curlgirl

Hi all. In all of the investigation and research, I have never felt the need to share much. But woo hoo, this week has been a roller coaster.
My investigation into bariatric surgery began in April of this year with a chance catch at the bottom of my insurance coverage. Read my thoughts in bold:

Services Your Plan Does NOT Cover (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document for other excluded services.)
*Cosmetic surgery (unless reconstructive) - well craptasic applesauce, this melasma mustache isn't going anywhere. Google it.
*Dental care (Adult) - cool, I have dental.
*Routine foot care (limited coverage may apply) - k?
*Infertility treatment (limited coverage may apply) - good? Babies at 40 aren't my thing.
*Weight loss programs - da fu? Really. Not even when you can track success and follow a plan, huh?
*Long-term care - getting old in America is going to suck. Good thing my husband came with a kid and he likes me more.

Other Covered Services (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document.)
*Hearing aids - hmmm.
*Private-duty nursing - hmmm.
*Routine eye care (Adult) - nice.
*Non-emergency care when traveling outside the U.S. - Is my passport current?
*Acupuncture - this is progressive. Nice.
*Bariatric (preauthorization required) - hmmm.
*Chiropractic care - CRACK! ... Wait, what was that last one?

Mention to my mom,"hey think my insurance has good coverage for bariatric surgery. Like, maybe the deductible and that's it." (Shoulder shrug) And BAM, the ball gets rolling. PCP calls. Centers of excellence calls. Appointments start. I tell random strangers what to do with me if I am in a vegetative state. My husband asks, "are you sure?" Yep. Schedule. Over schedule. Cancel. Try and find a willing doc for the psych evaluation. Call after call. sleep eval. Endoscopy. (BTW I can't handle any opiate without vomit.) I have cramps. Call from the care coordinator, "sending you stuff through,but your sleep eval issue?" Huh? Magic same night cpap appointment available.

BUT Not even worried. It will happen when it happens. Delays are no biggie. I can adjust schedules based on surgery date. Find sitters. Breathe. No rush. This is a big deal. Hell, I'm not even approved. Ummm. Where is my period? Seriously. I have an app for that. Where is it? It's never late. I am taking calls from intake doctors. Yep, everything is normal. Calls from appointment setters. Yes, that will work just fine. (8/16 BTW). But, where is my period?!?!? When I got married and was asked the inevitable, " when are you going to have a baby?" (Which is a question that deserves a punch in the face, BTW.) I always responded with, "it'll be by accident." Well hell, not this week! Not 4 years later. My goodness, The doctor stopped mid interview and asked, " you know you can get pregnant without using protection?" Duh (with an eye roll). And so begins my penance. No damn blood.

BUT today was a crampy, blessed miracle. Thank the sweet baby jesus I do not personally believe in. I started my period.

Happy Saturday y'all. I hope yours rocked as much as mine.

I had Dr. Nagle at Northwestern. Great hospital and team. Nurses were top notch.
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Have one, you won't like it.
It will feel like swallowing liquid fire.
It would also really suck to dump at a wedding, and look like a heroin addict.
But hey, #yolo, enjoy.

Just asking to get info - Were you able to wean off of caffeine prior to surgery?
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I know everyone's surgeon has specifics. For example, I have no liquid diet requirement prior to surgery, just two high Protein low fat, low carb meals and a shake for two weeks.
Be honest and speak to your team tomorrow. It may be just fine. Good luck and breathe.

Hi all. In all of the investigation and research, I have never felt the need to share much. But woo hoo, this week has been a roller coaster.
My investigation into bariatric surgery began in April of this year with a chance catch at the bottom of my insurance coverage. Read my thoughts in bold:

Services Your Plan Does NOT Cover (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document for other excluded services.)
*Cosmetic surgery (unless reconstructive) - well craptasic applesauce, this melasma mustache isn't going anywhere. Google it.
*Dental care (Adult) - cool, I have dental.
*Routine foot care (limited coverage may apply) - k?
*Infertility treatment (limited coverage may apply) - good? Babies at 40 aren't my thing.
*Weight loss programs - da fu? Really. Not even when you can track success and follow a plan, huh?
*Long-term care - getting old in America is going to suck. Good thing my husband came with a kid and he likes me more.

