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Hey everyone! I am new to this site...I have been a part of the RNY talk for about 4 months now and love it. Through this whole process I was positive I wanted the gastric bypass until I got to my appointment and my surgeon said she thought the sleeve was a better option for me bc I am so young there's no point in cutting my intestine. If anyone could give me any information or tell me ur success story would be awesome...I have to make a decision in the next few days and I feel like im going into this blind now because I don't know anything about the sleeve.

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

Thanks everyone for the advice and sharing your thoughts and stories, it means alot to me. I guess im just so lost feeling now that she brought up the sleeve and I've tried to do research on the internet but you never know what you can believe on there. When I first started this journey I was told by a dietician that ran the informational session that the sleeve was for very large people that were 400 or more pounds...so for me it was not an option. My surgeon actually rolled her eyes when I told her that and was mad that the weight management center is telling people that. I feel like I absolutely need this surgery but im scared...im so young and I feel like not a lot of people my age are doing this and its scary. Can someone answer a few questions for me maybe? Can you take excedrin migraine when you have sleeve done? Bc I know with rny u can't and I have horrible migraines. Also, what is the average amount of weight loss per week? Do you absorb nutrients with the sleeve ..like with the rny you don't absorb very much. Last question....can someone tell me what the surgery process is like? And how painful is it? For the women out there that have had a csection...is it that painful? Because alot of people I've talked to said its as bad as having a csection and let me tell ya...I thought I was gunna die after my csection lol. But....I don't tolerate pain very well. Sorry im asking so many questions...im just super crammed for time to make a decision. Thanks so much again!

Congratulations on your surgery day and happiness! Your words made me cry bc I'm 2 months away from surgery and have all the emotions you listed! Best of luck! Can't wait to hear your progress! You got this!!

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!

I too am playing the waiting game! I have BC/BS of Nebraska. They show that it was received on September 24, 2010 and according to them it could take up to fourteen days. I hope it doesnt take that long, like the rest of you I am sick to my stomach everyday waiting for the news. Any advice of finding out the determination early or do you just wait for a call from the doctor or a letter from the insurance company?? Congrats to all who have been approved!! and Good Luck to those who are waiting. Kim

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

Hello, I have BCBS as well. I had a sleeve gasterectomy in spring of 2015 and had no issues getting approved. In spring of 2017, my original surgeon and I saw that a full duodenal switch was needed for the absorption component so yhe process for approval began again...EGD, psychological evaluation, PCP visits and approval etc. Since BCBS only covered one bariatric procedure per lifetime, The situation with the second surgery is that it needed to be proven to be medically necessary and that I had been compliant with the sleeve gasterectomy in 2015. After the completion of my tests and visits, my package was submitted to my insurance company. As you guessed it, DENIED. I knew I had to act quickly since it was denied in the fall, this meant my deductibles has been met and in order to not have to pay them again in 2018, I needed to try to push for approval before 2017 ended. I knew that the appeal could take longer than I would need and after what decision I would be given, I would either have to have the surgery in 2018(deductible) or have to start the process from the beginning. Although I was frustrated about the denial, I decided to start doing what I knew to do, fight. You see I work for a medical insurance provider and advocate daily for members to receive the care that is needed, be it from physicians or the insurance company. I had assisted many members before in getting various approvals for different treatments that was needed to better their life. I went over all the things that I knew a review board and medical director would want to see/know before granting me a 2nd opportunity. Upon doing this I realized that my surgical team did not fit my needs this time around and to appeal the initial denial would be pointless since the evidence/tests needed for the insurance approval were not done by my original surgeon. I did additional research and found a surgeon in Texas that was well credentialed, accepted my insurance and also did initial appointments by phone since I was a patient from another state. After reviewing ALL of my medical history that was sent to him and discussing the prior denial, we forged forward. After phone 'visits' I was scheduled for an EGD with this doctor along with a 3 part stress test(breathing, legs and heart to check for clotting and exercise)...during the EGD I was also given a ultrasound of the gallbladder. This doctor was extremely thorough and was making sure that I was given every possible chance for the insurance to not deny me. When the package was submitted after all of the tests, I made sure to tell my insurance coordinator at the surgeons office additional things I wanted included such as my fitness gym contract, diseased gallbladder ultrasound, receipt from latest pcp appointment(that insurance company didn't show in their records)...I knew I had a better chance at approval if BCBS saw that not only was I being compliant but that I needed a cholesctomy(gallbladder removal) and that I would pursue the 2nd surgery until it was granted. With the cost of treating my comorbities, I'm sure the insurance saw that it was less expensive to grant the surgery than it was to treat the ailments that existed bc of my weight. By the amazing powers that God put in place, I was granted the second opportunity to change my life. My surgery took place December 14, 2017. Prior to surgery my co-morbidities were high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes(with injections daily), edema in lower extremities. Please don't give up!!! My apologies for the long reply but I hope it helps someone that needs the strength to keep fighting. God Bless! Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

Anyone have BC/BS Federal and had a BMI less than 40?

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.

It's hard when you already have so much on your plate! My husband is supportive but eats whatever he wants in front of me. He ordered pizza when I was on liquids which irritated me. He's in pretty good shape an just doesn't know what I go through struggling to loose weight. When I decided on surgery, he said "its up to you but I think it's crazy! Just stop eating so much. Eat a turkey sandwich everyday and Water and you will loose weight" first off, I am not Jarod or my face woud be all over those commercials! He may not realize how difficult your weight loss is bc he's never been in your shoes. Just be a little selfish and focus on you!

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!

That is so sad! My husband has bc/bs through his work and they quit covering the band 01/01/2004. But they still covered bypass! When I found this out, I was torn. I DID NOT want to do bypass. Finally through a co-worker at my work I found out uhc did cover it. But I had to wait until an enrollment period came around, then had to wait for the first of the year. My surgery was 2 weeks ago (May 18th) and I'm waiting for the bills to start rolling in. Right before I got the approval from insurance, I found out my Dr is 'out of network' which can work to your advantage or severely against it. So I'll continue waiting. And if I end up paying a few thousand dollars, it's still better than self-pay either here in the states or Mexico where sometimes you have a problem finding a Dr to do maintainence.

Wat was the probiotic for. ? You will see MANY MANY posts on these forums about constipation post-op. I never had any problems at all with constipation since surgery and I thank my probiotic for it. I think it really does help! Often in those threads, I see many posts from people saying they take a probiotic and don't have trouble with constipation and most of the people who DO have trouble, don't take a probiotic. Thriving gut bacteria is essential for proper digestion. Most of the ultra-pasturized, anti-biotic fed foods we get in stores today don't provide the proper flora for a healthy digestive system. Taking a probiotic daily can help restore gut bacteria and then eating prebiotic foods helps to feed those bacteria. [/quote What brand of probiotic ?

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