BloomingLotus

This meeting coincides with the 14th annual no-pants subway ride... This could be be quite the interesting commute over! ????

I've been single most of my life so I can't claim to know anything about the complexities of an abusive relationship, but I wanted to chime in to congratulate you for taking the first step for help. I imagine that it was extremely difficult, and you were brave enough to do it. Congratulations. I hope that you find the support you need and have people around you that truly recognize your worth (including yourself)!

I'm scheduled for January 29th too and start my liquid diet on the 15th. We are all in this together and can stick to it! Good luck to everyone

Psych approval is pretty common across the board for all surgeries. The surgeon wants to be responsible and address any emotional issues beforehand. Don't take it personally!

For my Aetna plan, I need to have a bmi over 40 and could not gain a single ounce from the beginning until the end of my supervised diet. Even gaining from one appointment to the next but ending lower could get you denied. If you have comorbidities a bmi of 35 is allowed. So clearly, each insurance is really different and it's worth checking out

@@lisacaron that's what I was hoping for! I start my pre-op liquids on the 15th so it's really starting to feel real! While I may not have much to contribute to the meeting this time, I hope that by the next meeting I have a lot to say!

I will not miss my pants leaving button-and -thread imprints on my body. Ouch.

@@gowalking - I will be there! For some weird reason, I couldn't see the details in your prior post from my iPhone app But when I clicked your post and chose "quote" the info showed up for me when I went to reply. How bizarre! I'm excited to meet you all ????

I'd be interested in the details of the meet-up too! I live in Brooklyn & work in Manhattan and I'm scheduled for sleeve surgery at NYU on Jan 29th! Having some local support from people who have been through this process would be fantastic ????

@@BLERDgirl it was actually someone from the hospital who gave me the name. I'll do some more investigation and see what people have to say!

@@BLERDgirl me too. After reviewing the website of the company, I'm pretty confident in the care they can provide. I hope that all I need is someone to get me home, but knowing that they are trained puts me at ease a bit. It's not cheap, but then again my health and safety are worth more than money. I just wonder how the hospital will react to me using a service, and how and when to book. I'm sure a few phone calls will clear everything up, but I value your opinions and was hoping for some personal experiences!

@ I haven't - I'm still exploring options at this point. I'm tentatively scheduled for Jan 29 so I have a little time. I don't know if ethically a volunteer could do this, but it's worth asking around.

@@Elode - I plan on being alone once I'm home, but it's the hospitals CYA (cover your hiney) policy to only discharge you with an adult escort. Since 99% of the universe has family with them, it's usually not an issue. I just need a competent human to stand beside me when I leave. The service will take me home, fill my prescriptions and all that, but it's expensive. I'm pretty self-sufficient and I do have friends very nearby should I need help after the fact. Unfortunately I do need someone to take me home, and a cab driver doesn't count apparently ha!

Has anyone used a medical escort service to discharge them from the hospital post-surgery? My surgery is a secret. The only people I would want to tell have severe anxiety and live out of state. They also have a whole host of medical problems themselves. I know that the people I would want to tell could not be here for the surgery and I don't want to send them into an anxiety-driven state, knowing they can't help. I have no in-state family and unfortunately, I know that close friends would not be supportive. As such, I'm on this road alone-ish. I plan to inform my support system after-the-fact. Obviously, after a major surgery, the hospital will not discharge you without someone. I was given the number of a medical escort company, essentially a visiting nurse-type service. My question is whether anyone has used a service like this, and what your experience was? I'm in NYC if anyone has specific recommendations as well.

Thank you everyone for calming me down a bit! I have done everything that has been asked of me and followed my requirements to the letter, so the idea of denial never actually entered my mind until today, but when it did, oh boy! If you go back 2 more years in history I weighed more than I do now, so it really does show my (lifelong) pattern of lose some, gain some +10.

I have finished my supervised diet and all seems to be in order. My new insurance became effective today, so my submission will be happening soon. All of a sudden today I flew into a panic: what if I get denied?? I know it sounds silly but I never really considered that I could do everything right and not get approved. I have Aetna, and I did not gain during my supervised diet, so I'm good on that front. My bmi is still over 40 with my loss so far, and I have no comorbidities. My biggest concern: my weight history. I needed to provide a 2 year history, and I know that in 2012 I weighed the least I have in a long time, after doing weight watchers for 2 years. I lost 68lbs (only to gain back 75). The records were sent from my PCP directly to my surgeon so I didn't actually see my recorded weight. I'm really concerned about being denied because in 2012 my bmi very well could have been less than 40. Has anyone with Aetna had the same issue?

I'm tentatively scheduled for the 29th, pending approval!

Wow. Thank goodness they found it so soon! Wishing you strength in the coming weeks and a speedy recovery!

It went well! I had all my questions saved in a note on my phone ???? I was given a January 29th date!! Also, my new insurance doesn't delay my processing AND my surgery will now be covered at 100% rather than at the 80% it would have been under my old plan!!! Today rocks ???????????? Now on to the submission/approval!

When I first started researching this process, it felt like it would take forever. Today is my final weigh-in and it feels like the last few months flew! I expect to get a surgery date today and I'm incredibly excited! I upgraded my insurance starting Jan 1 so I'm *slightly* concerned that will somehow delay me, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it! I have a few last-visit questions for the surgeon, but does anyone have any "I wish I asked that" questions for your last visit with the surgeon?

You can always ask for watered down cranberry juice on the rocks. For all your friends know, it's a vodka cranberry!

I already know that my deductible counts towards my out of pocket max. With the buy-up my deductible drops from 500 to 250, but the total out of pocket max is the same. For coinsurance though: for inpatient surgery (I'm expected to stay one day): High plan : $100 deductible stay/0% coninsurance and 0% coinsurance for physician/surgeon Current plan: 20% coinsurance on both My appointment co-pays and prescription co-pays will go down by $10 each. Monthly, it's about $100 extra per month. Realistically speaking, I *think* it makes sense for this year, knowing I will have surgery and plenty of follow up visits. I hope in doing the math right!

Through my company's health insurance open enrollment, I have the opportunity to "buy-up" to a higher coverage plan for the next year. My surgery will likely be in late January or early February so the plan would be active by then. It seems like considering all of the associated costs it would be a better option. Both plans cover bariatric surgery, but the higher plan has a lower deductible and much lower coinsurance rates for surgery and hospital stays. I'm trying to determine if the increased monthly cost for the year will be worth the hospital and follow-up savings. Has anyone done this before? Was the decision to "buy-up" worth it in your opinion?

Beautiful!

I have aetna and I'm required to weigh monthly as well. I have been told that I cannot gain from start to finish, and that even a gain from weigh in to weigh in (but still ending lower) could jeopardize my approval. My aetna plan also required a 2 year weight history, and letter of recommendation from my PCP. If there is a surgical coordinator where you go, I'm sure she/he could write down everything you'll need so you have time to get it all together!