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New here and so anxious
Miss Mac replied to mamakatx3's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Welcome to our normal. Here is a link that might encourage you. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/219831-what-was-your-final-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back/page-129?hl=%2Bfinal+%2Bstraw#entry4094671 You have so much to look forward to when your health and quality of life improve. Are all changes bad? I remember when Dad bought our first microwave in the 1970's. Mom thought it would make her brain explode until she realized how much easier it made her life. Yes, I have personally changed since my surgery. I have more confidence and don't take anyone's BS anymore. I realize my value and am more sympathetic towards people who have to rise above overwhelming circumstances. Plus, I know a whole lot more about nutrition. -
The second most painful experience of my life..omg...this was bad
CowgirlJane replied to CowgirlJane's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I am having a pain flare and can't keep food down. Not fun. Doctor told me we can do the laser bust it up if I get fed up with this....and I am starting to consider it. It has been great to get support from so many - I feel awful whereas a day or ago I was "ok" Did others have bloating and constipation? My normally flat tummy is distended and I have gained alot of weight in a week. I feel pretty gross actually. Since I saw the CT scan images I know things look okay other than inflammation from this - and they could tell I was filled with gas in the images too. Anyway I know this will be ok, but right now I feel like I am dying. I know that is pretty dramatic sounding but I am sure my blood pressure is elevated, I am very queasy and bent over in pain. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using the BariatricPal App -
Questions for those that went to Tijuana Mexico for GS
kf4zra replied to EP8's topic in Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery
I too would have freaked out with that experience. When i am in pain, my tolerance for BS shrinks rapidly. I too am using Dr. Illan through BariatricPal with Bill as my coordinator. Every time i call Bill, he has time to answer my questions. Their new nutritionist Paola is very helpful as well. -
4 days post op and already hungry
Giselle0827 replied to vmc5022's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I had surgery on Tuesday and honestly on Thursday I was feeling hunger. In a way I felt ok about it Bc I felt somewhat normal as weird as that sounds. But I am home and I get small spurts of hunger from time to time as well. I can honestly drink something or have a small snack and I am ok. I live in Germany and had my surgery here. I found it very weird that as soon as they sent me home they said I can eat puréed foods and anything I can chew very well for the next 3 weeks. I was very surprised seeing that I see everyone was put on a strict liquid diet for the first 2 weeks and then puréed food. But I still don't take it over board but I do curb my hunger in between with a couple sips of some type of liquid or drink and I am fine. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App -
Wow, the instructions I got from my dietitian are completely different from the "don't change anything, your body decides what weight it wants to be" stuff I am reading here. These are the instructions I got, and they have worked well for me: 1. When you hit your goal weight and want to maintain, start eating your body weight x 10 in calories every day. 2. Continue to weigh, measure and track your food religiously. 3. Weigh yourself every day. 4. After two weeks of strict maintenance eating, assess. If you have lost more than 2 lbs, add in another 100 calories per day to your eating. If you have gained more than 2 lbs, subtract 100 calories per day. 5. Repeat for another 2 weeks and assess. Again, either add or subtract calories by 100 calories per day. 6. Keep repeating until you find your target calorie range. 7. When adding in calories, focus on adding in high protein or high fat foods -- jerky, dark meat instead of white meat poultry, avocado, cheese, nuts, olive oil, grass fed butter, switch from nonfat to full fat yogurt or milk, etc. Do not raise your calories with high carb foods such as grains or fruits or sugary foods. Do not raise your calories by grazing or snacking. 8. Weigh yourself a minimum of once a week once you hit maintenance. Every day is better. If you are weighing yourself regularly and sticking to your eating plan, you can stop weighing and measuring your food and tracking it in MFP. 9. When/if you find yourself 4 lbs over your target maintenance goal, or outside of your maintenance range at all if you set a range instead of a specific number as your goal, immediately drop into weight loss mode. This means: lowering your calories by 500 per day (more if that does not result in weight loss), weighing and measuring your food, tracking everything in MFP, and stopping eating all grains, starchy vegetables, and sweets. Once you get back into your maintenance goal/range, resume maintenance eating but be mindful of why/what behaviors you got out of your range and stop doing that. This worked really well for me. If I had just given up on being in control I would have been an utter failure. YMMV of course.
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Sugar, Not Fat, is the Culprit
My Bariatric Life replied to My Bariatric Life's topic in Weight Loss Surgery Magazine
@@BCs 1000 I am going to have to watch that documentary! Wow do I ever miss my farmer's market in NJ. Out here in Indianapolis it is much harder to access quality food. Geez, you should see the lines at the Mc D's drive-thru! -
Anyone else have to write a letter to Fed BCBS?
