mrsNilla

I understand. I started the process in April 2015. I have medical and the only bariatric doctor they covered was over an hour away. Medical requires 6 consectutive months of doctor supervised weight loss. I worked with bariatric dr to do those monthly visits with my primary care. It took a year to get everything done. In April 2016, I ended up switching surgeons due to first dr having a $2500 management. It took my 1st dr 2 months and 7 requests to send my medical records. It then took 4 attempts to get the insurance company to approve my surgery. I kept being turned down as not medically nessisary, even though i am 380lbs, diabetic, complex sleep apnea, gout, edema, ostoarthritis and high blood pressure. They then said that i hadnt proved that i tried a non surgical approach. In the end i had to get my primary care dr to write a letter stating tbat we discussed diet and exercise in our monthly meetings (even though the chart notes said that) and a 3 page letter that discribed my family history of obesity related diseases and a 10 year history of my diet plans and outcomes.
My insurance company finally approved me... 3 days after my insurance ran out. I thought it was hopeless because I didnt think that I would qualify for medical and no insurance that I could afford would cover the surgery without a high copay.
But things all worked out for me and in 2 weeks I will be getting my sleeve. I know it will work out for you.
My advice - Is there someone above your doctor? Unless they own their own practice there likely is. Try talking the them.
You can also do what i did and write your own letter to the ins co and have tbe bari dr turn it in. You can describe you struggles, your attempts. You can talk about how your dr doesnt approve if the surgery, so is witholding the docs that would get you approved. The most you lose is a few hours of time.
My bari drs nurse said the letter I sent was the reason the ins company changed their minds. Msybe it will help you too.

Yes. This is definitely a roller coaster ride. Up one minute, down the next. Just hang in there and keep on fighting because in the end you will succeed. Maybe you could send in everything you do have and they won't notice 2014 isn't in there. And you can honestly say that your physician said she was going to submit it. I find going into the office and making them tell me to my face gets more than if I just call. I've even sat my fat a** down until someone gave me what I wanted. Yes I did. Got it though.
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I would call your insurance and see what exactly is required for documentation. Explain the situation. I would also ask them to look into claims submitted by your end as see what she coded as a diagnosis and visit code. If her records don't match what she billed - she could have issues. Have your surgeon's office call her.

@@Aleathia, I'm not totally liquids -- 3 Premier Protein a day, black coffee, 1/2 cup fruit/veggies a day and a trifling amount of carbs. Unlimited Clear Liquids, Jell-O, and fat free broth.

