Laura Lopez

Patience, Grasshopper. Patience.
And , in my opinion-- (getting spiritual back at ya! ), God works in mysterious ways, but always in the RIGHT way.
Let us know WHEN your approval comes through.

So my paperwork was submitted on 6/20/16 and I'm super nervous that my insurance provider hasn't come through. Plus my insurance provider says it could take up to 30 days. Ugh, I've been so frustrated. Particularly since I've been reading a few of the threads and everyone has been getting approved super fast. I've been calling everyday for updates. But I keep thinking to myself (warning, it about to get spiritual) God wouldn't have put this idea in my head if He didn't think I could be successful.
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I'm not an OR nurse, but any bedside nurses see naked patients all the time. For us it's no big deal. We have seen lots of disfigured and deformed anatomy and nothing surprises us.
Depending on the surgeon, they may need to catheterize you so that during the procedure your urine has a way out instead of building up in your bladder. If so, they will also remove the indwelling catheter in the OR after the surgery is done.
After sedation by the anesthesiologist, your abdomen is prepped with betadine to sterilize your skin. Underwear would be a source of contamination. They will still preserve your modesty by covering the rest of your body with surgical paper drapes and only your abdomen is exposed.
When you wake up & see weird orange stuff on your skin, don't worry, it's not blood but the betadine. Hope you find this info helpful.
Edit: You are sent to the OR via a bed or stretcher while wearing nothing but a fabric gown. When you wake up in PACU you will be wearing a special paper gown that has special air pockets so they can fill it up with heated air to keep you warm. If you get admitted into the hospital for overnight observation, the floor staff will put you back into a fabric gown. If you wish to wear your own clothes this is the point where you can.

My weight gain journey began in May, 2013. I was exposed to black mold a few months prior in our master bathroom of a house we had just purchased. Unaware of it of course. May 2013, I had to have half of my right lung removed. After the lung removal I was forced to take nine months of oral steroids. During this nine months I gained another person in weight.
September 2014, I was well enough to finally have the sleeve done. I tried to lose the weight on my own but anyone who has been on steroids for that length of time knows it is nearly impossible. I have since lost that extra person I gained. And couldn't be happier. The first picture was taken by my surgeon the week before surgery. The second picture was taken last week.
My starting weight at surgery time was 222. My current weight is 125, as of this morning. I am 5'4 1/2.

Me: well I guess I won't be having surgery anytime soon my insurance changed their guidelines to 2yrs of supervised diet . I only have 6 months down.
Husband: Well maybe you can try working out now and lose the weight on your own. You lost 6 months going to appointments and stuff.
Me: well it is easy for you to say because you are not in my body. What happened to all your support?
Husband: well nothing is happening , you need to do something about it now. Don't wait for surgery, And you still have my support.
Me: okay thank you. ( in reality I was so angry, maybe because he was right. Maybe because I gained 7 pounds in the last 6 months. And if I keep it up who knows how much weight I will have gained at the end of two years. And most of all the thought of going down that road of dieting and exercising, we all have been there before and had little to no success. Just to gain all the weight back plus a few bonus pounds . It is that cycle I want to avoid. I need this tool to make my weight loss a success and to keep me moving forward. Now to make him feel what I feel, I make him eat what I eat and make him workout with me too. We have been doing this for a week now and he is ready to give up. But won't admit it. We made a deal if he gives up I give up. So I will keep pushing him until he sees my point.

