educationrulz

Britt, We certainly can't tell you what to do with your money, but I can see why you're at the point of just paying yourself. I'm at the end of my 6 months of insurance hoops and for the last month I have felt like running off and getting self-pay WLS. The waiting can be a bit much at times. I can't imagine how agonizing it is when you've seen alot of your weight creep back AND you still don't have any answer from insurance. Although I think I'm pretty good to go with my insurance approval, I told myself yesterday that if they denied me for some odd reason, I won't waste a minute on an appeal. I'm going to find some money and pay for it myself. They probably intended for you to just give up the fight if they made you wait long enough but you can't spend too much time thinking about stuff like that. It sounds like you've suffered long enough...

It's great to hear that you had such a good experience. It will definitely help future patients to know that they might want to brush up on some basic Spanish. This would be a good post to copy into the Almanza thread in the Doctor/Hospital section of the forum, if you haven't already done so. Congratulations on joining the loser's bench! I'm still :001_tongue:

Does it work as advertised with ice to make smoothies? Or is frozen fruit better? I would be willing to invest in one if it will really get the job done. I want something that I could use at work as well as at home and something that will travel well.

Calm down, Jillian. One bowl of oatmeal isn't going to kill you! :wink0:You're still doing great and you have a plan to get through the rest of the weekend. There are many people who are allowed to have a big meal the day before surgery and they do fine. So, that bowl of oatmeal will be long gone by the time your laxative is done with you. We're all excited for you and know that you'll do fine on Monday. Try reading or doing something that will help you feel at peace tonight (as much as that's possible before surgery).

Tiff and kbl, Is the Majic Bullet similar to the mini food processors in the $10 range? I want something quick and easy to assemble, use and clean. I also want to be able to quickly make smoothies and healthy shakes. I have a blender that's never been used because it seems like too much trouble. I like the Bullet but don't want to pay that much. http://www.buythebullet.com/

I've finally finished my 6 months of MD supervised diet and counseling visits. In some ways it seems like it took forever and in other ways it seems like it all went by really fast. I'm so excited to be past that part of things. I finished the visits last week and made sure that all of the records got to the surgeon's office. The counseling stuff was sent over immediately by the therapist I worked with. I had received the copy of my medical records from my primary doctor's office before my last MD visit. So, I sent the first 5 months of my 6 months MD visits to the surgeon's office by mail. Then, at my 6 month visit, all I had to do was get a copy of the last MD progress note. I faxed it to the surgeon's office from home that night. I called the next morning (Friday) and they had received the fax. I was told at that time that the counseling records were there and the psych eval was too. So, at that point, we had everything necessary to present to insurance. I paid the $250 insurance filing fee that my surgeon's office charges and was told that it would be submitted early the next week. I didn't want to be a nag with the surgeon's office, but I decided that for $250 to file the claim with UnitedHealth Care, they could probably stand to put up with a few extra calls from me at that point. So, I called back Tuesday afternoon to once again verify that everything was a go. I was told that they were working on my claim right then. When I checked with UHC by phone on Wednesday, nothing was in the system at that point. I decided to give it another day or so because the rep said it can take 24 to 48 hours to show up in the computer system. By this point, I was really trying not to stress. I knew that in the big scheme of things, I really had not been waiting a long time. My only reason for concern was that, like a lot of people, I had a verify specific time frame for when I wanted to have my surgery. I knew that I needed time after getting my insurance approval to get in all the pre-op tests before the tentative surgery date that I had been given, which was mid-June. On Friday morning, before I had a chance to call and nag anyone, my nurse case coordinator from UHC called to say that she had received the request from my surgeon's office but the last MD diet note was missing, as was the documentation to say that I completed the six months of counseling. WTH!!! Of course I wasn't happy to hear that. But, I assured her that I had completed everything in early May and had proof of it. I explained why the last MD probably was not with the other documents. She said that she could verify the counseling stuff through the UHC computer system, but would have to get that final MD note. She said that she would call the surgeons' office and get them to fax that final note and that would complete my request. I followed up later that day with the surgeon's office. They had found the final MD note that I faxed and sent it to the case coordinator. So now it's Sunday and I'm in waiting mode. From what I've heard, UHC turns their approvals around pretty quick. I'm hoping to know by tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. I'm anxious to get my GI and cardiac clearances, and whatever else the surgeon requires. One month to go before my tentative surgery date....

