4jin

thanks StLouisGal.... I just found out this morning my paperwork was submitted yesterday! yikes..! to BCBS as well..... I am sorry to hear you have waited 2 weeks....no way....I don't know if I can hold out that long.... have you tried to give them a call see what the hold is? but you are probably right if they are like at my job....out for the holidays....LOL or partying LOL Well, Alfie that is great...I don't get a surgery date until approval... Congrats on being a January bandster..but sounds good if they penciled you in...... Congrats Chrisann on your fast approval...I pray I get a fast approval as well..... Thanks everyone for replying to my thread....I am hanging from a thread myself......on my knees begging for approval from BCBS.....

How about it future bandsters!!! What shall we set as a goal?

Oh in addition to my suggestions I like the JJ's.....January Jewels what's the gem stone for january any1 know?

Ok I came up with some.... hope they don't sound corney! 1. January-Discovering Bandits 2. January-Magical Odyssey 3. January-Banded Voyagers 4. January-MetaMorphosis

congrats..........I hope to be banded in January as well.

OMG! I am so sorry to hear what has happened to you. I will add you to my daily prayers right beside me. I am hoping to be banded in January 2008. Please keep us updated on your health.

$199 no way...I will keep checking thanks dieka32

yep....it's currently on sale for $249.99.

welcome firedust!

Hi there. I don't see a thread started for waiting to be approved for January 2008 bandsters. I hope to be a January bandster...my best new year start ever! I will be submitting to insurance soon. Thought we could give each other support until approval.:ranger:

I too had to have a referral from my family doc. That is the easy part... the harder part was getting the letter from the family doc to my surgeon. At least I thought it was going to be hard, what I did was as my surgeon's office suggested...I did all the required steps once I completed that I went to see my family doctor...he had by then already received psych eval, lab results, etc..so he saw I was committed to working hard. He heard my concerns and easily agreed this was a good choice for me. And aggreed to do the letter. It was much easier than I thought.... just pray....and it will happen.. I have heard of other doctors deny and say lets diet once more..but It is really your decision if that is the case...I personally would find another family doc that would support my decisions....

Im in 1.36 miles minimum per day on treadmill!

:funnypost::crazy:yep....not loco in the cabeza

Yes and no.. My psch doc was great... he just asked basic questions to make sure I didn't have an eating disorder such as bulemia, anorexia, etc... but on the psych eval which he sent me a copy of it does list as me having an eating disorder but just in general not an specific one only because we go from diet to diet....and we are successful, but then we suppress that and go to the other extreme where we allow ourselves to overeat, gain and not be able to control it.

Mrssmartpants, LOL right back at ya!!! :clap2: at least now we know we will be heading in the right direction.. :scared: right in front of the camera lens!!! I think my DH and I will be fighting who will take the picture.!!!

Hey maybe you guys can go together as each others buddies!

ok guys.... I have completed all preop requirements........yessssss:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2: Ok...the doc office called me...they are waiting on cardiologist report which she should have gotten by yesterday and the letter from my pcp i am medically stable. So, with that said she will be calling me when she submits which should be at the latest next friday.... ah....getting the shakes just thinking about it...:cry wish me luck!!

I switched to Northside because I felt like Emory was giving me the run around. They sent me to an Optifast seminar, and a training seminar(dietician program seminar) before I got upset and then they finally scheduled me for the right one. Once they did she scheduled me for one in November, but then called me back to reschedule that there was a mistake and they are booked for November that I had to wait until beg of December I think it was the 5th or something like that. Then in the meantime, I could not see the surgeon until I went to the informational seminar. Then my DH travels so I was not going to be able to have him come. Plus i have told him about the surgery but not exactly what it is for (fatness)(lol). I don't want to involve any1 else and the only person I could would be my mother and she lives out of state. So I got mad...and said heck with them...I am not giving up...I will take it like a grain of salt and see it as a test of how bad I want/need this. I switched over to Northside. They had a seminar open that following Wednesday from the date I called, but I choose after thanksgiving 11/28. I wasted a whole month with Emory. But don't get me wrong I have heard they are great....I just happened to fall in the crack and figured I did not need to jump extra hoops and waste time & gas $$-oh and parking you have to pay for parking there. With Northside, you can see my experience on my signature. It has been less than 30 days from the date I went to the informational seminar and I am waiting all records to be compiled and at the latest next friday they should be sent to the insurance. Again, that is my experience, you research, and choose whomever is best for you. But I have absolutely loved Dr. Johnson and his staff, and even Johns Creek Hospital(which is where he performs his surgeries) I also choose to do my lab testing there....got that done all on 1 day in a couple of hours....it has been great...! :clap2:

