ginny two

:hurray:Wow! I'm having so much fun playing with my signature, thanks to all of your cool signatures, that I'm barely worried about my insurance approval! I received a letter from Cigna saying that they didn't see my surgery as being medically necessary. :thumbup: The good news is that it also said, "this is not a denial", they just need more medical info to prove that it IS necessary. Either my surgeon's office didn't include everything, this is an automatic type of scare tactic, or maybe Cigna will be really tough to get approval from. Great grammar, I know! How about the reviewer comes to my house and I will SIT on them. That will make two of us that have a medical necessity!!!! :w00t: Here's a shout out to all the other 24th-ers that we've been hearing from!!! Froggi, are you still out there? We have company. I will cross my fingers and toes and hope that the approval comes through on time.:eek: Big hugs to all the Novembers that are recovering right now!!! Keep up the good work.:cool2:

ARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!! I got a digital scale yesterday, so that I couldn't "fool" myself with the old one. Well, it registers about five pounds higher than my trusty old fashioned baby! :party: Just like the stupid nutritionist's mean, mean, scale! Stupid scale, not stupid nutritionist. I LOVE her. HEY JODY!!!! Anyway, I hate the obsession with food and numbers on the scale. I'm going to make an effort to let go of it. I'm going to change my weight ticker right now, in an effort to not freak out over the five pounds. Who's with me???? Let's kick the heck out of this obsession's tooshie, so that we can get back to our loved ones and our lives, eh??? There is so much more out there than numbers on a scale and numbers on the label of our clothes. Being healthy and feeling good will give me a much better life for the next 45 years! In fact, it will give me many more years to live and see my children grow up and hopefully have families of their own. I want to be a Grandma and watch my grandkids graduate from college! I want to look good, too, don't get me wrong. I just don't want to rely on the numbers to tell me how I'm doing. I can feel how my clothes fit. I can feel the difference in my body and in my strength. I'm sorry, I'm babbling on now. Thanks for listening to my rant!

LOL! I'm going to write that in calligraphy and frame it! It's been nine days since I've had a Diet Coke.:ohmy: After reading this thread, I threw out the DC that I was drinking and haven't had one since. One day at a time! I was so sick for the first 4-5 days. I had a horrible headache (I was getting caffeine from tea to curb that withdrawal) and was nauseous for 5 days. I was exhausted and wanted to sleep a lot. Every time I got upset about something, I was dying for a DC. I suppose that may still happen. I was a bear to live with, too. I almost gave custody of my daughter over to her Dad. JK. She probably would have been happy about it at the time, though. Actually, she's been very proud of me. (She's 12) She's been encouraging me and letting me know that she realizes that it's a huge deal for me to give it up. One day at a time, one moment at a time. I'm sure that this is how it will be with the food, too. It's such an addiction. Phew!

WOW! Really? That's great, because that's the one I'm most worried about. If I go off of that for even a day or two, I really crash. Thanks so much!

Thank you so much for the info! I feel a lot better now. :eek:

Thank you, Sandy, for the encouragement. I'm glad you are feeling so strong about getting through the back pain. I'm worried about whether I'll really be able to do this. I take six different medications for bi-polar disorder. I CANNOT go off of some of them. I can't wait for my doctor's office to open this morning so that I can call them and discuss this. My nutritionist had said that the nurse that reviews my records before submitting them would catch that as being a problem, but I'm not so sure. Maybe there will be liquid equivalents or they can be pulverized. *sniff*

Jmegirl, it sounds like you're doing great!! I'm so happy for you! I think you're positive attitude has everything to do with it. You are so cute in your picture!!!!! ((((BIG HUGS)))) :thumbup:

