KimA-GA

Good luck in finding a plan with coverage.. I am lucky, my insurance does not cover it, but my husband added me to his insurance which started covering the surgery this year.

Diet modification can work well.. mine increased once and I added regular oatmeal twice a week for a few months and it brought it down to normal.

Best of luck! Keep us updated

Greetings, I am Kim.. 42 in central GA, mom of two older teen boys. Working on requirements for insurance. Hope to have sleeve surgery in October. Been working on the issues that for me to this weight (such as too much fast food, emotional eating etc) while I go through the steps for insurance approval. I want this surgery to be a success and not struggle as bad as I would without doing the work before surgery.

Call your current insurance and see coverage and criteria. Many plans exclude bariatric, unfortunately. That will show what your options are or if you will have so self pay. then research the pros and cons of each surgical procedure and decide which is for you.

Thank you for asking. It was like an intro appt with a psych. Lots of background questions (which I dreaded because I do have a complex history) . I tried to keep focus on the changes I have made and my current feelings and actions. Now is different then past. He is putting in a recommendation that the surgeons office continue to screen for my mental health status at appointments but is clearing me for surgery.

I live near macon in central ga, so not far probably an hour away. *wave*

Got my virtual psych consul tomorrow. Psych doesn’t scare me, I have had a lot of therapy;)! But the high stakes of this appointment has me nervous. I know that I am in a good place for this surgery and am mentally dealing with my food issues etc in preparation for being as healthy and successful as possible. Still , I got the jitters!!! How was your psych consult? Any issues or was it simpler than you thought ? would love to hear experiences!

Sounds like you might want to talk to your dr about reflux. Did you have hustle hernia repair with your sleeve?

Thank you for this. What are you doing to get back on track?

Fast food was so hard to overcome! I started putting convenience over cost for healthy grab and go foods and it became easier. Also, when I do get something I opt for smaller portions (4 nugget happy meal for example) and simpler options and find that works as well as the big meals used to. keep working and hopefully we will be surgery buddies!

It’s amazing the difference that a good doctor makes! So many dismiss people because they are fat (I have many stories). Was it the pre surgery endoscopy that dx the celiac or were you being tested for celiac with an endoscopy? (My dr requires a pre surgery endoscopy)

Yes! WLS is a tool for success. Once you reach a certain size it can be extremely hard without medical help to loose enough weight and this is one way to get medical help. You still have to work hard at it and you still have to monitor diet and exercise but the modification makes the weight loss more achievable!

First, forgive yourself for struggling! It’s ok. I am pre-op but trying to overcome my food issues before surgery (many people don’t). It’s not a straight path to success but a journey of learning and understanding yourself that takes twists and turns. Talk to your doctor about the struggle. Talk to a nutritionist or a counselor or both! Get the support needed to get to know your new existence. It takes a while to get to know a new person, and you are getting to know the new you. But most importantly please forgive yourself. You are doing better than you think and can get through this bump.

Was your surgery stay same day or multiple day? thoughts on your experience either way?

I am pre op. Food addiction is real and hard! I am trying to overcome now with mindfulness and journaling and lots and lots of learning how to forgive myself. and maybe it will be easier when you can have the soft foods. Lots of great roasted veggies you can purée into thick soups that are easy to prepare (and freeze great)

Did you loose weight with the pre op diet? how much? issues with hunger or fatigue?

From my reading, it could exclude you. If your liver is not shrunk properly the surgery will not happen. Also, if you can’t follow the diet, you may need to do more work on your psychological issues regarding food more before you are a good candidate for surgery, otherwise you may have a very hard time after surgery when you must refrain.

Did you follow the pre op liquid diet properly? Some surgeons only want three or four days, but most want two weeks to ensure the liquid diet. it is designed to shrink the liver for surgery and very important it is followed. If you cheat on it, it is a sign you are not a good candidate for surgery.

You look amazing! You glow!

I have never lost a lot of weight before… so I hope it will be obvious;). I won’t care after it’s done telling people - just afraid of telling people before for some reason. Maybe it’s because I came close once before and the opportunity was taken from me (soap opera story) and I am scared this time something will happen again. I have insurance coverage for bariatrics this time so it should happen! I know I will need to say something for the time off after surgery so people will know by the time I have the date. I just don’t know when right now. I will have to go through an endoscopy in august, maybe then.

Greetings, how long before surgery did you inform other people of your plans t get gastric sleeve surgery? I am currently looking at a flurry of doctors appointments leading up to a surgery in October. I work in a small office so my absences are seen. Getting the surgery isn’t a shameful thing, but I see it as private for now. I don’t know how much closer to time I should wait. I am concerned about other people’s reaction. I know there will be judgements and gossip. (I know they already are!) Once I tell, I want to be open and honest because I hope the results will be noticeable. I just don’t look forward to dealing with the people. Getting the surgery is a huge positive step to allow me to live life to its fullest and have a healthier life. I don’t have doubts about it, but I know how people are. When did you tell people before surgery? what kind of reactions did you get ?

how did things go? How are you feeling ?

I hope that you have talked to your surgeon and general doctor and gotten help for the issues you were experiencing