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Hi, i am at the same place that you are-waiting on last result which should be in 3 days. The woman that handles the ins at my hosp said my bc/bs hmo takes about 2 days for the medical group to make a decision. I just have faith god will work everything out in his time. Good luck to you

Born and raised in Yorkton, Sask. but now live in BC. Been banded 1 years plus. Love the band and know I could not live without it.

So I haven't had my surgery yet but I'm posting this on the post op thread bc I want to hear from those of you that have. I have spent a lot of time on this site and while it has really helped me put some of my fears behind me, I still have this one major one that is lurking around in my head driving me crazy. Most of the post I have read seems that people are a lot smaller than me. They do great after surgery and have no trouble reaching their goals. I am 518 lbs and 5'9. I have been over weight my entire life but this is my heaviest. I have tried many different diets and I'm always able to loose but then I hit a snag and then usually gain all of it back. I'm dedicated to this decision and have a really good support system. My husband, family, and close friends are all in my corner 100%! I'm 28 years and I still have tons of things I want to do before I leave this earth. If I don't do something that will not happen. So my concern is with me being as heavy as I am is it possible to get to goal. I'm terrified of having the surgery and loosing 100 or even 200lbs and then not being able to loose anymore. I understand the major changes I have to make and I'm on bored. I just don't want to go through this and still be morbidly obese. Any thoughts on this is greatly appreciated. BTW I'm terrified that I have actually put my weight on here, but I feel safe here. Hopefully that's the case.

Just submitted to insurance and looking at surgery the first week of April. Can't believe I have less than a month to go now... Excited and scared. Having trouble sleeping at night bc I can't stop thinking about what a change this will be.

Gm. I think one of the hardest steps is admitting we need help n then seeking it when we can't help ourselves. Ik that u can do this, keep praying or start praying, bc as you know, as the bible says, we can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives us strength:). So by all means we will gladly encourage you, while God strengthens you! Keep us u2d!

So I'm two and a half weeks post op and I'm on my soft foods puréed stage but I still don't know what it feels like to be full "/ I think bc I'm too scared and just don't wanna risk it so I stop and think I'm full... How did you know if you were full?

I have bc bs of ri, healthcare coast to coast.. Think it's a ppo.. And they have all same requirements.. I'm almost done with all the evals and already got the medical clearance.. Hoping they'll deem the rny medically necessary!!

Impressive!! But can I urge caution without being a wet blanket? I did the same thing pre op...but I froze them in ice cube trays in One ounce portions and then moved to ziplock bags. Now almost 8 months later I still have most of those cubes in my freezer bc my tastes changes so much. Plus I froze WAY more than I could eat during my purée phase even if my tastes didn't change. So just don't get too far ahead of yourself! And don't spend too much $$ stockpiling. A little bit is plenty, you won't be feeling too bad for too long, especially by the time you are at purées!

I had surgery on 4/13/2016. I had to stay 2 days in hospital bc of my nausea. I am in pain [which was expected] but not as bad as yesterday. We are about to leave hospital hopefully in the next 30 mins. I have gotten my nausea under control and hopefully it will stay under control with this 2-3 hour drive back home. I can't wait to start seeing progress! Sent from my SM-G928V using the BariatricPal App

So, Ive been lurking on these boards forever reading all of your stories and hoping that one day I would get to share my story as well. I looked into the bypass more than a year ago when my doctor suggested it, I was fed up with my wieght, I dont seem to lose weight anymore I go on diet after diet to no avail and come out heavier than i started. I got diagnosed with pre diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension and knew I had to make a change.. Unfortuanately when I started the journey then, I lost insurance and wasnt able to carry through, but I kept believing that one day, maybe, I to, would be a success story. I spent a year researching and making sure this was absolutely the option I wanted to take. Im really excited I have met with a nutritionist, I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, I have my psych eval set up in May and I have called my Cigna insurance spoke with them a couple of times and I have a 3 month waiting period with the dietician. I have always been overwieght since around the age of 10. I remember my doctor talking to my mother about getting me on a diet, and she declined saying it was stress of the loss of grandparents. That stress eating got me to the pleasently plump woman I am today.. The woman who feels like she has gotten to a point of no return. I actually lost a significant amount of weight about 4 years ago, I had gotten tired of it and completely revamped my life I lost 90 lbs! I looked amazing, I loved being alive, I had a whole new love for fittness that I had never thought was possible! I really miss that girl, and Im sure my kids do to. I got pregnant with my twins and the weight came on like no other.. I gained 80 lbs with my twins but actually once i delivered and healed from my vertical c-section them I was only about 30 lbs more than when i started. I of course had a lot of excess skin, something only cosmetic surgery will fix, but I felt good. Unfortunately, the next year and a half of sleepless nights caused my weight to spiral out of control, throw in every stress imaginable with being a mother of 4, working full time, finishing a degree, and LIFE and what do you get, ME! I know that my weight has put a strain on my relationship, I'm to the point that I dont want to leave the house because I feel so ashamed. My kids use to love when I took them on hikes and bike riding, and now it doesnt even seem obtainable. I feel horrible that I have allowed myself to become like this. I always put my children first and did everything for them and their health and making sure they had a good life and everything they could ever want, I just never thought my weight was taking away from them.. but now I know it is. As far as support goes, little to none, but that doesnt stop me I have always been my biggest cheerleader when it comes to getting what I want anyway. My fiance "supports" it but he got angry at me the other day and told me I was being selfish to him and he didnt have anything to look forward to and now i do. I know that when it comes down to it, this decision and my new lifestyle will cause some issues with us, however at this point I feel that I'm doing the right thing for me and my future. I hope that once he sees the changes in me, and starts to see me for the girl I was when he met me, maybe his attitude will change.

