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@@scoutmom, the insurance doesn't require any weight loss on the "supervised diet", however they really don't expect you to gain weight since you are suppose to be showing them you can control your eating habits prior to the surgery. If you have a BMI of 40, you automatically meet the requirements so should be approved without a problem. @ taweedeegirl, I started at a BMI of 37-38 and thought I definitely had sleep apnea, however never was professionally tested for it. After the sleep study test, it came back I had some sleep abnormalities but did not have sleep apnea, so there went my major co-morbidity. I had gained some weight in February because I was eating everything in sight "thinking" I might as well eat it now before I have the surgery, but then the nutritionist told me I should lose it in case the insurance denied me because I don't have control of my eating. I lost the weight by my March nutritionist visit, however I was back at a BMI of 38.73. The insurance is saying because my BMI is below 40 and I have no major co-morbidities I don't qualify for surgery. I called my surgeons office Monday as well as the insurance company and we are appealing their decision. I received an email from BC/BS yesterday saying they would have a decision for me by 3/24 the latest and that my case is being reviewed again. Fingers crossed I hear something before then since I need to start the pre op diet next week on 3/17-3/18 and if they deny it, at least I would still have 2 weeks time to schedule a peer to peer review. I work in the medical field and "usually" if a doctor speaks to the insurance companies doctors, procedures get approved. I have yet to hear of a procedure a doctor recommends being denied after the doctor speaks to someone in charge of the case at the insurance company.

I don't really think anyone is "blaming" it all on our Mom's.. Most of our Moms or Grandmothers probably grew up or lived during the depression.. which had an effect on our parents or us. In my case, my Grandmother did. So, while my Grandmother was thin, cause she barely ate, she fed my Mom and my Grandpa fattening depression foods. My Mom grew up on that (and then she was a teen Mom, so I did too). Everyone else was thin in the 60s/70s while my Mom was heavier than everyone else, though, not a lot.. she was just chubby.. Coming along with the 50s/60s/70s were all the boxed, canned foods. Also before the 50s/60s people farmed their land. Before WW2, people had gardens in their front and back yards.. but something happened where we decided that was unacceptable and needed to have grass and manicured lawns.. Ive heard people tell me a diet plate back in the 50s was a broiled hamburger patty, green Beans and pickles. All low carb foods.. somewhere, we decided that we needed more grains and less meats. Less fats and more carbs..

Oh god, I've got a list..... broccoli salad. It's basically blanched broccoli, cauliflower, in some mayo/cream sauce with a ranch seasoning mixed in. We used to sell this at the grocery store deli I worked at(schnucks if you are a midwesterner in the St. Louis area) I thought it was healthy so I'd buy that, but OMG the facts on that one I would have been better off and probably less hungry if I had eaten a whole rotisserie chicken! In that same vein is 7 layer salad. lettuce, mayo, peas, cheese, spinach, and some other stuff I can't even remember layered up like a big giant lasagna. I thought "hey it's salad it has to be good for me" but I easily put on 10lbs eating it. It's all the yummy fat and mayo and cheese that sink that one, but makes you want to eat it. Also melba toasts. I convinced myself that by putting ham and cheese on melba toasts that I wasn't eating that much, but would blow through literally a pound of meat n cheese combined before I was done, when if I had just made a regular 4oz meat and 1 slice of cheese sandwich I would have been full and done. On the subject of what mom fed us that turned us the way we are....my mom has and always been mentally ill. She's schizophrenic and hears voices in her head that tell her to do things that she wouldn't normally do if she were in her right mind. She's a loving mom when she's well, but when she's off her meds it's a whole nothing creature. I've come to a place where I understand that now and have forgiven her, but the damage was and is still something I suffer from her illness. When I was 4yrs old the voices in her head told her I was going to be fat! HUGE! Just like my brothers. They were all well over 300lbs by freshman year in high school that I can remember. So she put me on a diet that the voices in her head gave her which consisted on 1/2c cottage cheese and one half of a cling peach from a can. That's all I was allowed to eat once a day. If I snuck food and got caught I was given a punishment of several days with no food at all while they ate infront of me big giant meals and taunted me with how delicious it is and how I couldn't have it. I went from being able to eat whatever I wanted and never gain a pound and never hungry to a stark raving starving hungry person who gained weight at the snap of a fingers who went to my grandparents houses and first would hide from food and then shoveled food non stop. I went from being slighly under weight and taking up to a few days to eat a package of M&M's to severely overweight and ravenously ripping the package open and swallowing them all at once literally overnight. In essence, her illness started me on the road to a life long battle with weight and the inability to get the starvation mode turned off. Then when I was taken away by CPS from time to time when they bothered to follow up, the fostercare people would feel sorry for me and stuff me with yummy stuff I never had before like oreos and ice cream and potato chips and brownies and cakes for your birthday just for being alive(who knew about these things!) and it was the first time I had froot loops or Burger king or deep dish pizza! I fell in love with that stuff and as I got older and bounced between home and fostercare, those special treats became my comfort and it's amazing how our parents or even well meaning people can really screw us the hell up with food! I still want the comfort of stuffed crust pizza after a bad day and I still want a bowl of ice cream when I really need a hug instead. It's a process to break those associations for sure! I'm struggling now with the help of a good shrink to undo the damage, but cottage cheese to me always equals punishment. I've struggled with that my whole life and even though I bought some this week to try to develop a new association with it, I can't bring myself to open it. It's just sitting in the fridge taunting me! I know this is one I have to get past because I've read the post op diets and cottage cheese is a huge component in the soft food stage plans I've seen, but my body is already rebelling at the thought.

