Hi Everyone,

I am a newbie & I finally began my journey to my new self this past week & I hope to have my Surgery approved & scheduled before the end of the year.

My Insurance, BC PPO, requires that I have the surgery through a COE site, the BMI, & a Psych & Nutritional Evaluation for them to approve the surgery. The first 2 COE'S I contacted advised me that they charged $3,000-$3,500 upfront, out of pocket, non-negotiable, & non-billable for Fees, Classes, etc. :wink2:

This is why I decided to go out of my local area & have my surgery in Reno, NV. Although they are a COE, they never heard of the outrageous additional costs being charged by the other two. Has anyone else had charges like these? Just curious.

I am not a huge Water drinker & I am terrified that I will not be able to drink the liquid diet that I will be required to drink for the 4 weeks prior to surgery. Has anyone got any suggestions on what I can drink that tastes good? I am a bit picky about tastes. I like sweet (unfortunately) tastes. I'm afraid that if I can't find something drinkable I will sabotage my own beginning. I need some help.

Try the Crystal Light - I add the packets to my bottled water every day at work - I buy a variety of flavors to mix it up. Our local supermarket makes their own brand which is just as good and they are always on sale - buy 1 box, get 2 free!! As far as your insurance, that's the problem with the PPO plans, you should look to see if your employer offers another plan that has more coverage for next year. Good luck on your journey!

I definitely agree with the Crystal Light, but I also am preparing for the preaop liquid diet. I'm definately scared about it, but I keep reminding myself of the bigger picture.....lose weight and being healthy. Good luck on your journey

I believe there is a brand called "Boost" that makes delicious soy protein drinks. They're pretty cheap, so price shouldn't be an issue. I highly recommend the vanilla!

( Boost High Protein | A Nutritional Drink to Increase your Protein Intake )

There's another kind that I really love (an organic one that HEB sells), but I can't seem to find it online. It's pretty pricey, but very nice!

The liquid diet (at least mine) didn't require that I only drink water. In fact, it heavily depended on me drinking lots of protein drinks.

Double check with your doctor about what it is you're supposed to be drinking. Also, don't be afraid to ask for suggestions. Some of my favorite mushies come from the nurse who does my fillings.

I really hope that helps!

Edited August 31, 200917 yr by losingit37
Forgot to include a price reference.

Make your own beef and chicken stock. There are several ways to do it, recipes abound. Let me know if you need one. Trust me, stock tastes like food, unlike the canned broth you can buy in the store!

Costco carries a protein callled "Premium" - it tastes like chocolate milk to me - 30 grams of protein each, low carb & low fat. I love them for breakfast!!! 160 calories each. You should also try the different soups, tomato, chicken etcc. I was lucky - my doc didn't require any diet prior to surgery - just told us NOT to gain weight.

Thanks lfein229, that sounds great. I will try it! I just had my Psych Evaluation last night & feel positive about it. I will have all my pre-requisites done by the end of the month for surgery approval. If all goes well, I will be banded sometime in November or December! :biggrin:

I definitely agree with the Crystal Light, but I also am preparing for the preaop liquid diet. I'm definately scared about it, but I keep reminding myself of the bigger picture.....lose weight and being healthy. Good luck on your journey

Thanks for your information & advice Chellz423. You appear to have had to go through much more testing than I am going through. But then, I have already done a lot of these tests in the past year, so I guess I am lucky. And I had my sleep studies as well, which unfortunately, shows that I have both Obstructive & Central Sleep Apnea, so, although the weight loss could take away the Obstructive Apnea, I will have to sleep with my Bi Pap Machine for the rest of my life! :biggrin:

The only testing I have to go through is the Psych & Nutritional Evaluations, An Upper GI & an H Pylori & an RMR test.

Seminar Date: August 26th

Surgeon Consult: August 28th

Psych Evaluation: Sept 2nd

Upper GI Scheduled: Sept 9th

Nutritional Evaluation Scheduled: Sept 12th

H Pylori & RMR Scheduled: Sept 25th

Then, send off for surgery approval