The more weight you lose the less you miss your old life. What you are missing is some of the self-soothing things we did to make ourselves feel better, and the social interaction that comes with drinking and eating pub-food. But there is a trade off. Your health and life in exchange for beer and cheese. lol! Now I smoke weed rather than drink. Now I drink water when my friends are eating. But I'm still hilarious and don't need to be eating to have fun. It took me a while before I found my stride on that one. Life will resume for you, we find our new Normal. And it's surprisingly easy!! I totally understand missing your old life style!! That is where we found our comfort, where we soothed ourselves with food and fed our souls with fried stuff. lol! Or I did at least. It took me a good 3 months to find my New Normal. Some emotional ups and downs. But it's all so worth it!! Well, for me it is. Wearing a size 10 jeans, getting hit on by men of all ages, sitting in any seat I want regardless of ease or access, riding roller coasters, flying without fear, walking past windows but not ashamed of who I see, Joy...so much joy!! All those things are infinitely better and make me so much happier than me being able to eat a whole bloomin' onion in one sitting. There are trade offs. We lost our coping mechanism that was food, so our emotions and feelings are gonna be rough for a little while. Talking with a therapist is a good idea. Many of us are food addicts in one form or another, so there will be a psychological sense of loss, regret and fear for some of us. I was one. I cried for a week straight. (I'll give myself a little break here and admit that I had been deathly ill for 8 months prior to my surgery so I was drained emotionally and physically by the time I had my surgery. So my crying for a week had some additional ammo behind it besides not getting to binge on food. lol! Anyway, Just keep at it, you are doing great! And use us as your support! It's OK to have these feelings and to struggle with what we've done. But also keep focusing on your goals. The more you workout and can move more, the greater you will feel!

Has anyone been approved by Horizon BC/BS since there policy changed and how long of a supervised diet did you do?

Hi, to answer you both... Its military insurance and its at a mtf. So w that said, they can do what they want! it stinks to me bc the second nut visit is a waste of time. Oh, my bad, she did mention that it cud b bc of the furlogh (sp) which has affected the timing of it all. But its still not a good enuff answer for me to have to have a useless visit w her nd then 2 more w the surgeon. Idk... I just want it started b4 my health gets any worse. Just frustrating. And bc of us being military i cant trade ins

So, I have Highmark BC/BS and my policy has the bariatric and reconstructive surgery riders, so I just found out I was approved for both a panniculectomy and abdominoplasty, which is AWESOME!!! But they denied my request for the brachioplasty, and I have medical documentation of the same issues on my arms as on my stomach. The stomach was approved but not the arms. The surgeon's office said I would receive my denial letter for the arm lift and it would include an appeal process. I will definitely appeal. I'm just wondering if anyone has had any success with appealing for a brachioplasty or really appealing a denial for anything. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Dec 30, 2013 was the day i thought my weightloss journey would change my life for the better. As soon as i awoke, my life was changed, i was in excruciating pain in my chest that they thought i was having a heart attack. I ended up staying for 1 week n a day. It would've been longer but i was scared of getting a feeding tube do i forced myself to drink. To make a long long story short, I'd end up having an egd monthly, upper gi 3 times, sent to specialists to figure out what happened to me. I've been on so many meds, throwing up most nights anything that I'd eaten that day to present, acid reflux an understatement ! Ph tests, swallow test, had 3 different surgeons see me. Finally, lots of continuous praying, i was sent to the surgeon that was suppose to do the surgery initially. After 3 months of her investigating, she decided that i need a revision. So here i am, starting all over again with the stages, minus 85% of my stomach. To this day, i can still only drink about 32 ounces of liquiq per day, forcing that. It hurts to drink, eat, swallow my own saliva, i hate to think of eating or drinking. I lost 83 lbs, put back 10 bc i started eating rice, although it hurt, it was less painful and simple to cook wo wasting it bc i can't eat it! I gave up on exercising and even caring. I told my doc that as well. She's very kind and hard knocks at the same time. There will be 2 surgeons, i am scared, she said id need a drain, i might be cut instead of scoped bc of possible scar tissue from vsg, and a higher chance of leaking. Wow, seems like i can't catch a break. Please pray if you don't mind. I just moved up and fixed thanksgiving so that i could try and eat with my family. Dec 4th, im discouraged but trying to be hopeful. God willing, this will make things the way they should have been b4, if not better! God bless you all and gl. Thank you for reading my story. I hope to have good news postop!