Hi Karey, If you are having the lift anyway I would say have a look at it, especially if you have breast fed at any stage! Go ont www.makemeheal.com and look in their breastlift forum there will be loads of people there who have pictures on their signatures, I would say that well over 50% have augmentation at the same time. I know that when I spoke to Pascal he actually folded my boob to show me what they do in the lift, and showed me that the top still wouldnt be full - yup that was enough for me!!! I am not under any illusions , I know that after 6 kids and lots of cake (and I mean LOTS!!) I am never going to get my body perfect, but I am going to do everything that I can to get it as close as possible!!! And just as a WOOOO HOOOO to me , from me, I have lost another 3lb since I got back from France I am now a smidgen away from the 11's!!!!!! I havent been under 12 for about 4 years and I havent been in the 10's since I had my 4th munchkin!! I can do this , I can do this!!!!! Nina xx

Everything tastes sweeter to me now, and I suddenly cannot pick up ANY aftertaste from artificial sweeteners. It's a very nice change! I used to barely tolerate sugar free Jello bc I thought the aftertaste was so disgusting.....now, it tastes like a big bowl of sugar to me. The change happened literally overnight. I love it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I knew my husband was having a hard time with my choice for WLS, in the past when we discussed my having wls he'd be less than enthusiastic and downplay it, basically saying I was all talk and wouldn't do it. But he seemed to come around and was supportive, we had some heated conversations, mostly since he thought I'd leave him once I lost my.weight, which I have no desire to, before I love him, yes he is a big guy but I've always been attracted to men like that. I told him, I love him and only him and would never leave him, he seemed to come around and be ok and we'd be ok again. Towards the end of my requirements and pending approval of my surgery it was harder on him I could tell but he was still supportive, we talked about vacations we'd take, more family pictures, renewing our vows and having a baby of our own Adobe muy weight and PCOS made it hard to conceive, and all the things I was afraid to do because of my weight, I was happy and excited about our new life together But I didn't talk about my Surgery or fears, because I knew his fears were bad too. So my Surgery was August 19, and in the hospital and home he has been pretty good about getting with the kids, but I handle myself and do most things for myself, but getting out of our new bed which is lower to the ground is challenging at times. But the last few days he's been distant, and suddenly last night before bed, he just says he is leaving, because he doesn't want to be left and that he knows I'll leave once I've lost my weight. He then got out of bed and went outside to smoke. I was shocked and devastated, I love him, been in love with him for 8 years, we were just about to file the paperwork for him to formally adopt my children from a previous marriage, and now he says he is leaving since he can't handle being left. My children are involved, they love him deeply and that's their dad and that's my husband, I can't believe I'm not even 2 weeks out and get this dropped on me. He had been asleep all day so I haven't been able to talk to him, I want to go to therapy to try and reassure him and work.through this, I don't want to lose my marriage because he has fears of something I'll never do, or because he's heard other people did that to their spouses once they lost their weight. That's them, not me. I think his so called friends have been telling him this bs and to expect the worst. It's crazy how can people try to destroy a family and put more fear and doubt in a man at a time like this. My husband does have a history of depression, PTSD and bi polor disorder but it's been managed, but I do think he stopped his meds because he wouldn't do this to me otherwise. If I can't get him to see reason or go to therapy there isn't anything I can do. I'm lost and hurt.

