SpecialK

KTBugg - I assume you are talking about Dr. Marcus Miller who is in with Dr. Price and Dr. Choban at Mid-Ohio Surgical Associates. Several of us are chatting on the N E 1 Been Banded at Mt. Carmel thread under Ohio. So far I'm the only one with Dr. Price to be my surgeon. The others have Dr. Choban. Its all personal preference. They all were very qualilfied.

Debbie --Looks like you are having lots of fun with trying new clothes (even if they are 'new to you' from the thrift shop) -- Congratulations. I can't wait to do the same. Loved your new Ticker with the shoes and things - shows you're having a good time!

Looking forward to meeting you ladies in person! I'm waiting on a call from the cardiologist for the results of the chemical stress test and echocardiogram from Dec 14 and Dec 20th. I'm hoping that they were normal and they just haven't notified me of the results due to the holidays. If they weren't normal and they haven't tried to contact me if its anything serious that wouldn't be good. So I'm staying positive that nothing is wrong and they are just behind on paperwork and calling with results. Say a prayer that all is fine if you will please.

Search the Aetna Navigator web site and look for Clinical Policy Bulletin #0157 on Obesity Surgery and share that with your weight loss surgeon's office to be sure you jump through the right sequence of hoops or clearances and nutrition stuff they require. I'm working through this myself now.

If you haven't read it over yet. go to the Aetna Navigator web site where you can look up Clinical Policy Bulletin's and search for Bulletin #0157 Obesity Surgery and it details all the requirements for weight loss surgery. You need to give that to your surgeon or bariatric program coordinator you are working with and they'll let you know what medical and psych clearances and things you have to do. Good luck.

I would like to suggest you consider contacting a large church in your area that has alot of different support groups, particularly ones with single Mom's support or Youth Minister and see if someone could help you out. Swap a day of babysitting with one of them in exchange for helping them sometime later. Just an idea. I'd be working to get to know them in advance so you felt comfortable with them watching your children of course.

Here it is coming up on the New Year already - 3 months since I started my lapband journey - and I'm still jumping through hoops. I thought I'd recap here for my own record as well as share with others who may be considering lap band surgery how long things do take even if you are working at it and staying on top of it. They don't make it easy to do. BUT I AM DETERMINED !!!!!!!!!!!!! 2007 Oct 3 - Attended the Hospital's Bariatric Program Information session held on the first week of the month. See the various hsopital websites for info. 2007 Oct 10 - Confirmed my insurance (Aetna PPO) does have bariatric surgery as an option they will cover if you meet the required conditions. 2007 - Oct 22 Mailed the application packet I received on Oct 3 into hospital bariatric program doctors and this is quite a bit of info to complete on health history so you can be considered as a candidate for their bariatric program. 2007 Nov 10 - Received acceptance for Bariatric program from surgeons with all the info I need to gather and medical clearances I have to complete before it can be submitted to my insurance. Paid a $300 program administrative fee out of pocket - not covered by insurance. 2007 Nov 15 - Dr. at Sleep Medicine Center gives me clearance letter required for sleep apnea based on prior sleep study info. Don't have to repeat this to get clearance! No Cost $$ Yea! 2007 Nov 28 - Cardiologist appointment to begin cardiology clearance - basic exam and EKG and fortunately he's on my In Network doctors list so all I have is a $25 co-pay out of pocket. Requires me to have a chemical stress test and echocardiogram before he can write cardiac clearance letter for lap band surgery. 2007 Nov 29 - Psychologist (Phd not just LISW,MA) appointment to begin psychology clearance required. Basic 1st appointment but identifies that she cannot write clearance letter for surgery without a written 200 question psychological test given, graded or evaluated by her then her recomendatioons from that test shared with me. $20 co-pay only out of pocket. 2007 Nov 30 - my bariatric surgeon - initial appointment to discuss weight loss surgery options - agrees to perform lap band surgery and write letter to insurance for approval as soon as I can complete the clearances I am required to do. $25 co-pay only out of pocket. 2007 Dec 3 - Attend required minimum 1 Hospital's Bariatric Support Program Monthly meeting. Free! 2007 Dec 5 - Primary Care Physician (PCP) requires $50 out of pocket administrative fee to pull 5 years of medical records from a remote storage and copy it to provide a required history of 5 years of morbid obesity BMI info for Aetna insurance clearance. 2007 Dec 14 - Chemical Stress Test done on my heart as one of two special tests for cardiology clearance. 2007 Dec 19 - Echocardiogram test done on my heart as 2nd of special tests required for cardiology clearance. Now need to find out results of tests and see if Dr will write cardiology clearance letter first week of January or what is next. $$ out of pocket for 2 tests unknown. Will be submitted to insurance and we'll see. 2007 Dec 18 - Initial Hospital Bariatric Nutritionist appointment with RD for nutriotion counseling diet history, etc. $200 cost out of pocket. Will try to submit to insurance but don't know if nutrition counseling covered. 2007 Dec 21 - Psychological test cancelled 2nd time because of insurance pre-cert delays. Will now have to try for January and likely pay for the psychological test out of pocket. 2008 - Jan 11 - 2nd Nutritionist appointment - believe I have either 3 total or 6 total still not sure how many minimum! $100 out of pocket per appt. but will try to submit for insurance to see if they will cover any of it. 2008 - Jan 16 - 2nd PCP doctor appointment to document weight loss efforts and document BMI. $20 co-pay only out of pocket. 2008 - Jan 18 - Psychological test (200 question written test) - Likely to have to pay out of pocket on this. $$ unknown To Do: 2008 - Feb - 3rd Nutritionist appt To Do: 2008 - Feb - 3rd PCP appt Goal: 2008 - March 1 - Submit for Insurance approval!

