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Today I spent hours going through the binder of information given to me by the bariatric team. I am one of those super organized, Type A personalities, so it was necessary for my peace of mind to have dividers and tabs and plastic sheaths for the important papers. Kinda crazy, I suppose, but that's me! Next I went through all my diabetic magazines and clipped the yummiest sounding recipes. :-) So far on this journey toward surgery-- 1. I established the insurance requirements (a complicated story I may share at another time) and got the preliminary clearance. That was a relief! 2. I discussed my desire with my personal physician, a fabulous doctor and man I respect greatly who has been my GP since moving to KY 3 years ago. His approval and support was not a deal breaker, necessarily, as I was 80-90% sure surgery was my best course, but it was important to me for him to be on board. It was a relief when he not only didn't disagree but also confirmed the positive reports I had read about the local surgeon and bariatric program. 3. I (and my husband) attended the informational seminar offered by the Bariatric Weight Loss Program here in my home town. The surgeon was at the meeting, as well as others on the team, and the info was very thorough. So far nothing to give me pause! I filled out the request form, then waited.... 4. The wait wasn't too long. Gayle, the program coordinator, called me about a week later to set up my first appointment with the surgeon Dr. Farrell. 5. August 4 was my appointment with Dr. Farrell. Before meeting him I also had brief meetings with the dietician and again with Gayle. A binder containing detailed information about the pre-approval process and appointments, the surgery itself and surgery prep, diet pre- and post-op, possible complications, exercise, recipes, and much more. VERY thorough! I even got a few samples of protein powder and shakes. 6. August 11 was my appointment with a cardiologist for "surgical clearance." I had seen this doctor just over a year ago, before my diagnosis of sleep apnea, to rule out any cardiac issues. Nothing had shown up at that time, and as a prior patient I was able to get in to see him quickly. Unfortunately, I have been very sick with bronchiolitis and possible pneumonia, on strong cough medicine and steroids. The latter (I'm convinced) is why my heart rate was high, and of course my chest wasn't as clear as it should have been. For this reason the doctor recommended a follow up ECHO and treadmill test to be sure all was well before surgery. As an RN, I could not argue the logic even if it adds more to the process. Better safe than sorry! 7. Gayle called the next day to give me dates for all the various appointments: Psych Eval, Support Group meetings, endoscopy, Nutritional Eval, Exercise Eval, and a Healthy Lifestyle Class. These, along with the cardio followup, are scheduled over the next month, beginning tomorrow. No set surgery date as yet. The initial estimate was early November, but it seems to me mid to late October makes more sense. My birthday is on October 26, and while it doesn't sound like too much fun to spend one's birthday in the hospital, in pain, and unable to eat at least a small piece of cake, I am willing to make the sacrifice if it means getting the rest of my better-health-and-skinnier-life started! I'm ready!

Let us know the details! When do you expect your banding? Are you doing it in the states? Did you have complications with the bypass? This is a great place to come for support. Please let us know how things go for you! Shawn

I had my band done in August. It was awful waiting but it honestly was a breeze. No nausea, no pain, absolutely no complications. Ask them for a drug "cocktail" before surgery. You'll go into the operating room singing.

Remember it is a process...do not expect results within the first few weeks, months even. People get frustrated too early on. The band is adjustable and needs to be before it starts to function the way it was designed to do. Also, as the band gets adjusted, so the patient needs to adjust themselves also...old habits will not co-exist with the changes the band wants to bring. It's easy to blame the band while all along the patient is resisting change. Some people insist on hanging onto old things...things that made them obese in the first place I was very frustrated early on, felt I made a big mistake, especially after all the work and anticipation leading up to surgery... But 4-6 months later...Everything started to fall into place, and it just got easier and easier. Best decision I ever made. Here I am over 5 years later...no excess weight or fat, medical problems reversed, definitely a new person and still going strong! Most of the day I do not even think about it that much. Never had a complication, other than the ones I brought upon myself by eating things I shouldn't.

