I live in the Des Moines area and I am just starting my journey. Looking for others in my area for support and guidance.

I live in the Des Moines area and I am just starting my journey. Looking for others in my area for support and guidance.

Hi! I am in Des Moines also! My surgery is the 17th. How far are you on your nutrition and exercise visits?

Just saw your reply, hope your surgery went well, please update me. I have had my first meeting with the dietician, just trying to start logging my food and work on portion sizes. Unfortunately or fortunately (all your perspective I guess) I can't lose more than 20# or my BMI will be too low for surgery, kind of a catch 22, oh well I will take this time to learn more and stay positive!

Hey guys, I'm in Ames, Iowa and going through the approval process right now. I'm an RN and am really struggling with the decision to go through with this. I know too much for my own good you could say. I'm going through Unity Point. How about you? Would love to meet up and chat for support.

Edited June 23, 201412 yr by kleighn18

Hi!! I live in Clive, I went through Unity Point as well with dr lamasters. She is wonderful! In 2 months I am down 55 lbs and wouldn't regeret it for a second. I love all of the new energy that I have, I do still get hungry which they say some do experience. However, before i had surgery I was hungy all of the time and now not so much, it's a night and day difference for me, I am so happy I did it, feel free to ask any questions at all! Good luck!

Just saw your reply, hope your surgery went well, please update me. I have had my first meeting with the dietician, just trying to start logging my food and work on portion sizes. Unfortunately or fortunately (all your perspective I guess) I can't lose more than 20# or my BMI will be too low for surgery, kind of a catch 22, oh well I will take this time to learn more and stay positive!

My surgery went well! I am on week 3 and doing better everyday. Been extremely tired though and not sure about going back to work next week, but I will take it one day at a time.

I think it's great that you have such a positive perspective, and another way to see it is that if you go under the 20# then it's not meant to be, but you are given some extremely useful tools! You can do it either way, it will work out the way it is supposed to.

Any questions don't hesitate!

Hello, I am in the Bondurant area. I have had 4 Bariatric surgeries starting in 2007. All with Dr Eibes. Most recent, 12/16/13 Vertical Sleeve. Down 80 pounds in 7 months.

I got exciting news yesterday when I went for my 1st education module, as of Monday, BCBS Iowa has ended the 6 month supervised diet requirement!!!! Yay, now I am scheduled to meet with the surgeon on Sept. 4th and I should be able to get sleeved yet this year! My appt. with the surgeon moved to Sept. 11th, bummed, ready to get things moving!

Edited September 2, 201412 yr by chip305

Im in the Des Moines area (ankeny) and hoping to have the sleeve in January. SO excited that BCBS has dropped the 6 month requirement! Im ready to get this started. I dont know why I resisted so long.

That is great news! I also have BCBS of Iowa and was told by the insurance coordinator that I had to complete a 6 month supervised diet program. I was a little discouraged but this brings new hope. Thank you so much for sharing this information and good luck with your surgery.

I am a patient with Dr. Eibes at Iowa Weight loss specialists and I cant begin to explain just how great of a doctor he is and I would recommend him to everyone. I started with another doctor in Des Moines and was tired of the long waits just for an appointment and the doctor just didnt seem to really care about me personally. So I transferred over to Dr. Eibes after a friend recommended him to me and they have always helped me with my crazy schedule and he always takes his time to stop and really seems to listen and care.

The insurance person would call me monthly to check up to see how I am doing with my 6 months of diets and then last week she called to say that I no longer need to work on my diets as BCBS of Iowa changed their policy and to say that she went ahead and submitted my pre auth and I was approved.

I am planning on having the sleeve surgery October 27th at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Belmond, IA. Its a small town and I was a little skeptical until I went up there and took a tour of the hospital when my friend had her surgery and the workers are fabulous. I stopped a person to ask directions to her room and the man escorted me to her room where I then found that he was the ER doctor and all their employees do that and every employee stops to say hi if they are walking by.

I am so excited to have my surgery but also a little scarred. I would love to get to know others in Iowa who are just about to have surgery also and hopefully we can go through it together and bounce experiences off of each other.

I'm from Webster city and used Dr ver steeg

I am a patient with Dr. Eibes at Iowa Weight loss specialists and I cant begin to explain just how great of a doctor he is and I would recommend him to everyone. I started with another doctor in Des Moines and was tired of the long waits just for an appointment and the doctor just didnt seem to really care about me personally. So I transferred over to Dr. Eibes after a friend recommended him to me and they have always helped me with my crazy schedule and he always takes his time to stop and really seems to listen and care.

The insurance person would call me monthly to check up to see how I am doing with my 6 months of diets and then last week she called to say that I no longer need to work on my diets as BCBS of Iowa changed their policy and to say that she went ahead and submitted my pre auth and I was approved.

I am planning on having the sleeve surgery October 27th at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Belmond, IA. Its a small town and I was a little skeptical until I went up there and took a tour of the hospital when my friend had her surgery and the workers are fabulous. I stopped a person to ask directions to her room and the man escorted me to her room where I then found that he was the ER doctor and all their employees do that and every employee stops to say hi if they are walking by.

I am so excited to have my surgery but also a little scarred. I would love to get to know others in Iowa who are just about to have surgery also and hopefully we can go through it together and bounce experiences off of each other.

That is great that you did not have to do the 6 months of diet! Once your doctor's office submitted your paperwork, how long did it take to get your approval?

I'm in southeast iowa. Having surgery October 1st. Getting excited and nervous!

Joining in here a little late, but I'm in Sioux City. We just moved here this spring from St Louis, and finding a family dr up here who is familiar with VSG has been interesting, to say the least.

I'm 10 months post op, and other than marrying my husband, this is the best thing I've ever done!

Woohoo!! I got my date, December 2nd!