AmberMc03

Look for your insurance company's clinical bulletin regarding gastric or weight loss surgery. It should explain the requirements in detail. Aetna (Texas) is #0157.

Check out Memorial Hermann NewStart program they may be able to provide support group and after care if needed. That's the program I am using and it's great!

So dates are changing some... We have our first trip early June then my kids are going to their grandmothers for a month so I can have my surgery another week to two weeks earlier than I thought will give me three - four weeks before the water park camping trip. I hope that's enough time cuz I have been looking forward to his trip for a year! We've never been to this place before and we prepaid for the whole thing so we are going whether I can get up and get out or not.

I started this crazy idea on Feb. 15 and so far I've had 3 weigh in/visits with my surgeon. I've lost 13lbs and am trying to slow down the loss so not to jeopardize my approval with Aetna. They don't require a specific number or percent weight loss just have to show loss. Well I got excited the first month and lost 7 lbs! Then the second month I lost 4lbs and the last visit another 2 lbs! Doc says slow down! Haha why isn't it been this easy before?! Oh yeah because my time effort and money is on the line! I've done blood work, gallbladder ultrasound, upper scope(EGD) - which I was positive for hPylori and had to take 14 days of a triple antibiotic that cost me $150 AFTER insurance!!! And now I'm just waiting for May 19 for my last visit with the surgeon then it's submission time! I want to schedule surgery for the week of June 13th so I can be back to work in time for a major audit we have scheduled for July 18th. Plus my kids are going to stay with Grandma for a month while I have surgery and recover. It's going to be a super busy and rough summer but come Christmas I'll be happier than I've been in years!

The IUD should be fine but Followup with your doctor to be sure. I have tried tons of shakes and so far Herbalife is my favorite for flavor. They also have a tasteless protein powder than can be added to clear liquids, meal replacement shakes and full liquids not to mention the puréed foods.

@@Womanvsmirror does Aetna require you to stay above 40 BMI until the day of surgery? I just dipped down to 40 and I have 1 more weigh in before submission to Aetna and then a good 30 days before I can have the surgery! Plus a 2 week liquid diet will definitely make me drop lbs!!

@ - that's good to know and I'm glad you are on the right track. I'm getting more and more nervous and I'm still 2 months out at least.

@ please update in a few days to when you are feeling more "normal" after surgery. I am curious to see how long recovery takes to get back to where you feel okay.

Well the trips this year were pre-paid before I made the decision to have surgery. I am not worried about work I can do from home as needed and I do not lift anything or handle machinery. I have an office job. Lots of meetings and computer work. I will never have more than 2 weeks to recover and be ready to face my world. I guess I'll have to deal as it comes. It looks like I'll be able to move my surgery back a week to give me 3 weeks before the camping trip - and we don't rough it we have a camper... I just didn't want to miss out on the lazy river at yogi bear! Lol

Every time my kids and I FaceTime with my family out of state I realize how big I am so I try to stay off the screen. I hate looking at my swelled up face and 3 chins!

My mother was furious with me. She ranted about surgery being non-reversible and how my Aunt's lap band was unsuccessful. I'm still not sure how she feels about it as she won't talk about it. I guess that means she is still not happy. I sent her a lengthy email explaining my decision and the benefits vs risks data. I told her that my decision has been made and the insurance company is the only thing that could stop or slow me down. I asked for her support and told her that just like previous medically necessary surgeries that I really need her support.

I am still in the pre approval process. Looking at the calendar if all goes well I could have surgery as early as June 1. But..... We have a number of camping trips this summer plus my kids go visit their grandmother for a couple weeks and I have 2 major audits at work in June/July. There are 2 opportunities that would give me 2 weeks before a trip or audit ---- is this enough time to be ready to be away from home or busy/stressed at work? I do not stress eat when under pressure at work I tend not to eat when I am swamped. What are your thoughts/experiences? I really want to do surgery while the kids are gone but that's 2 weeks before a camping trip that involves lots of outdoor water park type activities. How did you handle the hourly "eating" (drinking) on the liquid diets? My post op is 2 weeks clear liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks puréed, 2 weeks soft food.

