AnnaWallace

None of this was ever discussed with me when I met with the surgical team. I have GERD as well and am scheduled for the sleeve tomorrow. They have my medical history and know I take medication for it but the possibility of doing the bypass has never once been mentioned to me. A few years a go I lost 100 lbs on my own with the HcG diet and I didn't have any issues with reflux while I was thin. I'm hoping to be that was again when the weight comes off.

I'm not post-op but I dont tolerate most protein shakes or waters due to the taste and after taste. I have found a few things with protein that I do like from Bariatricpal.com Try the Nectar fruity drinks like the Caribbean Cooler, Fuzzy Navel, the Bariatric Fusion meal replacements like the Red velvet, Orange Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter. I also ordered the hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. It's a protein drink but it tastes just like real hot cocoa. Good luck!

Sorry to hear that! Hang in there, it will be here before you know it!

The corporate lady just called and my surgery is back on for tomorrow! They added me in at the end of the day so I guess Dr. Joseph is going to work late. Prayers for sanity are much appreciated!!

Yes, insurance prior auth was approved on 11/8. Someone screwed up and didn't put me on the schedule and now they have no room to add me. They have cancelled the surgery and have tried to schedule it for 12/5 but the problem is... 1. I scheduled this time off work. The people I babysit for rearranged their lives to accommodate my surgery this week and it is too late to tell them that I need off next week instead. 2. My husband scheduled vacation days for Thursday and Friday this week for my surgery. It's too late to cancel and definitely too late to put in for 2 days next week. 3. I have been on this awful liquid diet for a damn week already!! Grrr!!!

Congrats! Prayers for a speedy, painless recovery!

I haven't like very many of the kinds that I had tried. Most of them have that nasty "whey" taste to them and leave a really bad after taste. I love the Bariatric fusion ones and the Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. They dont have that icky, chalky taste and the hot chocolate tastes like real hot cocoa!

I wouldn't recommend using Blue Valley Surgical Associates for your surgery. This place has been a nightmare... from lies, fraud and being given the run around! I started the process back in May. I was required to go to 6 nutritional appointments. the last one was completed on 11/5/18. I was led to believe that at that time they would submit my file to insurance and get me a surgery date. 3 days later I logged into my insurance portal to see if I could see the pre-auth and if a decision had been made. There was nothing there. I called United Health to see if maybe it was a fluke or a mistake, it wasn't. Nothing had been submitted by BVSA. United called BVSA to see what the hold up was and they lied to him and told him that I hadn't agreed to a surgery date yet. I called BVSA to see what the heck was going on and the was told that there was a hold up with their new hospital in taking my insurance. I asked why I couldn't go to Overland Park where I was originally scheduled to have surgery and was told they weren't "allowed" to take my insurance. Allowed? What a funny word to use... Why cant the hospital I was referred to bill my insurance. I started googling "Blue Valley Hospital". It turns out they had lost their Medicaid/Medicare certification back in May. Evidently they thought they would win their appeal and was still taking patients with that insurance. When that didn't pan out for them and they were putting off surgeries they went out and purchased a new hospital that was certified for Medicaid/Medicare. But by this time they had patients backed up as far back as May that were supposed to have had surgeries already. I met one of them who had been put off since July, she had no idea it was because they had lost their certification for FRAUD. On November 8th, I left a negative review on BVSA's Facebook page about how they had "dropped the ball" and had been giving patients the run around. I also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The very next morning I received a phone call from a lady that said she was the compliance officer for the corporate office of Blue Valley Hospital. She promised to make things right and get me a surgery date right away so long as I didn't post anything else about them lying to patients and losing their certification. I told her about my new friend that has been trying to get a surgery date since July. In 15 minutes time she had both of us a surgery date. I was impressed at how quickly it was fixed. All it took was a bad review on their Facebook page. Fast forward to today... I've been on a liquid diet since Thanksgiving to prepare for surgery in 2 more days. BVSA told me when I left my pre-op appointment last week that the hospital would be in touch with me a few days prior to my surgery date. I hadn't heard from them yet and I had questions so I called them. "Anna, who? Are you sure it isn't under a different name?" Ummm. WHAT?!! Turns out I'm not even on the schedule!! After 3 phone calls it still isn't fixed and at this point I am wondering if I have been on this liquid diet for absolutely nothing!! Less than 48 hours from surgery and they dropped the ball AGAIN!!! So, if you have someone ask you, or mention BVSA, tell them to RUN! Run far, far away from BVSA! They will have much better luck with another program!

I started my liver shrink diet the day after Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I have to start clear liquids for surgery on Thursday 11/29. Unfortunately, BVSA doesn't include any type of protocol to follow. They basically hand you a list of what you can have and turn you loose. I had to look up a sample protocol on the internet this morning to get an idea of what I'm supposed to be doing. I've also gained 4 lbs since starting liquids!! Isn't that insane?!