So I have some questions...

Hi everyone

I've been a person who has lurked around here but never really commented or posted much if at all. I'm looking to meet new people here, people who went through the same thing I am or are going through the same thing I am. I find it hard to tell people, even friends that I am embarking on this journey. Not many people know I am going through with weight loss surgery but a hand full aside from my family. 

About a month a month ago I went to a seminar at the University of Southern California regarding possible weight loss surgery. I had been thinking about this on and off for the past few years but it wasn't until relatively recently I decided to take the leap and follow the path that leads to surgery. I had my first consultation with a surgeon on October 30 and am scheduled for my laproscopic roux n y gastric bypass surgery on December 16th. It has really been a whirlwind for me and I can't believe in less than a month my surgery is happening. 

I must admit that I am really nervous about things not working out. I've already had my cardiac stress test done and that seemingly went fine, and had a psychiatric evaluation and minus some small issues with my relationship with food (but really I had to have had an issue with food considering I let myself get this heavy) my psychologist says she believes I am a good candidate. I have shown my surgeon and dietician that I attempted Weigh****chers many times over the last year and a half with my highest success being a loss of about 30 pounds (not much considering I have about 200 pounds of excess weight). I know that the surgeon and dietician wrote in my file that I had unsuccessfully tried to loss weight through nonsurgical measures.

So everything seems to be moving smoothly, but something caught my attention today. Someone at USC called me today telling me my insurance company faxed over their form for pre-authorization. The woman indicated that she is waiting on my psychologist's evaluation so that she can send everything into the insurance company and obviously because the surgery is less than a month away there is a definite pressure to get things in ASAP. My biggest fear is that my insurance company will deny the pre-authorization. I meet the BMI criteria, I have tried to lose weight through "medically supervised" diets which my surgeon can attest to and such but its just this big fear that I have (I have Anthem Blue Cross California) considering how quickly everything is coming up.

So my questions are for those who had the surgery: How was your experience especially dealing with the insurance company and how did that process work (or not) for you? How did you feel after your surgery? How quickly did you recover? What have your biggest struggles been post-surgery? How was the first 6 months post-surgery?

Thanks to anyone who answers, I hope to become a more active member of this community. It will be nice to talk candidly with other people about this and really have a group of people who understand what this process is about. 

-Kristina 

I had a VSG on 12/19/2012.  I picked the date or it could have been done sooner.  I had BCBS Highmark and was approved in less than 24 hours but I didn't find out until the next week.  Now having said that the insurance company has 10-14 business days to give you a ruling.  If you are working with an experienced doctor's office, their insurance coordinator should know all of the ins and outs and will submit everything you need.  On a side note, the customer service people who answer the phone at the insurance office don't necessarily have up to date information on your file so don't get discouraged if they tell you they have not received anything.  My office still didn't have in their records that they had received it five days after I had already been approved. 

I can't answer the questions on your recovery on RNY, but wish you the best in your journey.  No matter what surgery you are doing, make sure you follow your doctors orders on what to eat, what not to eat, etc.  They are the one that knows your health and other things about you that people on these boards do not necessarily know.  We can all share our experiences which are all different but follow your doctors advice.

Have you researched the Duodenal Switch? The DS has the very best long-term, maintained weight-loss stat for patients of ANY size, but especially so for those of us with a BMI greater than 50. You owe it to yourself to research all your options before you go under the knife---and two of the world's best DS surgeons are located in CA!

Hi Kristina

I can't help you with insurance questions as I'm in another country, and things seem to be hugely different here in terms of pre-op preparation and money business. I'm now 10 weeks post surgery - I've had a couple of  frustrating challenges (for example - it's been a slow journey in terms of learning what my stomach accepts, and I've had to deal with unpredictable regurgitation, plus another unrelated health issue) but basically am doing well. Some things I've learned along the way:  Even when you're thrilled with the weight loss, don't forget that this is after all, major surgery. Your body (and mind!) have been subjected to  major stress - a real flooding of those old uncomfortable stress hormones, and they take a while to settle down. Don't be surprised to not quite feel yourself -for eg, being more susceptible or over sensitive to difficult people or situations. My doctor had a standard 5 weeks off work post surgery advice, and I was grateful for that. Try to avoid having to make other major decisions or life changes for several months. I'm having to move house and start in a new position way across the country in a few weeks time, and that brings its own stresses at a time when I would rather be caring for myself gently! It's great that you've entered into this forum  "community" - it's helpful and positively self-nurturing to build friendships  -even online, like in this forum - with people who have had this surgery or *****ally know what it's like . (This is my first post, too) It can be very isolating, otherwise. Blessings on your journey.