Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

March 11 sleeve date



Recommended Posts

As everyone says, things seem like they take forever and then all of a sudden you get a date!

I began this process last May. The program I’m participating in is quite thorough and comprehensive so it took a couple months just to get in for the orientation session and then I’ve been formally participating since August. It’s been a combination of insurance and program requirements that have led to the progression to surgery take so long.

At first I was frustrated with how long the process would take-I just wanted to get going with the surgery. But having gone through the process, frankly I’m glad it’s structured as it is. It allowed me to make serious changes that I think will be vital to the long term success of this.

At this point my BMI has gone from 39.7 to 32.1, weight from 285 to 230.2. More important than the numbers though are the changes that led to getting here. I’ve totally changed how and what I eat. I feel like I’m set rrriessentially eating a diet in line with what I will have to do after surgery. I must say as someone who has gained and lost probably 500 lbs over time, I’m relieved that I have the surgery date. As my weight has gotten lower, I’ve been more tempted to return to old habits, and I think that drive to return to the set point weight is really kicking in. I’ve been able to resist falling back to old habits knowing surgery is imminent and using other tools I’ve gained since participating in this program.

Anyway just thought I’d share if this as at all helpful to someone who’s been in a similar situation to me or if anyone else has a shared March 11 date!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Congrads and welcome to the Club!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

See, the pre-op stuff really helps put you in the right frame of mind for post-op, right? Good luck with your upcoming surgery.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am also on March 11! But I am doing bypass. I hope we’ll be able to support each other, though! And my process has also been so, so slow. I started working on my requirements a year ago. Good luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh also funnily enough I am in Portland...Oregon.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So you were still able to get insurance approval even though your BMI dipped below 35? My BMI is currently at 44. But if I lose more than 20 lbs, it will place me at 40 BMI, and I'm scared insurance might reject me. I have 5 more months to go.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 01/27/2020 at 23:51, asnirak said:

I am also on March 11! But I am doing bypass. I hope we’ll be able to support each other, though! And my process has also been so, so slow. I started working on my requirements a year ago. Good luck!

I debated between sleeve and bypass-like most of us on here I suppose. The surgeon thought either would be reasonable but seemed to slightly favor sleeve, so I opted for that.

Regardless, yes let’s support each other! I wish you good luck over these next few weeks. In some ways, it feels long enough in the distance that it’s still not going to happen and in other ways it feels right around the corner!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 01/28/2020 at 01:30, athea.lei said:

So you were still able to get insurance approval even though your BMI dipped below 35? My BMI is currently at 44. But if I lose more than 20 lbs, it will place me at 40 BMI, and I'm scared insurance might reject me. I have 5 more months to go.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Good point-I haven’t received official word yet on insurance approval. I had the very same concern you expressed. According to the administrator in my program, insurance looks at 2 BMIs-one at the time the PCP makes referral to the program and one at the first appointment with the program. Based on that, I would qualify. She said she was unaware of anybody who completed the program requirements ultimately being rejected by insurance for having a BMI too low and she was aware of people with BMIs close to 30 who qualified. So at this point I’m cautiously optimistic but certainly not out of the woods yet. Please wish me luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My sleeve is scheduled March 6th. Super excited and scared at the same time. I am doing the self pay thing in Las Vegas because WLS is excluded on my insurance. I tried doing the 6 month program with my insurance years ago just to be denied. It was a heat breaker for sure.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, MaineDoc said:

Good point-I haven’t received official word yet on insurance approval. I had the very same concern you expressed. According to the administrator in my program, insurance looks at 2 BMIs-one at the time the PCP makes referral to the program and one at the first appointment with the program. Based on that, I would qualify. She said she was unaware of anybody who completed the program requirements ultimately being rejected by insurance for having a BMI too low and she was aware of people with BMIs close to 30 who qualified. So at this point I’m cautiously optimistic but certainly not out of the woods yet. Please wish me luck!

Ahhh man good luck on that! Hopefully they approve you with no problems.

Thankfully, my surgeon didn't require me to lose weight.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On 01/28/2020 at 16:00, Pansypicker said:



My sleeve is scheduled March 6th. Super excited and scared at the same time. I am doing the self pay thing in Las Vegas because WLS is excluded on my insurance. I tried doing the 6 month program with my insurance years ago just to be denied. It was a heat breaker for sure.


Man that is a heart breaker. I give you credit for rebounding from that and committing again to the process, not to mention having to pay out of pocket. How are you feeling about things? Do you have a 2 week preop diet?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Pansypicker said:

My sleeve is scheduled March 6th. Super excited and scared at the same time. I am doing the self pay thing in Las Vegas because WLS is excluded on my insurance. I tried doing the 6 month program with my insurance years ago just to be denied. It was a heat breaker for sure.

Oh wow, sorry to hear that they denied you years ago. How much are you paying for WLS in LV?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, MaineDoc said:

Man that is a heart breaker. I give you credit for rebounding from that and committing again to the process, not to mention having to pay out of pocket. How are you feeling about things? Do you have a 2 week preop diet?

Yes. Two week pre-op Diet. Consistes of two Protein Shakes a day and very lean dinner. Water in between.

12 hours ago, MaineDoc said:

Man that is a heart breaker. I give you credit for rebounding from that and committing again to the process, not to mention having to pay out of pocket. How are you feeling about things? Do you have a 2 week preop diet?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, athea.lei said:

Oh wow, sorry to hear that they denied you years ago. How much are you paying for WLS in LV?

Its costing me about 10K. Includes everything including hotel and testing prior to surgery. I pay for airfare though. They will even transport you to and from the airport and to appointments. Its Blossom Bariatrics. They will submit to my insurance and see if they will pay anything out of network.... Labs, other tests, etc. Was going to try Mexico for surgery but my husband forbid it....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Pansypicker said:

Its costing me about 10K. Includes everything including hotel and testing prior to surgery. I pay for airfare though. They will even transport you to and from the airport and to appointments. Its Blossom Bariatrics. They will submit to my insurance and see if they will pay anything out of network.... Labs, other tests, etc. Was going to try Mexico for surgery but my husband forbid it....

Did the doctors themselves require you to complete anything prior to surgery? Like nutrition classes psych eval, etc...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×