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So tomorrow I have my preop scope procedure I'm pretty nervous just bc I'll be going under anesthesia. I also learned that today everything was sent to the insurance and now we're just waiting to hear back from them to be able to schedule a surgery date. I'm excited, nervous, anxious, and terrified all at the same time. Did anyone else have to have the scope preop precedure? How did u react to the anesthesia? Also, how long did it take to hear back from insurance? I have bcbs of illinois. Sent from my SM-G900T using the BariatricPal App

I began to eat popcorn very carefully at first bc of the "can't have" but it goes down easy. I just let it melt in my mouth then chew the crispy stuff til it's very minute. But I only have a small handful at the movies when we go. BTW that was with my 1st 3 cc fill. I've had another 3cc fill and haven't tried it yet so I hope it still goes down. Not having any other problems...actually less than with the first 3 cc. I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to get my pills down (about 25 a day) but with 6cc in me it's like a dream. The dr said now I should really start losing. YAAAAAA!!!!! Bout time. But I would suggest like everyone else is to take it slowly and make sure the one popcorn goes down w/o trouble.

Ok.. That made me laugh! I just don't understand how y'all can put up with the insurance BS. I'd go postal

Sleeved nov 9 iam on pures foods and tomorrow i can inteoduce all foods even tho i wont be able to i lost 20 lbs first week like clock work Then i stoped i figured pureed foods mor calories would stop my stall it just make me go between 343 and 344 ive measured also and not lost any inch anywhere from week1 This is weird bc i didnt even do the pre op diet well i gained and now iam doing eveyrhing right Iam bigger i should have atleast lost 1 or 2 more pounds yes 20 is wonderful but it was just in the first week i think i would have felt better losing the 20 over the 3 week period not just a lump sum and absloltly anything I know theres stalls but one week and two week almoat 3 week stall? Ive seen where people have been sleeved one year and only 50lbs loss i didnt know this was possible makes zero since Any advice

Hi. I also have FED BCBS Basic and just got banded on 3/3/08. I stayed 1 night in the hospital so I had to pay the $100.00 and co-pay of $30.00 when I see my Dr. I was also approved very quick. I received a letter from BCBS and I'll quote parts of the letter. "The following procedure has been approved as medically necessary as defined by the member's Health Care Benefits booklet or Summary Plan Description" Goes on to state my Physician, facility treatment setting ; which states "Inpatient Acute". "Service Procedure Code: 43770 The service Procedure Description " LAPAROSCOPY, SURGICAL GASTRIC RESTRICTIVE PROCEDURE; PLACEMENT OF ADJUSTABLE GASTRIC BAND ( GASTRIC BAND AND SUB CUTANEOUS PORT COMPONENTS)" Does not say anything about "implant". I called to make sure my provider and hospital was a "participating provider" and in-network provider and facility, and thankfully they are!

Thanks for the infor Melinda. I think it took about 12 days from the time my paperwork was submitted to BCBS before they issued a letter stating that the surgery was deemed "medically nessacary", which is as close as I could get them to saying it was approved. They say they dont do prior approvals, but if a covered surgery is "medically nessacary" they will pay for it. I will say that some people have stated they did get a prior approval letter....but I didnt worry with that, as I felt comfortable with the above explaination, now I'm wishing I had fought a little harder to get one!! As far as the copay, I was told my the insurance coordinator at my surgeons office I would have to pay all copays upfront, and all they asked for was $250 for the surgeon (which doesnt make sense, bc the insurance booklet says it should be $100 per surgeon - did I have 2.5 surgeons lol?) and $40 for the hospital. I hope you can work something out to get your procedure covered 100% -RCG

I have this same insurance and I have sleep apnea and they pay 70% for equipment. I think your stuck with the big payment because you did not spend the night. sorry dude. How does this bc/bs basic pay for lapband fills....????

