Rena's got this

Super! You got approved on the first try?

I'm still pre-op (Feb 25th date), but when I had a c-section I was given a morphine pump. It was great, I'd just give it a few squeezes before I had to get up and walk, and I was feeling good. When I asked them how long before they removed my IV, they said as soon as you stop using the pump they will take it out. I immediately stopped, and had no problems. I can't remember having much pain at all. I'm hoping it goes that well this time too.

Absolutely....and I'll bet those Birmingham superintendents are getting an earfull for not closing the schools early enough like most of the other school systems in this winter storm path! I've heard that the school kids are having fun though, and treating it like a slumber party. It is supposed to warm up to 68 this weekend....go figure!!

Good, I'm hoping you'll hear something soon! I'm from Auburn, and we are snow/iced in right now. Kids have had a 3 day vacation from school, and I'm getting ancy to get back to work...lol.

I would ask how many of these surgeries he/she has done, and what kind of complications did he have experience with. Has any of his patients had any leaks for example!

If I were you I'd call at least every other day until you get an answer! Using your old insurance number is unexcuseable, and your insurance company SHOULD have double checked to see if you were covered under another number. I can feel your frustration all the way down here in Alabama!

I'm still pre-op (surg. date Feb 25th, 2014). I get so hot at night that I have to sleep with the covers off of my legs at least. I can't wait to be cold natured. I hate to sweat. If I were to get really cold, I could always take a hot shower or dress in layers or something. I remember once being cold natured when I was in my early 20s (much slimmer then), and I would take a hair dryer and blow warm air under the covers before jumping in my bed. That is still an option, lol!

I had a sleep study done to help with insurance approval for the sleeve. I knew I was sleepy during the day, but had no idea that it was so bad. My AHI is 33, which is severe. When the sleep specialist put the mask on me (over both my nose and mouth), somehow I felt comforted. It was like when you go into surgery and they put the mask on you with the anesthesia. i fell asleep almost immediately. I've had some problems at home with leakage, but finally got a Wisp mask which only covers my nose. I feel so much better during the day and I'm able to function better too. I tried to go without it one night because I wanted my kitten to sleep with me. She had a tendency to chew on the mask when I wasn't wearing it, and I've had to buy a few new masks because of it. Anyway, without the mask, I slept fitfully, and could definitely tell a difference the next morning. My kitten is now banned from my bedroom unfortunately. I love my sleep.

I've been pondering this. I'm not sure when my pre-op diet will start; I'll know sometime next week. My surgery is Feb 25th. In the meantime I've been eating whatever I wanted. I've had fast food, which I don't normally eat; I've had apple fritters as dessert at lunch on more than one occasion. I went to a local Japanese food place and had tempura shrimp and veggies with yum yum sauce which was absolutely fabulous. I've been eating a lot of my favorite sandwich, pineapple and mayo on bread. I would really like a hot doughnut from Krispy Kreme, but we don't have any here in town. I may just go to Outback for one of my funerals and get a steak with a blooming onion, or their Alice Springs chicken. Never could eat the whole thing, but it was one of my favorite meals. I haven't had a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut in a while, but may have do to that this week too.

I know what you mean. It took me nearly 8 months to get everything together, finish the 6 month diet and have my surgeon's office submit everything to the insurance. Then I was told that the insurance had 30 days to make a decision. I was aghast! I know I called the insurance office at least twice a week, then a couple of weeks later they told me I had been denied. Talk about depressed! I went back to my primary care physician and gathered every little thing I could that wasn't submitted the first time, and had my surgeon's office resubmit it. Of course, this was over the holidays, so nothing moved quickly, and it was a couple of weeks before resubmission. Then I was told that the insurance was allowed another 30 business days to make their decision on the appeal!!!! I think I shut down at that point. I stopped calling and stopped thinking about it. Then, one morning this week, I got a phone call from my surgeon's office telling me I was approved for surgery. I'm happy, but still can't get my head around it. My surgery date is Feb. 25th, and maybe I'll get more and more excited the closer it gets here. Those insurance requirements are enough to drive one insane!

Well.... I finished my 6 months last November, and everything was submitted to my insurance. BCBS of Alabama has a reputation of denial on the first try, and yes, my initial application was applied. I rounded up some more medical records and my surgeon re-submitted everything, and whaddya know, I was approved a week and a half later. I'm not quite sure why they approved me the second try, but I'm happy. My sleeve date is February 25, 2014. It has been a long haul, and I'm not quite there yet, but the beginning is in sight!

