happygirl65

Well I had my consultation today. I really liked Dr S. He is ver confident which I found comforting and he explained things very well and put my mind at ease. Hoping the paperwork and insurance part goes and smoothly as today went. :thumbup:

Thanks so much for the encouraging words. :eek: I think it is amazing and awesome that you have accomplished so much! I have an incredible amount of support and I believe you are right about the mental thing. I can't wait to see how well it works for me. I know it will because the last year and a half has been about changing my life for the better, taking control and finding myself. I am putting me first for the first time in my life and it feels really good. I know I deserve it and that I am worth the effort. :thumbup: Your story is one more confirmation that I am doing the right thing for myself and that real change is possible. I am happier than I have been in a long time. :tt2:

Any type of permanent change is stressful. :mad2: Let's face it, many of us have used food to deal with life's issues, or used it to Celebrate...or both...it has been a central part of our lives for a long time. That is something that has to change if we want something different for our futures, and now that you have the band it will. Once you get past your recovery period you will find ways to enjoy higher quality foods in lesser quantities, each much slower, savor each morsel more. I have heard many people say they enjoy food even more because they are not obsessing about it they can just enjoy the small amount they do eat and be done with it. It is very important to remember also that ansesthesia will often effect you in an emotional way...I have had 4 surgeries in my lifetime and it does it to me everytime. Just try and talk to yourself nicely when you feel low, telling yourself that this will pass, healing is hard and stressful and you have to allow yourself to feel that. Grieve for your loss if you need to as well. It's ok. It will be ok, and one day, like so many others you will look back and say...yes it was hard but it's the best thing I have ever done for myself. We are not super beings. We don't have to go through it all alone. We need support and love from others and from ourselves. We are regular people doing something extraordinary for ourselves. It will eventually be worth all the pain you have gone through. I am pre-op myself but I have had the fears that I will go through all of this and it may not work but I have to remember that I got to the point of wanting surgery because I am truly ready to take control of every aspect of my life and as long as I start treating myself with the love and respect I give to everyone else I will not fail myself. Just remember why you are doing this and that YOU ARE WORTH the effort, the discomfort and the changes it will take to master your own destiny. Say it outloud to yourself if you need to. YOU ARE AWESOME! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! :frown:

Good luck to you!

That is so AWESOME! And encouraging. THanks for sharing that. Most people say thy like him...I have read some negative comments about his mannerisms but in the end what is most important to me is that he knows what he is doing and I have heard nothing but great things from anyone who had him do the surgery...along with the support. Pipedoc...did you use the after care support of his team? If so/not what was the most helpful to you?

Hi! I am going to be having my surgery done in Phx which is 2 hrs from me. I was wondering if there is anything you would have planned for or wish you knew to plan for? Right now I am thinking, plan to stay the weekend in Phoenix if possible incase there are any early complications.. Pack for a hospital stay just incase I need it Anything else?

I am meeting Dr S for the first time on Monday. I am really excited to get the process started. I have thought about it for years and have done what I feel is everything else I can do to lose on my own. I feel comfortable that this is my best option for longterm success. It is really easy to start second guessing myself though. I just hope that everything goes smoothly with all the paperwork and insurance. That can sometime throw a monkey wrench into things. I am trying to see the positives in every part of each step of the process. Waiting just gives me that much more time to exercise and plan and prepare. WOO HOO!

Well I was all set to start fretting over whether I could get the surgery done this year since I have already met 750 toward my 2600 deductible but now I am thinking...either way, next year would just give me almost an entire year of having my deductible already met...and that ain't too shabby.

The doctor I am going to in Phx charges a $1200 program fee and it was explained to me that it is for all of the support and things you need afterwards to succeed in your weight loss goals. It includes email access to the doctor anytime and also a bunch of books and supplies to start you off with. It does seem steep but it seems there are lots of docs that do charge a program fee of some kind, what is covered in that fee varies widely though.