Other Covered Services (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document.)
*Hearing aids - hmmm.
*Private-duty nursing - hmmm.
*Routine eye care (Adult) - nice.
*Non-emergency care when traveling outside the U.S. - Is my passport current?
*Acupuncture - this is progressive. Nice.
*Bariatric (preauthorization required) - hmmm.
*Chiropractic care - CRACK! ... Wait, what was that last one?

Mention to my mom,"hey think my insurance has good coverage for bariatric surgery. Like, maybe the deductible and that's it." (Shoulder shrug) And BAM, the ball gets rolling. PCP calls. Centers of excellence calls. Appointments start. I tell random strangers what to do with me if I am in a vegetative state. My husband asks, "are you sure?" Yep. Schedule. Over schedule. Cancel. Try and find a willing doc for the psych evaluation. Call after call. sleep eval. Endoscopy. (BTW I can't handle any opiate without vomit.) I have cramps. Call from the care coordinator, "sending you stuff through,but your sleep eval issue?" Huh? Magic same night cpap appointment available.

BUT Not even worried. It will happen when it happens. Delays are no biggie. I can adjust schedules based on surgery date. Find sitters. Breathe. No rush. This is a big deal. Hell, I'm not even approved. Ummm. Where is my period? Seriously. I have an app for that. Where is it? It's never late. I am taking calls from intake doctors. Yep, everything is normal. Calls from appointment setters. Yes, that will work just fine. (8/16 BTW). But, where is my period?!?!? When I got married and was asked the inevitable, " when are you going to have a baby?" (Which is a question that deserves a punch in the face, BTW.) I always responded with, "it'll be by accident." Well hell, not this week! Not 4 years later. My goodness, The doctor stopped mid interview and asked, " you know you can get pregnant without using protection?" Duh (with an eye roll). And so begins my penance. No damn blood.

BUT today was a crampy, blessed miracle. Thank the sweet baby jesus I do not personally believe in. I started my period.

Happy Saturday y'all. I hope yours rocked as much as mine.

I lost XXX pounds and **KEPT** it off because of surgery. So SUCK it.

Thank you for your post @lipsticklady. Preparing for this journey puts a lot of people in a bubble. A needle to pop it always lets new air in.
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I just need to point a couple things out.
First, the odds of having serious or long last complications if you use an experienced, well-reviewed surgeon who knows what he/she is doing are extremely low. The risk of death is even lower. Tiny. The chance of dying decades early from complications related to obesity is huge. Almost inevitable.
Second, things have changed in the last 10-15 years. The surgeries are safer and more understood, with more long-term data and so on. Someone who gets their surgery today has significantly less risk than they would have been taking even a few years ago.
There is always going to be a story about someone's mother's friend's dog's babysitter's uncle's sister who had some rare complication and died, but how many stories do you hear about the successes? Better yet, how many people do you pass on the street who had surgery, lost their weight, and are now maintaining healthy lives and you simply don't know about it? Without personally knowing someone who had either success or failure, how could you know why they failed? Was it a freak accident, or was it some kind of issue brought on by unhealthy actions post-op? Honestly, in 2 years of research and literally thousands of people I've come across, it's rare that complications just "happen", especially nowadays. You do occasionally come across an unlucky soul who just had terrible luck. It does happen. But usually, it's totally related to a patient error, like eating too much/wrong things, taking nsaids and getting ulcers, smoking, etc.
In the end, there is always a risk. But the tiny risk here is surgery, as opposed to the huge risk of remaining obese. You have to decide if it's worth it or if you're willing and able to take that leap. It's scary! But you can do it, you can do anything you believe you can do, and there will always be people here to support you and Celebrate your achievements, as well as people to mourn and commiserate with. Good luck to you! It's rarely an easy decision but whatever you chose, I wish you nothing but health and happiness.