Well! No bugging needed any more! I got a call this morning telling me I'm approved. Such a relief!!!!!!!!! No Mexico for me!

I got a phone call today....from my surgeon. I've been approved! It has been such a long process, that I can't even get my head around it yet. My surgery date is Feb. 25th! Its about to get real! Thanks for all your well wishes, they worked!!

I finally got in touch with my surgeon's office last week and they said they had submitted everything else that my primary care physician sent to them. The 30 day wait begins again, so it won't be until sometime in February before I find out. If i'm denied again, he will do a peer to peer review. At that point, if I'm denied again, I'll have to consider Mexico. Hope ya'll have better luck than I've been having! This wait is depressing.

I finally got through to my surgeon's office. They told me they resubmitted some extra medical information and now the 30 day wait begins again with my BCBS of AL insurance. Sigh.... next will be the peer to peer appeal. I want to call the insurance just to see if they've reviewed the additional medical records yet, but am scared that if I bug them too much, they won't approve me since I'm borderline with the comorbidities and BMI. After I finished my 6 month dietitian diet, and my doc took me off Metformin (making me sick), I've started to gain weight again, and I'm afraid that my health is going to go downhill fast if this isn't approved. Yep...back up to 244, but I'm NOT changing my ticker again!!

Maybe the hospital has some sort of patient care person that could give you a ride and visit you a time or two to make sure you are ok. Probably wouldn't cost that much, and would give you peace of mind.

I've included my knee problems with my other medical information. I actually had surgery on my right knee a year ago due to a torn cartiledge, but since then, both knees are stiff and painful. I have had to resort at times to getting a cart at walmart to shop. I've bought a cane to help when I need it also. They wake me up at night sometimes hurting. BCBS recognizes sleep apnea, but only when it is severe, not moderate like mine, and I was only diagnosed last April, not 3 years ago, although I've probably had it for 3 years.

I was denied because I hadn't had a BMI of 40 or above in the past 3 years, and I didn't have the required co-morbidities for the past 3 years. I do have co-morbidities, just not the ones that they recognize. I have high cholesterol, GERD, borderline diabetes taking Metformin to prevent getting full blown diabetes, knee problems and moderate sleep apnea. I found medical records showing my high cholesterol for longer than 3 years, and I have a strong family history of diabetes, so I'm hoping that will be enough. I also found where I weighed in with a 39.1 BMI back in 2011, so that may help.

Nice Job... congrats! Why did they deny you in the first place? What made them reverse the denial? I was denied by BCBS of Alabama this past December, and my surgeon is going to appeal the decision this week through a peer to peer review. I'm hoping that it goes through this time since I was able to send in some additional information from my doctor. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I'm 57 and am struggling to get my insurance to cover me. If it doesn't, I will go to Mexico and have it done. This past year has been rough on my body, especially my knees, and if I don't get this weight off, I can see my health going downhill rapidly. I'm not willing to accept that at age 57.

Congrats. I'm still waiting on my appeal with BCBS of Alabama. I've called my surgeon's office during business hours, but can't get them to call me back with an update. I am about to get depressed with no news....

Well, my paperwork is being resubmitted for my appeal to BCBS of Alabama. I did find that I had High Cholesterol for more than 3 years, so maybe they will accept that as a comorbidity. Keeping my fingers crossed....again.

I was denied by BCBS of Alabama because my BMI wasn't 40+ for the past 3 years, and my co-morbidities weren't on their list, or weren't bad enough. Also, my doc didn't sign the dietitian's notes on the 6 month diet that I did. That part has been rectified, and I am in the process of appealing the denial. I'm not getting my hopes up, but maybe I'll get approved somehow. My surgeon might have to get them to do a peer to peer review first.

Yes, went through the entire six months, plus the sleep study, plus the psych exam (which BCBS didn't cover). Plus a few other things such as a stomach ultrasound and gastric endoscopy which involved putting me to sleep (checking for ulcer and hiatial hernia). I am thoroughly disgusted about the amount of money I've spent so far with no sleeve surgery as an outcome. But....an appeal is in the process so, I haven't lost ALL hope yet.

Good luck you guys...I was denied by BCBS and am in the process of doing an appeal. My surgeon doesn't hold out much hope though, because my co-morbidities haven't been there for the past 3 years, and my BMI has only been over 40 this year. Looks like Mexico for me...