SusanB55

I've yelped doctors more times than I can count! I have also called many offices to ask the Dr's age, schooling, and treatment choices/beliefs. Don't worry about it! That is the beauty of google! Get names from friends, coworkers, your gynecologist, and the bariatric center and then google each name for reviews and yelp them too! Good luck!

Unfortunately, my surgeon's office is ass backwards on this. They say they don't want the patients to spend money they don't have to so they don't refer to cardiologist OR GI doc until after approval. It is ridiculous. I say let the patient decide if they want to take the chance of spending the extra money or not. Each procedure is preceded by an initial consultation so at least that part of it could be done. These visits and procedures take time and are usually spaced out weeks apart. Ugh. I'm pretty pissed right now actually. My surgeon didn't tick the boxes for cardiac clearance or EGD for me, but now they are saying the opposite. Not an oversight on his part, mind you. He just changed his mind. I could have done this crap already! So frustrating.

You're right - I didn't specify reasons. Basically it's the fear of failure again. And yes, I know I can fail with anything if I don't follow the rules and use it as a tool. I love sweets so I'm intrigued by the idea of "dumping" as a deterrent. I also fear the sleeve is new so that's why it's being pushed - much like the band was 8 years ago and I bit. I really think overall I'm having risk of failure fears right now knowing I have another opportunity at this again. I had great intentions the first time but alas here I am still obese. I know when it's done it's done and I'll make it work regardless. Just wondering if anyone has thoughts to help me get through this uneasiness. Thanks for all your support! Your post and story could be mine!

I have been having doubts on everything and I haven't even heard back from my insurance yet. I too have a band and have ultimately failed with it. I figured out how to eat around it and gain the weight back despite the years of puking. Maybe I will do the same with the sleeve too? I am not feeling real good about surgery at the moment but that could be all the emotional turmoil I have been going through BESIDES the wls issue. Ugh. I would go with whatever your surgeon recommends for you. That's what I did, and my husband also who is having surgery a week from today. I am a nervous wreck. Good luck to you!

Hi there. I live in Tucson and can only say that many PCPS down here are pro WLS. With that said, there should be tons to see up there as well. If you are considering WLS, just pick someone in your area with good reviews and then call the office and ask the staff. My insurance requires at least 2 years of charted weight to show a minimum BMI of over 35, so if you haven't established with a dr, you better do so asap. Sometimes Insurance companies like the pcp to write a letter on your behalf in favor of wls. Maybe your other doctors you have seen regularly would be acceptable instead of a pcp. Of course another thing you could do is ask the bariatric offices you are looking at for recommendations. And finally, you really need to know what guidelines your insurance has for wls. Sorry you haven't had any more answers on this post. Sounds like you really need to get your ducks in a row because the whole wls process is quite daunting, at least to me.

@@Mburk72 still no word? I might call on mine today. If I get up the nerve lol.

No to preoperative diet here either. We asked our surgeon and he said he has never seen any benefit from it. And that is ok with us, lol. We are in Tucson. I am so nervous too and I haven't even been approved. My husband has tho and is being sleeved on May 2, just 8 days. Best of luck to you tomorrow and God bless!

Me and my husband had surgery the same day (11/9/15). We had his parents stay with us for a half a week and then my mom the other half of the week. We definitely needed that extra help that first week. It has been great having surgery at the same time, because we are going through similar things at the same time and have a great support system in each other! Best of luck to you! Wow! The same day! That's fantastic! I wish we could do do that too but we don't have anybody that could help us out. Who had a more difficult recovery, you or hubby?

Did you just call the customer service number on the insurance card? Mine was submitted just this past Thursday but I might call tomorrow anyway. Might be a bit premature but my husband's was approved in one day! I'm also scared to call. I just have a feeling it is the gonna be approved. Thanks for posting.

Yea, it really does/did suck! LOL. I am not opposed to trying another vanilla isolate whey but don't even know where to start because there are so many. costco just happened to be sampling a vanilla whey isolate yesterday and OMG it was sickeningly sweet. Ick. Have you tried the

I must be a freak. When I did my swallow test I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would. I guess I was just so excited to be able to drink something. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App This is the first I've heard about a post op barium swallow. I wonder why they want people to do that when they just want you to have Clear liquids the first couple of days. Seems to go against their own rules, lol.