Don't feel like a failure! Life is a rollercoaster! I called my lapband doc right away. I was scared to death they would do a complete unfill, but he left it up to me. I decided to take out half of my fill bc my insurance at the time didn't cover my lapband appointments and I was swelling and had a hard time eating. Your doc may or may not want you to have some or all of your Fluid out, but I would hope that if you aren't having any issues then he would leave it alone. I think I was 10 or 11 weeks when I got my partial unfill. I would NOT have gotten an unfill if I could have handled it though. And good for you for wanting to go natural! I saw a midwife too, but I had to see a dr first so they could remove my 'high risk' status for having weight loss surgery. Depending on where you go, you may not have a choice, but my place was really cool about what I wanted. They did do a full nutritional panel (15 vials of blood) on that first appointment though just to make sure I wasn't deficient in any Vitamins or whatnot. I gave birth in a baby/natural friendly hospital. I think as long as you aren't deemed high risk (by the dr's office or your insurance) you should be fine. My lap band never got in the way of my pregnancy whatsoever. Congrats! Feel free to msg me for any questions

Hello, I am 6 weeks post op and have no idea what to eat. I was so nauseous for the last 2 1/2 weeks and now I'm starting from scratch. I am scared to eat anything bc I throw up so easily. I am having a very hard time with fluid intake also. Nothing tastes good, even the flavored water I drank with no problems before surgery. Any advice is appreciated!!

i was banded in march of 2010. i had gotten down to having lost almost 60 pounds, but had some issues with my band and had to get an unfill back in january. then i didn't go back when i was supposed to and since then have only had one "baby" fill. i've gained some and it's frustrating. i know it's me though as i've gotten back in my old eating habits since i have more "room" to eat these days. i can't eat anywhere near what i did pre-band but i sure can eat. and i love eating.but i'm getting so fed up with not losing anymore. in fact, now it's to where i've only lost 45 pounds since my surgery and it's getting close to the two year mark!! i haven't been exercising at all really or drinking water like i should. making horrible - and i do mean horrible - food choices. everyone says i shouldn't be so hard on myself since i've had so much going on in the past year (stress and etc.) what should i do? how do i get motivated again and stay that way? i got this surgery for a reason and it's not so i could be 190 something for the rest of my life. my goal is 150 and i really wanna get there! any suggestions?

