ObesityHelp

I had brachioplasty (covered by insurance) in September 2010 and a panniculectomy (covered by insurance) and abdominoplasty (self pay) in May 2011.  One surgery at a time! 

I had my RNY surgery 15 months ago and I have lost 196 lbs.  I love my RNY and wish I had done it years ago but I think the timing was how it was supposed to happen.  There are so many things I can do now, from sitting in chairs with arms, to crossing my legs, wearing a JUNIORS SIZE SMALL OR MEDIUM SHIRT HELLO?????, wearing jeans (WHAT?!), I go dancing, I ride a bike, I've been on dates!!!!, I don't need seat belt extenders, I can sit in baseball stadium seats (WOW!) etc!  It's awesome and I am loving life more than ever.  Good luck to all who are waiting to have their surgery!  It can happen!
Lisa

I have Blue Shield HMO.  If you live in California and had a denial requiring a 6 mo. diet, read this.  This is a post that I started when I got denied a referral by my medical group (not my insurance) for a consult with my surgeon.  I wrote an appeal letter and got it overturned with the help of another obesity help member who posted:
"In the state of CA you do not have to do the medically supervised diet. The supervised diet is just a hoop and stall tactic that IPA and insurance use to delay or prolong patients getting WLS. If you've already received your denial letter then appeal directly to your insurance now. They have 30 days to respond to your appeal. If they do not give you an answer to your appeal within the 30 days then on the 31st day call up the CA Dept. of Managed Health Care (DMHC) http://www.dmhc.ca.gov/ and file a grievance with them based on not getting the referral because of the 6 month supervised diet. If your insurance denies you too based on this criteria call up the DMHC and file a grievance when you receive that denial letter. The DMHC has a peer review on this very subject. Here is the link: include this in your appeal letter
http://www.dmhc.ca.gov/aboutTheDMHC/org/boards/cap/Bariatric REV.pdf 
Click on the link below to read the whole post.  I hope it helps someone else like it did me. 
The denial by my medical group for a referral to have a consult with my surgeon was overturned and approved by my insurance and then the surgery was submitted and approved by my insurance within weeks. 

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/3866637/Denied-a-referral-for-not-having-6-mo-phys-doc-diet/#31044805

 I had my surgery May 21, 2009.  It's 9 days after my surgery and I've been so occupied with company being here, trying to drink my protein suppliments,taking pills and vitamins, remembering not to lift etc. that I haven't updated this story of mine.
Two days before surgery my sister and I went to El Torito and I had my "last meal" of tableside guacamole, chips and salsa, carne asada, an echilada, half of my corn cake (gave half to my sister because she was drooling) and rice.  I also had two last diet cokes.  I felt full and guilty.  It was so good.  The next day I had to do the clear liquid diet since it was the day before surgery.  I wasn't that hungry but eating stuff I didn't want to eat wasn't cool.  Jello, popsicle, juice and broth. My sister and I went 2 pick upmy best friend and her daughter from the airport that afternoon and we came home and sat around talking, etc.  Another friend came over and we took pictures on my bed.  I was so big.  I was sitting with my legs crossed in the pictures and after seeing the pics on the back of the camera I wasreally sure I wanted/needed the surgery if I wasn't before.  The next morning at 4 a.m. we got up to get ready to go to the hospital.  I actually didn't feel that nervous.  I know God had a hand in my state of mind.  Thank you Lord, because I don't know how I went through with the surgery unless it was by your strength and grace.  They called me in and I had to go by myself.  A nurse asked me to give a urine sample and I hadn't drank anything since midnight........  I tried and nothing happened.  I came out to tell her and she said she would have to do a catheter.  UHHHH NO!  I said, let me go try again and thank you Lord, it worked.  I came out and told her and she gave me a gown (huge!) and wipes that she said to wipe my body off with.  Also she gave me booties to wear.  I didn't like standing on the floor with them.  They were too thin.  Germs!  I layed on the bed and she put a warm blanket and weird plastic bubble thing over me.  She then asked me a bunch of questions they did my i.v.  Then the anastesiologist came in.  He explained what he was going to do.  I had a hard time understanding him and don't remember what I did understand.  I think they may have put something in my i.v. to relax me.  My best friend at some point prayed with me and we both held back tears.  It felt so good to know that she would be praying for me during surgery, too.  They wheeled me into the operating room.  I remember thinking how weird it was as I was wheeled in.  Who ever thought I would be there.  In that moment.  About to go in for surgery.  So weird. When they pushed me into the operating room I remember it was very cold.  Usually I like cold but it was kind of scary.  I saw lots of strange looking lights on the ceiling.  I lifted my head to look around and after seeing tools on a counterI layed my head back down.  They asked me to scoot myself over to the table next to me.  I remember thinking, "Are you kidding?"  Somehow I did it.  The table felt about a foot wide. I am not a foot wide and my hips must have been hanging off 6 inches on each side.  I think I said, "This is a narrow table."  I remember thinking, "Why would they have a table this skinny for a gastric bypass patient."  I assume there is a reason.  Someone said to me that it's probably so they can get close to you to do the surgery.  That's probably it. A couple of minutes in there is all I remember.  I don't even remember if they put a mask over my face or what?!  The next thing I remember is moaning about being extremely nautious and saying that I was going to throw up.  I guess that was in my hospital room they had wheeled me into.  I don't remember being wheeled there.  I was told I asked for ice chips and unfortunately nothing was allowed by mouth that day.  I truly don't remember much about the rest of that day.  I had a morphine pump that I could press myself.  Later, I had to get up that evening and walk to the bathroom.  It was very hard and painful.  After two nights in my bed, Praise God only 2, I was able to go home.  I only took pain medication one time and have been doing great.  The things I am struggling with is getting in protein and more than 300 calories.  The liquid/full liquid stage 1 food list is so small.  I'm tired of everything.  I can't wait for stage 2 in 8 days!!!  Eggs and pureed foods here I come!  The protein drinks/powders all seem to taste bad.  I haven't found one yet that I like.  This will be a challenge that I have to find an answer to.  I have been walking and getting out here and there, although not able to drive for 2 more days.  I get tired and don't have as much energy as before the surgery obviously but am doing well!  I've lost 19 lbs. in 8 days.  Thank you Lord!