b*tchy, and condescending all in one neat little package. And it's nice she had you there so she could show off her superior fitness to her friends. I think you showed remarkable restraint.

I decline all invites to workout with others. I'd much rather be alone with my own thoughts, competing against my last performance, and jamming to some music.
I get super annoyed when people interrupt my time on the track. If you want to invite me to your church, leave a church flyer or card on my car. If you're trying to "holla", keep it moving; I'm not interested in your tips - that's what my trainer is for. Booty watch from a distance like the rest of the weirdos.

Postscript to my NOLA trip ...
Last night I went back to the blank meals on MFP I hadn't filled out while in NOLA last week and did my best to approximate some dishes like "over-the-moon sauces" and "mystery pork gumbo." Turns out, you can do this pretty well.
For example, since most sauces are high in fat, I just chose another high-in-fat sauce and recorded that. I also learned there are some (confirmed) pork gumbos listed in MFP.
So it turns out that my big splurge dinner on Thursday night (with 1 slice of luscious bread with butter, 3 fried oysters, 1/2 a bowl of pork gumbo, and red wine) was almost 1,000 calories, 86 carbs and 29 Protein grams. I'm actually happy to learn all this, and I don't regret a single mouthful. And I'm so pleased that my sleeve helped me to resist eating a second piece of bread, 3 more fried oysters and the rest of the pork gumbo.
Sleeve + MFP = power + knowledge

cowgirljane, thank you for your direct and tell-it-like-it-is personal experience.
I'm 63 yrs old and FOR ME that delusional thinking that I can do this surgery AND NOT change my life style and attitude with food is just the crazy attitude that I've done all my life and got me where I was today, morbidly obese and unhealthy.
This is my last chance and I have to be serious, very serious about how I live my life from now on. My attitude with food, my asking for what I need from family/friends which includes avoiding food vacations or illiminating some foods around that are my downfall, and avoiding food fests. I have to do it, especially the first year or so until I reach my goal weight AND can maintain it. (How many just go right back up? I did many, many times.)
I won't be perfect, I know I'll sometimes challenge what or how much I eat but come on, I know what sets me off. I know what food or activity puts me on a downward spiral of cravings. I know what these situations and foods are, so why in the world would I play with the fire I KNOW will burn me, consume me and eventually kill me.