I am schedule for my revision surgery on Fed 13,19 from lap band to gastric bypass. Getting nerves Sent from my SM-G935T using BariatricPal mobile app

Fear of loosing the Weight Loss Battle You wont lose the battle if you are willing to work with the band and do Your part:) But I can almost guarantee: ·You will have plateaus when you first switch to solids until your body gets used to being fed instead of starved (most likely 1-2 weeks but could be 3 like mine was) ·During many plateaus you will loose inches not lbs and finally a larger loss. ·Your loss in the first 30-40 days is a never to be repeated experience so enjoy it Then you begin the long slow journey downward (not upward) ·You will learn the fine art of PB's and what causes them for you is it swallowing air when you eat. Eating too fast.. Not chewing well or too big a bite.. Eating the wrong food for you...and not recognizing the no longer hungry after 1/2 cup (satiation) versus an I want to eat more cause I can or it tastes good or I crave (head hunger). ·You will watch your body shrink and will walk a bit taller literally and figuratively... Start slipping into booths in restaurants. Sit in chairs with arms .. Stop worrying about how strong the chairs are...Not having to ask for an extender belt on airlines.. Finding it is easier to and you have more energy to walk / go up stairs/ Clean house and do a million other day to day activities ... Slip in and out of bath tubs where the Water goes all the way around you instead of damming up and it doesn’t kill you to stand up from sitting on the floor ...Wipe yourself easily in the bathroom.. Watch the years fall off your face and drivers license picture .. Go to a restaurant and order an appetizer and still end up with leftovers to take home.. ·Go through doubts and several fills/defills until you hit the sweet spot fill level for you. ·Will have to stop several times along the way to reassess your eating habits (I could eat certain foods and get away with some cheating a bit quantity wise at 359 and still lose .. That had to go at 250) ·I have also found that I have to keep reminding myself 1/2 cup of solids 3 times a day only and drink my water (1 hour after meals until the next meal but not with meals) ·Eat Protein first ..Fruit and veggies second and non-complex carbs last. (Keep the fats, sugars and non-complex carbs low ..Still have them but keep em low). And believe it or not a plateau that indicates that you need a fill is 1.No weight loss for 4 weeks. 2.You are following all the band rules (8 times out of 10 we want to be able to break the rules and still lose.figuring if we get a fill it will miraculously start us losing without us having to do our part). 3.You are eating foods that are hard and stick in your band for the 3-4 hours not drinking your calories- You are hungry an hour after eating (really hungry not cravings) and the 1/2 cup doesn't stay in the band for 2 1/2 to 4 hours. 4.You are drinking your 60+ Fl oz water a day and not drinking with your meal or for at least an hour after. 5.Once you move from mushies to solids.. As much as possible get your nourishment from food that is solid. If you have problems with it sticking in your stoma.try it again chewing it well..Cutting it up finer or chewing it with other foods to keep it from recombining in your pouch and forming a plug (e.g. potatoes).. 6.Try to avoid Soups and or Protein drinks if possible (if you are able to eat your protein you will be full longer - some people have tight bands in the morning and cant eat so have a protein drink) 7.Whenever you hit a plateau.. Keep a food diary and log everything, including water, which goes in and measure the 1/2-cup of solids. Mine grew twice from 1/2 to almost a cup without my noticing lol. 8.Try weighing in once a week to begin with not daily. Later move to once every 2 weeks or once a month. When you are losing slowly weight fluctuates daily with hydration levels etc. At least this way you normally will see a loss and not a fluctuate on or gain. Yes the loses are smaller but they are down not up. 9.Measure yourself monthly ..Often you lose inches before you lose lbs. 10.Don’t compare yourself to others.. We all lose at different rates based on age/metabolism/food choices/ activity level.. But we can all lose Hope that helps

I don't get embarrassed of those pics... I only do now. I dont take full body pics bc I'm ebarassed now. Im hoping that will allllllll change soon

Okay, now I'm totally worried bc my BMI has waivers from 34-42 over the past two years granted I was taking phentermine and tompax during this time. I wonder if insurance will deny me?