Here are a couple arguments to counteract what seem to be perfectly normal concerns on your mom's part: Some stretching with the sleeve is probably normal and I'm actually hoping that it will occur to a small degree. There are some people who are having difficulty with maintaining after reaching goal - meaning they are continuing to lose weight. Maybe if the stomach stretches a little over time, you will be able to eat enough to STOP the weight loss. This is with the added benefit of NOT having a foreign body strapped around your stomach. Also, there is a new type of revision surgery that I think would fix excessive stretching of the sleeve. Nobody wants to go into this thinking they'd need a revision of their sleeve, but worst case scenario, the option is there. The surgery is called Stomaphyx and I'm pretty sure it works with the sleeve, but I haven't done a lot of research on this. You may not be able to convince your mom that this is the best option for you, but you can give her as much info as possible. Ultimately it's your decision so follow your heart.

Hey Susan. I'm glad that everything went well. I can't wait to hear more about your post-op diet since it seems that they vary quite a bit. I think my doctor's is one of the more conservative post-op diets so I'm a little worried about that. Where did you have your surgery? Do you think one day in the hospital was enough or could you have used another day? I'm worried about coming home too early and overdoing it. That's been my experience with prior surgeries.

Thanks Lis. I'm getting close and more excited and nervous by the minute. But, it's all good...

I can't remember the last time I owned a scale and I don't plan to buy one any time soon after being sleeved - primarily because of stuff like this. I'm sure that's been a positive and negative for me in terms of my weight over the years but then I think of the times I was really working a diet and exercise program hard and got on the scale somewhere else and was crushed when the numbers hadn't changed as I had expected. This happened to me as recently as last week when I went in for the last of my 6 month md visits. I had switched to diet drinks, was exercising 4 or 5 days a week and was doing low/no carb meals. I just knew I had lost AT LEAST 5 pounds because my clothes had loosened up...but the scale moved down just 1 pound. This week, I'm feeling like what's the point. If I had had the choice, I would never have gotten on that scale, but I had to finish my pre-op requirements. So, my plan is to continue on through surgery enjoying the many non-scale victories that I will surely be treated to. I plan to buy a scale when I get close to goal so that I can monitor a maintenance weight and keep within a certain range of pounds. I do plan to take my measurements pre-op and thoughout my journey toward goal because I feel that measurements are a more accurate measure of progress.

I agree. Suck it up :lol0:(no pun intended) and ask your surgeon from a hypothetical perspective. If you insist on doing it, at least be sure you're not going to hurt yourself post-op.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery. It's always good to hear when someone is about to go into surgery so we can wish you well. I hope you get a little rest tonight and are able to update us soon.

Lillie, I'm worried about this too because I'm prone to tonsillitis and sinus infections as a result of allergies. I know how anesthesiologists are and they don't like to sedate people who are congested or having breathing issues. I plan to talk to my surgeon about this a couple of weeks before surgery and ask for a prescription for some antibiotics in case I start coming down with something right before surgery. That way I won't have to try to get a last minute appointment and it'll be something the surgeon thinks is safe to take - as opposed to having another doc prescribe something. He may say no, but it won't hurt to ask. I've taken preventative antibiotics before surgery in the past so I know it's done. Even though it won't necessarily keep you from catching a cold, it might give your body the boost it needs to make it to surgery symptom free.

Danielle, Unfortunately the different UHC plans vary quite a bit on what is covered and the requirements for surgery. It really all comes down to what your employer wrote into their policies. I agree that you should log on to myuhc.com, get registered, and then check your benefits under special services/coverage. Although the BRS people seem to give good info, the phone reps are not always reliable. Check your policy online before giving up on this avenue. Good luck!

Hope you're able to get some answers and feel better soon. Did the surgeon fix your hernia while doing the sleeve?

