2goldengirl

Here is the link for the current policy with criteria for bariatric surgery. Good luck!

The smoky flavor from bacon or other smoked meats can be a problem for some people. You can cook a ham hock or smoked turkey wing in with the soup and remove it whole, and still get that smoky flavor. You can also get hunks of beef marrow bones and roast them in the oven before adding to broth while it cooks, which lends body to the broth and a nice deep flavor. I wouldn't be afraid of using herbs for flavor - Thyme, bay leaf, flat leaf parsley, these go in all of my soups and broths.

I don't know about your prticular plan, but your surgeon's office gets approval for many, many surgeries each year. The person answering the phone at an 800 number gets questions about everything. I'd think the insurance coordinator at your surgeon's office has good information - they do this all day, every day. Good luck!

I've seen a lot of back-and-forth posts from you. It's a huge decision and deserves a lot of careful thought. If there were an herbal supplement or diet pill that really WORKED, we'd know it by now. I saw my PCP yesterday, and she put it very well: as far as she's concerned, WLS is the definitive treatment for obesity. That said, to be successful in that definitive treatment, each of us has to be willing to change: our habits, our thinking, and our priorities. It's a daunting prospect, until I think about this: I've been fighting with my body over weight issues since the 1960's. I'm relaistic enough to know that a year from now, without surgery, I may have lost some weight. I may be fitter. But I will still be significantly overweight. I will still have high blood pressure. I may (by that time) have diabetes. And I will be a year older. With surgery, a year from now, I will be thinner than I've been in more than 30 years. That's half my life. Am I willing to tackle the changes I've mentioned, knowing that the surgery will give me probably the most powerful tool I've ever had in my hands? You bet I am. I can't tell you what to decide, but I can tell you to be very, very honest with yourself. I've spent years on the yo-yo diet roller coaster because I wasn't always honest with myself about how much each little choice throughout my day mattered. Be honest with yourself about what got you here. And be honest with yourself about what you are and aren't prepared to do about it. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Dude, that is freaking awesome! Congratulations!

If the NUT at your clinic can't help you, head straight to your primary MD. Ask him to do some bloodworkto make sure you aren't anemic. Ask them to refer you to a Registered Dietician. There are plenty of ways to get the nutrients you need even without Protein drinks. What are you eating? How much are you able to handle at one time? What foods do you tolerate best? We can't take the place of a doctor visit, but there are lots of helpful folks here.

It's very, very common to have second thoughts - and that goes for any major life decision, doesn't it? Surgery means changing your life forever. It's a big step. Now that you've taken care of the little steps along the way, I think it's natural to be a bit overwhelmed by The Big Step. Take some time to think about it. What are you feeling? Are you scared? What scares you? It might be anything from being scared of surgery itself (lots of people are) to being afraid people will treat you differently (some will) to having to change your relationship with food (you have lots of company here) to - and this is maybe the scariest of all - "I don't know how to be a thin person." Only you can decide what is right for you. Spending some time thinking about why you're feeling what you're feeling will be time well spent, whatever you decide. Good luck!

So far, only my husband and two friends who have also had WLS know. I don't plan to tell more than a handful of people. Part of my reasoning is that I do NOT want my weight loss process (the losses, the stalls, the what-have-you's) to be the focus of attention. I just don't need the scrutiny.

Happy Sleeviversary! Nothing makes me happier (board-wise) than posts like this.

It helps to know what state you're in and what kind of plan you have. Have you asked UHC for their criteria for weight loss surgery? If you haven't, I suggest that you do. It's easier to have facts than worry yourself over guessing.

@@Dub, you are killing me here. I'm pre-pre op, so I can certainly eat any of this, but I haven't had breakfast yet.

Depends on what kind of storage space you have. We have attic storage, so I took a bunch of my stuff and boxed it up and it's in the attic. Our weather can get unpredictable, and I don't have my date yet, so I just put it in the attic. I plan to have lots of fun tossing things that have been too small because they're too big, y'know?

That's just awful coming from your own mother. I'd pull out the snark: "Thanks Mom, how nice you seem more concerned with my looks than my health".

@@MeFirst, your health plan likely has different criteria for revision (which is what you're seeking) than for a first bariatric procedure. I'd ask for criteria for revision, you may get better info that way.

Congratulations! What will you do to celebrate (after month-end is over with)?

Is your BFF overweight? What did she say when you told her you'd be getting surgery? Is she someone who makes her health a priority? She may be jealous of your success, or she may be over-interpreting the effort you've put into your outstanding success a negative simply because you've owned that it hasn't been easy. You have changed, and for the better. If your BFF has reasons for wanting you to stay the same, that will inevitably make her uncomfortable. And she may not even be aware of it. Congratulations on your loss!

Call and ask to speak to the Office Manager and explain your concerns. Be polite, but be clear that you have a narrow window to plan for your surgery and recovery. If you have the dates and names of people you spoke to, so much the better.

At your height and weight, you have a BMI of 40.2. I can't speak for BCBS of NC, or for your particular plan, but with a BMI > 40, there may be some pre-op requirements, for instance, six months in a supervised weight management program, but the "magic number" for plans that do cover weight loss surgery is a BMI of 40 or more. Here is a link to their Centers of Excellence: http://www.bcbsnc.com/content/providers/bdc/bariatric.htm Google "BCBS NC weight loss surgery policy" and you can download a copy of the policy. Criteria are on page 5 of the PDF.

Blood work needs to be recent to check for anemia, clotting times, and to assure that you don't have an active infection. Chest X-ray to assure that you don't have TB, pneumonia, or other infectious lung issues. These are protections for you. Believe me when I tell you that you want to be as healthy as possible before undergoing the stress of surgery.

The OP flounced off in a snit back on page 1 or 2. A shame, she could have learnt a lot here!

I think the other things that can be alarming about this kind of behavior in others is that we all know people who are all too ready to believe that WLS is "the easy way out" or "you'll just gain it all back, my sister's brother -in-law's cousin did". We want respect for our choice to have surgery and respect for our efforts to be successful pre and post operatively. We work damned hard at it, and seeing people treat their surgery in what appears to be cavalier fashion undermines that respect, or seems to, at any rate.

Some payers don't require a weight history; others do. It's all about your individual insurance requirements. Don't rely on your surgeon's coordinator for this info, contact your insurance company and ask for their criteria for weight loss surgery. If you are in CA, this information os often available online without a login or password.

Your doc may want to gradually reduce your dose, or cut one med and keep the others. Don't be surprised if that's the answer. Man, will they surprised when you show up at work in clothes that fit and see your success!

There are folks out there who will do anything to avoid taking a good, long look inside. She sounds like one of them. And so does the OP's friend's MIL. Psych evals pre-op are to rule out major things that would preclude surgery (though I'm amazed at the esample of eating disorder that did get approved). It's a health plan requirement that has been present since the early days of WLS. My HP just changed their criteria and no longer requires it, though the surgeons do. What amazes me is that we don't get more education on how our bodies work. We get one body to do us our whole lives (though the option exists to exchange a few parts if they wear out). We have instructions and warning labels on everything, but we aren't taught how to take care of the most valuable machine we own. I think basic anatomy and physiology out to be required - folks would be less susceptible to internet legends if they were.

You nailed it - sinking blood pressure would be my guess even before you strapped on the cuff. Did you take your meds today? If not, try holding them and see how you feel. The half-life of most of them is such that you'll likely have some carryover effect anyhow. If the doc doesn't call you back today, I'd definitely hold them til you hear back. You will likely want to be checking your BP daily to see how it trends. Good luck!