leeblewb

I am having surgery just a few days before you (January 17th) . I have also run the whole list of emotions. I have a 2 year old, who is why I worked up the courage to do this. Yes, there is a very small risk of complications. the risks of obesity are far greater. I finally realized I faced a much larger chance of stroke, heart attack, etc. if I did not do this. Good luck. email me if you want to keep in touch for support since we are having our surgeries at almost the same time.

I had my presurgery class today. Only if you have a lot of drainage will they send you home with the drain in . Most of the time, the nurses will pull the next day. My doctor send you home with blood thinner injections also. It is a very small needle, like an insulin syringe and you take one shot a day for two weeks. Better than a clot though.

call and ask for the office manager. A practice manager has no way to address issues if she/he does not know about them.

I just emailed hotpinkdaisy for an email buddy. If anyone else, would like to email me, please do. My surgery date is January 17. derekandleila@yahoo.com

Best wishes and good thoughts to you both.

It varies from doctor to doctor, but they are all trying to accomplish the same thing. Basically, they want a low carb/high Protein, low calorie diet to both shrink your liver and drop a few pounds. Mainly they want to shrink the liver. My docs is this: -64 oz Fluid a day - must be sugar free, non carbonated calorie free. (Water, crystal light, diet snaple, etc) -1 Multivitamin and 1500 mg Calcium supplement a day -4 Meal Replacement shakes a day - must be less than 200 calorie and less than 23 gm total carbs. and at least 13 g protein (they suggest Slimfast high protein, no sugar added carnation instant Breakfast with 8 oz fat free milk, Dr. Atkins shakes or any others that meet the above guidelines. - dinner of 4 oz lean meat, 1 cup veggies (not potatoes, corn or carrots ), can have high Fiber lite bread. Basically he wants a low carb dinner. - 1 snack of 1/2 cup raw veggies or light n fit , or other light yogurt. Some docs. make you do liquids for the 2 weeks. My previous doc did, but the basic goal is to decrease sugar and carbs enough to shrink the liver. You will also be on Protein Shakes for liquid portion after surgery. There are a couple of threads on here of places to order online.

I have been approved by Cigna and scheduled for 01/17/10 / Yeah. We will have to all stay in touch. since we will be on approximately the same time frame. I start liquid diet on 01/03/10 . I am so ready to get on with this.

My doctor's office requires you to pay $400 up front. My ded. is $350, but $400 is their standard amount they make you pay.

Congrats. Def. tell them if you are nauseous. Much better for them to give you something for nausea than for you to start vomiting.

Congrats. I got approval notice today also. So excited. Your surgery is soon. Will have you in thoughts. That is wonderful.

If anyone wonders about Cigna. My packet went to them on 12/02/10 my approval was done on 12/06/2010 . Wow. I really thought it would take longer.

Congrats on taking that step. I should be having my surgery about the same time. There is a thread under preop for January sleevers.

Anyone have any idea of the turn around time for approval for CIGNA?

Hi All. I was told by my surgeons office that my "packet" went to Cigna yesterday. Cigna is one of 4 companies in VA that covers VSG. Yeah me (I hope) . Has anyone been approved by Cigna? What type of turn around time was it? My doctors office says about 4 weeks, but that seems extreme. When I was considering Lapband I was told by my prior surgeons office (I changed because he did not do VSG) that the turn around time for approval with Cigna was usually 3-4 days. Anyone have any idea? I really need to know about taking clients next month. Don't want to turn away paying clients, but am ready to schedule surgery ASAP.

Congrats on the 1 week count down. It will be so worth it all.

I am waiting for my surgery (mid Jan. is the plan). I have had several other surgeries before though. I think it is mainly just a difference in people and their pain tolerances. A bit can be from physicians and their techniques, but baring any complications, etc. I think it is mainly that different people have different tolerances. I work in Labor and delivery and every woman is different in how she perceives labor pain, I think surgical pain is the same way.

I had an ovary removed a couple of years ago. It was done laparascopically for recurrant cyst's . I have PCOS. It was not horrible. One day of just out of it, mainly from the anesthesia. Then a couple of days of just a little tender, mainly when getting up and down. My question, is there no way they can piggyback the surgeries so you only have to be put to sleep once? Is way better for you and cheaper for ins. also, so they should not fuss. You then only have one recovery, plus will save you on out of pocket expense. I used to work for an OB/GYN and we piggybacked surgery many times if someone needed more than one procedure. It is really just getting the two doctors office's to get a time where they can both do the procedure.

I hope to have surgery mid January. I have appt with Dr. next Tuesday (11/23) and have all my documentation ready to go to Cigna. I guess it depends on how long they take (supposidly less than a week, we shall see), but I don't really want to do in December. I am very ready for surgery, but have a 2 year old and don't want to risk feeling bad over the holidays.

Is that a common thing, for hospitals to require that? I have had other surgeries before and the hospital always just billed me after. My doctor's office require me to pay $400 before surgery (which is their standard thing, not that amount just for me) .

Hi all. I am scheduled for November 17th. I was originally scheduled for September, but ins. took longer to approve than we thought. I go tomorrow for my pre surgery class. I start my liquid diet on the 1st. I am not looking forward to missing turkey, but will be so worth it. Good luck to all scheduled and those waiting. I am 42 with a 2 year old son. I, like some of you, am worried about getting him into and out of crib. My mom is coming to stay for a week or so after surgery and hubby is super supportive. I just know how hard it is gonna be to keep my little man from climbing on me.

The official pre-determination came through from Cigna today. Yeah ! Surgery is on for the 15th. Starting liquid diet today, so will only have 11 days of it. Now, all of a sudden I am nervous. What is up with that?

I am on the schedule of 09/15/10 . Yeah.

JillianRN - I am with you. I am 42. I am from NC, but we are in Richmond now. I am sure I won't bounce back as quickly as these 20 somethings, but hopefully quickly enough. I can't wait to feel 20something .

Good luck Lisa. I am glad it all worked out.

I think a clothes exchange sounds like a great idea. I am planning on mainly living in exercise pants and t's for the next year when possible. , but I am still going to need to get clothes. I have a closetfull of great stuff now that I hope to not fit me very soon. My packet is being sent to Cigna hopefully today or tomorrow. I am praying I get as quick an approval as Cathy did. I can't imagine getting an approval in a couple of days, but if it is less than 2 weeks I'll be happy. If so, I hope to be having my surgery by the end of September. Yeah.