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I only brought what I wore to the hospital, snook which I did not read bc I was too out of it and my cell phone.. They provide you most of what you need and honestly I was in and out of it the whole time so I didn't need much more than the tv being on

I have been waiting and waiting...and waiting to hear from Kaiser Bariatrics in Fremont. It has been 10 months! I was told to refer to my PCP. He told me over these months that Kaiser Fremont has a wait list of over a year. Stupid me, trusting my doctor, decided to believe him and try to be cooperative and patient. I decided to finally bypass his "authority" and research everything myself. Finally, after much maneuvering through the automated labrynth that is the Fremont Kaiser Bariatric Department, was able to leave a message for the bariatric department. They left a message for me on my cell phone notifying me that they have NOT even received my request or file at all!:tongue2: It has been over 10 months and they tell me this now. I want to know who dropped the ball on this one! From what I have been able to find out, all evidence points to my PCP. I'm so mad I could spit! Now, I have been told to speak to my PCP, but I can't now, because he's gone until the middle of this month! I have been cordial and patient, but I'm fed up with Kaiser's games. The only thing I can do now, is wait, I guess. However, I do think I am justified to file a complaint. I really dislike having to defer my issues to the patronizing customer service. I know they are there just to cover their a!#@!. I feel like David going against Goliath. I may have to play nice in order to get what I need. It would help if whomever was responsible to apologize to me and speed up the orientation process, being it was Kaiser's mistake and all. I followed all their directions, went to every appointment, and did everything else they wanted me to do, all with a smile and a positive attitude. This really sucks! :angry_smile:I feel very depressed and alone. Is there anything else I can do. Any moral encouragement or suggestions will be appreciated!

I am a divorced mom of a awesome 5 yr old boy. I gotta say what your husband is pulling with you is down right wrong. If he is using those reasons you listed for reasons to leave you... He's crazy! You don't deserve to be treated like that by someone who is supposed to love you unconditionally! Honestly I don't know you or your hubby but don't for a second think he'd leave you on those issues... He may just be angry or feelin a bit insecure.. Let's face it you are looking great and finding a new found sense of confidence in yourself it's gotta worry him a bit too. Hang in there but don't take none of his BS I know you love him but you in no way deserve that treatment!

Stacy - I was denied because I did not lose the 5% prior to submitting paperwork for approval from BC/BS (NY). I would suggest that you ask for a copy of your BC/BS requirements for bariatric surgery so that you can review them prior to having your paperwork submitted. My BMI was below 40 and I was very concerned about getting denied because of that, so when the denial came I was not surprised but actually pleasantly surprised that it was only because I did not meet their 5% weight loss pre-requirement. Good luck.

Hi Crystal, I am going through that right now. I had mine which is acutally every 24 days and now it's back 8 days early! I already get it more than the average women. Plus I don't want to go on bc because I worry about weight gain and my bf is fixed.

@@Malin if you don't mind me asking, why didnt you make their requirments? My surgeon is supposed to submit to Bc/bc of AL next week for approval and I'm very nervous.

When I went to my first follow up one week post op the doc said that going back to my normal routine and work outs were fine. He did not say anything about abs though. I played volleyball (competitive league) about a week and a half post op and I was fine. Get the go-ahead from your doc, then gradually work in your exercise. Maybe the first week aim for 30 min walking each day then the next 35 min each day or whatever you feel comfortable with. And honestly, when I started working out hardcore again, my scale did not budge for almost 2 weeks. I could tell my clothes have been looser, but the scale is still the same. this is simply bc your body is adjusting. In the long run, exercising will tone you more and help with some of the loose/excess skin after you lose the weight. Good luck and all the best!