I am scheduled for surgery on August 16th. I feel like my insurance works backwards. I have to chose the surgeon, get all the tests and appointments, get a date, and then they review the claim for approval. They just spent 7k on a whole bunch of appointments.
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Hi all. In all of the investigation and research, I have never felt the need to share much. But woo hoo, this week has been a roller coaster.
My investigation into bariatric surgery began in April of this year with a chance catch at the bottom of my insurance coverage. Read my thoughts in bold:

Services Your Plan Does NOT Cover (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document for other excluded services.)
*Cosmetic surgery (unless reconstructive) - well craptasic applesauce, this melasma mustache isn't going anywhere. Google it.
*Dental care (Adult) - cool, I have dental.
*Routine foot care (limited coverage may apply) - k?
*Infertility treatment (limited coverage may apply) - good? Babies at 40 aren't my thing.
*Weight loss programs - da fu? Really. Not even when you can track success and follow a plan, huh?
*Long-term care - getting old in America is going to suck. Good thing my husband came with a kid and he likes me more.

Other Covered Services (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document.)
*Hearing aids - hmmm.
*Private-duty nursing - hmmm.
*Routine eye care (Adult) - nice.
*Non-emergency care when traveling outside the U.S. - Is my passport current?
*Acupuncture - this is progressive. Nice.
*Bariatric (preauthorization required) - hmmm.
*Chiropractic care - CRACK! ... Wait, what was that last one?

Mention to my mom,"hey think my insurance has good coverage for bariatric surgery. Like, maybe the deductible and that's it." (Shoulder shrug) And BAM, the ball gets rolling. PCP calls. Centers of excellence calls. Appointments start. I tell random strangers what to do with me if I am in a vegetative state. My husband asks, "are you sure?" Yep. Schedule. Over schedule. Cancel. Try and find a willing doc for the psych evaluation. Call after call. sleep eval. Endoscopy. (BTW I can't handle any opiate without vomit.) I have cramps. Call from the care coordinator, "sending you stuff through,but your sleep eval issue?" Huh? Magic same night cpap appointment available.

BUT Not even worried. It will happen when it happens. Delays are no biggie. I can adjust schedules based on surgery date. Find sitters. Breathe. No rush. This is a big deal. Hell, I'm not even approved. Ummm. Where is my period? Seriously. I have an app for that. Where is it? It's never late. I am taking calls from intake doctors. Yep, everything is normal. Calls from appointment setters. Yes, that will work just fine. (8/16 BTW). But, where is my period?!?!? When I got married and was asked the inevitable, " when are you going to have a baby?" (Which is a question that deserves a punch in the face, BTW.) I always responded with, "it'll be by accident." Well hell, not this week! Not 4 years later. My goodness, The doctor stopped mid interview and asked, " you know you can get pregnant without using protection?" Duh (with an eye roll). And so begins my penance. No damn blood.

BUT today was a crampy, blessed miracle. Thank the sweet baby jesus I do not personally believe in. I started my period.

Happy Saturday y'all. I hope yours rocked as much as mine.

@@curlgirl
Thanks for the entertaining post - I enjoyed your writing style.
Glad your weekend worked out. Late-life babies aren't my thing either!

LMFAO!

@@curlgirl This made me laugh!

Hi all. In all of the investigation and research, I have never felt the need to share much. But woo hoo, this week has been a roller coaster.
My investigation into bariatric surgery began in April of this year with a chance catch at the bottom of my insurance coverage. Read my thoughts in bold:

Services Your Plan Does NOT Cover (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document for other excluded services.)
*Cosmetic surgery (unless reconstructive) - well craptasic applesauce, this melasma mustache isn't going anywhere. Google it.
*Dental care (Adult) - cool, I have dental.
*Routine foot care (limited coverage may apply) - k?
*Infertility treatment (limited coverage may apply) - good? Babies at 40 aren't my thing.
*Weight loss programs - da fu? Really. Not even when you can track success and follow a plan, huh?
*Long-term care - getting old in America is going to suck. Good thing my husband came with a kid and he likes me more.