Hi and congrats on taking the steps to a healthier and better you. The sleeve is a wonderful and I absolutely love life post-op. As for your questions, I'll answer honestly and openly as I can. 1) I am a smoker. Smoking inhibits healing, and can cause ulcers. Not only that, it increases your risk of a leak due to hindering healing of the staple line. My surgeon knew my smoking status, but I didn't quit pre-op. Could it have contributed to the fact that I did have a leak, yes, but the biggest issue in my recovery and leak issues was because I had a band first that destroyed my stomach tissue. Smoking also complicates anesthesia recovery. Your abdomen is sore, causes more coughing and I had to use a spirometer to help prevent pneumonia. That really sucked because coughing caused major discomfort. I have quit twice since surgery, and am now trying to quit again. I actually went on Wellbutrin to help with the withdraws of nicotine as the patch, gum and cold turkey make life with me pure hell. 2) I had a huge panel of labs, a chest xray, psych eval, and consult with a nutritionist. Some surgeons require an upper gi and sleep study. 3) I didn't have a drain initially. A lot of surgeons use drains to make sure there is no leak, and some pull it before discharge, some require it stay in for about a week. I only had drains due to the leak repair surgery, and they stayed in for over 2 weeks. 4) I was not catheterized for my revision. I urinated before surgery, and was dry when I came out. 5) hair loss can happen to anyone that goes through surgery. It's a pretty normal occurrence. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. It's a combination of anesthesia, surgical stress, and rapid weight loss. I lost hair for about 3 months, and I lost half of my hair. Luckily, I had super thick, coarse hair and no one that didn't know me before never guessed that I had lost all of my hair. The only thing you can do pre-op and during your recovery is to take hair/nail/skin supplements to help with regrowth. Biotin is usually the one most people choose. I didn't do anything to help with regrowth until I started losing. I used Folicure extra care shampoo. I started having new growth pop in while I was still losing. Currently, I look like a chia pet, and have chopped my hair off, layered it and bleached the top to help hide some of the new growth. I kept the back and underneath dark to help give the illusion of depth and volume. Unfortunately, hair loss seems pretty inevitable. There's several patients on this board that got in there Protein and extra protein, and they lost more hair and lost it for a longer period of time than I did, and I didn't get in my protein until I was on soft solids when I could eat chicken and other meat. My main advice is make sure you can handle the mental and emotional aspect of this surgery. It's a huge change, and no matter how much you read or talk to people will you really grasp it all until you go through it. I truly believe going in positive, and upbeat helps. Find strength within yourself, and know that you are doing something absolutely fabulous for yourself and your family. Know that recovery can be difficult, you'll be tested, you'll be exhausted, you might be mad at yourself especially during the post-op diet, but all of that is just temporary. Questions to ask your surgeon: What size bougie do you use to make the sleeve? What are your leak/complication stats? What are your expectations of my weight loss? Do you provide follow up care, labs, access to a nutritionist and psych if needed post-op (especially since you'll be self-pay find out what all is included in that cost)? Do you prescribe an acid reducer such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium to protect the sleeve, how long should I be on it? Post-op diet instructions? Pre-op diet instructions? How many sleeves have you performed? How many bariatric procedures have you performed? How long is the hospital stay? Leak tests, how many and when are they performed? That's all I can think of right now. Best wishes on your consult, and if you need anything ask away. We'll all be here for you through this journey.

no private ins. I did have to pay for an ins called blis which was supposed to cover any post surgery complications. That fee was compiled into what my surgery was though. The nurse coordinator said this..."here is your policy number for you blis." "You will use this if you have any complications after surgery just give the hopital this paper". so I didn't give it to them bc when I had the complications I was in the hospital for the surgery itself. So I am hoping I just have to bring them the form.