I wanted to post in here to ask yall a few questions I have and see if u are the same. One thing I've noticed since surgery is my body. Its as if I was made to be big and not small. Reason saying. I wear xs underwear and size 2-4 pants. My torso I have to have med shirts and large sleep clothes like the lil matching tops. I have no boobs those babies deflated and look worse than a party balloon. Really I need a tuck but I'm petrified of surgery so when I wear my pants I have to put them on top of the pooch like under my naval bc if I didn't I'd look like a man sporting a beer gut lol. My feet went from size 8.5's to size 7's. My hair is finally all back in but I still battle extremely dry itchy skin so I can critque every lotion made LOL. I'm very self conscious about my stomach and the scars I have so its still uneasy to be naked in front of my bf. When I clothes shop I still look for things to layer like I use too. I always wear a undershirt. My shirts have to go past my butt and of long sleeves have to reach around my wrists when I hold my arms up. I have yet to buy a pair of skinny jeans bc I still purchase boot cut. I'm getting better at eye contact with ppl but I still tend to walk looking at my feet. Its sad but I can't see the new girl everyone else does. Another thing I've ran into is I call it my Star Jones complex LOL. I'm very particular who I tell about my surgery. My bfs friends have no clue I'm a rny pt. He does and his family but they don't. His bestfriends wife has been doing insanity and lost a lot and I mean has an incrediable body she walks around in running bras and spandex that's how confident and beautiful her body is. Well apparently she had always been "chubby" according to them (she was in a size ten o.O) well when I met my bf he sent them my picture and all their responses was is "you really like those skinny girls don't ya?" Well I've always been that girl who hung out with the guys bc girls has always betrayed me which is why I think I did so well working as a firefighter/paramedic. Well superbowl we were over there and they were commenting at how much weight my bf has lost, bc I cook and he eats similarly to me and has lost from 230 to 192. Well he looked at his bestfriends wife and said look at how much Kel lost bc of her appendix and she turned around and said "she doesn't count she's been a twig her entire life...and that makes me sick" I just looked at her like you really have no idea. I get this stuff all the time. I'm in with my bfs bestfriend but the females in his group just treat me horrible. Its hard to be around them bc my bf wants to hang out with his bf without me up his butt but I'm so uncomfortable by myself around them and the one issue I am really having is his bestfriends brother had RNY. He gained every pound back and then more I feel really bad for him. My bfs bestf will say oh honey my brother's coming over too and she wi respond with well if this food isn't enough I can give him left overs from the past two days as if he were a dog. She says this all the time and will look at me and say stuff like its sickening ppl will allow themselves to be that lazy. When he finally gets there ppl are so snide and rude to him. I always go up to him and hug him and tell him its goof to see him. He acts like we all use and I still do and its that wanting to fit in so bad but can't attitude. Theres been several times I've wanted to grab him and take him outside and say I know how u feel I'm a gb patient also. I don't bc I'm afraid of embarrassing my bf. I don't want him to feel the need to defend me and u all know with this surgery the stigma u get and its we are lazy or took the easy route or the oh she will be the size of a house again in five years just wait. Do you all open up to outsiders when your dating? Or am I just weird or paranoid. I think it all boils down to I was bullied so bad growing up I just want to fit in now and not cause myself any drama. Can any of yall relate to this?? Sorry it was long.

does anyone have BCBS of Nebraska? I called the 800 number and they said I was not covered...does anyone else have any ideas? Or has this BCBS covered their surgery? I am so dissapointed!!

OK I am about 7 months out and 70 pounds down, I have been pretty happy with my weightloss, of course I wouldve loved to have lost more... anywho, Im def. not the perfect bandster, but I try to follow the rules, one rule that I have never followed was the "no drinking while eating". frankly, i thought it was stupid and couldnt imagine eating food without drinking. Im one of those people who sip after every bite so I didnt even want to try and stop. Oddly enough I never realized why this rule was set in place, so i did my research a little over a month ago. When you drink while eating the liquids push the foods through the band and you upper pouch, making it harder for the band to do it's job and allowing you to eat more food. While researching I found an article (ill try to find for you) that said one of the main reasons Lap Band patients are unable to use to tool in its entirety is bc of drinking while eating. I decided to try and stop and Lord have mercy I feel like slapping myself! I get full so quick now and although its a little weird not drinking, Im getting used to it. Ive dropped a whopping EIGHT pounds in one week since I started doing this. im truly amazed and I feel that If i wouldve done this sooner Id already have lost 100 pounds. The thing is, the band will still help you if you drink with your meals, you will still get fuller quicker than you did preband, but I personally can say it has made the world of a difference for me! Ive only had two small fills so far and I go in for another next week, but atleast just try not the no drinking rule. I learned a tip from someone on here to fix a glass of ice when Im eating and allow myself to drink whatever has melted throughout my meal, which isnt alot but it helps to trick my mind lol

Hi all, I just need to blow of some steam. I was told my doctor's office to wait till today to call them and see what the progress was with my insurance company. They had faxed all the information to them last Friday or this Monday, I'm not to sure on that one. Anyways, today my doctor's office was told that (Cigna) never recieved any my information. So they re-faxed everything again this afternoon and we have confirmed that they did recieve it. Cigna told them to give them 5 days for go over it and for us to call them next Friday. That's all good, but my problem is that I have to have the surgery done by the end of this month, as for my insurance changes to BC/BS of GA. Anyway, that's for letting me vent, I feel better now. Terry

I got the same letter before my surgery saying "it was an approved procedure assuming I met medical necessity." I got my EOB last week, and BC FEP paid all but $100 of the surgeon's fee. I haven't received the EOB for the hospital portion yet. My surgery was out-patient, although I had the opportunity to stay overnight if I wanted. DH wanted to go home, so we went home.