The same thing happened to me with my insurance! I need this to save my life so my husband agreed to help me self pay. We are both terrified of surgery in Mexico as my aunt died getting a Tummy Tuck abroad as well as many other horror stories I've heard... So we searched until we found an American surgeon with reasonable fees. My surgery is 6/7 in Michigan and the cost is $11,000. Sure it was a bit higher than Mexico, but worth it for my peace of mind. I would consider self-pay if you can make the financial sacrifice and get your husband to back you! Good luck sweetheart!
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It does seem extreme and I have never heard of that either. But who knows with the ACA, a lot has changed.
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It's amazing how many loved ones don't understand. They think is taking the "easy way out"! Um, hello ooooohhhhhh, have you not been with me for years and seen me struggle with this issue? Do you think I LIKE buying different sizes of clothes because every time I lose weight, I put it back on plus eventually? Wow. The Doc explained it will at the seminar I went to. Morbidly obese people (bmi of more than 30? Mine was 48) can lose weight but will almost ALWAYS gain it back. Some people, who never struggled with weight issues, find it so hard to grasp how difficult it really is and I REFUSE to spend the rest of my life on meds for bp and diabetes. Sheeesh. I hope your hubby comes around and realizes this is not an easy task and surgery is not the easy way out. It's a tool.
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I really wish i was wrong, really really wish I was...

Me: well I guess I won't be having surgery anytime soon my insurance changed their guidelines to 2yrs of supervised diet . I only have 6 months down.
Husband: Well maybe you can try working out now and lose the weight on your own. You lost 6 months going to appointments and stuff.
Me: well it is easy for you to say because you are not in my body. What happened to all your support?
Husband: well nothing is happening , you need to do something about it now. Don't wait for surgery, And you still have my support.
Me: okay thank you. ( in reality I was so angry, maybe because he was right. Maybe because I gained 7 pounds in the last 6 months. And if I keep it up who knows how much weight I will have gained at the end of two years. And most of all the thought of going down that road of dieting and exercising, we all have been there before and had little to no success. Just to gain all the weight back plus a few bonus pounds . It is that cycle I want to avoid. I need this tool to make my weight loss a success and to keep me moving forward. Now to make him feel what I feel, I make him eat what I eat and make him workout with me too. We have been doing this for a week now and he is ready to give up. But won't admit it. We made a deal if he gives up I give up. So I will keep pushing him until he sees my point.

Me: well I guess I won't be having surgery anytime soon my insurance changed their guidelines to 2yrs of supervised diet . I only have 6 months down.
Husband: Well maybe you can try working out now and lose the weight on your own. You lost 6 months going to appointments and stuff.
Me: well it is easy for you to say because you are not in my body. What happened to all your support?
Husband: well nothing is happening , you need to do something about it now. Don't wait for surgery, And you still have my support.
Me: okay thank you. ( in reality I was so angry, maybe because he was right. Maybe because I gained 7 pounds in the last 6 months. And if I keep it up who knows how much weight I will have gained at the end of two years. And most of all the thought of going down that road of dieting and exercising, we all have been there before and had little to no success. Just to gain all the weight back plus a few bonus pounds . It is that cycle I want to avoid. I need this tool to make my weight loss a success and to keep me moving forward. Now to make him feel what I feel, I make him eat what I eat and make him workout with me too. We have been doing this for a week now and he is ready to give up. But won't admit it. We made a deal if he gives up I give up. So I will keep pushing him until he sees my point.

I really wish i was wrong, really really wish I was...

I'd look into self pay in Mexico at this point. Would be frustrating to wait on insurance and who knows if their guidelines will change again. Glad he has your support

You should have made him agree that if he couldn't stick to your diet he pays for your surgery in Mexico. Aim high with the bets!

Me: well I guess I won't be having surgery anytime soon my insurance changed their guidelines to 2yrs of supervised diet . I only have 6 months down.
Husband: Well maybe you can try working out now and lose the weight on your own. You lost 6 months going to appointments and stuff.
Me: well it is easy for you to say because you are not in my body. What happened to all your support?
Husband: well nothing is happening , you need to do something about it now. Don't wait for surgery, And you still have my support.
Me: okay thank you. ( in reality I was so angry, maybe because he was right. Maybe because I gained 7 pounds in the last 6 months. And if I keep it up who knows how much weight I will have gained at the end of two years. And most of all the thought of going down that road of dieting and exercising, we all have been there before and had little to no success. Just to gain all the weight back plus a few bonus pounds . It is that cycle I want to avoid. I need this tool to make my weight loss a success and to keep me moving forward. Now to make him feel what I feel, I make him eat what I eat and make him workout with me too. We have been doing this for a week now and he is ready to give up. But won't admit it. We made a deal if he gives up I give up. So I will keep pushing him until he sees my point.