Hey there Maybe some of you remember me and my journey so far... not an easy one. a BRIEF reminder and then maybe some of you can offer some 'advice' (seeing my surgeon next week). 2 weeks post op: infection around stomach,fever 102 hospitalised 3 weeks post op: NORMAL! had a great week but very hungry 4 weeks post op: port flipped, sugery to reposition and small fill 6 weeks post op: infection in port area and stomach closed up completely(total unfill) liquids for 1 week and then soft foods for week 7 8 Weeks post op STILL can't eat solids without throwing up or getting stuck. I still don't have any fill in my band.. just as well with all of this!! I am chewing really well, and after just a few fork fulls I get that golfball and need to throw up. I usually only manage about 4 or 5 small bites of anything solid before throwing up most of it. I wait between bites a minute or so. I am only eating small soft foods right now but I wanted to ask if anyone else struggles with solids? I usually stick to minced meat or chicken or fish.. with soft vegetables (non fibrous kinds ie carrots spinach etc)... I have even vomited Soup and yoghurt this week! My doctor did a barium check on me last week and said I was still slightly swollen but my band is in a perfect position as is my port and that the liquid was going through well.. He said to take it slowly with solids but HOW SLOW!??? How many times do you chew? How big a bite do you take? (I take about half a fork full and smaller) How long do you wait between bites? ( I am sick of cold food now!!) I get so fed up of the golf ball and the pain in the back of my throat (tightening and tingling) that i usually give up and have a shake (if anything at all!) ... although saying that I was at a kids birthday party this week and so hungry I ate a cup of 'cheetos' (how easily did THEY go down??) and a mini magnum bar... (all no no's. but as I had consumed little to zero calories I didn't think it would hurt much.. it didn't.. no pain at all!. go figure) Am I destined for a life of shakes!?????.... I am seeing my doctor next week.. but could do with some support. Have lost roughly 30 pounds since my op ... but haven't really lost anything in the past 2 - 3 weeks... Not exercising either as I tore a ligament in my ankle last week... ouch!! OH and then a bee stung my big toe (the one in the cast!!!)..not doing too great eh!!? Am happy to have my band still..you won't find miseries here!!! THanks guys!!!

Jacqui & Brad thank you so much for the advice I'm going to the gym and work my keester off !! I love the site for things like this... The hardest thing was trying to cut through all the BS and get to the meat and potatoes of everything. I will head out and find the heart monitor device you spoke about. I would really like to learn how much I burn in calories for the day. I almost body that darn bodybug from the biggest looser but the 299.00 price tag made me think twice. Again everyone thanks for the advice I'm so pumped and ready to achieve my goals. (( Big Hugs))

I read your posts about wanting information about BC doctors and bumped this thread to help with that information.

I had my gastric bypass surgery in September 2012 and weighed 285-got as low as 145 at one point until I had my gallbladder out in 2014. I was 165 when I got pregnant. Went into labor 7 weeks early for reasons still unknown and weighed around 180. Before he was discharged from the nicu 11days, I was back to my pre pregnancy weight from stress and hiking up and down a parking garage 8 x a day. 3 months post baby, I was creeping back up to the mid 170s I just thought it was hormones bc I nursed for 6 months. I also struggled with ptsd for the struggles I had w the guilt of him coming early, struggles w nursing, balancing work, etc. He just turned 13 months and I feel like my metabolism has just shut down still at 178. I am also getting depressed and discouraged. I live in a rural area, and do not even have a gym that's reasonable within 45 min. My job is literally drivingfor 8-9 hrs a day so exercise is difficult to give time to when I don't see my little man. I feel like eating enough to nurse mayhave reprogrammed my pouch. I dk what to do

I am new here! I didn't know where to begin with this whole process! I called the bariatric center 8/21 and asked them if I could just 'stop by' to get weighed and measured. I figured I needed to know how close I was to meeting the requirements for bc/bs il before I got all excited. They said to come right in! So, I did. I just made the 40 bmi ! They scheduled an appointment for me to meet the surgeon for 9/19. got home, called a recommended pcp and got appointment for the next next 8/22. They weighed and measured ( actually just asked for my height), gave me the ekg,and confirmed the bmi! So relieved! They gave me the orders for the lab work and I will go Monday 8/25 to have blood drawn. I am not sure what happens next, actually, but I will call the center to find out. Nutritionist? Psych eval? Whatever! The ball is rolling and I am hopeful that bcbsil is as good to me as they seem to have been with so many of you! Wow. I had more to say than I even knew. Pardon.

Hi all. I'm went to college and earned my BS in Criminal Justice and now I'm a customer service advisor at a credit card call center in Springfield Mo for the last 4 yrs, before that I was a eligibility specialist at Family Services..

Photochic- I am convinced! I dont trust BC anymore either. Im getting my tubes tied as well! Did you have any complications or weird side effects? Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk

Just got mine today. And its crippling me. First one after surgery 2 weeks ago since stopping bc. These cramps are killing me. What do you guys do for them. Im scared to take anything but my liquid Tylenol 3 which is going to put me out. Sent from my SM-G925T using the BariatricPal App

I have to call tomorrow see if he wants to see me bc they knew I was going get fluids. If they don't will be for a 3mo visit in February You really should insist on going in. You shouldn't be having this much trouble.