Good luck with your upcoming surgery happyslvr. This is quite alot to go through in one year but it sounds like you're keeping a positive outlook about things. I'm sure that having lost weight will make it a better experience in terms of healing. Let us know how your MRI and surgery go.

This line from your post really hit home with me and may be my biggest emotional problem after surgery. Even though I'm confident about my decision to have this surgery, it does seem crazy to have to cut my freakin stomach out to be able to lose weight. I mean, why can't I do this the normal way! I feel kind of crazy sometimes thinking about this and I feel like people would think I'm crazy if they found out. I don't plan to tell most people the specifics of my WLS, but I'll still know I had my stomach cut out and it will still be wierd. I'm praying that I'll be able to adjust quickly to all of this stuff post-op, but if not I'll just have to deal with it. 30 years of obesity is damn well enough and I'm ready for a better lifestyle!

The great thing about this is that you don't ever have to show them to anyone if you don't want to. I'm planning to get some pre-op self taken photos of myself in undies and a bathing suit. I'll probably NEVER show those anyone, but they'll be good motivation for me if I start backsliding.

Okay Bklyn, so you basically got your approval in one day, right? I'm praying that mine is that fast so I can get started with my tests required by the surgeon. I have State Employee's United Healthcare, so maybe I'll hear something quickly. I think the office is submitting my request tomorrow. I checked today and they had all the required records and paperwork for my 6 month requirements. I feel like I'm going to pop with anticipation waiting for this surgery... Great job on the weight loss TaRel!

I'm glad to hear that you made it home. Being in the hospital can be stressful, even when you know you need to be there. Definitely try to get more walking in your daily routine. I can only repeat what others have said here about walking after the VSG, but I know from experience after my C-section and fibroid removal surgeries that getting up and around did me a a world of good. Laying around too much seemed to accentuate the painful areas. You should be feeling better in no time based on everyone else's experiences. Keep us updated and congrats on getting your sleeve.:thumbup:

Tiffany, I just got a chance to look at your incision video on you tube. I know that it was taken over a week ago, so I hope everything is looking much better now. You mentioned in another thread that you don't have insurance right now, so I'm sure that's been an issue for you. Girl, please go back to the ER if your incisions are not getting better. You don't want them to heal over as big holes in your stomach. After a certain point of them not beng closed up, the dead tissue has to be taken out in order for it to heal properly. You're going to get 50 different opinions about how to handle irritated incision sites any time you post about it. Don't try to take advice from all of us armchair doctors. Get some medical attention. If you can't afford to pay, they have payment plans and financial assistance - you just have to ask for it. The weight loss will come so take care of your health first. We all want the best for you.

Hey you'll - count me in! I'm hoping for a June surgery too. As of today, all of my records are in at the surgeon's office. I have a tentative date scheduled and my paperwork is going to insurance on Monday. We're going to have to post some strategies for passing by all the GA rib joints, krispy cremes, and fish frys after surgery. :thumbup1:

The psych eval should be one visit. The psychologist who did mine told me there was a possibility of a second visit depending on how the eval went, but we got it done in one visit. I guess I'm not quite as crazy as I thought I was. :thumbup1: The 6 month counseling requirement is the one that you won't be able to wiggle on. You're going to have to do that over a 6 month time period. Even if someone is in counseling prior to submitting the request for surgery, I don't think it would count because the counseling/support groups have to be specifically geared toward WLS.

The policies do vary quite a bit from employer to employer. I don't think it has so much to do with the state you're in. It sounds like tsmith's policy has approved two instances of WLS. My policy clearly states that only one WLS will be covered - EVER! Double check your coverage by logging on to myuhc.com and looking at the details of your individual policy. You'll need the member ID number from your insurance card to set up an account. Unfortunately, you can't always trust the word of the rep you get on the phone. When you log on, you should see an area called "other covered services" or "special services" (something like that) in the benefits section. This will tell you if your policy covers WLS.

I was told by my nurse coordinator through UHC that Weight Watchers would count with the proper documentation. But, you're going to have to talk to your personal coordinator to find out if that will work for your plan. I'm learning that the plans differ quite a bit across employers. I suspect there are some time requirements too in terms of how old your documentation can be. Do you have a nurse coordinator assigned yet?