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@@UltrarunJohn At 49 with kids that young. I would probably have surgery. Only because the older you get the harder it is to lose weight, the more serious the co-modbities get. You are almost 50 and those kids needs another 10-15 years of parenting. If you are serious about life change then the sleeve is a great tool. You have to be willing to do the work with it, and follow the steps. A lot of people that post here do surgery for the restriction and the other physical changes. One of the biggest changes that comes with surgery that people don't give enough credit is the forced retraining of how and what to eat. You basically start over from surgery like a baby and relearn how to eat. You can learn how to eat the right way and continue to eat like that for the rest of your life. The physical changes reinforce the mental changes, if you let them. If you have surgery and right away are thinking about Taco Bell, when you can have your first slice of pizza and how many crackers you can have with your tuna salad, then you will miss the point. I think people that are self pay can be more serious because they have to shell out the cash. At 49, I am not sure you should gamble on trying to lose on your own, if you were 19 or 29 my opinion would be different. Also like @@JamieLogical said I think an important thing about surgery is the ability to keep weight off. As far as people comments that 60lbs isn't that much, that is BS. 60lbs is still a lot of weight to get off and keep off. There are all kinds of people that post here that had surgery at low BMIs. If you want to have surgery and you are committed to making the life changes then do it. I will say that it seems the hardest for people with families to make the life changes. I'm single I can control everything that comes in and out of my home. People with kids and spouses seem to constantly be surrounded by things they shouldn't eat.

Does anyone have blue cross of illinois and know what tbey require for surgery approval? I have UHC and am aware of tge laundry list of requirements to submit for approval but may be changing to BC of illinois and would like to know what they need. Many thanks!!

I have BC/bs Ohio but it's an employee plan.

BC/BS anthem Ohio govt health insurance required the 90 day supv diet... started in Sept, during initial exam, "open can worms" had to see consultants, get DX with new diseases, jump through their hoops to finally came back around to bariactric M.D. to get a date 5/18... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using the BariatricPal App

No bc he won't be turning in my paperwork until tomorrow. How long after you gave Dr Woodman's office all your paperwork did it take for him to submit it? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have a BMI of 40-41 and no comorbidities. I was told not to lose during the supervised weigh in period of 4 mos because I would drop below 40 BMI and could likely be denied. However I'm so worried about getting approved bc my weight in monthly is always while I have my period and my weight fluctuates 5-10 lbs so I'm worried they will claim I gained and deny me. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks. Good luck all.

I have been struggling with my weight since I gave birth to my first kid. I will never forget; I was 185 lbs when I left the hospital (19 yrs. old) and it’s been a roller coaster since. When I left the hospital they put me on the Depo Provera birth control shot and I blew up. I figured that was the best option since taking my BC pills daily was a concern. I was too busy enjoying life lol. My weight at that time increased to 260 so I went on a serious diet and was able to lose 48 lbs. I went down to 212 lbs. and that was my lowest weight in my adult years. My weight gradually increased again but I never went over 260 lbs. I was always lucky enough to maintain that weight. I would occasionally go on diets to lose weight when I had something big coming up or going on vacation, but of course nothing last. I tried Weight watchers, Curves, Phentermine 37.5 mg, Zantrex 3, and the Lemonade diet. I was able to lose the most with Phentermine but I think my body got too used to it in the end. Up until my I had my 2nd child I didn’t really worry much about my weight. I figured as long as I don’t go over 260 I’m good. Well that quickly changed when I had my son. I was 240 lbs. when I got pregnant and only gained 20 lbs. during my entire pregnancy. I was active and tried my best to limit my calorie intake. However, after I gave birth it was a wrap, my weight increased to a whopping 270, and when I got laid it increased to 313. My highest ever! I started thinking about Bariatric back in 2012 but it was going to be the lap band. After speaking to a few ppl I realized it wasn’t for me. My son is now 5 and weight is something I think about constantly. It’s hard for me to keep up w/ him and I find myself missing out because I pretty much hide in my house. He spends a lot of time w/ his father or his sister because it’s hard for me to move around. I get tired quickly, my body starts to ache, and I just don’t want to be seen. I told myself this is not a way to live life and I’m missing my son grow up so I finally make the decision to do something about it. First it was the Sleeve, but after further research and speaking with ppl that had both surgeries done I decided to change my mind to the Gastric Bypass. My surgeon’s office submitted for approval last week and I’m been impatiently waiting. I’m scared to death, but I know in the long run this is the best option for me. When I started the weight loss journey I was 306 and now I’m at 280. Once we get the approval I will start the pre-op diet and hopefully will be able to lose another 10 lbs. before surgery. My goal weight is 175 but my doctor wants me to get down to 150. Personally I think that’s a bit small but he knows best.

