Mattymatt

LOL! This is the only game in town where when you lose, you win.

Dating sucks, relationships are fine. I can understand wanting the companionship but before you take on the complexities of a relationship, get yourself to your goal first. In my opinion, a relationship too early, especially one that goes south, could derail your progress. Focus singularly on your needs for the time being. I think you'll find that once you reach your goal, not only will you be more eligible, you'll be more confident in what you want and do not want. My most recent attempt at weight loss failed because I sought out a relationship, things got complicated, and I got totally off track and put all the weight back on plus 20 pounds and became diabetic. I wished I had worked on one thing at a time. Now, it's going to be goal, then date.

It's going to be challenging enough to simply adjust to the new lifestyle that this surgery mandates. I am expecting to have some difficult days ahead.

There are always going to be the naysayers, the people that brag about their success without surgery. Research statistics state that 90% will regain the weight they lost, plus more. Let them have their say. Post surgery, when you lose weight, you could be the part of the 65% who keep it off for good.

I am on February 8th or 9th. They said it would be one of those days.

On 12/23/2017 at 10:34 PM, Toomanytacos said:

Hey Everyone

My name is Joanna

I normally type way too much and give documentary type introductions, (trust me) so I will keep this short. sweet and say

A lot in my life has changed

Including my recent sleeve surgery. I didn't get the surgery to be skinny to be able to date again. I did it to be healthy and feel sexy again. And I haven't dated, in....... many years. I am a widow. And I had 10 wonderful years with my late husband. But it's been over three years and my life is changing and Id like to try again, try dating. No, not dating, I don't know how that would even go.. Maybe just go out, ? Is that what it's called? I don't know if 39 year olds date?

Anyways. I think this is bordering on me lying with my "I'm not going to do a lengthy intro and stop

I'm a christian, a mother of a 18 and 16 year old, neither live at home. Oh and my dog. Rocky. He's here to stay.

Yeah 39 year olds date. Hell, I am 40 and I'd like to be dating. LOL! But on a more serious note, I want to date once I've completed rebuilding myself from a morbidly obese, diabetic to a healthy adult.

On 9/20/2017 at 2:52 PM, StephersSweet said:

I don't know about the rest of you but we live in a world where finding love means swiping right and hoping for the best.

Hello I'm Stephanie, I'm 26 years old. I'm new to the site and would love to make some friends, text buddies, or pen pals.

So I'm what you would call Terminally Single, been that way for about 7 years now and I'm not sure it's ever going to change. It feels like the guys I'm into either A. don't want to be with a fat girl. B. are emotionally stunted, C. into weird fetishes (foodie/feeder I know I'm fat but that doesn't get my jollys off.) or D. Crazy, bat **** crazy.

Maybe I'm too picky, maybe I'm the crazy one, but I found it interesting to find this type of forum on this site. Color me intrigued!

I am 40 and single right now. Since I've been up and down in weight all of my life, I've only had two relationships and was only in love once. Certainly it would be nice to have the companionship and I can understand your want for it. It's hard for both men and women who are very overweight to date. I'm 6'4" and 170 pounds overweight which puts me at 360 some pounds and I can see the open disgust when I check out some chicks. I am not gonna lie, it hurts but I'm not bitter because I have some shallowness myself but I will never look at anyone who is overweight with disgust. If I were bitter, I would be hypocritical.

I am not even going to try to date until I work on myself: mentally, physically, and emotionally. 2018 is going to be the year that this will happen. Stephanie, I will wager that once you come through weight loss surgery you will be the classic knockout. You're beautiful now. I believe it is the woman whom ultimately chooses the man. You'll have your pick of the men and when you do, enjoy it a little bit. Enjoy being you. It's the greatest feeling in the world and it has only happened to me once in my life. It was the time after I lost a lot of weight the first time. I remember being "chosen" by a woman. At that time, it was one of the greatest feelings in the world.

13 hours ago, MissFish said:

Hi all!

I’m a newcomer to this site and I’m just at the very beginning of WLS, so much at the beginning in fact that I haven’t even spoken to my doctor about it yet as I’m still doing my research.

I’ve posted one or two questions on here but I’ve only gotten 1 reply so far.

I always feel like I never fit in anywhere and I really want to. I’d love to make a group of friends on here that I can chat to and get advice on WLS. There is no one in my life right now who knows I am wanting surgery and I am pretty sure that none of them would be supportive or understanding if they did know.

Many of my family members are set in their ways of thinking surgery is an easy way out and you should be ashamed for having it or wanting it (none of which I agree with). I really would like to be able to freely talk and ask questions with anyone who has gone through it already, wants to go through it or is currently going through it.

I feel like I’m in this alone since I have no one to talk to about it and I’m unsure of where to turn.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Easy way out!? Pffft. Ain't nothing easy about this. It is a major, forced, and permanent lifestyle change. Let the naysayers say what they want. Bottom line is you and your health are more important than their opinions. Roll with it and let them get purple with jealousy while the new you shines through.