Other Covered Services (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document.)
*Hearing aids - hmmm.
*Private-duty nursing - hmmm.
*Routine eye care (Adult) - nice.
*Non-emergency care when traveling outside the U.S. - Is my passport current?
*Acupuncture - this is progressive. Nice.
*Bariatric (preauthorization required) - hmmm.
*Chiropractic care - CRACK! ... Wait, what was that last one?

Mention to my mom,"hey think my insurance has good coverage for bariatric surgery. Like, maybe the deductible and that's it." (Shoulder shrug) And BAM, the ball gets rolling. PCP calls. Centers of excellence calls. Appointments start. I tell random strangers what to do with me if I am in a vegetative state. My husband asks, "are you sure?" Yep. Schedule. Over schedule. Cancel. Try and find a willing doc for the psych evaluation. Call after call. sleep eval. Endoscopy. (BTW I can't handle any opiate without vomit.) I have cramps. Call from the care coordinator, "sending you stuff through,but your sleep eval issue?" Huh? Magic same night cpap appointment available.

BUT Not even worried. It will happen when it happens. Delays are no biggie. I can adjust schedules based on surgery date. Find sitters. Breathe. No rush. This is a big deal. Hell, I'm not even approved. Ummm. Where is my period? Seriously. I have an app for that. Where is it? It's never late. I am taking calls from intake doctors. Yep, everything is normal. Calls from appointment setters. Yes, that will work just fine. (8/16 BTW). But, where is my period?!?!? When I got married and was asked the inevitable, " when are you going to have a baby?" (Which is a question that deserves a punch in the face, BTW.) I always responded with, "it'll be by accident." Well hell, not this week! Not 4 years later. My goodness, The doctor stopped mid interview and asked, " you know you can get pregnant without using protection?" Duh (with an eye roll). And so begins my penance. No damn blood.

BUT today was a crampy, blessed miracle. Thank the sweet baby jesus I do not personally believe in. I started my period.

Happy Saturday y'all. I hope yours rocked as much as mine.

Hi all. In all of the investigation and research, I have never felt the need to share much. But woo hoo, this week has been a roller coaster.
My investigation into bariatric surgery began in April of this year with a chance catch at the bottom of my insurance coverage. Read my thoughts in bold:

Services Your Plan Does NOT Cover (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document for other excluded services.)
*Cosmetic surgery (unless reconstructive) - well craptasic applesauce, this melasma mustache isn't going anywhere. Google it.
*Dental care (Adult) - cool, I have dental.
*Routine foot care (limited coverage may apply) - k?
*Infertility treatment (limited coverage may apply) - good? Babies at 40 aren't my thing.
*Weight loss programs - da fu? Really. Not even when you can track success and follow a plan, huh?
*Long-term care - getting old in America is going to suck. Good thing my husband came with a kid and he likes me more.

Other Covered Services (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document.)
*Hearing aids - hmmm.
*Private-duty nursing - hmmm.
*Routine eye care (Adult) - nice.
*Non-emergency care when traveling outside the U.S. - Is my passport current?
*Acupuncture - this is progressive. Nice.
*Bariatric (preauthorization required) - hmmm.
*Chiropractic care - CRACK! ... Wait, what was that last one?

Mention to my mom,"hey think my insurance has good coverage for bariatric surgery. Like, maybe the deductible and that's it." (Shoulder shrug) And BAM, the ball gets rolling. PCP calls. Centers of excellence calls. Appointments start. I tell random strangers what to do with me if I am in a vegetative state. My husband asks, "are you sure?" Yep. Schedule. Over schedule. Cancel. Try and find a willing doc for the psych evaluation. Call after call. sleep eval. Endoscopy. (BTW I can't handle any opiate without vomit.) I have cramps. Call from the care coordinator, "sending you stuff through,but your sleep eval issue?" Huh? Magic same night cpap appointment available.

