TabithaH

Hello everyone!! GOOD NEWS!!!! I got insurance approval today!!! I don't think it has really hit me yet. Now I just have to wait for Mary to call me back to finalize everything. :bounce:Not really looking forward to the liquids! UN5-3051: the relaxation after lunch was only bad because it was later in the day and we had just eaten so everyone was REALLY relaxed and it would have been really easy to go tosleep. LOL. But no, we didn't have to move from our chairs. Paula: Welcome! And, congrats on the surgery! I'm glad everything went well and you are up and moving again. I'm glad you made it to this site. This has been one of the most helpful sites I have found. So helpful in fact, I didn't have any questions for Dr. Edwards when I had my visit with him a while back. This group, as I may have mentioned, is especially nice and helpful.

Welcome UN5-3051!! Well, I made it through the all day class on 7/23. The worst part of the whole thing was the relaxation exercises AFTER lunch! :tired Other than that, it was pretty interesting and went by pretty quickly. Even after a week out it is really hard to remember what I sat through. It was a lot. For those who have not gone yet...the basic idea of the class was to be able to recognize when and why you eat - the various emotions, personalities, stress, etc. I did tell my class about this website, and specifically this discussion group, so hopefully we'll have some new people join us. I'm in Delaware/Maryland now, so it may be a few days before I can check in again. I will catch up when I get home this coming weekend. Have a good week everyone!!

Again, good for you Legster! I actually went dancing 3 evenings this week. I usually only go once, and sometimes twice, a week so I got a little extra in this week. It is about the only type of exercise I like to do. Well, tomorrow is the all-day class. Part of me is looking forward to it, but part of me is not. I really don't like the thought of taking a day off of work to sit through a $200 class that insurance doesn't cover without knowing if I have been approved or not. I'm hoping I will get some really good information out of it anyway - something that will benefit me until I am able to self-pay. I should find out about the approval around the 6th of August. I'm trying not to think about it too much - I am NOT a patient person!

Legster - Congrats on the losses and improvements! :clap2:

Mazie - It is a long time! Mary told me that the hardest part was over (meaning the numerous visits to this person and that person) and I told her that THIS is the hard part - the waiting. I'm going to Maryland the last week of the month so that will help to take my mind off of it. Although, I should get the decision just a day or two after I return so I may be thinking about it even more. If insurance does not pay I'm not sure what I will do...other than as many appeals as I can. Mary seemed pretty confident that it would get through. I know she can't say FOR SURE, but she is very experienced with this kind of thing and is probably pretty good at guessing. As far as I know, they will only set the date after the approval. I have to do the behavioral class (7/23) before they will set a date anyway. Congrats on the moving scale!! Keep up the good work!

Request for approval went to insurance on 7/6. They have 30 days turn-around time - 22 days to go (unless they only count business days then it is 24)!!

Request for approval went to insurance on 7/6. They have 30 days turn-around time - 22 days to go (unless they only count business days then it is 24)!!

Chrispy, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend! Hang in there! Good luck with the new guy. It always seems to happen when you least expect it or want it, doesn't it?

Mazie - Actually, for the past several months I haven't been using their fitness center. I work full time and I am in grad school full time so it was too hard to get in there while they were open - and sometimes it was because I didn't have the energy or motivation. :tired But, I do ballroom/swing dance at least twice a week so I do get in some exercise. I also bought the Dancing with the Stars (don't laugh:biggrin1:) cardio video - that is so much fun! And, I have a dance mat and PS2 dance video game. So, I have the equipment/ability to be active, just having the energy is the problem. Honestly, I HATE to exercise, but if it has something to do with dancing I'm more likely to do it.

Mazie - I can't say it wasn't a benefit as I did lose inches and my heart rate decreased quite a bit in the beginnng (its up again now), so it wasn't a waste of time or $$. Once I have surgery I will no longer be in that program. I'm just sticking it out for the ins co. so that it covers my one year dr. supervised weight loss program requirement. Happy 4th everyone!! Have a fun and safe day.

Happy 4th everyone! Have a fun and safe day!

Mazie - New Images is a medically supervised weight loss program at St. John's in the Hammons Heart Institute building. Once you sign up, you meet with a nutritionist and exercise person at least once a month. You also get to use the fitness center at HHI. It is a good program, but didn't work well for me. Of course I had some issues - I was doing really well with the workout (minimum of 3 days per week) and then I broke my ankle in December - well, it was February before I could even think of going back and even then it was really difficult and painful. It has really been hard to get back into a workout routine since. In the almost 11 months I have been doing that program I only lost 10 pounds and that fluctuates every time I go weigh in. Lindao1 - I'm glad you called Mary. I bet, since you are self-pay, that once your medical documentation gets to them you will be moved through really quickly. The appointments with diet/exercise will happen pretty fast. I called last week to set mine up and had one last Friday and one this Thursday, so they won't put you off for weeks.