I want to spend a week juicing too. I just think there are many good health benefits. The benefits don't change bc you had surgery. I look at it like this: You can still get your Protein and Vitamins in, so no big deal. And it's not like you're baking yourself a cheesecake. It's just juice. Enjoy!

I had my surgery in December 2015, 50+ pounds down. I am the same old goofy and loving person. However, I did become less tolerant of BS with my new found confidence. I am going thru a divorce currently. My soon to be ex husband felt that I was using the surgery as a way to leave him. He called it my exit strategy. He was wrong. After my surgery I told him how unhappy I was with the way he was treating me. Me having the surgery had nothing to do with it. I have 100 more pounds to lose. Turns out he was cheating on me during our marriage and even when we separated. He didn't make one attempt to make our marriage work but I made several. Now we are in divorce. I hurt everyday but in the end I know it's for the best. I am learning that people treated me different because I was big and now they are treating me different because I am losing weight. I will continue to be me, but I will no longer accept anyone's foolishness, even if that means leaving them behind.

I have highmark bc/bs and had to pay my $1,000 co-insurance before the surgery. I actually ended up getting back about $100 of that because it's $1,000 or 10% and the 10% ended up being less :-)

You are similar to me. Starting weight. 240 Surgery weight. 210. Oct 27, 16 Current weight. 168. Height 5'3" Goal. 140-145. BMI 25 We are getting close very quickly. It's SURREAL!!! I'm almost to my high school weight and people often don't recognize me. Lessons. CARBS ARE NOT MY FRIEND!!!!!!!! I keep my carbs to 40 daily Calories to 750-800 Walking to 1.5-2 miles I really believe that I will stall, lose my honeymoon phase, and/or regain my hunger if I reintroduce bad carbs. I look forward to maintenance when I can increase to 1200 cal so that I can have veggies. I don't feel like an alcoholic who has to have a little alcohol to live. I feel like a CARB addict who can thoroughly enjoy food as long as it is Protein and veggies. This is not a huge sacrifice bc it is such a BLESSING not to be hungry and to feel normal size for the first time ever. I deal with body dysmorphia which is super common. I felt huge in high school at 150. And at 51, didn't see all the fat in the mirror at 240. Only saw it in pix. We are so blessed. I genuinely don't fear regaining weight as long as I avoid carbs. Any other carb addicts out there????? PS. With all this protein, I definitely have to take Benefiber and a little Miralax daily.

In theory, there isn't really a "normal" in terms of sex- everyone likes different things and as long as everyone is happy and no one is hurt in the process, I try to consider their preferences to be normal. But, no, being married and dating multiple people is not the statistical majority of marriages, so if you want to define "normal" by "most commonly accepted behavior" the no, your husband's desire is not normal so to speak. Also, he is telling you about his little date to make you jealous and get a rise out of you- the chances of him getting laid are fairly slim and frankly a woman who puts out for free dinner is not someone you need to be jealous of. Return the favor...don't ask him about his love life, but feel free to volunteer all kinds of fun images of your own. They don't have to be true, all is fair and love and war and there is nothing wrong with a little bit of payback. I imagine that once he thinks you are having a good time all on your own, suddenly his little dinner ho-ho's won't be quite so interesting. In terms of compatibility, I recently dated a great guy who I liked a lot and we were just not very good in bed. I don't know why- it probably had something to do with neither of us having a ton of experience, however that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with either of us purely because in one area we might not be as aligned as we had hoped for. Sometimes you can work through this, sometimes you can't, but in the end, tolerating communication with your ex husband who wants to make you jealous because he's making some chick dinner is not how a self-respecting woman goes about her day. If he insists on talking- your life is fabulous, you have dates galore, and you hope he has a fantastic time with whatever random lady friend he happens to pick up for the night. Then you don't talk to him. Silence will do far more for this kind of situation than bs trying to be "friends" or keeping him around at all. Walk away. You will certainly find better and he will certainly come crawling after you like a sad little puppy when he realizes he no longer has any control over how you feel about yourself, your former marriage, or your fabulous future.

