HappiTam

For my insurance company it was billed as Psychological Services because it was a needed step to qualify for consideration for surgery.

I met with one surgeon at Mayo Rochester last week & am going back to meet with 2 more next week. I'm not a future sleever (will have Roux-en-Y), nor in Minnesotan (I'm your eastern neighbor from La Crosse WI), but I'd love to hear how everything is going for you. :-)

My insurance will be MMSI as of 1/1/2015. I've completed the psych eval and have one session left for the behavior modification. How long of a wait did you have between the end of the modification and getting the surgery date set?

I'm currently pre-op and like to plan ahead, so I've been asking a lot of questions at appointments. The behaviors modification counselor I'm seeing has been stressing that I work now on improving muscle tone to help avoid sagging upper arms, but she hasn't had encouraging ideas for my wrinkled lower stomach. My primary physician said that a Panis surgery will likely be needed. Having have already experienced insurance issues I thought, it would be considered cosmetic, but my primary physician explained if it is causing skin breakdown it would be seen as medically necessary. So if you are having skin problems where it folds over on to itself, please have your physician document it for you just in case you may need prove later.

I'm still pre-op for WLS, but leakage has also been an issue for me and it seems to be more common than you'd think. Since I have not been able to loose enough weight to take the pressure off my bladder I've tried a couple procedures to help. For stress incontinence (sneezing, coughing, or laughing) the first was a fine mesh to put pressure on my urethra to stop leakage...worked ok for a short time. Secondly, a collagen injection around the urethra on three sides was the winner. Now sneezing & laughing don't cause any worrying. For urge incontinence (you've got to go suddenly NOW feeling), Botox injections into the bladder walls keep the bladder from wanting to "let it go" until your ready.

I'm still a pre-surgery gal, but the counselor and nutritionist have been stressing the food logs to me, so I'm logging everything thing through my "Fitbit"and it makes it so much easier than writing it down. The suggestion of "The 5-day pouch test" sounds logical (if it really does work), I'm bookmarking it "just in case" for later. You can lose again, look what you did last time!

The forty+ years have been much better than the 20's and 30's for me too! It is funny how the exact number doesn't seem to matter that much, I for one tend to forget my age, which could either be a good attitude or early dementia. My mom is the only one that is quick to quote the number and has even worked it in to my nephews math practice by telling him that however old he is always add 40 to the number and you'll have Auntie Tam's number. Unfortunately he's good at math. I did turn mom's math example against her when I explained that if he added 60 to his number, he would have grandma's number, and that is way bigger than mine!

I'll also miss the buttered movie popcorn, but I look forward to being comfortable sitting in the theater seat. My behavior modification counselor has being telling me to "slow down and savor the foods I'm eating", fortunately when I am thinking about what I'm eating now, some of the bad stuff (aka my favorites) have now turned into gross stuff in my mind and I have no interest in them. You are so right, it is hard to think about what you'll be missing, but just think of what the trade-off will be. I hope your countdown to the 17th goes quickly and your surgery safe. :-)

Thank goodness no PE!! It is terrible that you have had to go through such a terrible experience. Hopefully you'll be feeling better soon and your doctor has a new plan for you. Wishing only the best for you. Tam

Happy goal date!! I'm looking forward to your success story!! Tam

Congratulations!! I hope to make that statement myself in 2015. Tam

I live in La Crosse, WI but will be having surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester in 2015, but a date has not yet been set. Currently, I'm a couple weeks away from finishing up the behavior modification counseling and trying to gather as much information as possible. I look forward to hearing about all of your accomplishments!

That is great!! Congratulations!! Tam

Congratulations!! One month from now the surgery will be in the past. :-) Tam