I think I can guess what you were thinking ... lol. You were making your New Year's resolution before New Year's. Seriously, how are you doing post-op?

3 hours ago, sleevedin2018 said:

That’s a strange symptom to have. I’d be inclined to call your surgeon’s office and discuss this with them. Perhaps it’s a temporary thing while your body adjusts to your new stomach and caloric intake. Speak with your surgeon and perhaps they can give you the medicines they used to treat it in hospital.

It would be wise to speak with your surgeon because this should not be the case. My endocrinologist even told me that she was almost certain that I would not be taking any of my diabetes medications anymore, after surgery. She said that it might even lead to dangerously low blood sugars if I were to take them. Instead, my endo advised to check my blood sugars for about a week post-op to ensure that the numbers did not get above 140. If the numbers don't go down then both my endo and surgeon need to communicate.

11 hours ago, Redhatgal said:

No, just a old retired nurse

Oh okay. Nah, not old - just wise. :-)

9 hours ago, rljcolo01 said:

Actually I had heart valve replacement surgery in 2011. My heart doctor said I would still be his patient at 90. That's good except my weight, diabetes and hypertension could affect that and I want to make sure the heart surgery was not in vein.

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My surgeon, Dr. Caitlin Halbert of Christiana Care in Delaware, asked for a really extensive extra workup. I originally started my journey with the Penn Medicine system but had a bad experience with the staff - this is serious elective surgery so there is no room for less than 100% confidence. I transferred programs to the Christiana Care Health System. Dr. Halbert asked for an echocardiogram and cardiac stress test as well when there was some concern of a silent heart attack.

Gawd that was scary for me as I do not experience pain like many other people do so it could very well be that I could have a heart attack and never know. I was so scared during the echocardiogram that I asked the technologist to turn the unit so I would be unable to see what was on the screen. Something about looking at a beating heart frightens me beyond all reason. Both the stress test and echocardiogram were performed on a Friday and I remember being in a tizzy all weekend long. Finally, the cardiologist called me on Monday afternoon to tell me everything was normal and that the major blood vessels looked good.

2017 was probably the worst year of my life. I have nowhere to go but up.

11 hours ago, rljcolo01 said:

My wife died in 2012 so I am hoping I will be so hot after weight loss I will have to hire an assistant to schedule my dates!

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I am sorry for your loss. That must not have been easy.

13 minutes ago, Redhatgal said:

Perfect goal.

Do you work in technology? Your username makes me think of Red Hat Linux. If you work with Linux, come on over to the dark side - OpenBSD

My brother is getting married in August. I'm still single so I'm looking forward to being all GQ in my tuxedo and maybe scoring with a bride's maid.

3 minutes ago, Redhatgal said:

I found out I am approved for bypass and am scheduled on Feb 21st. Add me to the February club

Nice!

My surgeon and endocrinologist are 100% positive that the diabetes will go into remission, they're not sold that it will be a cure. They're 100% on hypertension going away. I also have sleep apnea but only time will tell with that. I have a friend that is 150 pounds soaking wet and he has sleep apnea. If that doesn't go away, I'm fine with it. I'll use the CPAP because I sleep so well.

31 minutes ago, Sprinkles1 said:

That explains why it's so much cheaper in Mexico! They'll just sell your organs on the black market!... lmao fake news.

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This particular story is clearly fake news.

3 minutes ago, Real California April said:

I went through a major hospital system and they were originally going to release me 1 day post op. I only stayed because pain wasn't controlled after they removed my Iv. It's a major teaching hospital so maybe we don't always have to stay?

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No, we don't have always have to stay in the hospital but this is major elective surgery. I think an abundance of caution is wise, reasonable, and prudent.

2 hours ago, janet5263 said:

Hello, everyone,!!
My name is Janet I am living Orlando Fl. I am new here on the forums, I am so happy to find this forum and read alls the post. My current weight is 265 lb. Already had my first appointment for evaluation on December 5. The doctor recommends due to the bypass because I diagnosed with pre-diabetic, apnea and severe gastric problem.I already had my psychology and nutritional l appointment. So in this week, I have the next appointment for the next step.Also waiting for Medicaid approved. I read here a lot about this something they wait for about six moth., another waits for a year and another one just complete the insurance requirement. Anyone here from Florida with Medicaid (Staywell)? Any here can tell me the next step? I am very anxious !!! Thanks in advanced

Welcome Janet! Medicaid varies greatly from state to state because it is a state-administered program. Federal money gets disbursed to states for Medicaid. There is a StayWell handbook available at https://www.wellcare.com/Florida/Members/Medicaid-Plans/Staywell. This may help.

On 12/29/2017 at 11:19 AM, Creekimp13 said:

The article seems VERY tabloid to me.

"an extremely reliable source" Oh yeah? How about a name?