BUT Not even worried. It will happen when it happens. Delays are no biggie. I can adjust schedules based on surgery date. Find sitters. Breathe. No rush. This is a big deal. Hell, I'm not even approved. Ummm. Where is my period? Seriously. I have an app for that. Where is it? It's never late. I am taking calls from intake doctors. Yep, everything is normal. Calls from appointment setters. Yes, that will work just fine. (8/16 BTW). But, where is my period?!?!? When I got married and was asked the inevitable, " when are you going to have a baby?" (Which is a question that deserves a punch in the face, BTW.) I always responded with, "it'll be by accident." Well hell, not this week! Not 4 years later. My goodness, The doctor stopped mid interview and asked, " you know you can get pregnant without using protection?" Duh (with an eye roll). And so begins my penance. No damn blood.

BUT today was a crampy, blessed miracle. Thank the sweet baby jesus I do not personally believe in. I started my period.

Happy Saturday y'all. I hope yours rocked as much as mine.

Hi all. In all of the investigation and research, I have never felt the need to share much. But woo hoo, this week has been a roller coaster.
My investigation into bariatric surgery began in April of this year with a chance catch at the bottom of my insurance coverage. Read my thoughts in bold:

Services Your Plan Does NOT Cover (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document for other excluded services.)
*Cosmetic surgery (unless reconstructive) - well craptasic applesauce, this melasma mustache isn't going anywhere. Google it.
*Dental care (Adult) - cool, I have dental.
*Routine foot care (limited coverage may apply) - k?
*Infertility treatment (limited coverage may apply) - good? Babies at 40 aren't my thing.
*Weight loss programs - da fu? Really. Not even when you can track success and follow a plan, huh?
*Long-term care - getting old in America is going to suck. Good thing my husband came with a kid and he likes me more.

Other Covered Services (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document.)
*Hearing aids - hmmm.
*Private-duty nursing - hmmm.
*Routine eye care (Adult) - nice.
*Non-emergency care when traveling outside the U.S. - Is my passport current?
*Acupuncture - this is progressive. Nice.
*Bariatric (preauthorization required) - hmmm.
*Chiropractic care - CRACK! ... Wait, what was that last one?

Mention to my mom,"hey think my insurance has good coverage for bariatric surgery. Like, maybe the deductible and that's it." (Shoulder shrug) And BAM, the ball gets rolling. PCP calls. Centers of excellence calls. Appointments start. I tell random strangers what to do with me if I am in a vegetative state. My husband asks, "are you sure?" Yep. Schedule. Over schedule. Cancel. Try and find a willing doc for the psych evaluation. Call after call. sleep eval. Endoscopy. (BTW I can't handle any opiate without vomit.) I have cramps. Call from the care coordinator, "sending you stuff through,but your sleep eval issue?" Huh? Magic same night cpap appointment available.

BUT Not even worried. It will happen when it happens. Delays are no biggie. I can adjust schedules based on surgery date. Find sitters. Breathe. No rush. This is a big deal. Hell, I'm not even approved. Ummm. Where is my period? Seriously. I have an app for that. Where is it? It's never late. I am taking calls from intake doctors. Yep, everything is normal. Calls from appointment setters. Yes, that will work just fine. (8/16 BTW). But, where is my period?!?!? When I got married and was asked the inevitable, " when are you going to have a baby?" (Which is a question that deserves a punch in the face, BTW.) I always responded with, "it'll be by accident." Well hell, not this week! Not 4 years later. My goodness, The doctor stopped mid interview and asked, " you know you can get pregnant without using protection?" Duh (with an eye roll). And so begins my penance. No damn blood.

BUT today was a crampy, blessed miracle. Thank the sweet baby jesus I do not personally believe in. I started my period.

Happy Saturday y'all. I hope yours rocked as much as mine.

Hi all. In all of the investigation and research, I have never felt the need to share much. But woo hoo, this week has been a roller coaster.
My investigation into bariatric surgery began in April of this year with a chance catch at the bottom of my insurance coverage. Read my thoughts in bold:

Services Your Plan Does NOT Cover (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document for other excluded services.)
*Cosmetic surgery (unless reconstructive) - well craptasic applesauce, this melasma mustache isn't going anywhere. Google it.
*Dental care (Adult) - cool, I have dental.
*Routine foot care (limited coverage may apply) - k?
*Infertility treatment (limited coverage may apply) - good? Babies at 40 aren't my thing.
*Weight loss programs - da fu? Really. Not even when you can track success and follow a plan, huh?
*Long-term care - getting old in America is going to suck. Good thing my husband came with a kid and he likes me more.