Here it is coming up on the New Year already - 3 months since I started my lapband journey - and I'm still jumping through hoops. I thought I'd recap here for my own record as well as share with others who may be considering lap band surgery how long things do take even if you are working at it and staying on top of it. They don't make it easy to do. 2007 Oct 3 - Attended the Mt. Carmel Bariatric Program Information session held at Mt. Carmel East Hospital on the first week of the month. See their website for info. 2007 Oct 10 - Confirmed my insurance (Aetna PPO) does have bariatric surgery as an option they will cover if you meet the required conditions. 2007 - Oct 22 Mailed the application packet I received on Oct 3 into Mt. Carmel and this is quite a bit of info to complete on health history so you can be considered as a candidate for their bariatric program. 2007 Nov 10 - Received acceptance for Mt. Carmel Bariatric program from Mid Ohio Surgical Associates with all the info I need to gather and medical clearances I have to complete before it can be submitted to my insurance. Paid a $300 program administrative fee out of pocket - not covered by insurance. 2007 Nov 15 - Dr. Cunningham at Mid Ohio Sleep Medicine gives me clearance letter required for sleep apnea based on prior sleep study info. Don't have to repeat this to get clearance! No Cost $$ Yea! 2007 Nov 28 - Dr. Chawla appointment to begin cardiology clearance - basic exam and EKG and fortunately he's on my In Network doctors list so all I have is a $25 co-pay out of pocket. Requires me to have a chemical stress test and echocardiogram before he can write cardiac clearance letter for lap band surgery. 2007 Nov 29 - Dr. Brenner appointment to begin psychology clearance required. Basic 1st appointment but identifies that she cannot write clearance letter for surgery without a written 200 question psychological test given, graded or evaluated by her then her recomendatioons from that test shared with me. $20 co-pay only out of pocket. 2007 Nov 30 - Dr. Phil Price - my Mid Ohio Surgical Assoc/Mt. Carmel bariatric surgeon - initial appointment to discuss weight loss surgery options - agrees to perform lap band surgery and write letter to insurance for approval as soon as I can complete the clearances I am required to do. $25 co-pay only out of pocket. 2007 Dec 3 - Attend required minimum 1 Mt. Carmel Bariatric Support Program Monthly meeting at Mt. Carmel West. Free! 2007 Dec 5 - Primary Care Physician (PCP) requires $50 out of pocket administrative fee to pull 5 years of medical records from a remote storage and copy it to provide a required history of 5 years of morbid obesity BMI info for Aetna insurance clearance. 2007 Dec 14 - Chemical Stress Test done on my heart as one of two special tests for cardiology clearance. 2007 Dec 19 - Echocardiogram test done on my heart as 2nd of special tests required for cardiology clearance. Now need to find out results of tests and see if Dr. Chawla will write clearance letter first week of January or what is next. $$ out of pocket for 2 tests unknown. Will be submitted to insurance and we'll see. 2007 Dec 18 - Initial Mt. Carmel Bariatric Nutritionist appointment with Michelle Strakowski, RD for nutriotion counseling diet history, etc. $200 cost out of pocket. Will try to submit to insurance but don't know if nutrition counseling covered. 2007 Dec 21 - Psychological test cancelled 2nd time because of insurance pre-cert delays. Will now have to try for January and likely pay for the psychological test out of pocket. 2008 - Jan 11 - 2nd Nutritionist appointment - believe I have either 3 total or 6 total still not sure how many minimum! $100 out of pocket per appt. but will try to submit for insurance to see if they will cover any of it. 2008 - Jan 16 - 2nd PCP doctor appointment to document weight loss efforts and document BMI. $20 co-pay only out of pocket. 2008 - Jan 18 - Psychological test (200 question written test) - Likely to have to pay out of pocket on this. $$ unknown To Do: 2008 - Feb - 3rd Nutritionist appt To Do: 2008 - Feb - 3rd PCP appt Goal: 2008 - March 1 - Submit for Insurance approval!