I bought Syntax (sp?) unflavored Protein Powder for afterwards to mix into food. I forget what their active ingredient is, but I heard some people become lactose intolerant after surgery, and this doesn't have that ingredient. I am stocked up on shakes for pre/post op, but didn't go too crazy.
I weighed myself and put a yearly reminder on my phone that this is my starting weight and day 1 of liquids. I hope it's a motivational reminder every year to keep plugging and check my progress. I think I want to journal about this, too, in hopes of really nailing my food triggers/emotional stuff to make lasting changes.
My closet has been organized by descending size since March, when my surgery in June was initially booked. Sooooo freaking excited to purge clothes and streamline to a few stylish basics -- and a thinner face, no double chins, and increased energy -- hell, looking forward to ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know about all of you, but I still have some smaller clothes stored that I really like and didn't get rid off, even though I don't fit them anymore. Leggings, tunics etc will be easy to wear when getting smaller, since they will be forgiving. I will be so happy to see my favorite timeless outfits come out of the boxes and fit me again! Can't wait!!
And the proteindrinks etc, like everyone pointed out, we will be saving on the other stuff. I'm not worried, even though it might seems like a big sum if you by in costco quantities ????
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Everything tastes sweeter to me now, and I suddenly cannot pick up ANY aftertaste from artificial sweeteners. It's a very nice change! I used to barely tolerate sugar free Jello bc I thought the aftertaste was so disgusting.....now, it tastes like a big bowl of sugar to me. The change happened literally overnight. I love it.
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Don't let this asshole upset you or make you feel any shame! If we could lose weight and keep it off only by eating healthy and exercising - not one of us would go thru major surgery to lose weight! This guy doesn't know jackshit! This is your journey! Stay strong!
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I personally am a giant fan of thredUp.com I've gotten some great deals (4 pairs of jeans for 17 bucks. A winter coat for 25 etc) and everything I have bought is in excellent condition.
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My best advice is don't stock up on anything. Clothes, Protein anything. Get what you are going to eat in the next week or 2. Purchase clothes that fit now and you will wear immediately. Don't try to save money buying clothes for a size you aren't at yet. You can easily skip sizes. Tire of Proteins or become intolerant.
The biggest unavoidable expense for me has been under garments. Bras are a non-negotiable item. Have to have them, dude being blessed by God, they are never going to cheap. Next shape wear is a must just to be comfortable. Also buy an entire new set of panties every few weeks. These are items you can't get used and they need to be quality.
I have to replace my entire wardrobe. Socks, shoes, coats, boots, underwear, even gloves. All my bracelets are too large. I had a huge clothing, shoe, jewelry collection and parting with all of it was tough but even harder is trying to slowly replace it without buying too much at once. I have about 10 brand new items I purchased last fall and never wore that I am trying to sell now. Until I am done losing, I am never going to buy more than one or two items that I plan on wearing immediately.
Also, smaller clothes aren't really cheaper. Especially when you are constantly purchasing them. You have more of a selection so you have more sales opportunities, but the costs aren't really lower. And if you end up giving into vanity, you will spend even more.

Just ditching the diet pop habit has saved me a ton.

I was forced to pay $224 for 3 wks worth of Protein Meal Replacements. Of all things I had to pay for, this bothered me the most because I do not eat/drink anything with sucralose, and the Protein Meal Replacements my surgeon wanted me to use contained it... And of course, my insurance wouldn't cover it.
But other than that (Had to gripe haha), I have already saved so much by just what I order in dining out (which unfortunately is a huge part of my current job). Example, a small bowl Soup vs an appetizer plus a meal. On my days that I don't work, I eat at home instead of going out, and right there, I save ~$15 a meal.
So in the end, we'll save money, and we'll save our lives too.

@@HuneComz I just paid $140 for my Protein powder for 2 week pre-op diet. Although that seems like a lot - I realized that I spend at least that (more like $200) every weekend going out to eat. So - 2 weekends without going out to eat - I'm saving $$$. Sell some of your clothes at a consignment shop or online (don't use ThredUp) and buy clothes at thrift or consignment stores (or online). You'll probably spend less than you would otherwise. I've spent thousands in medical expenses this past year (and last year as well) - most due to my obesity.
With expenses from surgery will also come savings!

I spend less on food now than I did before. I eat smaller portions and less often and I'm not eating takeout anymore. I kept getting bigger so I had to keep buying bigger clothes. The bigger the clothes, the more they cost so I'm saving money there. I don't buy a full wardrobe. I have one pair of pants for going out and the rest are sweat pants.

