Rainy Days

Alana Chock is in Everett at Northwest Weight Loss Surgery

My surgeon is female in Washington state.

My surgeon is female in Washington state.

I'm July 11th! Getting pretty excited... it's only one month from today!

I'm July 11th! Getting pretty excited... it's only one month from today!

I'm July 11th! Getting pretty excited... it's only one month from today!

I'm July 11th! Getting pretty excited... it's only one month from today!

Annie, my sleep was horrible on my test too. I was surprised it was enough for them to decide I had sleep apnea. Now I'm forced to use the machine until surgery at minimum. I don't love my cpap, but can tolerate it now. I just had my follow up appointment now that I've had the machine for 6 weeks. They showed me how much better my apneas are (none compared to 12+ an hour before) and suggested that my problems are based on me having the wrong mask. So, i'll be getting a new mask soon.
Jen, the cpap machine is silent until I take off the mask and then you hear blowing air. I just turn off the machine prior to taking off the mask and it doesn't disturb my husband at all.

I'm July 11th. Looking forward to my pre-op appointment on June 28th. I start the pre-op diet on July 1.

My surgery date is July 11th and I'll be starting my pre-op diet on July 1st! eeek! I'm excited and wishing it was here already

Had my surgery (Gastric Sleeve and hiatal hernia repair) as scheduled on 5/25. Had a 3 day hospital stay and was released on Sat.. As for the diabetes meds, I was on Metformin, Glyburide, and Insulin (Degludec). I cut back the insulin the night before surgery and did not receive it or the other diabetes meds while at the hospital. With the meds and insulin I was averaging around 95-105, the last month prior to surgery. They checked my blood glucose frequently. After surgery my reading was 185 and dropped down from there. I have not had any diabetes meds since last Tues and have been averaging around 80 (which is somewhat low).
As for my heart meds, directly after surgery I was given them crushed/mixed with Water. The first couple of days were a challenge with such small sips. I had been practicing trying to take smaller drinks but messed up and gulped a couple times (not recommended). My surgeon along with the cardiologist team went over my heart meds and felt that none were "too large" to swallowed. On Friday I was given the meds in pill form. Weirdest thing was it taking 15min. to take my meds, 1pill at a time. I was so used to having em' all go down the hatch at the same time with one big gulp.

My update is that I've been approved for surgery by my insurance and it's set for July 11th. Would love to hear how others are doing!

My testing did not give me anything to help me sleep. They want you to try to achieve a typical night's sleep. You shouldn't stay awake the night before, however I'd recommend you not take a nap that day and try to be tired for the sleep test. Maybe do some extra walking/exercise that day. I had a hard time sleeping for my test and worried it wouldn't be enough sleep, but in the end I slept for 4-5 hours (broken up) and it was enough for them to work with.

woohoo! Another July 11th person!

oh yay! Lots of Summer Sleevers! I'm excited we are all starting our journey in the next couple of months!

oh yay! Lots of Summer Sleevers! I'm excited we are all starting our journey in the next couple of months!

FYI, anyone with a BMI of 40 or higher is "morbidly obese."
In my case, at 5'5", that was 240 pounds.
And since insurance doesn't pay for WLS for anyone under a BMI of 40 (unless they have a BMI of 35 and 3 comorbidities), most people here who've been sleeved were morbidly obese before WLS.