Hi I live 50 miles south of Houston. I am in the pre approval phase hoping to have surgery in June. It's a lot of appointments and headaches but will all be worth it when I can play with my kids and walk the dogs without thinking I m dying.... And not be able to gorge myself on the bad stuff! I cannot wait. Plus reduce my risk for hereditary type 2 diabetes, get off my high BP meds and possibly reduce/eliminate migraines!

Oh well that's the denomination I've heard the most about on blessing the house .... I'm sure others do it. I'm in Texas so those 2 groups are prominent here.

I have had 2 c-sections as well, the 2nd one was 5 years and 3 months ago! I was wondering how much easier this recovery would be than those. I think the diet and liquid I take will be tougher to deal with than recovery of a laparoscopic surgery.

Find a pastor from a baptist or Pentecostal church and have the home blessed and anointed. :-)

I had my initial consult on 2/15 and my insurance requires 90 days of supervised weight loss, psych evaluation, nutrition class, gall bladder ultrasound, EGD and blood work. I found that everything can be done during the 90 day supervised weight loss. I hate having to wait so long but I know why they do it. This is a huge change for the rest of your life and you really have to prepare yourself for it. If I am approved soon after the end of my 90 days, which will be mid-late May I am hoping to schedule my surgery for the end of June because my kids will be visiting their grandmother out of state so I won't worry about them. Good luck to you and remember it's all worth the wait!

Look for a clinical bulletin published by BCBS that should tell you all the requirements.

I have struggled with weight since 2001. Growing up I was always in the overweight range and my mom always said it was because I had a booty and very chesty. Once I got out of high school and started working full time, going to college, planning a wedding in 2003 - I started gaining. At age 21 on my wedding day I was 150lbs on a 5'1" frame. My new husband weighed 125lbs soaking wet and could eat literally anything and not gain an ounce. So we did... Fried food (using a fry daddy we were gifted at our wedding), biscuits and gravy after our drinking nights, eating at strange hours and not having time to exercise properly. When I got pregnant with our son in 2006 I weighed 166 lbs and that was after a 20lbs weight loss!!! During my pregnancy we moved from Illinois to Texas to find a better career for my husband and my eating got worse and worse. Being pregnant I wanted anything deep fried and smothered in chocolate! I ate McFlurry's for breakfast, Texas style chicken fried steak lunches, and couldn't get enough of the McDonald's Hot n Spicy! Needless to say I developed gestational diabetes and weighed 190 the day of delivery. I had a c section so longer recovery and my stomach never returned to pre-Prego shape. I stayed around 185 for almost 4 years and then I started going to Zumba and eating subway almost every day. I ate off a small bread and butter plate - grilled or baked everything. I lost 35 lbs and got pregnant with our daughter. I lost 15 more during the first trimester because I refused to increase my intake of calories but that proved bad because she wasn't growing at a normal rate. So I went to the extreme again and on delivery day weighed 215lbs! C section #2 depressed me and o he no desire to work out eat right or care. Between working a high stress job and no family support in Texas (all the supportive ones are in IL) I had no me time, no husband time, no time at all! I've tried Herbalife, Nutrasystem, HCG injections, diet pills galore, I joined Curves in Feb 2014 and over 6 months I lost 17lbs and 16 inches over my body. I felt and looked better but then my grandfather hd been diagnosed with Leukemia and got worse in August. He was in and out of MD Anderson many times. So I stopped my curves ritual and was driving to Houston (1 hr each way) every night after work and on weekends. Eating fast food, hospital cafeteria food, snacking on cookies and candy with grandpa... He died in September 2014 after 1 week on in home hospice. I never left his side and ate whatever the church brought for us and didn't pay attention to how many servings I had it was something to do while I watched grandpa sleep and finally never wake again. After he died the family drama began and my already disconnected family here in Texas completely shut me out. . . Me and my sisters had always been the outcasts because we lived so far away and I think they felt invaded when I moved to Texas. Oh well, another story. So here I am in 2016 with just my husband and 2 kids supporting me emotionally and I am at 220lbs with a BMI of 41. I meet the requirements of my insurance to have the surgery without co-morbidities and have begun the pre-approval process. I told my younger sister - who is like me overweight but not many options or motivations to change - and now she is pregnant with her 3rd child. She talks too much so why I told her I'll never know. Well she told my baby sister who is the most critical person I know - mainly because she wants what everyone else has because she won't go out and get it herself. She is normally the target of our mothers criticism so knowing how baby sister operates I know she blurted it out during a recent criticism my our mom to take the heat off of her! So my mom calls me and goes out of her mind! "This is irreversible and dangerous! Why can't you just eat less and exercise? Ask your aunt Kathi how bad an idea this is!" (My Aunt had lap band in 2007 or 2008 and it was unsuccessful after 12mos). She was very upset and starting to get ugly about it when my husband said "if she's not supportive hang up the phone"! My hunny is my hero.... But I am heartbroken that she now won't talk to me. 1 of my 2 sisters won't talk to me either - but she knows she screwed up by telling mom before I had a chance to... My dad seems indifferent and my younger sister I am not sure her stance but seems supportive - if that's what I feel is my last option to get healthy then go for it - is her response. My kids keep saying "mom when you get skinny you can _______________ with us! (Fill in the blank with just about any kid play activity). It melts me heart that they can recognize at ages 5 & 9 that mommy has to change something and that I'll be able to really play with them! My aunt and a cousin on my dads side here in Texas recently went to Mexico and had the sleeve procedures. They seem to be doing well from what I can see on Instagram - the last place I've not been blocked from. I have friends at work that are super supportive, my boss seemed surprised but not critical and my best friend is also currently in her pre-approval process as well. She is about 2 weeks ahead of me on her list of things to satisfy the insurance company so I get info earlier than my appointment which helps my nerves. Thanks for reading this novel, and any tips for how to make mom see the light would be greatly appreciated.

