Dickson

Congrats that is awesome!! Any complications?

Well your only a week before us so you'll have to keep us posted on what to expect. Good luck to both of you!

I think it would be so hard to try and do this by yourself. With both of us heavy it only made sense, at least to us lol. Looking forward to it and I'm just hoping on the day or hour that I feel like crap she will be there to pick me up and visa versa! Congrats to you both and look forward to hearing more on your journey.

:scared0: OK I have completed the "Pathway" that Madigan Army Hosp requires and today I got the date of my appointment with the Dr. who will perform the surgery. Looking forward to finally getting to talk to him and set up the real date for VSG! Feeling like there is light at the end of the tunnel finally. Anyone have any questions that I should ask from your experiences? I already have a ton of my own but would like to hear what you wish you would have asked your Dr. prior to the operation.

Hi everyone. We, my wife and I are getting ready to have VSG together. Sounds like June or July time frame. We have started on the "Pathway" as they call it at Madigan Army Hosp. So our first rounds of classes are complete, we have one more set of classes then we see a head doctor (lol) and will finally get to see our surgeon. It makes it so much easier going thru this with your best friend. Having that support at home makes it very comfortable. We have only told a select few others about what we are doing. We already know who the negatives in our lives are so why put ourselves thru that? We will just lose the weight and say it's our new super diet LOL. Have read alot of posts on here and find so many inspirational stories. Thank you all for that. Well thats about it for now. Will keep you posted on the journey!:thumbup:

Whew, so I'm not crazy! That went well. Have to see him one more time to go over the test he has you take then he will put in the approval and then it is off to see the Dr about when we can do the VGS!

OK got my "Head Dr" appt for tomorrow. After that I can put in to see the surgeon and finally get a date! We have been starting the suppliments B-12 and Flintstones lol, still have to find a calcium one. Now looking into all the different protein drinks/suppliments that are out there. Will do some research online here to help out with that.

We are on the "Pathway" to get the VGS and yesterday we went to a group support meeting. Unfortunately everyone in the group had gotten the Roux En Y (sp?) surgery so no one had direct input to the VGS. But one of them was saying that with the sleeve you should expect to have alot of reflux, I have not heard that before. I could see if that was an issue prior to the procedure it still might be, but don't see how it could cause it. With a Lap Band I see it but not the the VGS. Anyone have answers to this? Thanks:001_unsure:

Just got home a little bit ago from our second set of appointments. Today was Nutrition (Post Op) and Stress Management and we also went to a group support meeting. Learned alot in the Nutrition class and the group was really good too. Getting close to doing the last class then on to the Dr. Whoooo hooooo

Tomorrow is day two of the "Pathway" We see the Nutritionist again, this time on Post-Op food choices, then to Social for stress management and then to go sit in on a support group. Looking forward to knocking off a couple more requirements prior to seeing the Dr.!

Hello, looking at all the options out there and right now the sleeve is looking like a much better fit than the band for me and my wife. Unfortunately TRICARE will not cover this procedure at this time (Medicare now codes so I'm sure other insurance will follow) so we are looking at other options. Being retired military we found out that Madigan Army Hospital performs the surgery and I'm just curious if anyone up in this area has used them? Thanks!

vmgraves, We too where hoping for a more quick timetable, but it has gone pretty fast. And in someways I think it is good, really gives you time to get your head truly wrapped around what it is your getting ready to do. We have started the pathway and while it sounds like a long drawn out process, you can actually finish it pretty quick as you can double or triple up the required classes all in one day, so what sounds like weeks will only be a couple and then it is off to see the Dr! We go in next week for round two with the nutritionist and counselor to help with goal setting, then check out the support group. The nutritionist part is pretty important so pay attention. I think going in and just getting the surgery without the added benefit of all this support that Madigan puts at your disposal would make the process awhole lot harder. It is not as simple as surgery and poof you are skinny. There is alot of mental as well as life change that goes into this. I think if you buy into their "pathway" you will find that all the wait is for a good reason and time will just fly by. Good Luck!

Thanks Tiffykins, Was pretty impressed with the whole setup. Like how they take this as a true life change and not a quick fix. Just a tool, and like all tools can be used properly or not. One thing if any of you are interested in Madigan, each Dr. performs about 30+ surgeries a month, so yes they have the experience there. I will keep this going on info for anyone who is interested.

Just a quick update. We went the briefing on gastric surg at Madigan. Was very informative. The Chief of Surgery spoke and was very positive on why this type of surgery needed to be done and why he thought the sleeve was a much better option then the Band. He did say the Roux-en-Y was the gold standard of weight loss surgeries but that is just a little too dramatic for me. Now it is on to the pathway as they call it. Nutritionist / Physc and a few other humps to jump then you get to see a sugeon.

I have found it is confusing at best when using terminology. The only sure way to know what is and is not covered is to use the coding system. The code for the sleeve is 43775. Call your insurance give them this code and see if it is a covered benefit. Good luck!

Went to my first seminar last night at Harrison Hosp. in Silverdale. Everything was going great until they said they don't accept TRICARE. I also got a call today from my primary care physicain and they are ready to submit the referal but need a name of a Dr. on it. So I'm looking for a Dr. in the Silverdale area, understand I may have to travel to Seattle / Tacoma. Thanks

I am new to the group and have been thinking about the Band for quite awhile. I realize at this point in my life I'm not able to lose the weight like I used to. I have had two major knee reconstrcuts and I can't exercise like I used to, hence lot's of weight gain. My brother has had the surgery and I see the good as well as some of the bad with his experience. I'm sure like most of you I'm having thoughts about failure (If I have to resort to something this drastic then I must be a failure), how this will effect my life (both good and bad). So lot's going on inside my head. But I also know that if I don't get this weight off I will be much worse off. So My question to you all that have had this are what are your regrets, would you do it again or try other means to get to your weight loss goals? My wife and I are going to an info seminar Monday so I'm sure that will answer alot of my other questions. Hopefully $$$ won't be an issue, I am on TRICARE as I'm retired military, and I know they now cover this surgery. Thanks in advance for the info. D:thumbup:

Just got my referal from TRICARE, pretty happy with how quick that went. The Dr. they want me to go see is Dr. Ty Chun in Silverdale. Anyone ever hear or deal with him? Thanks

Jack, Congrats! My wife and I went to the info meeting last night and everything was going great until they said they basically did not accept insurance. So now I have to find a provider who will accept TRICARE. Other than that I'm ready to go. Looking forward to FEELING GOOD!

Hello, Just starting out on this journey. Going Monday for my informational meeting at Harrison. Have alot of questions and just trying to get my head wrapped around this, as in do I really need to go this drastic to lose the weight? Well I must as nothing else has worked on my own! Wish me luck and let me know how you all have done in this area. D

Just want to say thanks for all the info and support. We will be going to our first step in this process tomorrow. Info seminar at the hospital about the surgery. I will have a list of questions for them. I alrealy gave my Dr. a list of history so he could write up the consult for the insurance co. I'm hoping that there isn't too many road blocks on their part. I think I should have most of the bases covered that they want to see (unfortunately) sleep apnea, over 100lbs + weight tables for my height, bad knees, bad back. Don't know what more they would need to see to approve. Wish me luck!