Mazie - Last time I spoke with Mary she said we are looking at around Labor Day. I was hoping for the first part of August, but I will take the first part of September. My ins. co. only took about a week to approve me for the New Images program, so I'm hoping they won't take the month Mary mentioned. On suggestion from the nutritionist, I bought a couple different Protein drinks this weekend to start trying them out and see which ones I can tolerate. Any suggestions? I think the slim-fast will be okay as I have tried those before. This other one - AdvanEdge (I think) - I'm not so sure about. Lindao1 - It is my understanding that Dr. Hodges is gone. Someone on this post, or maybe another one, mentioned that he left shortly after her surgery. Even with that Linda01, I don't think it will take you long to get a date with him once the ball gets rolling. Especially since you are self-pay. Keep us posted!

Well, I'm a couple of steps closer. I had my appt with the nutritionist on Friday and I have an appt with exercise this coming Thursday...then it gets sent to ins! I have my all day class scheduled for 7/23 and then I just have to wait and see what happens with ins. My outlook as tuned in a positive direction again after meeting with the nutritionist - but still a bit skeptical. Anyone else scheduled for behavior class on 7/23?

Thanks Lindao1!! I tend to always think the worst so that I'm not too disappointed later, but this time I decided to try something different (positive thinking) so I'm out of my comfort zone. LOL

No date yet! I have my diet/exercise this Friday and next Thursday and I'm scheduled for the all day class on 7/23. I spoke with Mary yesterday and she said we are looking at around labor day if all goes well. She said my ins usually takes a month to review. After my appt with Dr. Edwards last week I was really optimistic about this. He said he didn't see any reason it wouldn't be approved - he said "we'll get it approved." But, the last couple of days my positive attitude has not been so positive. I'm really afraid it will get denied. Of course I will exhaust all appeals, but that just seems endless at this point. Plus, I really want to have it done before the end of Dec. so that ins picks up most of it. I considered self-pay, but that would be a big payment every month that I really can't afford right now. I'm thinking that if ins denies, after all appeals, I will just try to eat the way I would have to with the band. That probably isn't realistic for an unbanded person, but I'm tired of being this way! Well, now that I have rambled... Have a wonderful day everyone! I'm glad to see this group is picking up a little more.

Thanks for the welcome all! Ash ~ I'm with you...I work full time and I'm a full time grad student so I forgot what it was like to interact with anything other than a computer. After I healed a broken ankle (6 weeks of complete boredom...8 weeks if you count the ice storm) I decided I was going to get back out there and have a social life. Not specifically for dating, just for some socialization. I went back to ballroom/swing dancing with some friends one or two nights a week - that has helped to get me away from the computer a bit.

Things seem to be moving rather quickly for me too. So far, the longest part of the process was getting my paperwork to the office - I mailed it out and it took 2-3 weeks for Mary to get it in the mail. So far I have seen the psych and had one appointment with doc. Mary comes back today - she was gone for two weeks, which slowed things down - so I'm hoping things start moving again. I really want a date at the beginning of August. I'm going to Maryland the last week of July and really want to be able to enjoy that. Insurance approval will probably take the longest.

Hi everyone! I have been lurking for a few days, and you all seem like a nice, fun group so I've decided to say hello. I'm not banded yet, but I am in process and waiting for insurance approval. Hoping for a date in August. Hope you don't mind me joining the fun!:biggrin1:

Thanks, Mazie! Had my consult today and meeting with psych. It went well. Doc seems to think it will be approved - he knows more about it than I do so I'm hoping he's right this time. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks. :nervous

I've not actually met Dr. Edwards on an individual basis yet...just saw him at the group informational session. I will meet with him on Tuesday. I've heard a lot of good things about him from other medical professionals - it's nice to hear good things from someone who has actually seen him as a patient! I got a letter from my insurance co. approving the consult with Dr. Edwards, so I'm hoping that is a sign of approval for the surgery!! I'm trying not to get my hopes up.:rolleyes

Hi all! I am in Springfield, MO but have not yet had surgery. I am just beginning the process of insurance approval. I have my first appointment with Dr. Edwards on 6/19. I'm glad this group is here. I was hoping to run into someone from this area. Tabitha