Karleena, you haven't failed anything. You did everything right as you were told. Other people failed to do their part. If you happen to read this and what the other wonderful people here have also written, please just go and see the doctor again and clarify the diagnosis and paperwork even if it doesn't make sense this was not clarified before today. You have come so far and invested your money as well as emotions into all your this. I cannot imagine how it feels to have this BS thrown at you today. Please just go to the appointment with the GP and get clearance. After that you don't need to go back to him again if you wish not to after treating you this way. So sorry you are going through this nightmare.

Thanks for the reply’s everyone. But it’s more curiosity than anything. I see a lot of shorter people on here and not really height testimonies. I know everyone is different and their bodies and using your tool as best as possible with eating right and exercise. I’m new to all this .. scared but determined. Just nice and encouraging to here EVERYONES testimony about there weight loss esp in height bc I am a tall obese woman.

I just had my port revised in July. I had the band for 22 months before having a problem. My problem started with pain around and deep into my port site. I then started noticing that I was eating more. The revision went well. There was basically no pain. I was camping in a tent 3 days later. I have BC/BS for insurance and they paid for everything. I had to have an endoscopy and some fluoroscopy also. Slowly I've started to have some restriction, I've had 3 fills since being replaced. I've heard that insurances will pay for the revision much easier then replacement of the whole band.

Good for you, Cathy!!! You do deserve to feel as good about yourself as possible. I personally can't wait to lose the weight so I can get plastic surgery and esp SMALLER B**BS! I want to go to the neighborhood pool with my kids but just cannot face being in a bathing suit around all my neighbors. It's not like a vacation where you hate how you look, but know that you'll never see these people again. I'll see them everyday. :sad: So, I keep daydreaming about next summer (or even in a few months) and how different my outlook and self confidence will be. So glad to hear about your heart test!

Hello All.....I am hoping to be a March bandster, but I do not have a surgery date as of yet. BC/BS Federal approved me about a week after submitting paperwork. Now, I have to attend a mandatory pre-op class on March 1...after this the Dr. will schedule the surgery date :frown: I am very excited and nervous at the same time. I am also a little worried as every since I was approved on 2/18, my eating habits are getting to be a bit outrageous :sad: I know I am ready for this mentally, but I need a surgery date ASAP!

I was sleeved July 2012, and I've lost well over half of my hair. I have an appt with a dermatologist Friday bc my nurse practitioner was so concerned about it not slowing down and the amount I've already lost. We know it's normal, but she didn't want to assume its from the surgery and it be more serious for me. I'm getting all my protein, taking all my vitamins including biotin and hair & nails vitamin, using special shampoos & hair protein treatments. I, too, am very concerned about it. I find my hair everywhere!!!! Good luck to you!!

It's difficult bc you know you will be judged. You know others might have nasty thing to say. I was ok with that. I chose to tell people. My family, friends, and coworkers (who are great friends as well). I expected negative feedback, but I have gotten much more positive. Here were my reasons for sharing: 1) hiding it is more difficult-- people are going to know. And I feel like they are more judgmental if you hide it as if you're embarrassed by it. It's like when you point out a flaw, then no one will talk about it. ex: hey, I have a big zit on my face.. Then no will feel the need to talk about the big zit behind your back. 2) my mentors were not quiet about it-- the ones who have been through this, educated me, encouraged me were not secretive, and I'm very thankful for that. Had they not been an open book, I may not have had the tools to become a success story. I'm not loud about it. I don't preach about it. But I have had ppl interested about wls. If I need to be a mentor for someone else, I think I owe it. 3) I wanted to be held accountable-- especially at work. If I'm at work and about to bite into a pizza, I want someone to be like, "umm, are you supposed to be eating that??" Or with friends if I'm about to eat something that isn't good for me, I WANT the nasty judgemental face. I respect people's reasons for not sharing, but I felt it was best for me.