SorryNameTaken

Congratulations and good luck!!!!! Let us know how it goes!! Crossing my fingers for a first submit approval!!

I was banded in 2008, lost a bit of a weight, struggled with finding the perfect fill for me. Eventually I became so miserable with the band that I gave up, ate what was easy to get down, and gained all the weight back. Over the last 2 years or so I was getting so miserable, everything would get stuck and I was having reflux, which I never had. I kept telling the doctors I was slipped, but my X-ray showed everything was in a normal position, so I decided to start the process for a revision.

I just revised to the bypass on October 24 and I certainly was slipped, my band was around my esophagus with my stomach incarcerated inside the band. They don't know how I was managing to eat anything, but I was! So far I am SO glad to have revised. The pain was approximately the same as band surgery, I did not need narcotics, my surgery was Thursday, I went back the next Thursday and likely felt good enough to go back sooner. But I can eat comfortably and that was the ultimate goal. If I don't lose another pound, I'd be sad, but I'd be fine because it's so freeing not to have that band anymore.

Now, just to get back to reality, I did have complications from anesthesia, so not everything has been rainbows and sunshine, but I'd still do it all over.

Your mileage may vary, but based off of my short month long experience, I'd recommend at least talking to a surgeon about revising and seeing how you feel about it after that.

My doctor told me if my band was slipped, he would take it out, I'd wait 3 months, and then he'd do my bypass. If it wasn't slipped, he would do it all at once. My testing didn't show I was slipped, so I went through the 7 months of weigh-ins for insurance.

Well, when they got in there, my band was actually slipped, and slipped bad. My surgeon (which ended up being my original doctor's partner) took my band out and did my bypass all at once. I'm so thankful he did it all at once, especially due to anesthesia complications and changes in insurance.

I like the Syntrax coffee flavors. I liked the fruit flavors before surgery, but after surgery I haven't been able to stomach them for some reason. Funny thing is, I didn't drink coffee before surgery, but now those are the flavors I like! The body is a strange thing.

I also keep unflavored Unjury in the house to add to Soups and such.

My doctor advises using Miralax, it's always been my go to when necessary.

I just had a band to bypass revision on October 24. It took them a while to get my band out too with all the scar tissue and mine ended up being slipped even though they didn't think i t was going to be.

I am so sorry you are dealing with so much pain, I didn't have any real significant pain. But I will tell you, being band-free is SO nice, all the pain should be worth it!

Congrats on your revision!

I have sleep apnea, so I didn't have to worry about going below 40, and I did, but there is a chance you would be disqualified for dropping below. If you drop below 40, I'd definitely get tested for sleep apnea, it's more common than we think and something that really should be treated! Hopefully your doctor can advise you on if you'd be disqualified, but I suspect they won't want you to drop below a 40.

Girl, yay! I am so excited for you. I'm glad your pain is so well managed. I had a drain after my revision to bypass and I hated every second of it, so more power to you for dealing with four of them. Can't wait to see the end result, especially the dragon tattoo!

On 11/16/2019 at 11:55 PM, angievasser42@gmail.com said:

Thank you for your input.but how is eating?

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Eating has been a breeze for me, so much easier than compared to with the band! My band had slipped and they didn't know until I was on the surgical table, so I don't know how long it had been slipped, but eating with the band was always uncomfortable for me. I'm not sure how you do with the band, but I don't get stuck now, it doesn't hurt to eat, nothing like that. I have gotten the rare case of nausea, but I have been able to pinpoint it and eliminate it from my diet for the time being (like certain flavors of Mio in my water).

The only frustrating thing for me is with my band I felt full, I knew I was done eating, I don't have that with the bypass. I'm thinking it's just a learning curve or head hunger, so for now I try to measure my meals and stick with only that.

I'm three weeks out and I only have one incision that still hurts and it's only superficial. The glue just doesn't seem to want to come off and that's irritating it.

Aside from that specific incision, I've been pain free for at least a week.