Sharp cheddar. REAL sharp cheddar....aged 5-7 years, not the "sharp" cheddar cheese BS in the grocery stores. And of course cheese curds. But only when they are still warm and squeaky, straight from the factory. Again, the curds in the grocery stores are nothing like the real thing.

Mine has methylene blue in it. They do this bc if it leaks then you will See a green color in your urine. It's a safe way to see that. I thought that was standard. also mine was Only filled to 550

For me I had given birth 19 years prior to my Mirena insertion so maybe that helped but maybe not. I was given a prescription to take 1 day before insertion to "soften" my uterus and another pill while waiting for the dr to begin the procedure. I felt cramping on a scale of a 7-8, it took all of about maybe 5 minutes. Not long at all. I did feel a bit faint as I sat up and the cramping continued. I'm glad I had a ride to take me home. Could have driven buy really just wanted to recline back and relax. Mirena has been the best BC I've used to date so you are making a good decision. Good luck and you got this!

I as well am at a center of excellence and you are correct in saying I did all of it on my own. Before the idea of WLS even crossed my mind I knew there was something wrong with me, hence the reason I went to my primary. I went to the primary not looking for a weight related solution but to find out why I was feeling the way I was. Several months after trying what he said, I went to 5 different seminars until I chose my surgeon. My surgeon is the one requesting I go to my primary for a letter, it isn't a requirement for my insurance and I didn't need a referral to see a bariatric surgeon. By my first appointment with my surgeon I had all my "testing" done. Not because I ventured out and did it on my own but bc I felt like something was wrong and didn't know I had the plethora of problems. If it isn't required by insurance why make the push, if their office writes a letter themselves? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Just got the Mirena placed...that was incredible painful and uncomfortable. My IUD appt took over an hour. I was on the table for 40 minutes. First, they tried to insert the sounding rod without dilating. That was painful and didn't work. It then took over 15 minutes to dilate my cervix. That was about an 8 on the 1-10 pain scale and did make me flinch several times. It was a pretty constant pain while they worked at getting it open. The actual placement was quick, not painful, and it was done. A little nausea and lightheadedness after, but I was fine to go back to work. I'm cramping now, but nothing worse than normal period cramps. I am surprised, actually, that I'm fine now. Standing up helps. I'm 34, never had kids, with a small cervix. I couldn't schedule during my period because I haven't had one in the last two months due to stopping my BC pills and PCOS. I would do it again, just because an hour of pain is nothing compared to 5 years of taking pills. However, I'm glad it's only once every 5 years. Knowing I'm covered is a good feeling. (On a lighter note, the doctor that was supervising the insertion played dubstep on his iPhone using Pandora. That was surreal.)