"three patients from NYC" Oh yeah? Names please.

"had kidneys removed in Mexico" Oh yeah? At which clinic? Which doctor?

And why were they all Jewish? LOL. Just seems really outlandish.

Where are the names of the doctors who discovered the missing kidneys? Even that would have given this a little legitimacy...and yet, there's no detail.

There's a lot of legitimate press about surgery in Mexico. Some really good, some really concerning. But the ones I'd put stock in have details. They have specific names of specific clinics and specific doctors that are correlated to specifically reported crimes.

A lot of people have success in Mexico and are happy to be able to afford surgery they couldn't otherwise.

I, personally, wouldn't go to Mexico because I think having a support system close by for aftercare is extremely important. Your odds of success go up drastically when you maintain a years long relationship with your clinic, utilizing dietitian services and rechecks with your medical team. Emergencies are scary when the doctor who did your surgery is not in the country to consult.

My advice to people going to Mexico: Make sure your surgeon is board certified. Make sure he/she has a good reputation and talk to previous patients. Make sure you have a medical support system back home. At the very least, get your general practitioner on board so your surgery is well documented state-side in case of emergency. Make sure you are getting all necessary pre-screening procedures to guarantee your safety. Make sure you're getting an EKG, chest film, and at least an upper GI contrast if not an endoscopy, and of course, blood work.

GET YOUR RECORDS. Get phone numbers to call for follow up care.

Work with your insurance companies at home to get your surgery covered here. Don't go to Mexico because you're impatient...it's a terrible reason. This process is safer....with a safety net, and a long term association with your care givers.

I would also advise to work with a major hospital system and not a clinic. At one point I considered looking at Barix Clinics and I was alarmed to discover that they only keep their patients in the hospital 1 day post-op. The post-op care was also unimpressive so I quickly crossed that one off of my list. My surgeon says that I'll be inpatient a minimum of 3 days. She said, "And if I even have the slightest thought that more are necessary, you'll be there." Of course she smiled as she said this and it really made me feel like she cares.

1 hour ago, Hopep4673 said:

not my insurance but i have heard of it being this way... more and more insurances are getting rid of the medically supervised diet requirement. Yes it should make it easier you will likely only need a letter of necessity for your PCP.

However, your surgeon may require more than your insurance like Psych clearance.

Congratulations on your decision and best of luck in your journey.

Insurers are discovering that the medically supervised diet requirement is really superfluous. Since traditional diet/exercise programs haven't worked in the past, the likelihood of them working now is not very high. Recent research shows that only 10% of those that lose weight this way keep it off. I'm one of the 90% that failed. The chances of success of weight loss surgery go up by an order of magnitude to 65%. This could result in statistically significant long term savings for the insurer.

3 hours ago, Tasia29 said:

Hello, I started my journey the beginning of last year. I am planning to have gastric bypass. Last year when I started my previous insurance (UnitedHealthCare) required 6 month supervised diet. I completed 5 out of six before I decided that at that time not to go forward with the surgery. After a few months I've finally made the decision to have gastric bypass and restart my weight loss journey.

I now have new insurance which is PHCS. I called my insurance to make sure the surgery would be covered and it is covered and my surgeon and hospital are in network with my insurance. I asked them what the requirements were in order to be approved. I was told the only requirement is that the surgery has to be medically necessary. So I guess my question is after my doctor submits my documents to insurance how long does it usually take to get an answer?

Also i really never heard of insurance companies only wanting proof of it being medically necessary. I thought for sure that I would have to redo my 6 month supervised diet. Does anyone else on here have insurance where the only requirement is it to be medically necessary? Does this make it easier or more difficult to be approved?

I meet with my surgeon again on Jan. 25th! I'm really excited to get started again!!

Each insurance company has its own set of requirements. Consider yourself extremely lucky! Your new insurance is great. Since I am disabled, I am on Medicare. Medicare's requirements for medical necessity include: (1) BMI > 35, (2) an associated co-morbidity like diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, (3) and a documented history of failed attempts at medical weight management. Yet, Medicare does not specify how many attempts and over what time period. It turned out that I could use documentation from 3 years ago.

Also, each insurance company operates at its own pace. I heard back lightning quick. I applied on Dec. 27th, approved electronically, and was told by my provider today. We even scheduled today.

Diabetes sucks. I have to take Lantus insulin, Meformin, and Victoza. I was on Glipizide but there was concern that Glipizide might actually be making hungry. Victoza sucks but it seems to work. Numbers improved even more. :-)

Since, I am a diabetic I had to start my modified diet back at the end of October to lower my A1C. As of Dec. 27, 2017 I got my A1C to 7.8%, enough to be safe for surgery. In an effort to make things better, my endocrinologist put me on Victoza. Two weeks before surgery, I have to do an Optifast pre-op diet.

2 minutes ago, rljcolo01 said:

Same for me, 02/08/2018

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Wahoo! Let's git 'er done!