I am a type 2 diabetic since 1990 (recently confirmed still 2 not 1). I had a sleeve last November lost 52 lbs mostly by sticking with low carb Gary Taubes type diet. I've been in and out of ketosis and the only reason I go out is because my blood sugar readings sky rocket in ketosis. i verified with many it is the case. Understanding why is way over my head science wise and I can't follow it. When I can control my sugar and just eat enough to keep me out my morning readings on very little insulin are 90-100. But in Ketosis like now I take 4-5 times the insulin and my sugars are up 150-200 sometimes. I shoot up to lower them. I'm eating not much at all mostly protein and fat. My weight loss is stalled and even went up while in ketosis a bit. But that could be my thyroid meds need adjusting. Taubes says and i concur eating an apple is fructose not good for us sugar addicts. It is easier to stay in ketosis never worry about being hungry. Everything you try to read on this is very deep in science. I understand type 1's have difficult time in Ketosis. So I verified I am a two, and c peptide showed I am. Does anyone have experience with this long term? Will it eventually stabilize? I used to freak out and go out of ketosis, then I binged ( that sleeve doesn't work long) a few times and man my weight went up QUICK!. I wanna stay in Ketosis its so easy to do daily. But I also wanna see those numbers normal again. Also I slowed way down on exercise but now can start again. Seems my BS lower to with weight training and some cardio. Sorry for rambling appreciate any experience on this subject.

Awesome girl! I turned 30 last September. Do you have anything special planned?? I was happy to begin this chapter of my life bc my 20's blew. So far I'm enjoying every bit. Can't wait to watch your journey! If you need anything feel free to contact me.

I created one too, but I might end up moving off Blogger if I can't figure out how to customize it more. I'm used to running Wordpress blogs, and can add/remove my own elements with ease on those. Blogger is easy as far as posting goes, but it's all XML, which is not something I know how to tweak. :smile: So, we'll see how it goes. I'd prefer not to host this one myself if I can get away with it. heh Fed up with being overfed

I've tried to get that also. Mainly bc I've had to have so many transfusions but my great insurance says no.. bit they'd rather pain thousands n hospital stays and transfusions? O.o

girl listen!! I have over 12 dx! to name a few..SLE, Polymyalgia, Fibro and Hashis...I told my thumey I was having this done to get my life back. I wasnt out for her approval. I had 2 of specialist refer me to WLS. I have stage 2 an 3 kidney disease. I had to go on armour thyroid in order for my thyroid to be "within" normal range to get released from my endo but I made it! I have a specialists for every organ I have left. I wasnt out to get approval from drs..I did this for me. bc NO dr can tell you how its going to be after everyone reacts differant. but I had ballooned up to 270 or so . I was miserable. yes in pain before an after still. my surgeons words to me was he has had some fibro pts who improved the pain. some pts GERD inproved. some do an some dont. I was going to do the surgery no matter. I was either going to kill over fat an miserable or what have ya. my surgeon told me the surgery was worth the risk. it gets soo much easier with the weight dropping. the first month was brutal...not from pain but from the tummy just being so swollen inside so getting drink an food down was a chore. but I also had hernia fixed. after the first wk an I went into get weighed an stepped on the scale I had lost 25 pds. I knew then it was going to work. for the first month I was pain free! then the flair hit me like a brick wall. yea...I tuffed thru it a few months..upped my plaquinil. had a medrol pack I took. got thru it after I had to get some relief. it was several months flaring but I had already made a radical diet change a few yrs ago got off all processed sugar, grains etc...even with them changes alone the weight kept going up. so yea I am thrilled I went thru my desision of the sleeve. I am 6 months out an almost 100 pds down. it is well worth it. I flaired being fat which felt just as bad if not worse bc of the excess weight an of course mentally an emotionally..I flair now. I would so much rather be thinner an have a somewhat better active life then the way I was on that self destructive path. I am better mentally getting my confidance back an emotionally better. but I have been ordering essential oils from the mountain rose herbs...organic..sn I rub that on my muscles which is alot of areas...but I prefer them to prednisone. I drink hot tea at night either ginger, peppermint or licorice an I ordered organic liquid D3, liquid B12 an I take wkly B12 injections myself..turmeric. I have muscle issues in my esophagas so I try an take liquid suppliments as much as I can. getting difficult to swallow things. but I manage. I have not taken narcotics for pain. I didnt want to start that path but the oils are helping. I do have a script topical lotion that I can use an I use my TENS machine for my neck back an shoulders. if this is something YOU want an YOU only dont let others talk you out of it. they dont live in your body. I didnt tell anyone in my family except my hubs that I was doing this. I didnt want to listen to everyones opinions. this is tuff going thru it enuff without all that negativity. thats just me. they still dont no. I told my BFF an thats it. an with 90 some pd weight loss yea Iv been turning heads! lol...I dont care! I just say I am on a strict portion control plan ..eat high protein off such an such basically Ketogenic diet. an the right amount of thyroid med. feels great!! I wish you the best. I hope this helps. but I would not change it for a million bucks!! you can contact me further whenever you need to! from one lupie to another..