I recently started working with True Results of Dallas to start the gastric sleeve process. They took all of my info and scheduled my first appointment. 2 days in, I find out that they are out of network with my insurance. True Results went out the window. I then contacted my insurance company and asked for a bariatric surgeon/facility in my area that was in network. They referred me to the Baylor University Bariatric center, whom I contacted to begin the process. They had me complete a super long packet of information which I promptly turned in. By the end of the day, they called me and said "CONGRATULATIONS, you are pre-approved!" and proceeded to outline the requirements that I would have to comply with (6 months of classes, a psych eval, enrollment in a bariatric services program and provide 5 years of medical records). I have a $3000 deductible. Once that is met, I pay 20% copay up to a max of $8000 out of pocket. Naturally, my first question was "What is it going to cost me?" Her answer was " If you had surgery today, it would be $2458 and that will probably go down as you continue doctor visits etc over the next 6 months. That didn't sound right, so I asked for a detailed explanation which she was unable to provide. I asked what amount will I have to pay 20% of? She didn't know but promised me it would be $2458 or less total out of pocket. Today, I called my insurance to enroll in the bariatric services program (which Baylor said I must join) just to find out that I didn't need to do that. In fact, they told me I couldn't enroll if I wanted to because it wasn't a requirement for me to receive bariatric benefits. At this point, I'm wondering if Baylor knows what the heck they are talking about, so I call them back and ask to speak to a billing supervisor to get a second opinion on the $2458 figure that I had been quoted. This lady tells me that the surgery will "probably cost $44,000 which doesn't include anesthesia, the classes, psych, or physician and physician assistant fees." I explain to the lady that I had been quoted $2458, but something didn't sound right because 20% of $44,000 is $8800. Her reply infuriated me. "Sir, there is no way for me to even estimate what this is going to cost you out of pocket. You just have to go through with the procedure and wait on a bill to find out. We can't even guarantee that the $44,000 number is accurate because it might only be like $34,000. You should plan on hitting your max out of pocket of $8,000, but we can't give you an estimate". I can't afford that any way you slice it. Aside from that, how on earth can someone commit to something not knowing what it will cost?. That's like buying a car and the dealer saying just go ahead and take it with you-we'll tell you what you owe us in a few months. On top of all that, I find out today that if I don't use my insurance, the price is $10,500. I'm saving a whopping $2500 by having insurance. Sounds to me like they are raping the insurance companies. Has anyone else run into this kind of BS? I can afford about $3000 to $4000, but $8K is out of the question. I'm not interested in financing or monthly payments. Should I just forget the whole thing and learn to be fat and happy? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@OutsideMatchInside Hell yes i knew it was in the male only site.... Pretty sure the first thing i said was.... I KNEW. what i think is BS that You (a female) us using this as an excuse to post here.... from what i can see you went into the male room and read male post... Just like all the rest of us..... So get over your holier than thou attitude... it doesn't work here. I can't take anyone serious that doesn't have the balls to post a pic of them selves here but seems to have opinions about everything.... here's an interesting post form 2013...... as you can see WE have been talking about this for a long time.... and ended up have a great time with it.... both men and women.... http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/171887-is-it-true-what-they-say/

Since you have to scroll down to reply, the top is what you see first. People are only skipping it by being willfully ignorant. You just admitted you know where it is but you don't bother to look, because you just don't care. And I only responded because I think it is totally BS, that women keep popping in the men forum and then get huffy when men don't respond well to it, this isn't the first time.

HI, I am also new to this forum. I'm 57 and about 150 pounds overweight. My WLS (sleeve) is in 5 days. I am Type 2 diabetic for 15 years, currrently on 1000 metformin twice a day, bayetta twice a day and 18 units of Lantus at night. Lisinopril 40 mg/day. Last A1C was 8. Preop diet has reduced my daily BS to between 108 and 140 which is great for me. Endocrinologist thinks I will be off all meds when I leave the hospital. We'll see. Getting nervous. Love to read the advice on the forum. Good luck with your journey.

