KatallacStrong

This is very true, and I have never looked at it this way. I actually met with my director last week and told her; she was excited for me. I don't meet with my immediate manager until tomorrow so I will discuss it with him and get his thoughts on moving it later into the year.

Thanks for the tidbit of advice; no company has ever put me first either.

On 7/7/2018 at 9:16 PM, Hpyshny said:

Hello,

I am new here. I was approved for surgery last april but let friends and family talk me out of it, a year later and I am regretting it, my doctor has referred me again and I am anxiously awaiting approval. I so hope its approved again, but while I wait I am doing as much research as I can and have decided to start the pre op diet in anticipation. Is that crazy?

I've been on this journey for some time and have lost over 100 lbs doing WW, Keto and paleo over the past few years but I need to lose another 70 and its bein stubborn I NEED new tools. I hope to get the gasyric sleeve.

Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi! I think it's great you've finally decided for yourself to go through with the surgery; I too (as many of us I am sure) NEED to have this done. I am new here as well but have lost roughly 80 pounds on my own; similar to you I have about another 100 pounds to lose. I did regain some of that weight that I lost and I refuse to get back to where I was. I have been thinking about this surgery for quite some time now, but have finally decided it's time because I know and have finally come to terms with I need this.

I hope you get approved!

On 7/7/2018 at 6:44 PM, Beth47 said:

Hi,

I am new here and I had my bariatric surgery consult last week and the surgeon I met with said I would be a good candidate for the gastric sleeve. I am 47 and have always struggled with my weight. I have been heavy then (thanks to Prozac) I lost a bunch of weight and kept it off for a while then I gained it all back and then some and have been heavy for the last 10 years. I also suffer from depression and anxiety which leads to the binge eating. I know this is going to be a lot of work and lifechanging for me. I am ready to feel better and be healthy for once in my life. I never knew how hard it is to start this process. Any advice would be great. If anyone is in Massachusetts and going to Leonard Morse Hospital for their surgery, let me know. Thank you, Beth

Hi Beth! I am new here too; I joined a few weeks back. Last week was my first consult with my surgeon as well however I have been thinking about doing this surgery for quite some time now so I am a bit ahead of schedule in regards to insurance requirements. I had my psych evaluation on 6/18 and have met 4/6 non-surgical weight-loss regimen apts; the fifth one is next Thursday and my endoscopy is next Friday. My anticipated surgery date is late August (preferred) or sometime in September.

I too have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. I suffer from anxiety and find it hard to comprehend this decision to have surgery, but nonetheless I am SUPER glad that I have finally committed to it.

On 6/24/2018 at 4:17 PM, PrettyGirlLJ said:

Hey everyone I’m pretty new to the cite and have tons of questions. I’m 24 (kinda young I know) lol I’m coming up on my last appointment with the dietitian. I’m getting nervous. Anybody going through the process now or went through it recently? I’d love to hear from people close to my age. Any advice, stories, information I’m here for it all 😊

Hey girl! I'm not as young as you, but I too am coming up on finishing my appointments (last one is 8/10 and endoscopy is next Friday). I an VERY nervous about surgery but I am more excited so I try to focus on that; my anxiety is through the roof with this but I am glad I have decided to go through it. My anticipated surgery date is sometime in late August or September sometime.

On 7/7/2018 at 8:24 PM, Parris225 said:

I’m new here and scheduled for surgery September 16th..anyone else scheduled for the month of September? Looking for sleeve buddies 😀

Hi Parris! I too am new and while I've not been given a surgery date I have asked that my surgeon try to get my in no later than September; I am aiming for late August but they said if they can't meet that deadline than sometime in September it is. I can't have it done any later than September due to my work so fingers crossed I get a date soon

Lol I love this! I too am new and wish you luck on your surgery girl!!