Other Covered Services (This isn’t a complete list. Check your policy or plan document.)
*Hearing aids - hmmm.
*Private-duty nursing - hmmm.
*Routine eye care (Adult) - nice.
*Non-emergency care when traveling outside the U.S. - Is my passport current?
*Acupuncture - this is progressive. Nice.
*Bariatric (preauthorization required) - hmmm.
*Chiropractic care - CRACK! ... Wait, what was that last one?

Mention to my mom,"hey think my insurance has good coverage for bariatric surgery. Like, maybe the deductible and that's it." (Shoulder shrug) And BAM, the ball gets rolling. PCP calls. Centers of excellence calls. Appointments start. I tell random strangers what to do with me if I am in a vegetative state. My husband asks, "are you sure?" Yep. Schedule. Over schedule. Cancel. Try and find a willing doc for the psych evaluation. Call after call. sleep eval. Endoscopy. (BTW I can't handle any opiate without vomit.) I have cramps. Call from the care coordinator, "sending you stuff through,but your sleep eval issue?" Huh? Magic same night cpap appointment available.

BUT Not even worried. It will happen when it happens. Delays are no biggie. I can adjust schedules based on surgery date. Find sitters. Breathe. No rush. This is a big deal. Hell, I'm not even approved. Ummm. Where is my period? Seriously. I have an app for that. Where is it? It's never late. I am taking calls from intake doctors. Yep, everything is normal. Calls from appointment setters. Yes, that will work just fine. (8/16 BTW). But, where is my period?!?!? When I got married and was asked the inevitable, " when are you going to have a baby?" (Which is a question that deserves a punch in the face, BTW.) I always responded with, "it'll be by accident." Well hell, not this week! Not 4 years later. My goodness, The doctor stopped mid interview and asked, " you know you can get pregnant without using protection?" Duh (with an eye roll). And so begins my penance. No damn blood.

BUT today was a crampy, blessed miracle. Thank the sweet baby jesus I do not personally believe in. I started my period.

Happy Saturday y'all. I hope yours rocked as much as mine.

It was a beautiful (albeit hot) day today and after I got my 6 miles in for the day, I decided to take my daughters up to a local wing festival. Needless to say the place was so incredibly packed that I did not stay! We ended up just going to BW3's. I haven't been to one of these places for a long time. I didn't order anything except an unsweetened ice tea. My girls however had the fried cheese curds and some hot boneless wings.
The food actually smelled really good, and I figured since I had over 25 miles on the elliptical this week that it wouldn't be too bad if I tried some of it. I had a few curds and 6 small chicken chunks. By the time we left the restaurant, I was full on nauseous. I mean serious drool and green pallor and everything. It wasn't dumping, I know that one. This was just food that doesn't like me. I looked up the nutrition on the BW3's website and I had well over 600 calories in that totally unsatisfying meal.
I remember my record. I once ate 42 wings. I literally am disgusted at that thought and I swear, I am never going to eat that crap again. This is one of the few instances where you can never go home and thank goodness for that!
So whats my rant? My rant is that I was stupid enough to eat something I know is not a part of my plan and all week long we have been talking about eating poorly. However I will say straight out that at a year and half out I am not in danger. So if any newbie sees this, take heart. Even us veterans can be stupid.

I sent this to my care coordinator today

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I sent this to my care coordinator today

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I sent this to my care coordinator today

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I sent this to my care coordinator today

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I sent this to my care coordinator today

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I will welcome you with my first post as well. I thought I'd sit back and glean what tidbits I could through the whole process, but I liked your honesty and thoughtfulness. Good for you for taking some very important steps for success. I hope to have a date near yours after a few more appointments.
3 months is nothing. You will breeze through it. Work on you. You seem to know what's important.
Best of luck.
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App