ahillig

That's awesome, hopefully mine is that quick!

I don't have the smoking issue to deal with which is nice. But I'm glad you got your approval!

I was told a week from the date of my EGD for results. It ended up being closer to two weeks because I had completely forgotten about it!

Just wondering if anyone had any experience with getting an approval through FEP Blue. I have finished all of the requirements and my surgeons office is going to submit the request and curious as to what the turn around time is for the approval. Thanks!

We'll be on the Magic leaving June 28 from Miami! And we fly Southwest exclusively so with their two bags fly free I'm not super concerned about luggage weight. Glad to know you didn't end up needing the shakes. I'm just thinking of a 4 pack to stuff in my luggage.

It is just about a year out from surgery, correct. I'm just more concerned about the port days where there will be lots of activity and walking. I feel it might be better to have one of those on hand because you can't bring ship food off the ship in ports and the restaurants in port typically are not the best nutrition wise.

I'm hopefully (fingers crossed) having the sleeve in early July and we have a cruise booked for the end of next June. I love all the fresh options that cruises offer and often eat my weight in fresh fruit while on the ship ?. Has anyone successfully carried on pre-mixed protein shakes to a ship? We're sailing on Carnival and I know they have certain restrictions about pop and wine but there is no mention about protein shakes. I'll call the cruise line once I have the surgery to figure it all out but I was just curious what experience others might have had. I'm not so worried about sea days, it's the days we're in port and walking around doing all the fun stuff!

I have a surgeon's copay of $200, a $100 per night copay with a max of $500, and no anesthesia copay. I have already paid $40 for my consult, $116 for the EGD, $196 for my surgeon copay for the EGD, $30 for one nutrition appointment, and $30 for my psych eval. You should be able to find the costs of everything in your insurance benefits booklet. I still have another appointment with my primary for my final nutrition visit then I have to do the nutrition consult with my surgeons office. I'm going to call them next week and see if I can do that between now and my final nutrition appointment so they can submit everything.

Depends on what exactly is abnormal with the EKG. Some abnormalities can be a normal variant for you, some might indicate an electrolyte imbalance, some might be a congenital defect, and some can be abnormal due to lead placement. I do EKGs all the time and can tell you that ONE improperly placed electrode can screw the whole thing up, they need to be placed between ribs and not over bone. Also, it's more difficult to find the proper landmarks to place the EKG leads on busty women and the obese. Even being obese myself I was not blessed up top and still have difficulty finding the landmarks on me without extra breast tissue.

I'd check with the hospital, they usually have specific rules regarding how you're able to get home. When I had my EGD it had to be someone over 18 and NOT an uber or taxi. It might be different a few days after surgery but as long as you are taking narcotic pain killers you cannot drive, period. Hospitals almost always contract with private ambulance companies and they might have medicar or service car options that can get you home. The company I work for has very reasonable rates for this service with our contracted facilities, it's not usually covered by insurance and payment is typically required up front. Our rate includes a base rate plus per mile rate. This could be an option for you!

I'm tired of being fat and tired. I'm tired of not being able to do all the things I want to do like ride roller coasters. I work at an amusement park and can only ride a handful of coasters in my park due to my size and I love roller coasters! I stand at most parties because I'm afraid those folding cloth camp chairs will break. I'm tired of not being able to find cute clothes that look good on me. I just want my life back. When I was in high school I was athletic, I played tennis, marched in the marching band, played pick up soccer, and was very active, now mustering the energy to go to the store is challenging some days. I've tried to lose weight on my own and have lost and gained the same 40lbs more times than I can count. I have never tried programs or fad diets, always eating healthy and calorie counting but I always get to a point where the amount of calories I eat in a day cannot be increased unless I workout HARD for 2-3 hours a day and that's unrealistic. I need that tool to help me get past the 40lb barrier and beyond to be successful long term. It's always been something I've had in the back of my mind but I never let myself explore it in the past because I've always lost the weight. I was so nervous about it and calling to make an appointment for a consult but the staff at my surgeons office is so nice and my surgeon is a really down to earth guy whom I feel totally comfortable with.

The reasoning behind this is that shaving creates micro Knicks in the skin that can get infected. Also, many hospitals give you chlorhexidine wipes to wipe your entire body down with before surgery and that stuff is not supposed to be applied to any open wounds. That being said, when I had my gallbladder out I showered the night before washed with the hibiclens (same ingredient as the cloths), showered the next morning as instructed, shaved my legs, then used the hibiclens. When I got to the hospital they had me use the wipes and I about clawed my damn legs off. Ended up getting Benadryl because I was so itchy. I'll be using Nair next time ?

My doc just said that I need to come in, get weighed, and talk about nutrition. For my first visit she put that I stopped drinking pop and energy drinks and started eating more grilled chicken vs fried chicken. Next time it'll be that I cut down on sodium as that's what we identified to work on for the next visit.

I had knee surgery 2 years ago and was diagnosed with arthritis then, I also have grade 3 chondromalacia which is basically where the cartilage in my knee looks like crab meat because it's so thin and inflamed. I was also diagnosed with non-erosive reflux after my EGD along with intestinal metaplasia at the stomach and duodenal junction. Hoping that will help even though my BMI is at 42 right now so I qualify based on that.

