WLS4ME33

I Highly doubt that you won’t be approved. Sleep apnea is one of the main co-morbidities that they look for. January is almost over. Then you’ll only have one month to go, somewhere in that you’ll start the pre-op diet...it’s gonna fly by...it’s just so exciting that it makes us anxious.lol...don’t stress it though. The person that files the insurance for surgery at my surgeon’s office told me that as long as I get ALL of the necessary paperwork my surgery WOULD BE APPROVED...so I’m trying not to stress,and just go with it(I won’t be having surgery until late April early May)...I know you’ve heard it a million times before, but use this time to prepare for your new life. Good luck!

So far so good...just slow moving.lol. Well actually January is going by faster than I expected..I had my sleep study last night, they told me I’d have to wait 2 weeks for the results, but it was a SPLIT study, so if I had sleep apnea severe enough they would have had me use the CPAP last night, but they didn’t, the way she was talking though I believe I may still have sleep apnea, just not severe enough to need the machine. Psych eval is on the 30th..then I’ll be done except for my last 3 appts of the 6 and cardiac clearance.

Awesome sauce!! And welcome!! Congratulations!! I love it when people finally reach that pre-op finish line, it’s so exciting[emoji847]lol. I think 72 years young is a great place to start!! Age plays no factor when it comes to getting healthy, no matter how old or how young we are a healthier body and lifestyle make for a better life!! So excited to go on this journey with you! Keep us updated!

Welcome! And congratulations on starting your journey. I wish I had classes to complete, maybe that would make the process go a little faster lol. It kind of just feels like a waiting game already, especially since I’m already just about done with my requirements. I only have sleep Study, psych eval, and cardiac clearance left, both psych eval and sleep study are this month, and I have to wait until April 3 to get the cardiac clearance because it’s only good for one month...my last appointment of the 6 will be April 2..so I basically won’t be doing anything but waiting during February and March.lol.

That’s awesome, nothing like a good look in the mirror to help us change ourselves..I’ve started to realize some things about myself too, that’s why I’m having this surgery..keep your head up girl.! It takes so much strength to acknowledge that you have a problem, but it takes even more strength to fix it. You’re going to come out of this an absolutely incredible woman!

I realized at my last appointment with my PCP that they are using Hypertension as a co-morbidity for me. My BMI bounces back and forth between 38 and 40, but I’m not on any meds for the BP...I’m actually considered pre-hypertensive, but my PCP wrote that I have hypertension on my paperwork that he has to fill out at each appointment, before I realized that I was hoping that I had sleep apnea too, I just don’t want to have to use the machine. I’m ready to get approval and get the surgery too, it feels like forever.lol. I’m just trying to stay positive and be patient.

I hear people say it’s long and they have to take this depressingly long test of over 300 questions...I’m just ready to get all of my stuff done.lol. I have my sleep study this coming Thursday. I really hope I don’t have sleep apnea, but I’m not sure...feel like I may, hopefully not severe enough to have to use the machine.

Welcome.! And congratulations on beginning your journey! The 6 month wait is so annoying.lol. But I’m convinced that a lot of us need it to kind of process this change that is about to happen in our lives...and the wait does go by pretty steady, I won’t say fast lol, but steady. Everyone has had their psych eval, but me.lol. I’ve gotten most of my stuff done though. I just have the sleep study, psych eval, and cardiac clearance left..then it will turn into the waiting game...I’m excited too. My last appointment will likely be April 2nd and I’m really hoping to get a late April date rather than May..How did the psych eval go for you?

My goodness that’s a lot. I see why some people choose to go to Mexico instead geez lol.

Awesomeness! And welcome to the group! How is your process going so far?

Welcome! And congratulations on starting the journey. I do have a tedious process to go through, so I spend a lot of time reading, researching, and watching YouTube videos. I won’t say that I’ve second guessed my decision to the point of considering not having surgery, but I have questioned myself on whether or not this is really for me....And it is. I wouldn’t be a good candidate for surgery if it wasn’t...I hate the 6 month wait(I’m on month 3 of the 6 now), but the time has allowed me to do ALOT of research, and my surgeon’s office has support groups every month, which also helps ALOT. One thing I’ve learned is that everyone has a different experience. I like listening to other people’s story, but I understand not to expect my experience to be just like anyone else’s. Stay motivated, don’t psych yourself out of making what could be one of the most life changing and best decisions of your life. Good Luck!!!

Yes, I am definitely more organized too.lol. I’m also a little more on the shy, soft spoken side of life, but going to all of these appointments seeing all of these doctors it’s kind of forced me out of my shell.lol. It’s surprising how many of the doctors and nurses that Ive had to see in this are so interested and supportive of having the surgery though. It’s been very encouraging...yikes $2000??

It has definitely been a process. There are so many requirements and tests..and the 6 month wait kind of sucks, but it has given me a lot of time to research, and make up in my mind that I am certain about having surgery and am going to do it. I’m almost done with my LONG list of things.lol. All I have left is the sleep study(which is next week),the psych eval, cardiac clearance(only good for a month so I have to wait until April for that),and the last 3 appointments of the 6.

Awesome.! And welcome! How is the process going for you so far?

I have my first psych appointment coming up on the 30th. My insurance requires an intake appointment though, so I assume not much will happen at that one. I know some people have said that they only had to have one appointment, and some had to go back a few times..I guess it just depends on your insurance and the practice *shrugs*.

Hi.! Welcome.! At some point or another I think everyone falls off the wagon, the most important thing is to get back on. Don’t be discouraged, encourage yourself. You lost 77 pounds before and that is absolutely amazing! Losing 10 pounds won’t be as bad as you think, and you have a good amount of time to do it. Just imagine what else you can do! Don’t beat yourself down, build yourself up. We are all human. Stay encouraged girl, you can do this!