Dear Steve, Take a deep breath please! Ok...now that you are breathing ok...:guess OK....don't let anyone discourage you!! In order to get the ball rolling this is what I did: 1. I called my insurance company with my group # info only.... This is what I told them(was told to do this because they can be sneaky sometimes)....Don't give them your info...just say your employer gave you this group id#, you are thinking of switching to them and want to know certain things regarding coverage.... Then ask what is your group id's policy for morbid obesity procedures for those who are medically necessary. Give them this CPT code #43770(lapband & port surgery for medically necessary). I have BCBS of GA. This is their policy in general if they do cover it, but check with your plan or while you have them on the phone ask how you can view their general requirements online(but they might be the same I am attaching the link to) SURG.00024 Surgery for Clinically Severe Obesity 2. At that time they should be able to tell you if your policy has an exclusion to any morbid obesity procedures. If they do...it's ok you are going to have to pay for the procedure that's all. This means that what I have seen people do is they still process under insurance for anesthesia, follow ups, hospitalization(if necessary), lab work,etc...the insurance just won't cover the actual procedure. The good news is your process will be way faster self-pay. 3. If you are self-pay when you go to a seminar-make sure you let the coordinator there know. They will give you priority....you should be able to see the surgeon within the next couple of days thereafter. Once you have your initial consult with the surgeon if all goes well you shall be scheduled for surgery within a couple of weeks-I have read some within 15 days! Now, if you are interested in Mexico, Please contact Wassabubblebutt. She is a member here just do a search for her name. She had her surgery in Mexico, although she won't know pricing she can give you advise or at least where to research the doctor/facility you choose there. And can share her experience with you. Be very careful! A better deal from 1 doctor doesnt make him/her the best...just research their stats. also please remember if you have it in Mexico it will be 100% selfpay, insurance will not cover-not even labwork. Hope this helps...:ranger: It's all like everything else ---reading and doing some homework. I too once was like you...I was even sent to 2 wrong seminars by one of the top hospitals here-they give people the run around to see who really wants it and who doesn't and their informational seminars where so booked I had to wait 2 months...well guess what I found another location- Just as good....and believe it or not I was able to jump thru all the hoops in less than 30 days... I am waiting for all my medical records to be gathered and sent to insurance which should be at the latest next friday. And I started with my informational seminar on 11/28 and I finished on 12/12. And this is with insurance....hopefully my insurance approval comes back approved just as fast. Otherwise...that will be my dragging point... But If I was self-pay...believe me...I think I would already be either banded or with a surgery date for the next few days. Again if you have any questions...feel free to post or PM me... I am not an expert but got to understand this lingo process a bit and I can try to be of help. :clap2:

LOL Wasa....she just can't get enough of your love.....:kiss2:

thanks! My appts were great. The dietician did not have me go on a liquid diet or any diet as a matter of fact. She just recommended I concentrate on eating my 3 meals per day and 2 Snacks. She wants me to play around with recipes and try working on getting in amounts of Protein per day such as trying Protein shakes... which has been good because I was sorta able to kick that little devil talk on the last meal syndrome I was developing. The preop appts went well. I was admitted as a 1 day inpatient and was able to do all my procedures yesterday. So grateful it was done that way...I was in at 7am and out by noon. I was not even starving altought I had not eaten all day. That chalky stuff for the upper GI was nasty. but bearable. I just got a call from the surgeon office and they are compiling everything, she needs two things and will be calling me when she submitts to the insurance. Now I am so nervous, anxious and excited I can scream!!!!AAHAHAHAHAH She even congratulated me twice for doing the whole process in less than 1 month. She is hoping the insurance is just as quick as I was about it. And said might even get me in for surgery before the NEW YEAR....ok...what...did I hear right....ammm....maybe I want to leave it for January....I don't know...but I'll cross that bridge when I get there for now I am leaving it as I had mentally planned middle of January of 2008. yeah...me!:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Nice Job Amber, from what I have read UHC is a hard one to approve...you must have a good plan. I have BCBS...I just finished all my preop requirements I am waiting for the coordinator to coordinate(lol) and submit to the insurance....but I am shaking in my pants already...

Hi there everyone.... I finished all my preop requirements yesterday. I am waiting for the coordinator to get all records together and submit to insurance. (hopefully by the end of next week) Until then i am freakin' out! I want my surgery to be middle of january.

nice I am going to check out the chai tea. My local Kroger has a specialty area for organics. I found a SF Hersheys Dark cocoa that you can make hot chocolate with...I just mix it with water and some sweetner. It is sold at Kroger/SuperWalmart.

wow you guys are such great support. jacole, I am feeling the same way. I think its what most call the last meal syndrome. I am trying to get it under control. It is all in the mind really. I am trying to catch that little devil voice telling me to eat this or eat that and I am nipping it in the bud... For me I know it is definitely the stress of awaiting for my records to be compiled and be sent to insurance. In the meantime nerves are working a mental appetite..