After months of battling with my insurance and freaking out because they won't cover any of it, my grandparents are loaning me the money and I got my surgery date scheduled for October 5th! I cannot wait!!! I am so excited to start this new journey in my life and finally be able to live my life and not let my weight keep me from the things I have always wanted to do. One of the NSV I'm looking forward to is being able to shop wherever and maybe wearing a bikini for the first time. AHHHHH
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Not at all! So here are the two statements that I found through my research, these are from obesitycoverage.com.
Gastric bypass patients lose between 60 to 80 percent of excess body weight in the first year. Gastric sleeve patients lose between 50 to 70 percent of excess body weight in two years.
First of all, I don't care if I lose the weight in one or two years, this is a lifetime change. Now, taking those numbers and assuming I attain the high end of their average I can plug in my actual weight and compare them. In the beginning of the process I weighted 370 lbs, to not be considered overweight by BMI calculations I would have to be no more than 169lbs. (Which I believe is too light for my body). So my excess weight is 201 lbs. The bypass at 80% would be 160lbs of weight loss, and the sleeve would be 140. A difference between the two surgeries is 20 pounds. Coming down from 370 lbs I am not real concerned if I am 210 or 230, as long as I'm not 370. So the difference of pounds lost wasn't a big deal to me.
Now those numbers are averages, there are a lot of people that lose 100% of their excess weight with both surgeries. In fact I think those numbers are highly skewed by the people that are not ready for this extreme lifestyle change. No matter how you look at the surgeries, if you are not ready mentally, physically, and emotionally to never eat the same crap in the same manner as you did before then you will not be successful. You have to make a change. These are just tools to get there.
I had success with every diet I ever tried. I've lost 100 lbs several times. However my body would sabotage my plans. Hunger would push me to eating things I shouldn't. My lifestyle would have me pushing timelines until I was so hungry I would make poor choices. I would start craving things, and one slice of pizza turned into three, which turned into half a pizza, which turned into a whole pizza. The sleeve removes a large portion of the stomach giving me restriction so I can't be pushing that amount, as well as it cut back on the amount of the "hunger hormone" Ghrelin.
The bypass is a much more invasive surgery, moving of the intestines and changing the route of food. With that you have more life long side effects than you do with the sleeve. In fact my digestive tract is intact and unchanged, only difference is my stomach is much smaller now. So I have less of a concern with not getting in my necessary Vitamins.
As time has gone on where they have been tracking long term success between the two surgeries the amount of excess weight lost and kept off is getting closer and closer. I am in this for the long run. I have to make lifestyle changes, I have to make dietary changes, I have to make exercise changes. I still need to do my part, but this tool is giving me a "cheat code" if you will. A leg up on the diet world.
I have enjoyed some benefits already, I am no longer on Metformin as my blood sugar has been fine after surgery, I am also off of three medications for high blood pressure. That is four chemicals that I no longer have to put into my body to stay alive. If that is the only benefit I get from this surgery it was well worth it.
I'm sure the bypass has been the right decision for many people, and if you look hard enough you will be able to find different numbers or experiences than the ones I used to make my decision. Each person needs to work with their bariatric team, research, and soul search to determine which surgery, if any, is the right one for them.

Day 13, Woke up down a little more than a pound. That was a good way to start the day! Had my two week appointment with the surgeon, went good. He was happy with my results, lack of pain, and how well I've been tolerating liquids and now purée. Because of my level of activity he gave the okay for me to stop the blood thinner shots. Those were getting really old. Got my paperwork to go back to work on Monday Won't be too bad, but I do start out having to go out of town for a week. Just have to pack purée stuff and I got a hotel room with a fridge and microwave in it, right across from the convention center where the conference will be.
Today I'm feeling pretty good, went for a walk, about an hour long. Just a nice stroll nothing real strenuous. Got in 70g of Protein, and an easy 64+ oz of liquid.
My mom and aunt came into town to visit and are staying for a couple days. It's funny they feel bad eating in front of me. I don't think they understand, I'm just not hungry, and what I do eat satisfies me AND fills me up. It is going to take some time for my family and friends to adjust to the NEW me habits.
Pretty happy with my decision to have the surgery, it for sure will be a game changer for me!

I think I'll even include a photo of me the day I started my two week pre op diet and one of me 1 week post op.

Not much of a difference but I can sure see it!

Day 12. My paperwork says I can start puréed food today. I was planning on waiting until tomorrow when I have my two week appointment. But what the hell, I made a small thing of thinned mashed potatoes and added unflavored Protein powder to it. I puréed up some manwich meat made with ground turkey instead of beef. Put some of that on top of the potatoes and it was pretty tasty. I put it in a half cup container, wasn't able to eat much of it before I felt full. Probably an 1/8 of a cup maybe a touch more.