I think you keep doing what you are doing. Keep reading up, get all the reliable information you can. Talk with your surgeon. Build trust in your doctors and the process. Vent when you need to, this forum is chock full of successful sleevers. Yes, you will come across those that had complications, but that is the reality or any surgical procedure. It is just as important to know the possible risks involved. Only you will know when you are comfortable enough to move forward. Good luck!

**sorry this one's a long one!!!!** Hello everybody, I had an appt with my doctor a few days ago for follow up on my bloodwork and ultrasound on my gallbladder because she thought I might have needed to get my gallbladder removed. Turns out all my labs were perfect, no gallbladder problems but I did have a little bit of a higher cholestoral and I found out that I also have Fatty Liver [emoji45][emoji45] we discussed how it happens and how you treat it and basically... She said I have to lose weight. I finally brought up weight loss surgery to her. She wrote down everything she could to try to get me to get approved. She wrote down how long I've tried diets, what diets I've tried, morbid obesity (she said if she just out obesity it wouldn't get approved), body pains, asthma, etc and she put in a referral for surgery. Since I have medi-cal I guess the referral goes to a referall center then it goes to the bariatric surgeon or bariatric program or something like that and I'm supposed to hear a call back within two weeks. My doctor said the program is going to take 3-4 months and that I can't do it through her, I have to do it through the bariatric office I guess. Like my nutrition appointments and things like that can't be through my personal doctors office. Anyways, I am super excited and hoping I get good news soon! On a side note the bariatric office/surgeon that the people in my county get reffered to (I'm in the central Valley of CA btw) has horrible reviews and someone who went to him is dealing with horrible complications. I do not want that to be me... Is there anyway that I can go to a different county to get surgery but still have it covered by medi-cal? If that place is my only option then I will hold off on surgery until I move or until I can pay out of pocket I guess [emoji45]🤦🏻‍♀️ If anyone has any info that would be great, thanks so much.

Hi everyone. So, I'm totally new. I only started hearing about VSG about a year ago and I currently have 3 friends who have had successful surgeries. One was done at Cornell Weill, and two others had theirs done at Overlook Hospital. I have been unbelievable impressed with their individual successes and it has encouraged me to take the same journey. I am a complicated patient, however. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteo Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, only one kidney, and have had one support joint replaced. I am only 45 years old, but I still feel like there's hope if I can lose weight. Granted, it won't reverse my RA, but losing weight can only benefit my health, as I am 295 pounds and only 5'7" tall. I have been heavy my entire life and felt heavy even as a child. I come from a heavy family, although my Dad was always a relatively good weight and never obese, but carried an extra 20 pounds or so. I have been following a lot of video bloggers on youtube and have seen surgeries via youtube... but you know, keeping it real is so important - knowing that i have to give up diet coke and coffee is making me nervous, but I also know that in the end nothing will feel better than losing this weight and being able to move more easily. My Rheumatologist is also advocating this surgery for me. I am considering Cornell in NYC, and Overlook in Summit, NJ. Any advice would be appreciated - I'm here and I'll be hanging out and communicating with folks!