Age: 25 HW: 275 CW: 265 GW: 165 Surgery date: 3/30/16 I am reflecting on a moment that really hurt me. When I was 20, I went on a crazy 8-month long diet. I barely ate 1200 calories a day and I worked out vigorously at the gym. I didn't care what kind of calories I ate (didn't care about protein) and many days I dipped well below 1200 just to see results. I went from 230 to 150 in 7 months. Every conversation I had was about calories and working out. People were worried about me. My face looked sunken in. I was starving. I started eating a more normal amount and continued working out. My weight crept up to 160. Before I knew it, I was back up to 180. As soon as I stopped starving myself, all of my weight came back. Well... I had gone to my PCP at some point during my weight loss. They had a recorded weight of around 160 for me. I went in a few months later for a Pap smear- side note... My PCP is a wonderful man who has been seeing me since I was a child, however, other people in the office are not great- I decided I wanted the nurse practitioner to do my pap because I wanted a female. This was my FIRST PAP EVER! So... I was half naked on a table, terrified of what was about to happen, when this blonde, skinny, young nurse practitioner walks in. She was looking at my chart and she threw it down on the counter. She said... "Are you aware of how much weight you've gained?" I said "ummm I am here for a Pap smear, I don't want to talk about my weight with you." -Weight is ALWAYS a sore subject, but it is especially sore after you know you've gained when you shouldn't have and you're not emotionally mature enough to handle this BS!!!- Ok, so she insisted on talking about my weight over and over again. She told me I'm going to die early and that I'll never be happy as an overweight person. I started crying and continued to cry all throughout the pap. I didn't want her to touch me. I didn't want her to look at me. It was just a really awful experience. It has been 5 years since that incident. I have kept my weight gain to about 30lbs since. Despite her rude ass comments and chilling demeanor, I have been happy. I can thank her for that challenge. I have cute clothes to wear and a plethora of friends and a loving, healthy boyfriend who is happy for me and supportive. I am in a good place, and I am FAT. Because I'm in a good place, and have been for quite awhile now, I am so very excited about my upcoming sleeve gastrectomy. I want the tool. I can't wait to be healthier and more active. I'm happy I'm doing it now so I can finish enjoying my life. I would like to write that nurse practitioner a letter, but I'd have a hard time being nice! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The whole thing went well. I could of waited for insurance but was feeling so miserable and was just getting fatter by the day so I went self pay. The place is small but nice, the staff is very caring and quick to react to your needs. It WAS noisy though so bring some ear plugs if you want to sleep. The level of care is different from what you may have in your country, it is different from in the United States. It's not better nor worse just different. A lot of the BS that is part of the US care system is bypassed, they just seem to get on with it. And as Forrest Gump said, "That's all I have to say about that." I was comfortable, well taken care of and pleased with the care. I would do it again if I was faced with the same choices.

PPmom- this is funny bc not only am I in the same boat as you but my numbers are exactly the same! I was 196, dropped to 194 for a day or two & for 3 weeks I was at 196. I don’t exercise (yet, I joined a new gym that opens in sept) . I was also sleeved In July. I just stick to the plan & keep doing what is recommended & finally the scale budged after 3 weeks & yesterday I was down to 192.5. The less weight you have to lose it will be harder/take longer. Just know if you’re doing what you’re supposed to then the scale/your body will eventually catch up! Good luck

mmmmmm YUP there they are yummieeeeeeeeeeee ok so i had a half of one today took the box out side and fed the birds and squirles . guess they liked them to they were gone in an hour!

I too had some concerns about the weight loss. My husband married me as a full figured woman. I had a convo with him prior to surgery to tell him how much i needed him to tell me he loves me as the thought of losing weight made me feel insecure even though my husband is of average weight. I have always been heavy but also have always gotten attention from men. The difference when I lose weight is the men approaching me are progressively becoming more and more attractive. But I will handle them the same as the others. Say thank you to the compliments and don't engage any further...if they persist tell them to get the h$@# out of your face bc you are married! Lastly, although my husband married me full and likes me this way he has enjoyed the perks of my sleeve from better intimacy to cheaper dining bills...ha ha. You may have to point out the perks to him. Im sure he will appreciate some things about your sleeve as well!

My boyfriend is a truck driver and when he needs to drive all night he mixes a bottle mountain dew with BC powder and he is wide awake all night..... I know it has sugar so maybe u can try diet mountain dew. It does the trick everytime when an energy drink never gives him energy.

I'm not sure how BC works but another driver recommended that to him and he's stuck with it since. Doesn't give u wired energy but it keeps u awake and alert. As far as recovery , I would wait a month before being on the rd cause it's a tough job out there. Mine is an owner operator and if you're a company driver, then they really don't care about u, just the load getting where it needs to.