In the beginning I was all about the gastric bypass. The first person that told me about WLS had the bypass 2 yrs ago, and she told me the truth about it,you get the most weight loss with bypass...So I started to do my research on it, and I found out she was right...I didn’t know anything about the other 2 surgeries, didn’t even bother to look because I was dead set on bypass lol. But I had my first meeting with my surgeon and his team on December 8th(I love them, they are so thorough, each person spent at least 10 to 15mins a piece talking to me and getting to know me,I definitely didn’t feel like just another face)but after telling my surgeon my history and what not, and him taking all of that along with my age(25)into consideration he said that I could ABSOLUTELY have the bypass if I wanted it, but that he recommends the sleeve because I am so young and the bypass has so many possible complications that I would have a lot more years to live with,while the sleeve has honestly just about none, well aside from the usual risks associated with surgery...so he gave me until my next appointment to think about it and do my research...and honestly if I had read anything about the sleeve or looked at other people’s journeys and success stories like I did with the bypass I would have chosen the sleeve over bypass myself...it’s ultimately up to you. But they recommend bypass over sleeve if you have GERD because the sleeve can make GERD worse. Good luck on your decision! Do what’s most comfortable for you.

Hi.! Welcome! Yes we are definitely in the same boat then, I just had my 3rd appointment of the required 6 on January 2nd. What other requirements do you have? I still have a few things left, then the last part of the wait will just be finishing up the other 3 required appointments, and my cardiac clearance(it’s only good for a month, so they have you wait until the last month to do it). It will actually be the day before my last of the 6 appointments.

Yes I know right!! Everyone else I saw on here was either already on the liquid diet or post op, it’s good to read so you kinda know what to expect, but I wanted to talk to people that could relate to the phase that I am going through now.

Awesome! Congratulations and welcome. I was dead set on having the bypass initially, but after talking to my surgeon and doing more research I decided to go with the sleeve instead.

Lol. IG is just an abbreviation for Instagram. I don’t do a lot of pics so I don’t have one.

IG is the nickname that they give Instagram. I’m not really one for taking photos a lot, so I never felt it necessary to have one.

Everyone has IG but me.lol. I’m gonna create on me though, I’m also about to start a scrapbook for my journey as well...something physical to cherish. I’m from GA by the way. When I create my account I will add you.

Hi.! I think approval time pretty much just depends on your insurance company’s requirements. They consider the ailments that you listed as co-morbidities, which pretty much just aid in you qualifying as a candidate for the surgery, with the exception of fatty liver. I’ve been told that the 2 week pre-op liquid diet is considered a “liver shrinking” diet, most bariatric surgeons require you to do it because most overweight people have fatty liver...best thing to do is check your insurance for what the require. I found mine online. Good luck!

Hi, welcome. I’m Jaz, I’m 25 and 5”6 as well, current weight 240, and I am currently pre-op, but I can answer some of your questions. -I’ve always been overweight, even as a child...after gaining over 100lbs after having my 2 kids I didn’t want to be overweight anymore, by that time I was touching 300lbs. I tried various forms of weight loss, and I even really enjoy going to the gym and walking, but the most I could lose was about 20lbs, then it would just stop, dieting always left me feeling hungry and miserable. I started to consider liposuction, and other procedures, but I could never afford it. I met a friend last year though, who had the gastric bypass herself, and she started to explain to me the 3 surgeries and how they worked, showing me her before and after pics, and telling me her story and that it was paid in full by her insurance..and her story sounded so similar to my own. That’s the moment that I started to consider surgery...so I did my research for a few weeks, and seeing all of the people that were just like me, who had struggled with obesity and weight loss just like me, but had used surgery as a tool to help them overcome, seeing all of that is how I knew that surgery was for me. -Initially I was DEAD SET on having the gastric bypass, but after talking to my surgeon and doing more research myself we decided that the gastric sleeve was the better option for me..I had done so much research on bypass surgery that I hadn’t even considered the sleeve...They do consider some things as far as health goes, for example, they recommend a person with GERD not have the sleeve because the sleeve can make GERD worse. Definitely do your research on each surgery and talk with the surgeon before you decide. -There probably are some people in this world that feel shame for having/considering surgery, fortunately for me I am not one of them.lol. This whole journey/experience is extremely invigorating for me. I’ve finally decided to take charge of my life and health and do the thing that I KNOW is best for ME! A negative mindset and negative opinions about surgery can completely discourage you, so if you make the decision to utilize this amazing tool be sure about it, and do it for you and you alone. -I believe that at one point or another everyone in the WLS community has had to or will have to deal with some form of criticism. I’ve been told I was taking the “easy way out” and asked why I won’t just diet and exercise instead, oh and of course I’ve been told I could lose the weight on my own if I “really wanted to”.lol. Of course these people don’t know how I feel, what I’ve tried, or what I’ve been through, but have so many opinions about what they think I should do.lol...Ultimately, the way that we decide to handle criticism is totally on us. It can either make you, break you, or not phase you at all. I choose not to let it phase me. -A lot of people do keep surgery a secret, but it’s a process that you will REALLY need support in, whether it’s a friend, family member, or someone that’s gone through or is going through it themselves. I decided to tell my mother, my significant other, my siblings, a few co workers, and few choice friends..this is my way of avoiding the stress and extra opinions on my decision..even with the few people that I told there was still some negative back lash, but I made this decision for ME, so it didn’t discourage me at all, and after I have the surgery I will be an open book about it, telling anyone that wants or needs to know. -As far as bringing it up to my doctor goes I didn’t, he brought it up to me.lol. I simply asked him what I could do to lose weight, I was working my way up to asking when he asked me if I had considered it.lol. So I avoided having to have that talk. I hope all of this helped! Good luck on your decision!