I totally understand both sides. I know that the surgery is a huge tool that can help with your diet but at the same time in that year and a half you could lose a good amount of weight. I'm sorry your insurance changed on you!
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While you are working this out, you can incorporate some concepts that most of our pre-op plans require anyway:
1. Eat lean Protein first and plenty of it.
2. Do not eat anything made in a factory
3. Drink Water until your eyebrows float.
4. Do not become part of the sofa.

surgery does make the diet and exercise so very much easier, I dare say it makes it POSSIBLE.
Please continue to reach for good health even as you progress toward approval for surgery.

My sleeve was my 12th surgery under general anesthesia. It was the least painful and had the quickest recovery. My concern with complications was, "where will I be in five years if I don't get the surgery.?" The answer was dead. So, for me it was worth the risk.......my quality of life sucked anyway - now it is like a new life in a new body.

So happy I got the call today that I was approved after getting denied the first time . I can't wait for June 15th

I hope so too. I want him to understand that whatever works for him may not work for me. His point is that I shouldn't wait around for surgery to happen because there is a chance I may not get approved. Something about that really annoys me. I have convinced my self that surgery is the only way. While He is convinced that surgery may be of big help, he also strongly believes I can lose the weight by exercise and dieting.

Me: well I guess I won't be having surgery anytime soon my insurance changed their guidelines to 2yrs of supervised diet . I only have 6 months down.
Husband: Well maybe you can try working out now and lose the weight on your own. You lost 6 months going to appointments and stuff.
Me: well it is easy for you to say because you are not in my body. What happened to all your support?
Husband: well nothing is happening , you need to do something about it now. Don't wait for surgery, And you still have my support.
Me: okay thank you. ( in reality I was so angry, maybe because he was right. Maybe because I gained 7 pounds in the last 6 months. And if I keep it up who knows how much weight I will have gained at the end of two years. And most of all the thought of going down that road of dieting and exercising, we all have been there before and had little to no success. Just to gain all the weight back plus a few bonus pounds . It is that cycle I want to avoid. I need this tool to make my weight loss a success and to keep me moving forward. Now to make him feel what I feel, I make him eat what I eat and make him workout with me too. We have been doing this for a week now and he is ready to give up. But won't admit it. We made a deal if he gives up I give up. So I will keep pushing him until he sees my point.

I was just sleeved on 4/25 and at my two week post op follow up the surgeon and I both agreed that 155-160 lbs for me would be a good, healthy, and realistic goal to work towards as I have fairly large bone mass. I'm 5'5 and a normal healthy weight for me is supposed to be between 120 and 140 lbs. I just can't fathom being that small. I haven't weighed that little since I was 12 or 13 years old! I was the same height then as I am now, btw. I like my body being more curvalicious than the skinny girl I was in junior high school. I like my hips, my large breasts, and my big ol' booty and frankly, so does my husband! I'm not too concerned with how much I'm going to weigh in a year from now as long as I'm healthy AF!!

Mine will too! I think the BMI scale is completely unrealistic and I don't want to be skin & bones. As far as I'm concerned - that's neither healthy or attractive! I'm okay with being overweight on the BMI chart. The scale says I would be considered "healthy weight" if I weighed 104lbs (I'm 5'2"). I can't even imagine.

Hmm let's see...

You're 22 years old with no money, no job, no insurance, bad credit, and your parents have decided not to help you because you won't get a job?

I hate to be a party pooper but just based on that little bit alone, I would have to side with them. I'm just guessing here, but it sounds to me like your folks might like to see you take some responsibility and perhaps grow up a little. And those are two things that I would highly recommend doing before having a surgery that will depend on you being accountable, responsible, and in charge. For the rest of your life.

Devastated isn't what you should be feeling, motivated is. If your parents wont help you unless you get a job, then get a job. That will solve your problem a lot faster than whining about it. Good luck!

#toughlove