billho

Have you looked at your policy? if WLS is not covered, it should be mentioned in the excluded services section. I have delayed my surgery a few years because I had Aetna- Aetna usually covers it, but my specific policy had an exclusion for any weight loss stuff. No amount of appealing or letters from my doctors would change that. Earlier this year, Aetna raised their rates to an insane amount, so I switched to my wife's insurance and I finally have coverage for surgery. Hang in there. Sometimes insurance companies don't think this through, as it has been shown that their costs will go down in the long run if you lose the weight and a lot of the other conditions you have improve.

My VSG is on Monday and I did the COVID test today. Fortunately, I didn't have to do the liquid diet, since I was able to drop 33 lbs since Aug 1st with a 1,200 cal diet and haven't cheated once. But I was out of the house today and seriously considered a "last meal" at a fast-food place since it might be my last chance for a long, long time. But, I stuck to my Gatorade Zero that I brought and a protein bar and got small grilled nuggets.... so still on track for 1,200 today.

one thing that has improved as I have lost 30 lbs is that I can sleep on my side without my arm going numb.

This is cool. I put in my numbers when I started a 1200 cal diet back at the end of July and it nailed it down to the week where I am now.

One week from today. Almost there. I'm down 30 lbs since August 1st and started to have the "maybe I could do this without altering my body permanently..." thoughts, but I realize that I need to lose 100 lbs, not just 30, and it needs to be forever.

I have also been trying to walk more and have struggled with foot and knee pain when I push too hard. I started with Saucony stability shoes, but they weren't all stable and didn't last long, as I too wear the outsides of my shoes. Then I moved to Brooks Ravenna and Adrenaline GTS shoes and they seemed to work fine for a while, but the wore out to fast and have been causing a lot of pain lately. So I broke down and went to "Fleet Feet", which is a fancy runner's chain store and they measured my feet. Turns out, I've been wearing normal D width shoes and I needed EE Wide shoes. I bought a pair of Hoka One One Arahi and I really like them. For the first time in a long while, I can walk for an hour without pain. I'm hoping as the weight comes off, I'll be able to transition to jogging eventually. They were a little more expensive than I wanted, but I think it was worth it. Maybe I can find a deal online when I need to replace them in 6 months. This is what I got: https://www.hokaoneone.com/mens-road/arahi-4/1106473.html?dwvar_1106473_width=reg&dwvar_1106473_color=LLRC

Have you tried a different type of mask? Perhaps you can ask the Respironics rep to let you try a few different kinds before you buy another. I have used a CPAP for years and always struggled with the nasal pillows and would wake up 2 hours in with a sore nose. A few years ago, I switched to one that covers my nose only (not the mouth) and I can get through the whole night with no problem.

Thanks for the idea. I have a small dorm fridge my daughter used when she was in college that I can put behind my desk in my home office. I'll go ahead and put it there before my surgery in a few weeks so I can keep my shakes cold throughout the day. I like the Premier Protein shakes and stocked up from Costco. I also have Unjury powder, though that's not as tasty. We'll see what I like after surgery.

for what it is worth, I'll give my opinion. Like JConforti said, if the number of pills matches the number of encounters, then she probably should not bring it up. He may be very sensitive about this topic and probably hasn't felt comfortable discussing it with his wife. But, he is taking action on something he needs help with. However, maybe your friend could bring up the topic of performance and health in a less judgemental way, like asking him if he feels pressure to perform or if he has any concerns in that area- without mentioning anything about the pills. When he is ready, hopefully, he'll talk with her about it.

Allienyc, this sounds very familiar, as I am in a similar position. When I started this process, I was 284, with a BMI of 41.9. But, after meeting with the doctor and the psychologist and dietitian, I started following their advice and have been working on getting healthier habits and losing some of the weight. The problem is that I was too good at it- in 30 days, I dropped from 284 to 258, putting my BMI at 38.1. My insurance was "approved", but my nurse navigator said that my weight could cause them to decide not to pay at the last minute. I have high blood pressure, but it is well controlled with medication. I also have high cholesterol, but it is also well controlled with medication. I have been using a CPAP for years, but haven't had a sleep study in the last 10 years, so it isn't in my records. I have an appointment with the sleep specialist this week and we're hoping to get a sleep study done before my surgery on the 21st so that we'll have the documentation we need to have the insurance approval. This all seems so unnecessary since one of the things I'm hoping for is to be able to get rid of the CPAP once I lose the weight.

September 21st. Just got insurance approval today.

I won’t miss- that fear in people’s eyes when I board a plane, or the fear I have that someone as big as me will sit next to me. going to sporting events and have to wedge into the narrow seat and be uncomfortable the hole time not being to find anything in my size that looks good. TMI- the fat roll beneath my waist not being able to keep my pants up without making my belt feel like a tourniquet Hating going to the beach or a pool where I will need to take my shirt off being the fattest guy in the room not being able to go hiking with my son (or if we do, it is much slower than he wants to go) not being able to jog using a CPAP feeling like a loser when I see friends or former classmates I haven’t seen in a few years not getting the job after they see how fat I am having boobs bigger than my wife’s