Silviamom, We have talked before,was your erosion to the interior of your stomach?. I have been looking for stats on this, and find in some journals that some say we should be healed by 6weeks to 3months. I'm having a hard time understanding why I was told 6months?. When they staple and remove your stomach you are completely healed within 6 / 8 weeks. I'm a nurse and to tell you the truth I can understand 6 months, to a yr if the erosion was to the inside of the stomach and Dr had to retrieve the band and then repair the damage, and in those cases there would most likely be infection, which is life threatening. I have read about this very thing, but mine was just under the band and not to the interior of the stomach, and no infection. I have read that when they make their staple line its up to the placement of where the band was and then around it they go anyway, because scar tissue is porous and not very viable tissue (its not fed with much of a blood supply). Pegsinthewoods, I did read about your troubles and man you had it ruff, I think I touched on it slightly above, and I surely sympathize. Somehow I think in my case my Dr was / is just overly cautious? Any other thoughts? maybe I'm trying to hard to reason this, because I'm impatient?

Your post made me laugh...looking at the serving sizes now just crack me up. I saw a box of Pasta has 7 servings ... OMG ... I thought it barely fed 3 people! But I now rethink everything...I use to just pop something little to satisy my cravings but it takes me 40 minutes to burn off 300 calories on the treadmill...I'd rethink that brownie!! But we all have to enjoy life...my enjoyment is ice cream! Instead of the huge Cereal bowl with 4-5 scoops...I use alittle bowl for 1 scoop, I'm interested in the applesauce instead of oil...please post if you know the measurements!

NYU split up their surgeons by insurance coverage and Dr. Fielding was the GHI Dr., unfortunately as of June 18th he dropped it, so you need to find out what your alternatives are. My approval came very quickly becoz with BC/BS you don't need the 6 months supervised diet. First step is a physchological eval with one of their Dr.'s and it was $250.00 out of pocket. Then I had to go for a nutritional assessment and evaluation another $325.00 out of pocket. Then thru my coverage I had to go for clearance for surgery thru my cardiologist. Was all done by end of January and was scheduled for March 6th surgery. Process can be as quick or as long as you make it!! Once again good luck as your journey begins!

Thanx for the response Kristen. Were you approved by your insurance and if I may ask what type do you have? I have GHIand Empire BC/BS, my DH is a city employee so I hope if my PCP gives approval I can be easily approved . I am going to go online to see if NYU is having seminars now. I checked into a local hospital here in BK but NYUis superior. Thanx again, Dee

I KNEW hair loss was coming. I did my research, I read every post there was along with tons of research beforehand and I had prepared myself. I knew it could be little or lots, but of course, like anyone I hoped for a little. I'm young and healthy (minus the weight issue) so I hoped for the best. Had my surgery 9/4 and just as was predicted my hair loss started the first week of December. I have long blonde (fine) hair that has been my staple forever and it's falling out BADLY! I am so sick I do not know what to do. I'm getting in my vitamins, protein, biotin (which I started months before) and I'm at a loss now as to where to go. It's getting so thin I can't hide it much longer and I'm starting to become self conscious. It's only been a month and everyone says it can last for up to 6...I will be a 30 year old bald person if I keep losing hair at this rate. When it first started I just stayed calm bc I knew it was coming and I just kept telling myself it would be ok. But, today when several large handfuls came out I just stood in the shower and cried. I wasn't prepared to go bald. I want to lose weight and be healthy, but NOTHING about my hair falling out feels even the tiniest bit healthy. I know I've read everything there is to read at this point, but this feels like a moment in my journey that I need support and encouragement even if I already know what everyone will say. Am I going to go bald and is this going to start turning around? My NUT told me to cut my hair. Please don't tell me that. I have been growing my beautiful hair out for 4 years. I'm not ready to hear that. So sad and discouraged right now.

Actually I haven't bought any Protein supplements with the exception of Premier Protein RTD because of the ease of use right after surgery; however IF I were going to purchase a Protein powder I would choose goat whey due to the easy digestibility in comparison to cow milk, lack of any unnatural additives (assuming you are purchasing organic, grass fed) and the increased level of healthy minerals, nutrients and beneficial digestive cultures. I will be using our own goat whey to make my smoothies as we always have quite a bit left when my husband makes cheese. Whey, sealed tightly in a clean jar, lasts approx 6 months if refrigerated. We don't purchase milk or cheese as our goat provides all we need for our family. We currently use the whey mainly to Water our garden and feed our chickens, but since I've had surgery, we will be making smoothies with it now as well.