The appointment with the doctor's office yesterday was phenomenal in some ways. This might get long, and I hope it's not too confusing!
Backing up: It was about a week ago when someone at BCBS first called my coordinator saying I wasn't covered for VSG. I was sure it was some error or someone reading the wrong file or something. Right away, I suggested to my staff that IF that is true (and I didn't believe it then), we could have me do the hernia repair and then just add-on the surgeon fee for the VSG and do all at once. Makes total sense, and I can see you all understand this concept here! So, I called BCBS myself to get it straightened out and they were still telling me it's all fine, medically necessary, you're covered, etc (that person didn't look deeper into the employer benefits exclusion at that time, and I wasn't aware of it). Even though I thought we were now good to go and the coordinator believed it too, since that time my surgeon was alerted to all of this by the staff, and started looking into the ability to do this "VSG-piggyback-on-the-Hernia" plan for me.
Fast forward to yesterday: I started my appointment with the coordinator and shared all the details about how I'd just learned that I'm now definitely NOT covered for VSG due to employer's exclusion buried deep within their policy somewhere. She explained that Doc has been working on the contingency plan all week long with the hospital. Next, went into examination room for weigh, go over meds, all that stuff with nurse. Next, the doctor and most of his staff met me in the hall and then led me into his office to talk, just the two of us. He explained that at our hospital, this piggyback-VSG had never been done, though he'd tried many times before and the hospital bigwigs would not budge. In my case, he was somehow able to get through to the top brass there to get it accepted as a new procedure. This may in part be because I've been through this long process for months, met every requirement, medical necessity with several co-morbidities, and we were now just DAYS away from my scheduled surgery date. I think that the urgency helped.
During our meeting in his office, my PA interrupted to say so-and-so was on the phone, did he want to take it now or call later? He kind of darted out of the office and left me there for at least 15 minutes (I figured it was some emergency). When he came back, he said that was actually about my case; they were literally still getting finance dept people at the hospital on board with the piggyback-VSG while I was there!
Because I'm their guinea pig for this, they couldn't give me a $ figure so I couldn't even comprehend if I could afford what they were trying to do. Finally, they got a figure for the VSG portion. In order to get this squared away immediately so that I could know that I'm actually getting surgery on Monday, I paid 50% of that figure with a credit card right there. If I had time, I might have looked into the Care Credit financing or something...but no time.
My entire staff was so kind and so wonderfully human about this whole thing. I felt like they genuinely cared about me, they realize how hard I've worked and how much I want and need this. We were all celebrating after we got the breakthrough with the hospital that will now allow a self-pay VSG tied together with covered hernia repair, for the first time ever. My Doc said that my case will enable more patients who really need this to be able to get it done at our hospital in the future. I actually feel really proud and excited about this.

When I first started thinking about surgery I found out that my insurance has similar requirements. I was at 39.5 BMI... so I gained a little weight. I was always bouncing between 39-42 BMI anyway, but I was deliberate in my eating to make sure I weighed enough for the first weigh in. You probably only have 6-7 pounds to reach the 40 BMI anyway. Have you already seen the surgeon? Maybe you can tip the scales in your favor

I've been reading this book on my Kindle and it addresses the concerns you have. I've found it to be pretty helpful. It's the Emotional First Aid Kit: Life after Bariatric Surgery. https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical-ebook/dp/B0054RXXS0?ie=UTF8&keywords=emotional%20bariatric&qid=1462760486&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
I have anxiety issues and still got through my eval. She asked if I was on meds, and I told her I had been but didn't find them helpful. It was much easier than I anticipated! But I still recommend the book.

I've been reading this book on my Kindle and it addresses the concerns you have. I've found it to be pretty helpful. It's the Emotional First Aid Kit: Life after Bariatric Surgery. https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical-ebook/dp/B0054RXXS0?ie=UTF8&keywords=emotional%20bariatric&qid=1462760486&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
I have anxiety issues and still got through my eval. She asked if I was on meds, and I told her I had been but didn't find them helpful. It was much easier than I anticipated! But I still recommend the book.

And make a list of what you take, so you don't forget it when you go home. We have tons of chargers in drawers from pts leaving them!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hey all... Been awhile! Actually about 3 months! Let me tell you this has been a game changer for me so far. I have gone from my heaviest weight of 336 at the end of last summer, to my surgery weight of 316. At 3 months post surgery, I am at 246!! I am almost 100 lbs lighter and healthier now!! I feel better than ever, and I have way more energy! People are constantly double taking me now, as they don't recognize me at first. Hell, my own mother walked right by me one day, as she didn't recognize me from the back... Lol. Only drawback so far, is my clothes are now officially gone and I have to buy a whole new wardrobe, but for the first time that I can remember, shopping is fun! I can now go into name brand stores and buy my size off the rack, and not have to go into wal-mart or the big and tall store!
I am excited for my doctors 3 month appointment this Thursday as well, which I always dreaded! I have another 25 to 50 more pounds to go. It's definitely not easy by any means, but it is so worth it! I eat so healthy now, and so does my family. Plus losing weight rubs off onto others and they start trying to better themselves, so that's some good karma as well...
If anyone is reading this and thinking twice about surgery, fear not! GO FOR IT!
Like so many others on this forum have said before, my inly regret is that I just wish I would have done this years ago!

Alana Chock is in Everett at Northwest Weight Loss Surgery

what great questions and answers!