Sharon1964

First you referred to your surgeon's preop diet as 'suggestions'. Now by your statement you don't know if they will cancel your surgery if you don't lose weight. Maybe you should get clarification of the issues. Or perhaps you have a sense of humor that I'm just not understanding.

I told the technician the same thing. She showed me that there is a quick disconnect, to detach yourself from the machine. She told me if I woke up and had to pee, just say her name and she would come in and unhook me (there is a microphone in your room). I told her she would have about half a second to get the job done. When I did wake up to pee, I'm not even sure I finished saying her name before she was in my room! She unclipped me, threw the wires over my shoulder, and I was in the bathroom in no time!

Your company's policy is most likely illegal, as "use it or lose it" is prohibited in almost every state. http://www.gfrlaw.com/pubs/GordonPubDetail.aspx?xpST=PubDetail&pub=844

That's an assumption that would have NEVER crossed my mind. I'm in the "all the consideration it deserves" camp.

My primary care doctor said that a particular surgeon was the only one he would allow to do the surgery, and he referred me there. Some surgeons want you to be referred from your primary doctor, so they know your other health issues (if any) are being followed.

Well, if you eat them, they're just going to go to waste. If you hand them out to the homeless people, you are giving someone a meal that would otherwise go hungry. Maybe go volunteer at a Soup kitchen. Have you really examined your relationship with food?

Make sure you discuss "bipap" or "variable pap" with your sleep study doctor. They are not as difficult to adjust to as the cpap, which gives continuous pressure. The others give pressure only when you need it. Once I had my mask adjusted to fit me correctly, I had no trouble sleeping with the machine. If the mask is too loose, then when I turn over at night the mask comes loose, the machine blows in my face, and I wake up. Now the only time I can't use it is when I have a cold or cough.

Have a proper sendoff! Buy a dozen in & out burgers, and hand them out to homeless people. That way, they will be put to good use.

I would suggest reading "The Five Love Languages", figure out your language, then TELL your husband how to speak it, and make him practice.

My primary care doctor has a philosophy that he doesn't care what the number is, as long as the scale in going in the direction it should be going. I'm good with that. Sharon PS: Someone remind me of this when I whine (and I WILL!) about slow weight loss after my surgery, tentatively scheduled for July 2015. PPS: I'm not saying the OP is whining by asking this, I'm saying that I will surely whine in the future.

Am I the only one that thought the OP must have dozed off in the middle of posting?

You might want to ask the surgeon what he is going to do about the damage to your vagus nerve that he caused. If he says he didn't cause damage to your vagus nerve, insist he explain why he is of that opinion. I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on tv, but a lot of your symptoms including gastroparesis can occur after abdominal surgery if the surgeon damages the vagus nerve. Just a thought.

I have a number of friends in very successful marriages that are open to one degree or another. I also have a number of friends that believe you can love more than one person at a time. I don't think this guy's marriage state has any bearing on the real issue. Personally, I think having this coffee would only muddy the waters. You need to decide what you can live with and what you cannot, and then act accordingly. An attraction to someone else should not be a part of this decision.

Sorry to disappoint, but no, having the EGD and spending money doesn't mean you are approved. Call your insurance company (look for the member services number on your insurance card) and ask them what their requirements are for weight loss surgery. One thing I didn't see on your list which is a requirement for many insurances (or your surgeon if your insurance doesn't require it) is a psych eval.

I cannot believe that no one has said, "what this thread needs is pictures." Sigh. I am so disappointed in you all.

Please, please double-check this with your insurance company. In all my years in the medical support field, I have NEVER seen it work this way. Perhaps your insurance DOES work this way. In my experience though, if the primary denies, the secondary will ALSO deny because the primary denied. Your insurance MIGHT have a clause that says if your primary denies for not being covered on the plan, they will pay as if they were primary. I would not only call my secondary, but I would probably record the call.

Here is your answer, "thank you for your concern, my doctor has it covered." Then change the subject.

Beware, I can be blunt. As I read your story, my impression was that YOU were the one who was trying to control him. Don't get me wrong, the man has a boatload of issues, but that was my impression.

I would be surprised if the list was not available online. There should be no reason to wait.

I agree with the others, there's a whole lot going on here and you need professional help. The one thing I would NOT do is to get married with things the way they are now.

Congrats!

Would you consider making the group public so we don't have to join to see what you have?

I can help you with this part. Payment for the following is specifically excluded from this plan: .... • for medical and surgical services intended primarily for the treatment or control of obesity. This means that plain old obesity isn't covered. However, treatment of clinically severe obesity, as defined by the body mass index (BMI) classifications of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guideline is covered You are covered with a BMI of > 40 or BMI of >35 with coexisting conditions if the services are demonstrated, through peer-reviewed medical literature and scientifically based guidelines, to be safe and effective for treatment of the condition." This just means all of the current surgical options you discussed. They have all been demonstrated to be safe and effective, through published studies in medical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association. These journals do not publish just any study they receive; they must be reviewed by a panel of peers. So if some quack says he thinks he can help you by wrapping your stomach with pipe cleaners, that surgery would not be covered because it has not been proven effective in medical journals. Your documents don't mention who will be approving your surgery (and they usually don't). It may be a doctor at the insurance company, it may be a nurse, or it may be a clerk who checks to make sure you have completed all the steps. In some cases, a clerk can approve it, but only a medical professional can deny it. So if the clerk thinks it should be denied, it would be passed along to a medical professional for review.

After three rounds of antibiotics, I think I would ask for a referral to an infectious disease specialist.

Somewhere I still have an old cassette tape with Steve Miller Band Live! on one side and Rolling Stones (best of, or greatest hits or something), which I used to power-walk to. Steve Miller Band: Gangster Of Love Rock 'N Me Living In The USA Fly Like An Eagle Jungle Love The Joker Mercury Blues Take The Money And Run Abracadabra Jet Airliner I don't remember all of the Rolling Stones songs, but I know some were: Mother's Little Helper 19th Nervous Breakdown Paint it Black