I just had my revision on October 24 and honestly, it was no more difficult than the band surgery. My surgery even ended up being more complicated than they thought it would be and it was still pretty easy. I was able to manage my pain with Tylenol and the pain completely resolved pretty quickly. I still have one incision that is being hateful, but that's been the worst of it for me.

I work a desk job and went back 6 days after surgery, but probably could have gone back sooner. I have been having complications from anesthesia, so that's been a pain in the butt.

All that said, I handle pain very, very well, so your mileage may vary.

Hopefully your surgeon's office will be able to help you out! I know my surgeon's office would call and get your insurance's coverage details before you ever came in so they knew everything you needed up front.

As far as the diet, most insurance companies require them to be consecutive. I had researched United Healthcare a while back and here is what it says in the documentation about the diet, just know this may not be the same for your particular plan:

Quote

Demonstration that dietary attempts at weight control have been ineffective through completion of a structured diet program, such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. Either of the following in the two-year period that immediately precedes the request for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity meets the indication: a. One structured diet program for six consecutive months; or b. Two structured diet programs for three consecutive months

So it sounds possible Weight Watchers documentation could be possible if it was 6 consecutive months or 3 consecutive months done twice in the past 2 years.

Hopefully your surgeon's office will be able to help you out! I know my surgeon's office would call and get your insurance's coverage details before you ever came in so they knew everything you needed up front.

As far as the diet, most insurance companies require them to be consecutive. I had researched United Healthcare a while back and here is what it says in the documentation about the diet, just know this may not be the same for your particular plan:

Quote

Demonstration that dietary attempts at weight control have been ineffective through completion of a structured diet program, such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. Either of the following in the two-year period that immediately precedes the request for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity meets the indication: a. One structured diet program for six consecutive months; or b. Two structured diet programs for three consecutive months

So it sounds possible Weight Watchers documentation could be possible if it was 6 consecutive months or 3 consecutive months done twice in the past 2 years.

Edit: SO SORRY!! I don't know how or why my computer double posted this approximately 70 times, but it's Friday, so maybe it's as tired as I am! Good luck at your appointment on Monday!

Most of the changes for me have been for the better. The only negative I have experienced so far is that my favorite Protein Shake pre-op now tastes TERRIBLE! So I have 2 pounds of it sitting in my pantry just praying it will taste good soon.

Aside from that, everything tastes so much better, it's amazing. Each meal seems better than the last, which is a nice change since before I just kind of ate to live and nothing really wowed me. I've not really moved myself to full meats since my revision, so I'm not sure how I will tolerate everything well yet, but we shall see!

I lost over 20 pounds pre-op and was actually getting close to no longer qualifying for surgery and my surgeons were ecstatic! Every pound off before surgery is one pound closer to a safer surgical procedure.

I had my own thoughts that maybe I didn't need to go through surgery since I was doing so well, but then I remembered I've lost 20 pounds a million other times and never kept it off myself, this tool will be essential to me keeping the weight off. Plus, I had a gastric band I really wanted out, so revising was my only hope.

If someone in my life had told me that, I'd just tell them that it's a requirement for me to make my lifestyle changes now and to try to get some weight off for a safer surgical procedure. Then I'd tell them that I have multiple healthcare professionals expressing their feelings that I need the procedure to live my healthiest life and I trust they know what they are recommending to me.

Ultimately, it's no one's business and you don't have to answer to anyone but your surgeon.

I use MyFitnessPal. I should probably give Baritastic a second go, but I much preferred MyFitnessPal. I don't know if I've ever come across a food on there that it didn't have in it's database, you can track Water, exercise, as well as weight, measurements, etc. You can change your goal macros and weight loss goals. It's quite user friendly.

My name is SorryNameTaken on there if you decide to use it and want a fellow pal on there!