Hi all! I haven't received a date yet but I was attempting to lose weight with my PCP prior to deciding to have surgery; I had thought about it for quite some time but finally committed to having it done this year. With that being said I have met several of the requirements needed by my insurance. I have 4/6 non-surgical weight loss regimen visits (the 5th is scheduled for next Thursday), my endoscopy is next Friday and my last and final non-surgical weight loss regimen visit is scheduled with my PCP for 8/10. I had my psych eval on 6/18 and met with my surgeon for the first time on 7/3 so everything is quite accelerated lol!

I asked if there was any way (since I had met the requirements so quickly) to have this surgery done no later than September; I work in contracting and the fourth quarter of the year is INSANE! I would feel awful if I had to leave my team during that crazy time of year. My surgeons team said it's going to be tight as my surgeon is going on a three week vacation, but very possible. Lol so with all that being said I should (in theory) be scheduled for sometime in late August (preferred) or sometime in September.

I would LOVE to meet others that are on the same timeline as me; this is an AWESOME idea!

8 hours ago, ChellNC said:

You are very welcome! We can help one another through the journey. It helps me to know someone gets it and understands that my mind is a bit wonky. 💜

Yes EXACTLY! That was my entire reasoning behind making this post; I knew I could not be the only one. I have finally started to feel better where my chest doesn't hurt and I can breathe normally. I'd definitely like it if we helped each other

18 hours ago, lucidreverie said:

I also have anxiety and it made the decision to elect a surgery very difficult. I had Gastric Bypass one month ago today and I survived 😁. The hardest thing after was nausea. The pain was fine I was on a pain pump. It's a challenge but I'm down 25 pounds the first month. Try to focus on the positive outcome and do plenty of things to relieve stress. Best of luck!

Thank you! I agree that it's definitely a difficult decision and even worse with anxiety on top of everything. I have been thinking about doing this for years now and have finally committed. Thankfully I knew my insurance requirements and am nearly done with meeting them, but that's kind of like a doubled ended sword; it's making the process faster. That's both a good and bad thing; good to get to my surgery date quicker but not so good in regards to processing it mentally.

On 07/09/2018 at 21:54, ChellNC said:

You got this! You already made it through 4 months of the program!

Meeting with the surgeon is a big deal. For me it made it this whole thing more real, even though I've been in the program since January. Last Monday I had my visit and my husband had to go along with me. Since that appointment I've had a number of mini panic attacks. I'm excited to have the surgery but then my mind starts swimming and overloads on all the thoughts, worries and fears. Then I remind myself that this is worth it and I need to be excited for the future.

Hopefully that helps you see that you aren't alone with the anxiety.

Part of my mind is scared and afraid of life after a big weight loss. My entire life I've struggled with my weight. Do I know how to function as a non obese adult? Do you think those things too? I try to keep reminding myself that this is a great thing for my body and my future.

Thank you SO much Chell! This is exactly how I’m feeling and I suppose since I met with the surgeon last week that’s why made it feel real to me and I just have not coped with that very well at all. Which is so odd because I am excited, I am ready; it’s taken me 2 years to even decide to do this. I too think like you...will I be able to function as a normal sized adult? What will my immediate post-op be like? There are SO many questions I find myself overloading my mind with. Thank you so much for sharing; it gives me a piece of mind💜💜

4 minutes ago, Matt Z said:

Anxieties about surgery (any) are normal. Don't worry about any fears or anxieties, they are natural and normal and there isn't a need to worry about worrying! I have anxieties as well, lots of them. Just find peace in your decision and the fact that these folks are professionals. You have to surrender to the process a bit, but it's well worth it!

Thanks Matt,

I have tried to let go and leave it in the hands of professionals which has works thus far, but I'm not sure what happened this weekend. It was like one minute I was swimming with family and the next I had to get out cause of chest pains. The last time I felt that was when my husband took me to the ER where they thought I had Pleurisy since the symptoms are virtually the same.