Feeling pretty guilty about the potatoes. They are on my list of allowed foods at this stage but I'm thinking I probably won't have them very often. Any other purée stage folks have potatoes on a regular basis? Last thing I want to do is mess up this short window of opportunity to drop the majority of my weight.
No weight loss the last two days, and I'm transitioning to puréed foods. Thinking I need to put the scale away and just focus on good nutrition. I keep saying that but curiosity gets me every time. Spent quite a bit of time on Pinterest getting sleeve friendly recipe ideas.
I've been open with everyone about my surgery and how I've been doing, even here on the forums. But one thing I've held back is some numbers. My highest weight was 370 lbs, day of surgery I was 339 lbs and as of this morning I was 326 lbs. total weight loss to date is 44 pounds.

You DO have a puppy though!!! mine get blamed for everything smelly
Read your journey to date. Well done!
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Day 11, well my wife caught on, I can't blame breaking wind on the gasses they used for surgery anymore.
Today was alright, stuck around the house most of the day. Bowels seems to have settled down. Looking forward to my follow up with the surgeon in two days. Starting to think about the puréed stage, searching the forums for good recipes.
My weight loss has been moving right along so I'm worried about adding new foods. I don't want to mess things up. I have an appointment with the nutritionist but that's not until it's time for solids. I may try to make an earlier appointment when I go in for my two week.

Day 10, it was a little rough as far as digestion was concerned. Had a bit of loose poop, so I was trying to stay ahead of my liquid requirement today to keep from getting dehydrated. Still managed to get out and make a run to Petsmart and Walmart. Then hung around the house pretty close to the loo. Looking forward to getting the okay for puréed foods, maybe then I can control the digestion a little better. Feeling a little depressed tonight, hopefully tomorrow is a little better. Having been off work for a few weeks and not sticking around the house so much is taking its toll. Better enjoy it now though, as soon as I get back to work I'm going to wish I had taken more time off. . Till tomorrow.....
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I have been getting in quite a bit of activity and its increasing daily. I'm too chicken to skip ahead on my meal plan from the surgeon. Too much invested in this to have something go awry. Anywho, happy to hear you are losing at such a fast rate and haven't had much pain. Some people just luck out in the pain department. I feel pretty lucky as mine was all controlled and didn't last too long after surgery. I have my two week appointment with the surgeon on Thursday, fingers crossed for being moved up to purée.
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Thank you very much! My wife is an extraordinarily great person. She has been very supportive throughout this entire process and I don't know that I could have done it without her.
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Day 9, not much of a day, I was feeling a little depressed. Nothing in particular, just feeling a little down. Went out to the sporting goods store, then took my wife to the grocery store for some things she forgot yesterday. Came home and did a lot of reading and relaxing with my puppy. Still not feeling 100% as bedtime rolled around, we were doing the ritual of getting my blood thinner shot, blood pressure, blood sugar, and incentive spirometer. Blood sugar came up just a point low at 79. May have had something to do with feeling a little off today. Having a little bit of a sugary drink and turning in for the night. No pain today, just mild discomfort if I moved a certain way. Tried some strained cream of chicken Soup, didn't set well with my system. Kept it down but will be waiting a while before I try that again.
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Day 8, I woke up feeling pretty good, which is surprising because I didn't take pain medicine last night. Got a shower and got dressed, with limited help from my wife. Had my medications crushed up and put into some sugar free pudding. Ate about half the serving of pudding. We then went out and took care of some errands. Since I hadn't taken any pain medicine I decided to drive. Stopped at the state surplus store, then an army surplus store, Bass Pro, and finally a grocery store. By the time we made it home I was pretty tired and a little sore. So I took half a dose of my medicine and relaxed the rest of the evening. Got in an easy 64+oz of liquid and 40g of Protein. Tomorrow I'm shooting for 80g of Protein. Hopefully that will help a bit with my energy.
Finally today I started to feel human again. I was sore but not in a lot of pain. Looking forward to what tomorrow holds. May even make it to church service.
I forgot to mention, my watch slid down my arm today and rotated. Had to cinch it up a notch! Seems silly but it was a big deal to me.