I think it's called Southwest Weight Loss. I inquired from the website and got a response from the doc himself, I was pretty impressed with that. I go to meet him on Monday and am pretty excited about it.

Hi! I am having a consult on Monday and I have BCBS of AZ. I am wondering how long it took anyone else with them to get approval? Obviously it will depend on the docs office submitting paperwork etc. Their guidelines don't seem to be too strict and I meet the BMI without having to adjust for co-morbidities. Just curious what others have experienced with this insurance so I am not caught off gaurd.

Hello all! Well I have been researching and reading blogs and everything else I can get my hands on. I have finally decided to go for it with my surgery! :wub: I am going to see Dr Simpson in Phx az and I am very excited. I go on Monday morning which is just a few days away. I do feel very prepared already having seen the seminars online and reading everything I can read on the websites. Although I have to say the blogs I have read have been the most helpful in knowing what day to day life will bring once I am banded. Wish me luck! Anyone have any really good questions I should remember to ask when I go for my consult?

I am sorry I can't offer any answers to your specific questions but would like to say that I can see where you felt like someone pulled the old bait and switch on you. :drool: That really sucks. Insurance is hard enough to get through without the misinformation you have had to deal with. The good news is at least the band has a proven track record and there is a TON of info on this site from real life people...not just numbers. I wish you every happiness and the best of luck as you move forward with your future.

I love this and whole heartedly agree! Nicely put. :smile2:

This is a really big decision, one you are obviously commited to. The reality is you are the one who will have to live with the permanent changes. It will have an effect on your relationship, no doubt about it. Things are changing. You are changing your life and he will have to adjust to everything that entails. It is not always easy for our significant others to wrap their minds around big changes especially when they have no control over it. You should definitely talk to him about it more if you can and explain that this is something that you are not entering into lightly and that it doesn't feel like it is an elective surgery for you or you wouldn't be doing it. It is certainly not an "easy way out" as many people think but simply a tool to help you achieve the goals that hopefully will ultimately let you live a longer, fuller happier life...and doesn't he want to be married to the happiest and best possible you? As for making big decisions without him...that is a reality. I have been married for 12 years now and I can tell you that even though we are married we make decisions on our own, we get input and discuss it with our partner but in essence we are trying to understand each other more than control each other. Everyone has their own mind and their own feelings, married couples don't always agree. I like my hair short...he likes it long...so I cut it short...it's my hair, I have to feel good about myself...this body belongs to me, not him. Sometimes we have to love and respect each other enough to know when something SO big and SO important means being supportive and loving them through something we don't fully understand. I wish you every happiness and the courage to follow your own heart whatever that means. (((HUGS)))

Congratulations! I am in AZ too. :mad: I am going to my first seminar soon. I wish you every success! :smile2:

Hey! That is awesome congratulations!:smile2:

That would be a good question to pose to a dermatologist. Young skin is certainly more elastic. I have read what I stated on the internet (but we know how that info can be hit or miss) and been told it by 2 personal trainers in the past...each is obviously trying to sell their services or products...I can certainly concede that fact...it would be nice to hear it from someone not trying to sell something. Our local YMCA does free training sessions when you join...as do all of the gyms I have joined in the past (3 different gyms in various states) and I have not had to pay them past that, just learned what I could in the 1 free hour and went from there. They can be quite helpful to help you outline your individual goals and advise on what exercises are best. As to the original question which machines are best. I think they are all good. If they target the muscle group that seems to need work then it has to help. According to the trainer I worked with most recently, the machines working the triceps muscles work the underarm hang and help shrink that up...but he said in general you can't reduce the fat in only a specific area, it just comes off all over...so just keep working out and give it time, if you are losing fast, maybe your skin can't catch up just yet. I really do wish you all the best.

This is true...but from what I have read from trainers is that usually there is still excess fat in the skin that keeps it from retracting. One of the most important things you can do is make sure you get enough protein so you can maintain your muscle mass. This is very important as muscle burns fat! I would consult a trainer at the gym if you can. They will usually give you a free consult when you join, or pay a reasonable fee per session. Good luck!