MeFirst replied to Phillygirl_in_DE's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I did not have to write them a letter. My PCP had to send them a letter of necessity. After they received my packet I was approved in a week. Good Luck!! BCBS Fed is amazing insurance -
Approvals with BCBS Federal
wileyns replied to rln52's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Does anyone know how much we should expect to pay out of pocket with Fed BC/BS? -
Anyone else have to write a letter to Fed BCBS?
Phillygirl_in_DE posted a topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I just got a call from my surgeons office saying that I need to write a letter to Federal bcbs saying why I think I need the sleeve surgery. And what I have done over past year to lose weight... Anyone else have to do this? I am otherwise done with everything, just waiting on approval.. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App -
I did Weight Watchers of and on for about 10 years. I thought, and still think, that the points crap where you had to have a little card to figure out your points or a computer/cellphone/something electronic was too much BS for me. I tried that plan 3 different times. No success worth mentioning. I also worked at a grocery store as a dairy manager. Every January (New Years resolutions) I would find those cards left all over my department. They were throughout the store. I would watch the people pull the card out and figure out if the food was good or not for weeks. Some would lose enough weight to notice. I would guess that 3 out of 4 put it back on and then some. I got to know them and they would ask about certain products (Hood dairy beverage, soy milk, etc.), so the weight loss was usually part of the conversation too. I love my sleeve. I KNOW what I should and shouldn't eat. I don't need an app/card for every time I eat something.
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Holy cow! Should I have been able to eat that much?
mrslopez replied to thomas1984's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Make sure you are eating slow take small breaks in between picking your spoon/fork up again..i did the same thing in beginning and still felt hungry but when i spoke with my NUT and doctor thats what they told me and now i cant even finish my food bc i take my time to eat it and i get the full feeling..also u have to remember u just had the surgery so your new stomach has to adjust. Its just like a newborn baby stomach now where u will slowly introduce new things in phases. -
Birth control pill question before surgery
JamieLogical replied to mmorris4's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I was allowed to keep taking mine straight through. Edit: I wasn't allowed to take anything by mouth the morning of my surgery (not even water) so I missed that day. My husband and I also used backup birth control for a good month+ post-op because I have heard a LOT of horror stories of people getting pregnant even while on BC post WLS, because of the increased fertility. Plus I was on an antibiotic for a couple of days post-op. -
Sudden Food Intolerance
anniehip replied to CSchulden's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
When I'm full my nose runs. That's my signal. When I go pass that I end up throwing up bc I'm so uncomfortable. I don't ever let that happen! It does get better. I'm one year out already. -
All of my paperwork had to be resubmitted, bc my surgery coordinator was told one thing and then was told protocol was changed . I had a similar incident trying to get my cpap machine. So I knew something was not right, now to wait some more.
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Guys are you tired of my whining yet? So the latest I called insurance again today and they still aren't showing my paperwork on their end. I emailed my surgery coordinator again today bc I hadn't heard from her since she said she would call them yesterday, I asked her if she had heard anything about what is going on and she said she was still waiting for my insurance to return her call. OMG what is going on!!!! Where the heck is my paperwork we are working on week 3 and I have absolutely no clue what is going on ????
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Fat Acceptance Movement - how do you feel?
gowalking replied to needtorecover's topic in Rants & Raves
I was doing OK with reading her article till I read the following below. I call BS on that. We're all in this predicament because we eat/ate more than we burned. The reason we are losing the weight is because we've cut our calories drastically..and are eating less unhealthy choices..though she does mention that in her article and I have no disagreement there. But don't tell me we don't eat more than thin people...or that we are more sedentary...because we are, and we know it. no one has proven that fat people generally eat more or exercise less than thin people. Period. -
I've always been against the idea of 'a calorie is a calorie is a calorie' as an idea because certain foods affect you completely differently. With that in mind it doesn't surprise me you're seeing these results. Have you seen the documentary 'fed up'? It explains it quite well too. I think it's much more important to eat 'clean', or as non-processed as you can manage. If you're eating massively over calories then you'll still have a problem, but they're not my main concern. Sent from my SM-G900H using the BariatricPal App
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I am in need of some insight
James Marusek replied to 02CDMB's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I met with the surgeon on the day I began the process. I began incurring cost at the beginning of the process and some of these charges started eating away at my deductible from the get-go. But since this entire process (6 month medically supervised weight loss and exercise program, pre-op testing, second round of pre-op testing, surgery/hospital) can take almost a year, it can be staggered over 2 calendar years and effect two years of deductible. Overall the entire cost was in the $50K range and my out of pocket after insurance was around $5K. But I have a different insurance than BC/BS. Also I was not asked to pay up front prior to surgery. There are many costs to consider in arriving at the final costs, for example the cost of the anesthesiologist, the cost of the pre-op testing, the cost of the second round of pre-op testing by specialist in their respective fields if this is warranted. I even incurred the cost of a second surgeon that assisted my primary surgeon. So it is difficult to determine the final out-of-pocket cost in advance. -
I am 3 months into my 6 month diet & exercise program. All of my appointments are complete. Now all I can do is wait until my 6 months is up. I have a couple of questions: My surgeon is requiring me to pay up front before they will schedule surgery. I have called and asked for a quote of sorts, something to give me an idea of how much I need be saving. I have insurance with BC/BS of Georgia. My individual deductible is $3800 & family is $7600. So far the insurance has covered the majority of the costs. I also had $1200 in an HRA account which has been used. I was able to find out the the surgeon charges $3480 for Gastric Bypass and $2575 for the Sleeve. I was told that his fees are what I need to cover to get a surgery date. I just wish I could get a straight answer. Has anyone else had to deal with this and approximately how much out of pocket did you have to pay to the surgeon. Also, I will not be able to meet with the surgeon until my 6 months is up. Is that normal? I would have thought that a consult of some sorts would be part of the evaluation process. Any thoughts are appreciated.