Happy Sunday & Happy New Year's Eve Folks!! Got sleeved on 12/27 {finally} and just returned from MX today. All in all feeling pretty good. Little itching/tenderness at one incision site. No nausea until my 1st protein shake today. Worst pain was actually from the constantly full bladder caused by the non-stop IV drip all night post-op. Once they took that out, oh sweet relief...! But, I digress...On Friday I went back for my leak test. It showed no leaks but they said there were two small areas that looked a little more narrow than the rest. I could see the screen, and yes, I could see what they meant. Below the esophagus, leading to the stomach, were two small areas that were more "gray" than "black" as the rest of the barium filled areas were coming up black. They asked if I was having difficulty taking fluids? I said no, I was taking 2 c of chicken broth per day, almost 2 sugar free popsicles, 1-2 bottles of water, and a bottle of electrolytes (also a small cup of watered down apple juice, at the nurse's recommendation). So yeah, Obviously I was getting my fluids! So he said, no issues at all? Oh, well then I told him I was experiencing gurgling when I swallowed - not severe - not exactly painful, just uncomfortable and a little annoying. He showed me the screen again and said that gurgling was the esophagus trying to push what I consumed down into the pouch and it was gurgling bc it was taking longer than it should, causing some back-up. He showed me on the screen where some of the barium was still sitting in my esophagus and I could see it and also feel the gurgling in my throat a little. He said the area around the stomach/diaphragm was just swollen still and that's what caused the narrowing. He said sometimes they do a steroid injection to help bring the swelling down, but they don't like to do steroids if they don't have to. So, the question was, did I really need the shot or would this get better on its own? I said I would defer to his expertise since I wasn't really sure what to do...I have plenty of experience w/steroids for back pain, but not applied to this situation. So he said they would give me a small dose of the steroid and he felt that should reduce the swelling and open the area up for normal passage. The shot was in the bum (they never tell you that til right before it goes in...), and it did sting for a while. I didn't notice any huge improvement in gurgling right away, but now, two days later, I guess I would say I feel about how I would expect to. There may be a small amount of gurgling if I swallow too much at once, and then too some slight discomfort (or if I have to swallow a pill, bc a few of my meds are time released and can't be crushed, so they said to just take as usual as long as I am able to). I think I'm feeling how I should be feeling at this point, 4 days post-op, but how do I know for sure? I'm back home in PA now, so I hope it's all good.. Just wondering if this is considered stenosis or a stricture, or if those are different things that would happen down the line? Also, has anyone else experienced this and does it sound like this was handled in the proper way and would you feel comfortable at this point if you were me? Just want to check in with some of the vets...

Here's what my benefits says I have BCBS FED Standard Option: Gastric restrictive procedures, gastric malabsorptive procedures, and combination restrictive and malabsorptive procedures to treat morbid obesity – a condition in which an individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or an individual with a BMI of 35 or more with co-morbidities who has failed conservative treatment; eligible members must be age 18 or over. Benefits are also available for diagnostic studies and a psychological examination performed prior to the procedure to determine if the patient is a candidate for the procedure. While it does not mention anything about the length of documentation my surgeon took six months worth so I would check with your surgeon's office. I have a surgical coordinator who is very familiar with their requirements so I am sure your surgeon's office should be too. I would explain the situation and tell them about what you have now and what you are considering and go from there. I used to have NALC and they were an absolute nightmare. I am so glad we switched during the last open enrollment. Everything that I have done already has been paid for minus my responsibility. I was told that they I would pay out 10% after they pay out 90% for the procedure with no co-pay. The 10% is not based on what your surgeon charges. It is based on what BC pays out. The same pay out for anesthesia and $100.00 per night in the hospital. Here's the link to the site choose one option at a time to see the difference it's for this year: New Members Index

I am five days post op and I am having a lot of gas pains. My in sis ions are doing good don't hurt. But the bowel movements are bad. My suggestion if it's bowel movements get laxitive. My surgeons nurse told me to get it bc they wanted all the gas to get out of my body. Hopefully I feel better tommorow. No more laying around gotta get things done

I have always had a love/hate with clothes shopping, mostly bc I've always been just a bit too chubby, even from childhood. Shoes were a great compromise, until 2 years ago when I got a stress fracture in my foot. I can't wait to LOVE shopping again! :} 347*294/285/135 (*347HW/294SSW)

I can't wait to... Shop at Victoria secrets Go to a normal store to buy clothes Have skinny sex:) Go to a resturaunt and not ask the hostess 1000 questions about the booth to see if I will fit in it Not to be the fat person in my group of friends Being able to groom myself without without huffing and puffing bc of the position I have to get myself into....sorry tmi:) There are more but these are the biggest ones.