I am all scared I will get denied. My dr has had me on phentermine since May and has documented that we discussed weight and how I needed exercise and clean diet 1500 cals on one of the office note. We have May and June. I missed July bc my work wouldn't let me off but my dr documented that and I was seen in August and September. I'm scared that her notes are too vague we discussed other things but she always threw in my weight and how I needed to look into WLS and how I needed to watch what I ate and exercise. No specifics on exact diet and exercise. Problem is my employer only allowing me off the last week of October. Due to people having babies and other surgeries they can't give me any other time off before next year so if this doesn't get approved in screwed. ????

Hey 2Fly! I am sorry to hear about your mom. I hope that she has a full recovery. You are one of the success stories, and I am so pleased that you are posting pics of your tummy tuck bc so few do and I want to know what I am getting into when the time comes. Thanks, Amy

Sometimes I just want to scream, and cry, and kill my ex. He and I have always been friends, and we dated for a long time. Now he has started being sooooooo stupid that I broke up with him a little over a month ago, and he is driving me nuts. I used to have a friend and he used to be friends with her too, well he didnt like her anymore, but she was okay with me. I heard both of them talk so much bs about one another I was sick of it. All of a sudden the weekend that my RECENTLY widowed gma got married, I was emotional distressed and still dating him, well he took my friend to a club to go have fun and dance and stuff and told me I was not invited, and she (claiming to be a "friend") never asked once "would Jodie like to come?" NO! Everytime I am friends with this girl, she takes what I have, my clothes, aspirations, dreams, and men. I LOVE this guy (I know teen love, all the same tho), we were going to go to college together and get an apartment and everything, but ever since I was supposed to have this surgery, he has been proud of me, but pulling away too. Like he always brags about these girls being his friend and wanting him to go to parties with him and stuff. I know he's trying to make me jealous, but it just makes me feel like crap because I can't be that for him. Lately (last 3 weeks) he has went crazy wanting to party, but not invite me to go, and hang out with my ex-friend. I wish I could have an hour to beat the mess outta her! Anyways, I am gonna go crazy because this guy has lost his mind!?!?!?

well I got good news today.. My surgery has been approved!!! It took 2 tries 1st time I was denied low bmi... the holidays changed that; ). and now I am waiting for a date.. My surgeon broke his arm a couple weeks ago ... so I need to be patient cause he's not quite up to surgery!!! just wanted to let you all in on my joy.. keep trying... never give up..:clap2: myturnow...donnaco

Congratulations on your approval. Just a questions unfortunately I am just starting my journey with BC/BS of Il and wondering if you have any advice of what I need to do and not do etc. Thanks Tamara

Hey cellphone man, I too am in Pa and I have bc/bs ppo....and I too did the sixth month visits to the dr. I actually gained over the 6 months. The insurance approved me and I knew with in two days. That was the easiest part. Don't know if this will help you or not. But that was me... Good luck to you.

Hey everyone well I had my seminar back in August and now in December I still haven't heard anything from my insurance which is bcbs of new jersey its really a discouraging situation waiting all this time. I mean hell I would just like to know yes or no, so I can stop worrying myself to death about it. I mean I went from being really anxious and excited to just totaly fed up and don't really care anymore. I dunno how everyone else feels while waiting but thats how I feel.

I am having mine done at NSG bc I am standard. When did you have urs? Congrads!! I am jealous