Once I got to my PCP he told me I didn't have Pleurisy that I had just experienced an anxiety/panic attack. If my chest would stop hurting I could probably start to move past it; I just don't know how to make it stop hurting or how to reduce my heart rate. My Fitbit told me at lunch today that I hit my 30 minute activity for the day goal and I hadn't done anything relative to exercise or exertion at all today; I am actually going to skip it today since I am struggling to breathe as it is.

On 07/09/2018 at 12:45, Letsgetgoing2018 said:

Hi. I suffer from anxiety and have had many panic attacks. They are horrible. Key for me was getting on the right meds to control them. I am scheduled for surgery tomorrow and I am panicking because I didn’t hold my Vitamins. Didn’t know I had to. Get a good psychiatrist who will be patient with you until you find the right med combo. Best of luck.

Thank you! I knew I wasn’t the only one but it’s nice to hear it from other going through the same thing as me you know? Congrats on surgery! I would be panicking too if I didn’t know I had to hold my Vitamins, hang in there💜

I do have meds that I take daily for my anxiety along with some others that I’m to only take while in an attack. I took them yesterday but it was only a bandaid sadly.

Hey y'all so I went for my first consultation with my surgeon last Tuesday. I really like him and have come to terms with making the decision to move forward with the VSG surgery. I have an anxiety disorder and even though I am excited to have this surgery....I feel like I have been in a pseudo anxiety/panic attack about it for the last two days. I have gone to my doctor for the past 4 months (my 5th apt is next week) so things are moving much faster than normal since I have all those documented visits so we scheduled my endoscopy for next Friday. Does anyone else suffer from generalized anxiety disorder? IF so did you panic months and weeks before surgery? I hate it, it is SO damn hard to breathe and I feel like there is nothing I can do to help it. My doc gave me some meds for serious attacks (that I took yesterday) but it doesn't seem to help much; I was only able to sleep because I put a heating pad on my chest.

Any insight would be great......or really just to know it's not just me that others have experienced this as well.

Thanks

On 07/02/2018 at 21:53, lviz said:

Kat any feedback? I have 5 consecutive months, doctors office cancelled my April appt and I didn’t know I needed 6. Totally freaking out as today was 30 days for ins to respond and they haven’t

I went to my apt and my doc is going to consider April as an apt since a directive was given and a weight was recorded. If your doc cancelled tour apt did y’all discuss anything that may have been recorded? I am counting my blessings they are counting April as an apt, but if yours doesn’t I would challenge it since they’re the ones who cancelled.

I haven’t even seen my surgeon for the first consult yet and I feel awful too girl. Hang in there 💜

I do! My email is Katallac04@gmail.com

I’m in St. Louis too, but I’m going down to Festus (Mercy-Jefferson) because my insurance covers it at 90% (opposed to its standard 80%) because that facility is considered a BCBS “Center if Excellence”. I am curious what my OOP will be at that coverage; my consult is in early July but I already have 4 of the 6 consecutive appointments and the psych apt done so fingers crossed that helps lol!

OMG I am in the exact same situation; every other month I went ugh. My doc is going to contact my insurance (Anthem BCBS and I’m in MO) see what he can do because he believes I have done more than the required 6 months non-surgical weight-loss regimen.

Lol I posted this same question in the pre-op Q&A section. I am new to this so I didn’t even see a insurance section until just now. Once I hear from my doc I will follow-up with you:)

I feel the same way but I haven’t even gotten to my consult yet lol! I’ve gone back and forth with the idea for years now but I’ve ALWAYS gone back to yes; I will do this. The rationale that I have come to is simple; I may have serious complications from this surgery...but I also may have serious complications of being morbidly obese. I think that rationale has really helped guide me to make this decision. Best of luck to you 💜

On 06/21/2018 at 17:45, ash_allen said:

I have Anthem BCBS in NC and yes I have to do the 6 month consecutive weigh ins. Yes I felt like gosh this will take forever, but I’m almost at my 3rd weigh in. Plus you will have a host of preop testing that will take up a portion of that time.