I have been searching for people who have been sleeved over 5 years!! There's isn't any data on success rate or complications down the road. Have you had any problems? Can you still only eat very small amounts? How is your overall health? Sorry for all the questions but I am in the pre approval process to get sleeved and the long term data is something I really wanted to see to ease my concern with this life changing .... Irreversible surgery...

Susan I also have Aetna and he my initial consult with the Surgeon on 2/15/16. I have a laundry list of things to do and I've been stressing over my coinsurance for all the pre-approval requirements!

My aunt and cousin both had sleeve surgeries done in Mexico. Quite frankly I think it's a bad idea. Mexico has different health and safety laws and regulations, there is much less chance of being able to travel back and forth for follow ups. I understand the appeal of pricing and availability to have it done sooner than waiting on insurance. I started this journey on 2/7/16 by attending a seminar and meet/greet with one of the surgeons in the group I was referred to. Then my consult with my surgeon was on 2/15 and insurance requires me to be under medical weight loss supervision for 90 days in the mean time I am to lose approx 5 lbs, have a psych evaluation; a variation nutrition class, upper gi scope, gall bladder ultrasound and monthly weigh ins with my surgeon. My plan is to have the surgery the week of 6/27/16 while my kids are visiting their grandma for a few weeks. I don't want them seeing me leaving for the hospital or immediately post op. By the time they come home I should be starting the puréed foods phase of post op and they won't know any different except mommy is losing weight. My aunt and cousin both had sleeve surgeries done in Mexico. Quite frankly I think it's a bad idea. Mexico has different health and safety laws and regulations, there is much less chance of being able to travel back and forth for follow ups. I understand the appeal of pricing and availability to have it done sooner than waiting on insurance. I started this journey on 2/7/16 by attending a seminar and meet/greet with one of the surgeons in the group I was referred to. Then my consult with my surgeon was on 2/15 and insurance requires me to be under medical weight loss supervision for 90 days in the mean time I am to lose approx 5 lbs, have a psych evaluation; a variation nutrition class, upper gi scope, gall bladder ultrasound and monthly weigh ins with my surgeon. My plan is to have the surgery the week of 6/27/16 while my kids are visiting their grandma for a few weeks. I don't want them seeing me leaving for the hospital or immediately post op. By the time they come home I should be starting the puréed foods phase of post op and they won't know any different except mommy is losing weight.