weightnomore

BCBS of Texas is my insurance. They have their clinical policy bulletin right online if you know where to look. One of the women in the benefits office showed me how to find it. There policy is for a THREE month supervised weight loss. That is what I did and I got approved without a problem. (They just started allowing the sleeve in July 2010, BTW) Here is a link so you can read it yourself: http://medicalpolicy.hcsc.net/medicalpolicy/home?corpEntCd=TX1&path=/templatedata/medpolicies/POLICY/data/SURGERY/SUR716.003_2010-07-01&ctype=POLICY&cat=Surgery#hlink I don't know why your requirement should be any different. If I were you I would call them and quote the above to them and see what they say.

I'm glad you are finally "gitin 'r done"! It is a long haul for most of us. I'll be right behind you. Have to be at the hospital Tuesday morning at 6am. Best of everything and post your status as soon as you can. Anne

Not sure what you mean by "the size of a chicken", but a yogurt, a few nuts, a small bowl of chili and a few crackers should add up to about 500 calories. If that is all you are eating I think you are definately not overdoing it. I would think that purging would put a lot of unwanted stress on your stomach. 65 lbs. in four months is phenomenal. I wouldn't worry about a thing!

Welcome to the board and thanks for your kind words. As I have said before, I doubt I would be getting this surgery without these forums to encourage me. I am five days away from getting sleeved and am nervous but very hopeful. God has opened all the doors for me and I know he won't leave me to my own devices now. I hope all goes well for you in your future sleeve plans. Anne

Hi Stacy, I am definately getting nervous and jittery, too. I keep being afraid I will get on the table and start to scream "Help, get me out of here. I can't do this!" But my husband just took my "before" pictures tonight and when I looked at them, it was sure confirmation that this is what I need to do. Are you doing a pre-op diet? Because my BMI is relatively low, I do not have to do one. I just need to be on liquids for two days prior to surgery. So that means I have two days of eating normally and that's it. Make sure to message me after your surgery and let me know how you are doing. Maybe we can touch base the night before, too. Anne

My advice is to make sure you have all the facts, and then be firm but respectful. Think of how you would respond if you were on the other end. I read an appeal letter posted on another board that the writer called kick-a** letter, but she had a very in-your-face attitude that I thought was a real turn-off. There are real people reading those letters and they are going to respond more favorably to a respectful letter than a nasty one.

You don't need to pay that much for a comfortable shaper. I got a great one at Wally World believe it or not, and saw some at Ross for cheap. Mostly I shop at Kohls and pay in the $25 range.

Welcome to the board. My surgery is a week from tomorrow. I don't think I would have opted to go through with the surgery without reading all the posts on here. Yes, it will definately be a struggle at first, but so many people are so happy that they had this surgery. That is what I am looking forward to--feeling good and being glad I did this.

Just a thought, can you talk to your doctor about doing the DS but limiting the bypass part of it? In other words, still do the entire operation as your insurance requires, but ask him to limit the amount of small intestine that gets bypassed. I'm not super familiar with the surgery, but it seems like it would be worth asking about.

My surgery is the same day and I am to do a two day liquid diet before surgery. I'm sure if you can't eat you will need to drink. You'd better call the doctor's office and get specifics. There is a difference between a clear liquid diet and a full liquid diet.

Thank you all so much. I feel that his negativity toward this is based on a lack of understanding of the true problem, plus his own dislike of medical procedures, especially surgery. So I am forging ahead, and I think he is getting more and more used to the idea. I know he will love seeing me at a normal size and when he sees that I can be healthy through the process he will be very happy for me.

Hi Stacy, Great to hear you are another December 7th sleever. You, Angie and I are the only ones on that date I believe so far--hope I haven't missed anyone. I just had my final doctor visit yesterday and alll I need to do is a two day liquid diet before surgery. I will be decorating and shopping like crazy during the week after Thanksgiving so I can rest up and enjoy the holiday. Keep us updated on your progress. Anne

I just had my third pre-surgery nutrition class today so this is all fresh in my mind. We were told that drinking with a meal liquifies the food in your stomach and it will slide through more easily, causing you to eat more. Without a drink, the food will fill up your stomach and stay there making you feel full. You will eat less this way and therefore lose more weight.

Thanks for your explanation. It sounds horrible and I hope I don't have one. I have my doctor's visit this Thursday and I will have to ask him about the drain.

What the heck is a bulb?

Thanks for all of your answers. I'm not sure I need a therapist, I just like foods that are chewy and crunchy and were hoping to eat them a little sooner. I have gotten into a different mindset over the past few years where I've 'given up' on dieting, but I know I am going to have to be mindful of what I eat now. I am ready for that, because I feel like this time in won't be in vain--my efforts will pay off.

There are doctors in the United States that do it for a lot less than $26,000. Was it that recent news show on the sleeve where the doctor said the surgery is now $13,000 at his hospital? Maybe you could travel within the USA. I would also call Aetna and ask them to tell you what your cost will be. Like someone above stated, perhaps the way they figure it is different than you were figuring. They have a name for an estimate like that. They call it a "Plan of Care" or something. Lastly, maybe next year your employer will offer more options and you can take a lower deductible, lower co-insurance plan for one year, since the higher premiums would probably pay off. In any case, there is always hope and God can always make a way. I will pray that he does.

After taking my nutrition class, I was surprised to hear that my doctor wants me to be on mushies for six weeks, after two weeks of full liquids. How long were you on mushies, and did you follow the doctors orders, or did you move ahead when you felt you were ready?

What an inspiration. It's like losing a cocoon and having a new you emerge! Congratuations on your bravery and hard work.

Hi Tammy, I read your blog. Very interesting story. Did you say you actually walked to the recovery room after surgery? Maybe I read it wrong, but I sure hope they wheel me in. I'm glad, too, that insurance is paying and I will be 45 minutes from home, that trip sounds grueling. Glad you are done and on your way to your new life. Keep us updated on your progress.

Your surgery is the day before mine and I hope to be eating mushies by Christmas, since I am on liquids for two weeks. That means I start mushies on the 21st. Guess that means cottage cheese and soup for Christmas dinner-yum, yum!

Your employer should have given you a copy of your health plan which tells how much your co-insurance and co-pays are. Each company is different. There is not one plan for all Aetna members. It depends on what your company contracts with Aetna for. My husband's plan gives us a choice of either 20% co-insurance or 10%. The premiums are higher, of course for the 10% plan.

Hi, I am in the western part of Northern Virginia. My brother and his family live in Richmond. Are you having your surgery at Bon Secours? I had my one on one nutrition consultation on Monday and she said the doctor did not mark down any pre-surgery weight loss goal for me. She thinks I will not have to do any pre-surgery diet. What a relief. I guess it is because my BMI is on the low end. I will be on liquids for two weeks after surgery and mushies for 6 weeks. I'm getting more and more excited.

Thanks for all the great tips. I think I already have the small utensils, so I will definitely try to use them. Reading during eating is a good idea, too.

Thanks for your reply! I think it would drive me crazy to time myself between bites. Like being in stop and go traffic when all you want to do is sail through. I don't love the super-mushy feeling of well-chewed food in my mouth, either (this is going to be a problem!), however, if I concentrate on the crunchyness instead, and chewing on the crunchy parts, I'm okay--as stupid as that sounds. I'm looking at the whole surgery thing as having to discipline myself to do certain things because I have no choice. Like wearing a seat belt because it is the law--I knew it was the right thing to do before, but if I didn't have to, I sometimes didn't.