I missed everybody yesterday! I didn't get a chance to log on. I'm afraid I may not end up being a Notorious November if the approval doesn't come back on time, or if I get denied. Could I be an honorary member if I don't make it?:thumbup: Froggi, I want to keep the same date as you, the 24th!!! My daughter is a froggy girl, too, so that makes you special in my book. I guess I just have to let go and let God. I don't have to start my pre-op diet until the 17th, but it's all liquids. I'm planning on doing two shakes a day next week and a protein and greens dinner. I don't want to go cold turkey and get really sick the week of the 17th. I haven't had a Diet Coke in a week. This is a HUGE deal. HUGE. I don't feel sick anymore. I don't crave them as much, either. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that craving thing. I'm having horrible Last Supper cravings, though. I guess I'll indulge a couple of them this weekend. Maybe I'll have a ceremony to say goodbye (and good riddance). I need to find a new comfort now. Hugs and kisses to all that have been banded in the past few days!!!! Thanks for sharing how you're doing. You know we're right there with you in spirit! :smile2:

Hi, Lilbit! I also have Cigna Open Access Plus. (I'm waiting to hear if I've been approved or not.) I think a lot depends on what your company negotiated with Cigna. My company had a one year pre-existing condition clause on my plan, so I had to wait about 8 months. I had to do the six month supervised diet, anyway. I called Cigna at the very beginning to see if the lapband would be covered under my plan. They told me it would, if I fit the criteria. The coordinator at the surgeon's office knows exactly how to find out what is needed to get coverage. Just make sure you get a really experienced staff, as well as surgeon. I think they get a kick out of "winning" the insurance battle! I would suggest calling your company and asking them about the coverage. GOOD LUCK! I'll be waiting to hear what you find out.

Thanks, fsexton. I'm finally starting to feel better today. No nausea, YAY! No headache. I just feel rundown and have strong cravings. I have friends that quit smoking twenty years ago and say they still want a cigarette sometimes. If they can resist, then so can I!

Phew! Finally. I just got back from my GP's office and e-mailed the good clearance letter to my surgeon. I can't believe how relieved I feel! I realize now that I had been walking around with this tight pressure in my chest. Now it's gone and I can breathe freely. It's out of my hands now. We'll see if I get approval. Crossing my fingers!!!

I think that my date is going to have to be moved to December.:sad_smile:This idiot woman at my GP's office keeps writing the clearance letter wrong. She just copies the sample letter and then my doctor signs it without even reading it at all. I will be taking her the perfectly worded letter today to copy and sign. It will take two days to get it back. This will be the third try. I didn't do it this way before, because I don't have Word on my computer. Finally just wrote it in an e-mail and printed it out. I have been trying to get this letter for three weeks now!:tongue: I haven't had a Diet Coke in four and a half days. I'm so addicted, that I have been in withdrawal. Not from caffeine, because I'm still drinking that. Just the damned Coke! I've been constantly nauseous, had horrible migraines and have no energy whatsoever. I cry at the drop of a hat and the cravings!!!! I wanted to get off the Diet Coke before giving up other things, to reduce the emotional pain. Has anyone else had this problem?

I'm scheduled to be banded on November 24th (God and Cigna willing). I see this is as the greatest hurdle for me, GIVING UP DIET COKE! I am truly addicted, as many of us are. I drink over 200 oz. a day. When I have really been craving a Diet Coke and finally get my hands on one, I will lift it to the heavens and cry, "Diet Coke. Sweet elixir of life!!!!" :biggrin: Ginny

Hey, Mikel! Here's some love for ya from Gaithersburg!!!!! Ginny :biggrin:

I took Antabuse about six years ago. I had a "slip" after eleven years of sobriety in and out of AA. I drank one night and started going to meetings again, got a sponsor, etc. The desire to drink was still very strong. I asked my doctor for the prescription. I have to say I believe it saved my toosh. All it did was to take the option of drinking out of my head so that I had to work the AA program. I took it for over a year until I felt that it might be safe to stop. I guess it depends on the individual's perspective, whether it works or not. I didn't want to lose custody of my daughter, so I was very motivated to get sober again. Of course, I didn't have the lapband and don't have it now (yet). Good luck, I hope you find what works for you. Ginny