I looked into WLS a few years ago, but my insurance didn't cover it, so that was that. A couple weeks ago, my wife told me that someone at her work is having WLS and that her insurance covers it. I've always had her insurance as my secondary insurance, but it never occured to me that they would cover it even if mine didn't. I called the clinic that her co-worker had hers done at, and inquired about my insurance situation. Sure enough, if my primary insurance doesn't cover, the secondary will. That clinic is out of network, but told me that they will bill as out of network, but then for my co-pay they will only charge me as much as if I was in-network. I made an appointment. I completed my paperwork and faxed it in a few days ago. I was scheduled to have a phone appointment tomorrow, and then a meeting with the surgeon a week from tomorrow. The clinic called me today and said they had a cancellation tomorrow and wanted to know if I wanted to move my meeting with the surgeon to then. I'm super excited to meet with the surgeon tomorrow and get my process started. I'm hoping that my secondary insurance doesn't have a 6 month process the way a lot of them do. As for my story, I've been overweight a good portion of my life. When I was 17, I was helping my dad move an 1800 pound safe off a truck and it fell off the truck and onto my foot. It resulted in a 10 day hospital stay and amputation of my foot. Even with that, I've always been active but a few years later was north of 300 pounds. A few years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes and also borderline high blood pressure. I've been trying, without success, to get some weght off to keep my diabetes in check. A year and a half ago, I woke one morning with incredible pain in my back. I went to my PCP, who told me essentially to quit being a baby and go home and walk it off, and if I wasn't feeling better in a few days to a week, then come back and see him. Later that afternoon, I went to my chiropractor, who advised me that with my symptoms I should go to the ER. I did and was diagnosed with cauda equina, which is essentially when a disc ruptures and presses into the nerves in your back. I was immediately transported to Swedish in Seattle (about an hour and a half away) and that night had surgery on my back. My neurosurgen told me that if I hadn't had surgery within 72 hours, she is pretty confident I would have been paralyzed. I ended up with some significant nerve damage in my legs, but I was lucky because I seeked out prompt medical attention so I can still walk and have use of my lower extremities. I do still have a lot of nerve pain in my legs, and right now my neurosurgen is trying to address that. Every day that I have to be able to walk and play with my kids is a blessing however. Now I'm hoping to get rid of this weight so I can be even more active and involved in their lives. Wish me luck at my meeting with my neurosurgen tomorrow! I do have my reservations however, because I'm going to Puget Sound Surgical Center, which, for those of you who have been following, is where iggychick got her sleeve done. However, her doctor was Dr. Billing and I'm meeting with Dr. Crouthamel. It will be interesting knowing iggychick's story, how forthcoming he is when I ask about complications, not only his, but of the clinic as a whole. It will show me how trustworthy Dr. Crouthamel is.