Yea, it really does/did suck! LOL. I am not opposed to trying another vanilla isolate whey but don't even know where to start because there are so many. costco just happened to be sampling a vanilla whey isolate yesterday and OMG it was sickeningly sweet. Ick.

Now THAT'S what I wanted to hear, lol!! Thank you! I do understand what @focus was saying though. I had initially thought a month apart would be perfect, but IF I am approved and IF my surgery can be done sooner, I'd love that.

OMG, the hoops are God-awful. Seriously. Could I tell you some stories, lol!

@@love4life @@Apple85 Hi there How did your surgery go love4life? I live in east Tucson and both my husband and I are patients of Dr.Monash. We have BCBS Fed and hubby was approved really fast. His surgery is May 2 (sleeve). My case was submitted on Thursday (4-21) and I'm a nervous wreck. I have a lap band and want the sleeve. Monash is very very against doing both in one session and that is quite disappointing. I know safety is most important, but I will beg him to do it if I am approved, lol. All the dozens of times I've been in that office, I have never seen Dr. Lovato. I wonder if she does revisions in same surgery. Would love to hear from you both and any other Tucson Bariatric patients. ~Susan

As far as I know, there are only 2 bariatric surgeons in Tucson. There are lots more in Phoenix but that would be too far and inconvenient. I am just gonna beg him to do both procedures and I will tell him that money is a big problem for us. My daughter' s wedding is in august and I was so hoping to be losing weight by then. But if it has to be done in two surgeries months apart, I'm screwed.

Whey isolate is much higher quality Protein and better absorbed by the body. My nutritionist would only allow shakes with whey isolate. I actually liked the vanilla Body Fortress whey isolate. We actually bought the vanilla body fortress isolate a week ago and had to return it. I then read the reviews and saw all 1 stars and the people were complaining that the formula had been changed, that it was very good at one time and now it was terrible! Wish I had read the reviews before buying it!

@@jaxmom yes! You are so fortunate!!!

Oh wow, two months would take it right up to the wedding! It has to be sooner than that. No, we don't have anybody to help us out either. This may not work out like I had plannes, lol.

You are so fortunate to have a surgeon that was willing to do both procedures in one surgery. My surgeon has almost flat out told me he wouldn't but at my insistence, he said he would play it by ear once he gets in there. He says he won't do it if it isn't 'safe', but I think he is just overly cautious. It is frustrating because it is $500 in copays for each hospital stay between the hospital, dr and his co-surgeon. Ugh. I am not a rich woman!

Thank you Dasha for your kind response I am a worry wart by nature, but he is 65, diabetic and has other complications. He has never had major surgery, unlike me. So I worry that this will be a really tough surgery for him. Four hours is still a lot of time in the operating room! Yikes! How is your pain level right now? I was just submitted for a band-to-sleeve revision yesterday. I'm scared of everything. Scared of being denied. Scared that when/if my surgeon goes in, he won't sleeve me in the same operation, which is what he does 95% of the time. He is super conservative and likes to do it in two sessions. Ugh, that means two hospital stays, two sets of expenses, two times under general, two times in pain etc. NOT interested in that. I watched so many videos yesterday where the surgeons were doing both in same surgery. These surgeons obviously felt it was safe enough!

OK, so my husband has jumped through all the hoops and has received approval for the sleeve. His date is May 2! Yay for him! Now, I was just submitted yesterday for a band-to-sleeve revision. I am praying I am approved too. Assuming I AM approved and the doctor's office doesn't drop any more last minute surprises at me (that's another story!), do you think our surgeries spaced out 2-3 weeks apart is a good amount of time? Will hubby feel up to taking care of me by then? Time is of the essence right now. My daughter is getting married in August and I have to buy a dress and travel out of state! I need to start losing weight ASAP lol!

Even after all the abdominal surgeries I've had that involved being 'blown up', I can't remember for the life of me how it felt. Getting old really sucks, lol.

We really like Body Fortress whey chocolate. It's cheap at Walmart, about $19 tub. Best mixed with 1% milk and 2 tbsp of PB2. Do NOT get the Isolate formula tho! It's terrible.

Yeah and I personally think that there is a bit of exaggeration with their time amount. I've noticed a couple other comments that just seems off lol.