Thanks ash_allen. I know these weigh-ins have to be consecutive, I was just wondering if anyone has met with their doc similarly to I have and have been approved. I read somewhere where a patient got a recommendation letter and was approved based on the regimen they had with their doc even though it wasn’t consecutive.

On 06/21/2018 at 13:26, Snapple said:

I have an individual plan since we are independent contractors and this was the only plan I could buy. It's BS. And all thanks to Obamacare. I have really, REALLY crappy coverage and my prescription drugs aren't even covered until I hit my deductible $6000 deductible.

Good luck to you and I wish you the best!

Oh wow that’s crazy! I’m sorry to hear of the awful coverage but I appreciate the insight from someone else in Missouri.

Thanks Snapple!

On 06/21/2018 at 13:14, Snapple said:

I have Anthem BC/BS in MO and they would not cover any bariatric procedures under my policy.

Wow that’s crazy! When I called the various times I was told it was covered. Did they tell you why you weren’t covered? I wonder if your company opted out of it? That’s super interesting.

The friend of mine who is a coworker said it covered hers. I wanted to get a gauge of OOP cost so I called and that’s when they told me it was covered at 80% in-network OR 90% at a”Center of Excellence” (COE). I had no idea what that was so I googled it and it’s specific facilities that hold a standard that Anthem approves. The surgeon I am going to see is at a COE so my surgery will be covered at 90%

Hey y’all! This is my first post as I’m still in the consult stages of trying to get the VSG surgery. I meet with the surgeon for the first time on 7/3/18 however I have a few concerns with the requirements of my insurance; Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

A friend (and coworker) of mine had this procedure done in December 2017 so I have a bit of info on how things will go with our insurance, but I have concern with what is considered as this “continuous 6-month non-surgical weight-loss regimen” requirement. I have called BCBS several times all of which I have been told the same thing; the 6 months have to be consecutive/continuous in the past 2 years. This means no breaks in visits and there are no exceptions; they must be month to month.

I understand there are requirements to be met but I’ve been having an internal battle with whether or not to have the surgery for the better part of the last 3 years. I have lost nearly 80 pounds on my own through diet and exercise but since I quit smoking in late 2016 I have regained nearly half of that weight back regardless my efforts; or at least that’s how it feels. That sure was a long way around my question, lol sorry y’all!

My question is, has anyone been approved for their surgery with BCBS (in Missouri) without having the consecutive/continuous appointments? In early 2017 when I realized I was gaining I started seeing my primary doctor every other month to try and get ahold of things; he felt one months time just wasn’t enough to see if what we were doing was working or not so he wanted every other month. This has been unsuccessful but I feel like with all my visits to him and the documented attempts at the various methods I’ve tried should suffice.

Now, I have found out that these “6 months” can be with my doctor and not necessarily a nutritionist; that’s not my concern. My concern is I have documented appointments in January 2017, May 2017, July 2017, November 2017, January 2018, March 2018, May 2018 and today I have one to mark June 2018; I made today’s appointment since apparently there’s no way I can get approved without my appointments being consecutive. In the beginning of 2017 it wasn’t every other month until we saw I was still gaining; we had chatted via email several times between appointments.

It’s not that I want to rush into this surgery that has me so concerned. What concerns me is that I’ve tried so many different attempts with both my primary physician and a dietician (March 2018) and nothing; my doc said when people have a lot of weight to lose it is common for there to be struggles like this. What else is there for
Me to try aside from shots and such; I definitely don’t want that.

Another issue I have is if I do have to do these appointments consecutively that means my sixth apt will be October 2018. I work in legal (contracting) and I cannot take off more than 1-2 days at a time through January; it’s our busiest time of year. What that means is it will have to wait until early next year which is a new year of deductibles; ugh my brain hurts.

I know my surgery center can help but any thoughts or insight to this are greatly appreciated.

Thanks y’all, sorry for the ramble<3