2 hours ago, Danielleh said:

They had me complete almost everything with my PCP. The only thing they couldn't allow me to do with her, was my psych eval, barium swallow and 2 nutrition classes. Something about those have to be done through the center because of the center of excellence or something like that lol.

My patient coordinator did say when it was completed, she will email me on the portal or call me. So fingers crossed I'll get a call sometime next week because I am ready!

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I'm sending out lots of good thoughts you get the call soon!

I think mine was so quick because my insurance was changing and no longer allowing bariatric surgery, so it was a race against the clock to get me on the surgery table before the change happened! I suspect my patient coordinator had something to do with it going so fast out of desperation, she said it usually takes one to two weeks, so I'm crossing my fingers for you that it's quick!

We have so many visits with my clinic that as long as you had done your requirements, your chart is ready to send on your final visit. So mine was completed that day.

It was completed on a Friday, she sent it into insurance the next Monday, and insurance came back with an approval on Tuesday.

6 minutes ago, Sinema said:

Sadly the clinic I'm with is very bad. I already asked them about these and they stated they only promote the Vitamins they carry and no other brand.

Their meetings we had to take prior to the surgery were just hour long sales pitches for their vitamins.

I showed them the vitamins I'm now taking and the dietician basically said "fine" and that was it.

I also make sure I hit my Protein goals by drinking 3 of these Protein Drinks that are 30 g Protein each a day.

That is such a shame! You would think they really want you to be healthy more than anything else. They really should have been willing to tell you how many you need. Is there another clinic close enough to you that you could switch?

I did my best to compare these ones to the ones your clinic wanted you on and it looks decently comparable (some of the stats are slightly higher or lower, but from the untrained eye, nothing too bad).

The biggest thing I noted is that these ones do not have Iron. I don't know if you're required to be on iron, but you may need to get it from another source if you are. It also doesn't have Vitamin K, but I can't honestly say how important that is.

Most of the Vitamins out there don't have the amount of vitamins my doctor wants me to have, but I am a bypass patient. I've only found 2 kinds that match what they want, at least in a chewable variety since I haven't been released to capsules yet. My clinic doesn't require as high amounts for sleeve patients, so I think these would likely match my clinic's requirements for sleeve patients just taking the 2 a day. Maybe you could send an e-mail over to your clinic just to be sure you are following your doctor's recommendations?

Hair loss starting at 3 to 4 months is, unfortunately, quite normal. Make sure you are hitting your Protein goals and keeping up with your vitamins, that's the best way to minimize how much loss there is!

5 hours ago, Deedee12 said:

Hello, isn't the Calcium 3x a day for you? To make 1500mg or your instructions are different?

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My doctor only has me on 1,000 mg a day of calcium, so just twice a day for me. It's amazing how different everyone's instructions are!

I take Bariatric Advantage and don't mind them at all right now. I have the same problem where I can take Vitamins for a while and then all of a sudden they start making me sick and I don't know why, so I regularly change my vitamins. The very first one I took as a sample made my stomach upset, but after that, they haven't bothered me at all.

I hope you find something that works for you! Maybe your insurance has some other options that may work!

I had my surgery 10/24 and am doing pretty well! I had the same thing with the bladder, but it seems to have evened itself out now, so hopefully it will for you too!

I am on pureed foods already, but I've been having problems with my heart rate elevating, so I've been advised to stick mostly with fluids, which I have.

It's been a pretty easy journey so far, but I've slowed down in weight loss now. It was fun watching the first 11 pounds just slide off though!

My doctor requires chewables or powder for the first 3 months. Since I'm just over a week post op, it's kind of nice to get to chew something.

I take the Bariatric Advantage chewable Advanced Multi EA and their calcium chews. The Multivitamins smells terrible, but tastes fine. It did upset my stomach the first time I took it, but never thereafter. I take the fruit flavored Calcium chews and they are so good! It's like a softer starburst, so it's a nice treat twice a day!

Sounds like great news at your pre-op!!! I'm stoked for you! Sounds like all your hard work really has paid off!