Hi Helen, my name is Viv, i had my op on the 1st of feb, i'm in south wales, i agree there is not a lot of info in the UK, sorry to hear you are having pain, i was lucky the only real pain i had was from the gas which lasted about 2 days, in fact i was up and walking about within 3 or 4 hours of the op, so i was really lucky, i am eating solids now, but i feel as though i am still eating too much??? i've read on here that in the first month that people have lost huge amounts of weight but for me it is really slow going, i have to return to the hospital in 2 weeks, so hopefully i will find out if there is a problem, apart from that i feel really great, i am increasing my exercise now, so hopefully that will help.anyway i hope that you are doing ok and feeling good about yourself, i haven't found any support groups where i live but this site has been great, the information and support here has really helped me get through some tough time, i was cancelled 3 times before i finally got the op and i got really fed up, but the girls/guys were really supportive. anyway all the best viv

my husband is month 2 of his 6 months but his GERD is so very bad that he is getting ulcers from the acid. Since the doctor has to fix his hiatal hernia anyways, does anyone think the insurance company would just do it now instead of waiting 4 additional months? Thanks in advance for any advice

Ok so I'm wondering if I have enough to go into a doctor and ask about getting tested for PCOS. I do have diabetes in my family so I just want to make sure all my hormone levels are alright. I have very greasy hair and skin, acne, excess hair growth(facial and body), my periods (before BC) were always every 28 days but lasted a full seven days and they were pretty heavy and then sometimes they'd be really light. I'm not sure what they are now since I'm BC and all (will this affect if they need to do a blood test or can they take that into account?) I don't have darkening of the skin really though I do have a few random skin tags which I read can be common. I also have anxiety and depression problems. I'm currently Mood Disorder NOS because they aren't sure yet what I have but I have mood swings...and obviously I have weight problems. And I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism as well earlier this year. This sound like enough to warrent a hormone blood test? I tried asking my general doc about testing to make sure my acne wasn't hormonal, and he brushed it off and said "You might think that, but that's usually not the case" So...yeah...i would try and see a gyno or some other doc...

So I've already emailed my surgeon and my pcp, I am waiting to hear back. Mostly it won't be until Monday. So while I wait I thought maybe I could get a little insight from all you helpful people here. I have mitral valve regurgitation. I take heart medication to slow my heart rate Bc I was having insane racing of the heart. Two weeks ago I saw my pcp Bc the medication was making me dizzy. Well come to find out my blood pressure was dropping to low levels 92/58 and my heart rate was 42 Bpm. My dr lowered my dosage, I had signed up for the gym the day before and asked my pcp if I had any restrictions for working out. She said anything should be fine but I should wait to take my morning dosage of medication until after my workout. I have been following all her orders to the T. Here it is two weeks later I'm still having bouts of severe dizziness throughout the day. My trainer has me doing 40 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, 3 days of weights. I have felt awful for almost 3 weeks now. I feel like I am sick however I am not sick. After every workout I feel extremely nauseous, and usually come home shower and fall asleep the minute I sit down until I have to get the kids from school. My husband thinks I am hitting the gym too hard, for the amount of calories I get in a day. I am 3 months post-op and still only able to get about 500 calories a day. I try to eat more but I just can't, I start feeling like I am going to vomit. I get my protein and most of my water. I feel like Bc I was feeling this way before working out it could still be the heart medication even tho For the most part my BP and pulse are good. But the whole gym and lack of calories makes sense as well. Anyone have any advice?

Had final nutrition appt yesterday & met with doctor. Submitting to insurance; anyone know approx time length for BCBS Fed to approve? Doc says I should be able to have surgery in July!!🤗

Feeling very discouraged today. I called to follow up on the preauthorization for my band removal, and after placing me on hold, the rep came back to tell me they'd decided today to DENY, on the basis that it's "not medically necessary." This, after the surgeon has said it needs to come out as soon as possible. Apparently a badly dilated pouch, with nausea and vomiting, isn't what they consider "necessary" to deal with. :( Has anyone had success appealing for band removal, with no revision surgery? Especially with BCBS Federal Employee Program?