Hard to believe a couple of months has already flown by and before we know it, this meeting date we set will be here. I thought I'd bump this to the end a couple times to be sure everyone sees it who wants to after the new year is here. I have had some suggestions to also have an East side of Columbus get together some time on a Saturday or Sunday so that those who work nights on the weekdays or who live further east can join in the fun. Let's keep this meeting here still and we'll see if Debbie from Heath and I can work out a 2nd east side meeting too. Happy New Year! :clap2:

I have received some responses that people are interested in this meeting and also that we should try to schedule one on the East side of Columbus on a Saturday for those who can't make a weekday. Let's still do this one for those who can make it and I'll chat with Debbie from Heath and see what we can work out for the east side group to get together.

I wasn't real good at this but what I was told and finally figured out was to go to Trying To Conceive Ticker and create a ticker then I highlighted it and pasted it into a Word document temporarily (the image of it) then on our www.lapbandtalk.com web site, there is a UserCP option for editing your Signature, Profile, etc. (its in a light blue band of options, 2nd from the left) and within that is an Edit Signature option on the left hand panel, then you copy the image of your ticker and paste it into your Signature box as an image and save. There might be other ways to do this but I think this is how I got mine to work.

My sister and I used to always some up with a New Year's slogan and she shared hers yesterday with me: 2008 - Its going to be Great! I was thinking Lose Weight in 2008! and Get Healthy in 2008 will be my theme. I can remember one year we had a slogan of "Lose Weight, Get a Date, Find a Mate in 1988!" Too bad it didn't work for me. Looking forward to getting my lap band in 2008! Any others want to chime in with their New Year slogan or resolution? Happy New Year! :clap2::clap2:

Angelsma - I'm working through my clearances that insurance approval requires and I'm hoping to be able to submit for approval by mid-February so I am also praying for banding in early 2008. I'm working with doctors and the Mt. Carmel program. Some of us are planning to meet at Polaris mall on Jan 8 in person so if you are interested, let us know.

Here is the name of the thread under the Ohio subforum that has us Mt. Carmel folks chatting on it. N E 1 been Banded at Mt. Carmel col, oh

Hello. I'm working to get my approval to also have Dr. Price from Mid Ohio Surgical Associates do my procedure when I get my approval. I'm going through all the insurance clearances now. We have a thread that is for the Mt. Carmel group of bandsters so join us on that one. A group of us are meeting in person at Polaris Mall on Jan 8th if you are interested. We'd love to meet you too. Kathy

I don't want to worry about requesting a Table in a restaurant when only Booths are available and making my family wait or feel embarrassed for us. I don't want to weigh more than the front line players on the Pro Football teams -- so embarrassing when they announce what those guys weigh and I know I'm close or over that amount.