Hey! Not sure if you have already gotten all of this figured out yet or not...but I see this all the time with my insurance (BCBSAZ) Basically the doctors send a bill to the insurance company...it is usually an inflated rate...the insurance company says....uh...sorry the negotiated rate is this...and this is how much we will pay you. So they pay the lesser amount (that has previously agreed to in their contracts) and then they send out a statement to the insured (you) showing you exactly what happened....ie...how much was billed...how much was paid....what the difference is....these statements can be kind of scary because it kind of looks like they expect you to pay the rest...but really you should be paying whatever your deductible plus cost share and any "access fee" that is spelled out in your plan for surgery and the rest has to be adjusted off by the hospital. If you are afraid to call the insurance company, just call your hospital billing department, they can probably help explain it a little better. I have not had surgery but have had plenty of regular doctor visits and this is always what happens...just got one for my daughters broken arm.... $800 the doctor charged to the insurance...the insurance paid 165.00 I paid my co pay...and the doctors office has to then go back and credit the remaining balance because they agreed to take a "discounted rate" from the insurance company. Happens ALL the time. :smile2: I am sure everything will be fine. If they had truly decided to deny it, they would have not paid anything out at all and that would be an entirely different story. Hope that helps and wasn't too convoluted or confusing. Good luck with everything!

I can't beleive they approved you THAT FAST! That is awesome! I also have BCBS and am hopeful that it wont be a huge hassle to get approved...at the same time I have to come up with my entire deductible plus a bariatric surgeru access fee so I have to save some money. :lol2: I have heard so many people say that it can take up to a year to get approved. I am happy for you that you got going so quickly. :tt1: Thanks for sharing that! :tt1: Good luck to you in your continued efforts. :biggrin:

That is so great! Thanks for all the responses. I am looking forward to taking the next steps into finding out all I can. :smile2:

That was my reaction too.:thumbup: I have been happy with her until now. She just basically let me know that she has never had to struggle with her weight and couldn't possibly understand what I have been going through. She kind of made my dh feel the same way when he asked her about getting phentermine because it helped him a ton before he gave up on it...she told him there was no way she would prescribe it and brushed him off telling him to not eat fast food and to exercise. :wink2:This is a man who is on his feet at work for 8 hrs a day 6 days a week moving the whole time...sure he could use a good cardio workout now and then but he never went back to her after that. Perhaps I will ask the bariatric team or my nurse friend if they can recommend someone better.

Cocobean & Mariasha...You are both so right...this IS my life....and it could be so much better. How can I put a price on that. :wub: Why should it be easier to pay for a car than for myself??? :thumbup: I love reading how supportive everyone is on this site. I am thinking about calling the insurance company myself, but I found all of their requirements in black and white and I meet all of them, except for the psych evals that will be done once I get started with the process. Looking forward to the next surgery info seminar on Oct 12th.

I am in Flagstaff, AZ and the surgeons do have a monthly seminar. I just missed the September one and have to wait until October. I wish my husband could go with me but with his schedule he just can't. He is already kind of pushing for this so I know I have his support even if he can't attend. I have a friend who is a nurse at the hospital here and she says the bariatric team rocks...so I have that positive feedback. She also has a co-worker who is a nurse who had it done and lost a lot of weight. She is all for the procedure as a tool to help you take control of a part of life that is out of balance. I know she will be a real source of support and strength as well. Honestly m biggest hurdle is the financial aspect because it's going to cost me $3600 even if my insurance does cover it, that's barring any other issues that might turn out not to be covered. It feels selfish, but I have to remind myself how much more money I could spend on medical over time if I were to continue to neglect myself the way that I have. I also have started working out 4 days a week which has me feeling much more energetic. I am hoping that I can set some good habits into place even before surgery so that I can keep up the momentum and not stall out and give up like I have so many times before.