Hi Debbie. Yes I go to Dr. Woodhead (referred to by my clinic) and hopefully a few of his patients will respond to your post. I like him very much. Dr. W. does not have a clinic but he does his surgery at the Delta hospital. I find him very supportive. Here is a list of questions prepared by a successful bandster. I had my band in Toronto, but the distance is so far away that I cannot take advantage of the support so I pay for my fills. I get my support from Dr. W. and the Support group that meets at the Lions Gate Hospital and from the Slimband website. These are just a few of the questions that come to mind that are important in helping to make a decision in deciding which band surgeon and/or clinic to go with: · Is there a fee for consultation? · Are any of your staff at the clinic banded? · What other staff are available to patients such as dieticians, nutritionists, psychologists? o Is there a cost for their services? · Does the clinic have a website and a messageboard and or chatroom available for Lap Band potential patients to access? · What percentage of your bariatric clinic is devoted to lap band patients? · What is your medical education? · What experience in term of years and number of procedures do you have in lap band surgeries? · What experience do you have in performing revisions? · If you are a revision, what tests will you need to have done ahead of time to be sure you can have a lap band? · Do you have any statistics regarding your lap band practice and number of patients who have had slippages, band erosions or other complications? · What type of warranty comes with your lap band surgery? · What type of bands do they use and how do they determine the type and size? · Is there a pre-op diet you need to follow? o If so is there a cost involved? How much? · If I don't follow the pre op diet perfectly am I still allowed to get the surgery? · What tests and paperwork do I need to have done prior to being accepted for banding? o Is there any charge? How much? o What is the time span? · Is the surgery performed in the clinic or at the hospital? · In case of an emergency what is the procedure that is followed? · How soon after surgery can I go home? · What type of accreditation does your clinic have? · How do your operating rooms compare to those in a hospital if surgery is performed at the clinic? · Can you give me references from other patients I may talk to, especially those who are a revision from past weight loss surgery? · How long am I required to be in town before my surgery? · Is there a hotel that is recommended? o If so, is there a preferred rate at this hotel? o Is there a shuttle available from this hotel to clinic and back and how much does this cost? · Are my family members allowed to remain in the waiting room while I am in surgery or are they asked to leave until I am in the recovery room? · How long after I wake up can I go home? · What special medications will I need to purchase before hand? o Gas-x? liquid Calcium? chewable multi Vitamins? .... · How long would you recommend I take off work after surgery? · If I have a hernia do you fix this? o Is there an extra cost associated? · How long do I have to have a caregiver with me after surgery? · Is there someone I can hire to be my caregiver if I come alone? · Do you use latex? · Is there a deposit I have to pay to hold my surgery? o How much? o Is it refundable if I change my mind? · How must my final payment be made -- money order/visa/cheque? o Does it have to be in before my surgery or do I bring it with me on my surgery day? · If I have further questions may I contact you or your clinic with them? Even more important is follow up care: · What type of aftercare program does their clinic have? · What is covered in the cost of your surgery in regards to aftercare? · Is there an after hour phone number in case of an emergency or concern you encounter outside of normal business hours? o Is he/she available on call to answer or return your call? o Who responds to calls? · Do you have support groups available locally and in my area? · Is there a fee for any aftercare services? · How soon after surgery is your first fill usually? · What hours am I able to come in for fills and days? · How often between fills are you eligible for your next one? · How are the fills performed and are they with or without fluoroscopy? · Do you have to pay for your fills or are they covered in your surgery fee? o If they are not covered what is the fee? · If you live far away from the band clinic, do they have anyone local or closer to your home who is trained by the clinic to do your fills? o If so do you pay a fee to them and if so how much? · In case of complications post op, if you had a slippage or worse case scenario band erosion is any further surgery to remove the band covered or would you have to pay? · In case of a defective port or leak is the surgery to replace it covered in the lap band surgery cost? · In case of a defective lap band is it replaced at no cost to you the patient? · If you needed a new band for any reason such as the above or band leak, etc., is it replaced free of charge to you? o If not what type of cost would you be responsible for? · At the clinic does the surgeon do your follow up fills or fill nurses? o If nurses, what training do they have and can you meet them before committing to this surgery? · What criteria do they base your needing a fill or defill? · How long does it take when calling to book a fill does it take to get an appointment? · How much time is the fill nurse allotted to spend with you answering any questions or concerns also? · Are any of your staff at the clinic banded? · What other staff are available to help patients, i.e., dieticians, nutritionists, psychologists? o Is there a cost for their services? · Does the clinic have a website and a messageboard and or chatroom available for Lap Band patients to access? Pick out the ones may help you to make a decision.

I got my surgery date yesterday of Feb 9th and I've felt anxiety ever since especially since I've scared myself of complications and failure. I really want this surgery and know it's what I need but I think it's normal to have some anxiety Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would call and ask to speak directly to the surgeon, and keep calling and leaving messages until you talk to him/her. The surgery, if no complications are found is literally like 30 minutes. Explain the situation again to your surgeon and see what he can do, after all the insurance coordinator is his employee and he would most likely like to know if they are not doing their job. I had a similar situation with a surgery my son had to have and I was relentless until I spoke to the surgeon and got it all worked out. Good luck and remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

I appreciate any advice that anyone has! I got my approval yesterday. If it was up to me, I would have this surgery tomorrow. I really want to get it behind me so I can focus on recovery and the rest of my life becoming healthy. My husband wants me to wait until after the holidays. We have friends and family coming out that we haven't seen in years and he is afraid that if I have surgery at the beginning of Dec. then while everyone is here, he thinks something will go wrong and then I will end up in the hospital and ruin the holidays. I know everyone is different. I know that recovery time is different for everyone and complications happen. I need some outside insight, I don't want to talk to my family, I am not telling anyone about my surgery yet. I haven't decided who I can count on and who I can't. Help, PLEASE!