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I hear ya. I used to be all about me time but I can't even get into that. I'm engaged and I should be jumping my fiancés bones every chance I get but I can't even be bothered with it. Sometimes I can't stand to be touched. I feel bad bc he has been dealing with this for awhile, 2 months before my sleeve , I have a major cervical spine surgery so it's been awhile since I've felt up to even making an attempt. I just feel bad all around. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App
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Why does weight loss slow down after the first few months?
Djmohr replied to bugsy72's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
@@bugsy72 Hi there! Congratulations on getting healthy! I am 17 months post op and just a pound to go to get to my ideal weight. I am down a total of 142lbs. I lost a lot of weight in those first 6 months fairly rapidly and then I slowed to between 5 to 10lbs per month with many stalls along the way. What happens is your body adjusts along the way and the closer you get to goal, the slower the weight loss happens and the harder you have to work to keep it going. I am one of those people that have had to fight for every pound because I am also restricted from excercise and have been since June 2015. It just means you have to be very diligent about what you put in your mouth, of course having a tiny really helps you do that. I have learned that if I stay under 1000 calories a day with 70 grams of Protein and below 70 grams of carbs I will lose. If I am somewhere above 1300 calories I gain. If I hang between 1000 and 1200 I maintain. Maybe when I can be more active I can add more but realistically I have a hard time getting above 1200 calories anyway, not sure if that will change down the road but I am well fed at that 1000 to 1200 range. Not sure if that makes sense but that is how it worked for me. -
I only weigh in at the surgeons office, so as not to lose my mind, and today was my three month check up. I wasn't expecting that much. From inside my body it is not easy for me to tell by eye whether I'm losing weight. I was worried Bc instead of following a plan, I eat intuitively, and my diets consists mostly of cheese, nuts and fruits, with a bit of meat here and there. I don't count or track; I just follow my body and let my sleeve measure my food intake. I have not had to throw away my whole wardrobe so I just didn't know if I was doing the right things. But... I'm down 60 pounds in three months! Closer to 75-80 total. I'm so happy! Thank you for celebrating with me.
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I'm in the same boat with you all. I have Anthem BCBS/ca and I was denied initially. The insurance company said that the reason they denied me was because my initial consultation with the surgeon didn't appear to state obvious weight loss goals and that too much time had passed since the initial consult and the time my surgeon's office submitted for approval. smh... I think that was bs, yet I went back to my surgeon's office for another consult and the doctor made thorough notes this time indicating exactly why I need the surgery (pre-diabetic, sleep apnea, bmi of 41.5) and that I had passed my psych eval and completed 6 months of supervised diet with a licensed dietitian. My case mgr said she submitted the appeal to insurance on 2/18. Yet, today I called my insurance company and they said they never received an appeal letter. They only had correspondence showing that my case mgr called for the fax number to fax the letter and paperwork. I called my case mgr, yet she is in clinic today. I emailed her. Hopefully I will hear something soon. I feel like my surgeon's office has been giving me the run around from the beginning.
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Revision from sleeve to bypass
bikerchick519 replied to BrandyNovak's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
I'm having revision from sleeve to mini bypass on March 31st and my insurance would not cover it. I have bc/bs of Kansas. They said my bmi wasn't high enough, I never did the 6 month diet (first surgery in Mexico), and no co-morbidities. So I'm just going back to Mexico. Initially I wanted the bypass because they don't do the mini here in my area but after talking to two surgeons in Mexico and researching it, I feel better about the mini bypass for me personally. Good luck with your insurance. -
Ron, Just keep at the company. I was initially denied by BCBS Fed and I contacted customer service to appeal. They requested a bunch of additional documents, but as I was about to submit those, the initial call had generated an appeal that overturned the initial decision. Just keep pressing them and hopefully you will have a positive outcome. Good luck!