So happy you had your surgery!! That's what mine says as well. I had some gyne issues over the past year so my weight record is pretty rock solid there. My only questions are the nutrition assessment and the physician supervised diet. My PCP said that I'll go see her for 3 mos, get weighed and talk about what I've been eating and how to improve that then give those notes to my surgeon. My surgeons office has a dietician on staff and they require a meeting with her before surgery so I guess that'll count, at least that's what my surgeon said. My PCP said that most of her patients who have had WLS have been successful and she seemed supportive so I don't think I'll have any problems getting the medical necessity from her.

So I got the results of my EGD and apparently I have a non-erosive form of acid reflux. Also, biopsy showed questionable Barrett's esophagus which means I might have to have the bypass over the sleeve. I'm trying to come to terms with that possibility but my surgeon put me on protonix to help reduce the acid production of my stomach. I've been on a steady diet of ibuprofen due to some uterine issues and my love of spicy foods may not have worked in my favor for that. Hopefully, he can do the sleeve still, I'm still weirded out by the whole rearranging of organs.

I totally agree with this! I also have a friend who had the bypass and wishes she could've had the sleeve, she had a lot of problems after her bypass where her esophagus had to be dilated twice due to it closing off. She had a bunch of stomach ulcers and acid reflux which is why she couldn't do the sleeve.

Curious if you got approved before your surgery date! I have the same insurance and I have this sinking feeling that I'm going to get denied. I might just call them and ask for clarification as to what exactly they're looking for in regards to approving it.

My doctor told me he wants me off for 4 weeks only because I'm a paramedic. Honestly, I don't plan on taking that much time off because I can easily go to my part time medic job and do a lot of other things that don't require lifting. After I had my gallbladder out I was ready to go back after 2 weeks but my doc wouldn't release me until 6 weeks.

I am tired of being obese. I'm tired of having zero energy, tired of my knees hurting, and just tired of losing the same 40lbs over and over. I also want to avoid any obesity related issues like diabetes and hypertension. I just want to live again.

As a paramedic, you don't have anything to worry about with your current weight! I've had all ranges of ages and weights. Average weight of the patients I transport is about 250lbs. Our standard stretcher is rated to 750lbs and our bariatric stretcher is rated to 1600lbs. We can, and will, lift you!

I had my scope on Thursday and it was a breeze. They did start oxygen before the procedure by nasal cannula but they also monitored my end tidal CO2 which is a measure of how well you're ventilating on your own. I was only given propofol (the milky white stuff) and had zero issues. During the procedure you lie on your left side so the weight of your body isn't really affecting your chest. The surgeon who will be doing my surgery is also the one who did my scope so if that's your case ask if you should bring your CPAP. From the time I was taken back to the endoscopy room to the time I was in recovery was less than an hour and I was asleep for maybe half of it.

According to the FEP BCBS benefits guide this is what is required for revisions: •Benefits for subsequent surgery for morbid obesity, performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis, are subject to the following additional pre-surgical requirements: - All criteria listed above for the initial procedure must be met again, except when the subsequent surgery is necessary to treat a complication from the prior morbid obesity surgery . - Previous surgery for morbid obesity was at least 2 years prior to repeat procedure - W eight loss from the initial procedure was less than 50% of the member’s excess body weight at the time of the initial procedure - Member complied with previously prescribed post- operative nutrition and exercise program - Claims for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity must include documentation from the member’s provider(s) that all pre-surgical requirements have been met

Had my first "supervised nutrition" appointment Monday of this week and my EGD today. My PCP said that I just have to come in and get weighed once a month for 3 months and talk about any dietary changes I made so the first one is done, also did a physical while I was there and my BP is elevated but the past two weeks have been hell in my personal life so that is probably the cause. EGD showed nothing, no reflux, no ulcers, no hernias, no esophagitis. He did take a biopsy and I'll know in a week what those results are. Feels good to check off the appointments, two more "nutrition" visits and a dietician visit then insurance submission!

I had my psych eval yesterday and it all went really well. We spent the first half of the appointment just talking and then I did three standardized psych tests, the first two were just anxiety/depression screenings which he saw no concerns with and the third one was 175 true/false questions. FWIW, I feel bad for anyone with severe paranoia that has to take that test, holy moly it was making me paranoid! Anyways, I took it on paper but he said normally they do it via computer and the program wasn't working right but at a glance he said that I am super organized, a perfectionist with perhaps a touch of OCD, and that I was a repressor. When he asked how I handle emotions I told him I walk away and do something else so that last test just confirmed it. He also just wanted to hear my why for wanting surgery and what has or hasn't worked in the past. I was 100% honest with him on everything he asked and it went well. He said he gives very few no's for surgery and gives out either yes with no recommendations or yes with recommendations. He said I would might benefit from therapy in the future to help with leaning on others and letting them see emotion but it could also just be who I am and that's ok too. He said that because I'm a paramedic and in the health care field that repression might be completely normal and not detrimental to me psychologically but some therapy might be beneficial to help me share other emotions. So it sounds like I'm getting the green light from his side and I might consider therapy this summer when my schedule frees up a bit. One thing he said about my perfectionism and organization its that it helps to make the surgery successful long term so he said that's a big positive. So just be 100% honest if you're nervous about it. There are ways to still get approved. Just thought I'd share my story