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I have been with a doctor to discuss treatment options for my spider and varicose veins. I have approval and all the stuff necessary to get started, but it's a long process. Is this something that can be done before weight loss surgery? Has anyone done it that way? I have heard conflicting responses, so I don't know if I should just wait or go ahead with it. I'll be asking my surgeon next week, but I was curious what anyone else had done or heard about.

How long did it take for you all to get approval from insurance and what did they ask of you? I'm BCBS Iowa and was just curious if anyone else had them too! I have been on a medically-followed plan for almost a year, so I shouldn't have to do anything more if that is a requirement. What hoops are there to jump through beyond the BMI and health issues category? I already know I qualify for that one! Thanks!

Thanks! That's good to hear. I hope that since I'm younger, I can bounce back a little easier. My doctor seems to think so. My oldest is 55 lbs and the other two are 37 and 34 lbs. (my 2 year old girl is a bit of a monster). I think it is doable. My kids are also in daycare and I teach, but can remain sedentary for a time if possible. Anyway, thank you for the information! How long was your hospital stay?

I'm 33 years old and am now just under 300. (people will argue that I don't look like I weigh that much but the scale doesn't lie). I'm a size 18/20. I have had moderate success losing about 50 lbs from last November using diet and medication. I am currently on Victoza and MEtformin because I also suffer from PCOS. I am active and exercise 3-4 days a week. I am having my first consult in two weeks and am looking at the sleeve or potentially the band. I know the band is going out of style, but my concern is recovery time. I have three young kids, 4, 3, and 2 and while my husband is supportive, I don't want any undue burden falling on him as I recover. Are there parents with younger kids out there who have or will undergo surgery that can share experiences? I'm nervous about all of this, but committed to getting healthier. We are looking into a fourth child and I refuse to be this large when I get pregnant. Thank you!

Congrats on the loss. I don't think I remember being that small. I'm working on my own being just under 300lbs at the moment. My husband is supportive of the surgery, but honestly I'm more concerned about how I will be post surgery while trying to take care of my kids. I don't want to put all the burden on him. I have three kids ages 4, 3, and 2. Still jumping between sleeve and lap band for that reason. How long was your recovery time? Thanks!

Thank you. This is really helpful!

I am 33 years old and have been overweight my whole life. I need to lose well over 100 lbs to get to my healthy weight and after having three children back to back and being diagnosed with PCOS, I'm really fighting to lose weight. I have been working with a clinic for almost a year now and have lost about 55 lbs thanks to medication and nutrition/exercise. It does not come off easily and never has for me. I have recently been discussing surgical options and have my first consultation with a surgeon in a few weeks. I'm nervous for many reasons, but I want to do something good for myself and my family. Honestly, I want to feel healthy and try to counteract what PCOS has brought me. I take metformin and Victoza right now to help with appetite control and countering PCOS. I have my consult in a few weeks for the sleeve since that is apparently the best choice for me, but we'll see. I'm looking for support and hopefully folks that have been there done that and have some advice to share!

I feel like my appetite has already changed in just a few days on .6. Now granted, I am weaning off of Topamax currently so that explains some of it, but really yesterday I had a very small amount of food and realized how full I was. It was so strange to me. It was much smaller than the smaller portions I had as a result of the Topamax I had been taking for the last 6 months. It was really the first time I noticed it. I recognized how sick I felt when I ate too much and it didn't seem that much. It's a step in the right direction. I go to the gym 3 days a week as well. So we will see. I change to 1.2 tomorrow.

That's all good to hear. So far so good. I have been on it for 3 days now at .6ml. I will change to 1.2 on Monday and 1.8 the following Monday. I think getting some kind of balance will be a good thing. Good luck with your surgeries or post surgery journeys.

I had some concerns with the phentermine too - but had no problems honestly. I guess we'll see. There are risks with everything I suppose. I am willing to try this stuff first before surgery. I just don't want it if I can help it.

I'm a new poster, but am trying to find a good group to be in. I'm not planning on having surgery of any kind. Instead, I am using diet and medication to help with weight loss. I have had decent success in the past 6 months. My main issues are a lifetime of being overweight, having three children back to back and having hormone imbalances and now PCOS. So losing weight is difficult to say the least. At any rate, last November, I began taking a combination of phentermine and topamax (but not qsymia). As of today, I have lost 35 pounds. Unfortunately, while the medication helps with appetite (big time), it messes with my hormone birth control and therefore I am developing problems there. My doctor and I are switching to Victoza which she believes will help tremendously. I am hoping so. Starting this week, I'm titering off topamax 25 mg at a time for a month. I never had any issues with phentermine in terms of heart racing issues, etc. It made me thirsty, but that's about it. I don't know if I'm going to continue with that or not. I'd rather not since my insurance won't cover it. The one thing I liked about topamax is that is got me off of drinking pop (soda) and carbonated drinks. They taste AWFUL. I haven't had any since November. Nothing has worked until this medication. That in and of itself is amazing. One habit is broken completely. I cannot go back because it all just tastes terrible. I appreciate any and all experience with Victoza - especially if anyone else has PCOS. I have been told that it is helpful. I fall within the pre-diabetic realm as well, so it will do good there too. I know it isn't Saxenda - which is what I would prefer, but my insurance won't cover it and I won't pay 1000 a month for that! I have about 86 more pounds to go for my goal weight.