Google weight loss surgery appeals lawyers. Www.wlsappeals.com I've heard good things about them. My local bariatric group says to get a lawyer & appeal always. Its cheaper than self pay & you are sure to get coverage if you have complications later. If u give up & go to Mexico you could end up in mucho bills. allons-y

Well I finally was sleeved on September 4 2012. At first I thought surgery was a success with no complication. Wellll needless to say I am still hospitalized. I did developed blood clots in my lungs and now going through all that. Hardest part is my daughter cries at night for me and I cry for her. But I have actually exercised for the first time in a long time by walking the hallways while waiting to heal. I am officially off pain meds now for 2 days. AND they are also considering lowering my diabetic meds already. In all honesty the surgery is not bad at all. It is the aftermath to beware of. Hopefully I will be going home tomorrow and they did delivery my oxygen for home use for the time being. Hopefully it will be for a short time. Please keep me in your prayers that I do get to go home. 2 extra days stinks being in the hospital!!!!

Hello all. Im struggling with not eating. I can smell the food through the walls of my apt building. I went out for the first time and I could smell the BBQ in the air. My Docs recovery is very strict compared to others i see. Will be on Protein for 5 more weeks, then mush. Ive been holding on but i was determined to have a soft scrambled egg yesterday, but its not worth the complications that may come. How are others doing and how did you over come this stage?

I've been deciding on surgery for about 2 years now. Back in 2011, I began pre-op requirements to have the Lap-Band surgery. I stopped due to a career change and insurance complications. I didn't think much again about having WLS until I started doing research on the Gastric Sleeve this past fall. I made the decision to have surgery in December. I attended a seminar and was scheduled for a consult 2 days later. I began my 6 month nutrition program this month. I'm excited and nervous for what's to come. There is nothing hindering me this time around.

Yes..I got approved...But it wasnt easy. The hoops I had to go through were.... 1.) A total of 7 of those once a month meetings....(6 months worth) It came out to 7 meeting though. 2.) Had to get on prescribed diet pills that lined up exactly the entire 6 months. (or more) 3.) A letter of medical necessity from the Dr. (easy if you got a cool doc.) 4.) An exercize consult. (Your surgeons office will tell you where to go.) 5.) A nutrition consult. (Your surgeons office will tell you where to go.) 6.) A psychiatric evaluation. (Your surgeons office will tell you where to go.) 7.) Proof of 5 years of morbid obesity. (or if you were at least 35 BMI with other complications.) 8.) Get your Dr. to also document that you have tried various over the counter weight loss methods. 9.) Get all of your records and copy EVERYTHING...For yourself and your Surgeon....Good luck!!

Hi Guys, I am also pre-op and as of a few days ago made the decision that I need to get of my butt and get to working out again like I used to. I find that I am way to tired to go work out after work, so I get up a little bit earlier and go to the gym for 20 minutes on the elliptical before work. Even thoug hit has only been a few days I feel a much better and am much more energetic throughout the day. I want to be pretty "fit" before my surgery in order to cut down the risk of complications.

this procedure was done about 10 years ago, in one of my appointments they said bowel obstruction was a slightly less than 1% risk of all abdominal surgeries.....that is more than relatively safe in my book. But it is still the reason for the negativity...I'll be armed with facts....I have a higher chance of dying from heart disease or complications of diabetes.....that is a true fact!

I got the lap band in Aug, 2012. I have never thrown up. No complications until the last couple of days. I have pain under my left side ribcage and there is a little swelling. There is a little redness too. Anyone had this before? I have been drinking the pineapple juice.

Hello! I am performing in a charity variety show 3 weeks after surgery. I have to do a couple of numbers that essentially would be the equivalent of 3-minute line dances. Not super- complicated choreography, but pretty fast. So, 3-weekers, do you think I'll be ok as far as incision healing and stamina? Thanks in advance!

Emily, You too! Your surgery date is my sister's lap band 1-year anniversary. She has had no complications and is really really happy she had the surgery! :biggrin1: Kelli

Does anyone know why the liver has to shrink prior to surgery? What complications can you have as a result of the liver not shrinking?