Let me drop my two cents into the bucket... ching ching. So coming from an old woman that had ran the gauntlet when it comes to BC .... Lets see.... First of all i got pregnant the first time at the age of 16 and im 47 now... so oblivious.. i have had many years to do some trial and error.... First was the pill... ONova 150ies... for those young woman, these were the best but were taken off the market. So the dr tried me on many diff strengths....all had issues. Plus im terrible at remembering. Then at 18 i got divorced and opted to do Condoms. this worked... no unwanted kids and no STD's win win. Then i met my husband and we dated for a few years and decided we were going to get married and stopped the condoms.... BAM. Jason... After Jason, i gave pill another try.. nope, so then came the Diaphragm... Oh Holy hell... anyone who has used them will tell you... the UTI's because you have to leave it in place for a while after sex... NOT GOOD. Then came the Depo shots.... I gained 50lbs in Three months on them and said... oh hell no..... THEN cam the IUD... I liked the IUD. Mine was inserted during my cycle and i thought the insertion was Not terrible. I had cramps worse then that... But i do have a high tolerance for pain. My issue was the heavy bleeding... it was bad... not going to lie. Then upon an ultra sound my GYN discovered that my IUD was implanted (not by her) wrong and i could have gotten preg at anytime.... OMG... Thank you Lord for knowing that giving me another kid would not have been good..... So then we did the Nuvaring, I don't care what anyone says. This one, for me, worked the best, this was the lesser of all the Evils..... I didn't have to remember to take a pill, didn't have to hope it didn't break, NO Uti's, No weight gain. I could control when my cycle started.... During sex (how little there was) i would remove and then reinsert after. The Bleeding still happened, as i had always been a 7 full day heavy bleeder.... But it worked. and after a few years on that we, my dr. and i decided on a partial Hysterectomy... Due to the bleeding. So i still have my ovaries .... Just no more babies... no bleeding.... Can you say HEAVEN.... Truth is i didn't know what kind of pain i was putting up with until the pain was gone. Now im home free..... yes LORD and thank you Jesus... Free at last free at last, thank God oh mighty im free.... at last...

Im a rebel.... so im going to break the law here and post in the men site..... Now all i hear in my head is breaking the law by judas priest @@Proud2BMe You have to remember... that the majority of people that come to this site are Women. I know this sometimes sucks... but it's a reality... Woman are also just nosy by nature and must know whats going on.... to us its like a bad wrack on the side the road.... We know we should not look... but damn it we just can't help our selves. Put up "men only" is like a Neon flashing lite that says..... COME... READ ME... I do believe that there should be a way to stop us from posting... but please don't take away our reading material.... I personally don't care if a man reads or comments in the woman only room... I Love a mans pov. Lets face it... Woman can be so catty and judgmental. You being a gay man should know this..... But, I have gotten some of the best advice from my guy friends, but then i do tend to get along with them better. I have to disagree with you on Dubs most recent post.... i don't think its BS at all... just because you have gotten bad advice from woman... doesn't mean all advice is bad. True....We should be old enough and wise enough to make our own decisions... but sometimes we do need a little encouragement. Peace, Chris

Happy 2 week surgiversary everyone!!! I'm doing pretty well. Down 16lbs since surgery day. My post op appointment is this Friday and I'm going to try and convince my doc to let me start working out. I have a few more weeks before I go back to work and want to maximize this time. What was everyone's first "meal"? I had a poached egg over some marinara and a little cheese this morning. Delish!!!! My eyes are still bigger than my stomach so slow eating is the name of the game right now. I need to take a picture of my fridge bc I have one whole shelf of Jello, marinara, cottage cheese and greek yogurt lined up in little 2oz plastic containers. How often is everyone weighing themselves? Did anyone take their measurements before surgery? I've been weighing myself everyday but I think I need to move to once a week so I don't go crazy if I start to stall. I took my measurements but have already decided to only check once a month. Hope everyone is feeling well!!!

Yes! I was always a big meat eater, particularly red meats. I can tolerate most but I have found myself much less interested in meat as my post op life continues to unfold. It really started when I was on solid foods, and following my surgeons advice eating the most Protein dense food Per ounce: meat. 3x a day. After doing this for a month I noticed I felt like crap. That I was feeling sluggish physically and emotionally and mentally. And I started to feel kind of sick at the thought of eating meat. I still use it to supplement my protein, but only a few times a week. When I listen to my body, it seems to prefer cheese, particularly grass fed raw organic. It prefers organic fruits. It prefers nuts and seeds. On a day when I eat meat, it's usually just once and my other meals are based on the foods I already listed. Blindly following the direction of so-called authorities, including our surgeons offices, can lead to problems. Most people who have the surgery are doing it as a way of taking responsibility for their own health and well-being. The critical part of this is being educated from more than one point of view. Another critical part, is learning how to listen to your own body. What do you need, to be healthy and happy and fulfilled. In my personal opinion, it is a huge mistake to assume that all bodies respond the same way to the same things or need the same things. We need to learn how to talk to our bodies and how to listen to them when they talk to us. My body is intelligent and so is yours.