I was just given the surgery date of November 24th, but we don't have approval, yet. I'm really excited! I'm also scared that I'll get excited and have my heart set on the surgery, just to be turned down. I guess there are people that can relate, huh? I want to know, RIGHT NOW! Ginny

I'm so sorry to hear it when someone doesn't get insurance coverage! I was feeling confident that my doctor's office would be right on top of things, until yesterday. I called my GP to see why they hadn't sent the letter of recommendation to my surgeon and it turned out they never received a request for it. They got all the test results, but that was it. The program director at the surgeon's had assured me she would send the results as well as a detailed letter of all the info needed. That is what my GP told me she needed. ARRRGGHHH!!! I called the program director and supposedly, she will take care of it today. We'll see what happens. Why am I so impatient? :Dancing_biggrin: Ginny

Good luck with the insurance! I checked the local support groups for Maryland, but it seems a MD/DC/VA group for this area would have more folks. Anyone know if one already exists? Ginny

Thanks, Michiganer. I went to a seminar on Saturday and asked the question about what the ins. company is looking for with the diet. Her reply was basically, "Why the H*** do ins. companies do anything???" You answered my question better than she did. I am afraid to lose a bunch of weight on the six month diet just like you were. Honestly, I think it's a good thing that I need to wait so long. It will help me to prepare myself emotionally. I'm thinking of trying to do a lot of the things I'll have to do when banded. Like chewing my food REALLY well, not drinking with meals, etc. Hopefully it will help if I develop some of these habits before the surgery. I used to know someone that did denials/approvals for an insurance company. He said always appeal everything because they will deny in hopes that you won't pursue it. Thanks again! Ginny

My BF and I went to a seminar in D.C. today at Sibley Hospital. Has anyone had surgery done by this doctor? He used to be at Walter Reed. Thanks, Ginny

Congratulations, Michiganer and Big Fred!!! I have Cigna and after reading this entire thread I am feeling a wee bit down. I was hoping that I could have this done next week.:nervous Okay, I haven't even been to the seminar, yet. I go tomorrow. Can someone explain to me what the purpose is of the six month diet? Are they looking to see if you have the discipline to stick to it or are they checking to see if you really can't do it and need the band? I need to know which way to go on this. (Sorry, I like to kid around a lot.) My BMI is 47.5 right now. What happens if the diet gets you below 38 or whatever the cutoff is? I feel like crying after reading all of this. :think Ginny

I'm a total Newbie, living in Gaithersburg. I go to the seminar tomorrow at Sibley Hospital. Is that where Dr. Brody operates? I believe I remember seeing that name listed under D.C. doctors. (Not that my memory actually exists anymore.) I've put off considering this for a long time, but don't feel that I can avoid it anymore. NOTHING else has worked and I want to live a rich, full life. I had a doctor look me in the eye a few weeks ago and say, "You're killing yourself." That's what has me on this path. I love my daughter and fiance too much to leave them earlier than is absolutely necessary. Okay, now I'm babbling. I'd love to meet some Maryland people.:clap2: Ginny

All this talk about diets is making me hungry!!!! JK, it's actually dinner time. I've finally decided to pursue this. I'm so glad that my fiance suggested finding a lap band message board. There is so much encouragement, support and information here! I LOVE the pre-op timeline idea and I love your positive attitude. I need some of that for myself. Negativity is my worst enemy. Ginny

Hi Kathy, Did you read Grace's reply? It helped me feel better (for the moment). I found a different hospital with a seminar this Saturday. *snicker*

Wow. Thanks so much for your reply. That helps me to feel a lot better! I suspect that everyone feels really impatient to move forward once they've made the decision, huh? I just fond out the seminar two days from now is full, so I need to wait until the 28th. Can you believe I'm irritated about that? LOL!