What is a bodybugg?

Be sure you all are aware of the insurance forum thread and then you can see what others have been doing on working with BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, etc. Here's a real testament to perseverance - this lady hung in there for 2 years and got her approval in the past week! What a blessing. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f8/after-2-years-i-am-approved-47405/

Sue, sorry to hear about BCBS being so picky about the sleep apnea issue. Do you use a CPAP? My Sleep Medicine doctor is Dr. Joseph Cunningham and he encouraged me to consider bariatric surgery so he was really cooperative in writing my letter saying he felt I needed the surgery and my sleep apnea would be improved or eliminated if I got surgery and lost significant weight. Good luck in writing an appeal letter. There is a posting on this web site from a lady who went through 2 years of fighting to get her approval and she got some kind of an obesity law group involved to help her along the way. I'll see if I can find the posting and link it here later. I'm in Arizona this Christmas and today is our big holiday meal. I am planning to be as reasonable as I can. So far I've done okay in not getting into sweets especially. Merry Christmas!

I was sent this graphic and thought it was beautiful and couldn't think of a better place to share it than with Christian bandsters. God Bless You all.

I raised your family in prayer as I read your posting today. Our God is an Awesome and Powerful God, the mighty Healer. God Bless you and your husband.

I applaud your persistence!!! Congratulations. I'd have my pre-op admission testing and 2 week of Optifast or whatever diet done in January so I could line right up for surgery as early in February as he can schedule you. WOW! What a nice Christmas gift!

I just wanted to take time to thank everyone for all the insight they have provided to me via this web site. I really haven't encountered anyone else to talk with in person so far - no family has had weight loss surgery and no friends or coworkers that have ever admitted it to me at least. I'm off to spend the next 11 days in Arizona for Christmas with my brother and sisters. Can't wait! Merry Christmas!

I completed my echocardiogram yesterday. Was a little surprised to have a young male technician to have to do it, kind of like having a male technician for a mammogram but I just kept repeating to myself (silently!) he's a medical professional, you can do this! Yep, over and done with in about 25-30 minutes. I talked with my psych consult doctor and that appointment had to get rescheduled to mid-January because we're having trouble finding out if insurance will cover it. I just said the heck with it, we'll schedule it for that date and if I end up paying out of pocket for the test, that's what I'll have to do. Wish me luck and say a prayer I can get an Aetna approval pre-cert for the psych testing that they themselves require for the surgery to be performed. I also found out that there is an Aetna provider for dietician's that works with Mt. Carmel West hospital patients and she was super to talk with. She said she'd call the bariatric coordinator to find out exactly how many appointments I needed to do and what needed to be documented to be sure I got the diet counseling clearance check off I needed. Super nice! I'm looking forward to meeting her. I found out Michelle from Mt. Carmel that does all the other bariatric program nutrition work doesn't do appointments to help complete insurance clearances because she has so many hospital program patients to do just pre-op and post-op counseling and support group with. Sounds logical and she offered to refer me to someone but I thought I'd better just check the In-Network list of nutrionists on Aetna's list to have the most success at them paying for that. I'm a jumping hoops as fast as I can. There is a chance now I'm finding out that if I do 3 Nutrition appointments including the 1 already done with Michelle, that if I do one in January and one in February, they can submit for insurance approval. Instead of thinking I might be a May/June band surgery date it could be March. That's exciting to consider.

I called today for the RD that is on Aetna's list for my plan and they let me know its likely Aetna won't cover the dietician visits required for bariatric surgery and that it will be about $100 for a 1 hour visit so that means at least $200 out of pocket for that for me for 2 more visits plus the one I did this month with the hospital's dietician this week. Just keep on jumping through those hoops!