kmorri

So how did it work out? I've had my fingers crossed for you.

If you consider this person a good friend I suggest confronting her with how you feel....and how it seems to you.....I don't mean accuse her of being jealous, but rather ask her why she hasn't had anything positive to say about your upcoming surgery and let her know that you would really like to have her support, It's possible that she doesn't realize how she's reacting..................BUT!!! If that doesn't change the situation then be ready to walk away from the relationship........

@@doingitmyway it is a pre-determination of services. I actually just chatted with someone who still works in the Pre-Auth department just to make sure nothing had changed......and it hasn't....Pre-Determination/Prior Auth....is required for bariatric surgery. Just make sure you have your approval prior to the surgery so you don't have to worry about your claim being denied.....My hospital bill alone was $47,000 and that didn't even include the surgeon's fee...........that's not a bill you want to get stuck with. good luck to you.

That's not correct....you do need the authorization for the surgery to be approved prior to surgery.....All I can think is maybe there was a misunderstanding in terminology.....but bariatric surgery requires pre-authorization.....Not only did I work there for 29 years my personal insurance is also Florida State Employee...so I have the same plan as you. :-) Especially since your BMI is less than 40.....You certainly don't want to take a chance of it being denied after the surgery is already been done....then you would be stuck with the bill. I suggest you call back and make sure they understand you're talking about Gastric Sleeve............and if I understand correctly you said your provider's office already submitted the authorization request, right? If they have already submitted it, what you should be asking is what is the status of that auth request.....They are closed now, but you can call them back tomorrow.

@@doingitmyway If you've been offered a case manager they could be a big help to you. I would suggest doing that for sure! They will also be able to keep you up to date on the status of your authorization for surgery.

It truly all depends on your insurance requirements. Like other's have said, some have a 6 month supervised diet, some 3 months requirement....some like mine, none at all. From the time I attended my informational seminar my surgery was done 2.5 months later.

@@doingitmyway If your BMI is over 35 but under 40 it really depends on the seriousness of the hypertension......sometimes if it's controlled with one medication it's not approved......if you have to take more than one medication it's more likely to be approved............Is hypertension the only obesity related condition you have?.....If it's denied try not to worry too much....ask your surgeon to do a peer to peer review.....he obviously thinks you need to surgery, so he can argue your case with a Florida Blue doctor and may be able to get it approved for you. Wishing you the best of luck! Kathy

@@Nursebeauty23 That's great!!!

I had 4...one of those was inside my belly button.....the other three were tiny! In fact I can't even find those now and it's only been 6 weeks. My surgeon used what he called micro instruments....so I guess they were really small.

Cool you and I have lost the same thing since surgery...I'm at 22.2...........and 48 over all!! I'm doing great!

It could be....The staples are made of titanium and won't set off metal detectors but will show up on x-ray....I have a titanium plate in my neck they always see it in the x-ray but it's very clear what it is and has never caused a problem...........I haven''t flown since VSG surgery but imagine the tiny staple line looks a little weird and may cause concern to the untrained eye.

I had fried shrimp, fries, cheese grits, and hush puppies at Shrimp Shack!!! OMG!! I think I can still taste it! haha

Did it hurt when it was removed? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App No it didn't hurt at all.

@@KindaFamiliar haha I just had to explain to my husband what the heck I was laughing so hard about...LOL

You won't feel full until you start eating more solid foods.

x smoker here so no judgement! I quit about 8 years ago and haven't looked back! My husband and I both quit cold turkey........... I know how hard it is! I do suggest that you don't wait until right before your pre-op diet to quit. If I were you I'd do that now. The sooner the better!....I sort of did the same thing with caffeine and carbonated drinks...rather than waiting until the pre-op I kicked those habits before so I wouldn't have the withdrawal symptoms while trying to stick to the pre-op diet.

One reason for me anyway was they had to catheterize me.....I had the catheter until the next morning.. It's really nothing to worry about....while you're awake you have on a hospital gown......you'll be fine! just relax!

Yes call and ask the surgeon's office if they have received the approval from the insurance......but Congrats! You have a date!!!

Congrats! I'm glad it went well for you. I knew it would!.............as far as your required classes you need to check with your insurance to make sure what you have scheduled will count.....or perhaps, did the Bariatric center assign a coordinator for you?....Mine did and she was very very helpful! She scheduled everything for me. Good luck to you!

For the hospital you just need a phone charger (I got an extra long one that was 10ft)......chapstick, comb or brush, tooth bush...but the hospital will supply that if you forget......maybe a pair of undies....I also brought PJs but that's not necessary.....but made me feel better when I changed into my own clothes..... For home have what ever liquids you plan to drink, Protein drinks, a couple of cans of creamed Soup, broth and maybe Greek yogurt, depending on what your diet will be for the first week......For the creamed soup when you open a can you won't be able to eat very much....put the rest in a ice tray and freeze it for later.....two ice cubes were the perfect serving size for me. Then when you're past the stage the ice cubes are great for seasoning chicken when you bake it. As far as what to expect at the hospital your doctor's office would be your best resource as everyone is a little different....if you have specific questions I'll do my best to answer them.

at one week it was full liquids for me......which included things like greek yogurt, creamed soups and protein drinks.

@@Mudgy6 I used the Unjury brand protein powder....right after surgery but then switched to the EAS brand pre-made.

Why doesn't she like premier? My surgeon specifically recommended premier. This is another one that the doctors and NUTs are all over the place. My NUT didn't approve any protein supplement that had whey or soy protein concentrate.....or hydrolyzed Gelatin, or collagen protein... I can't remember for sure now but I think the Premier had concentrate. In fact I never found any pre-made that didn't have protein concentrate. I followed those instructions right at first but did decide pre-made easier and better....I used the EAS brand.

yeah no undies.....in fact I woke up catheterized....it wasn't removed until the next morning.

You are all right the waiting for the insurance approval I think was the worst part of the whole thing.....I think it's because you've done all this hard work and jumped through all these hoops and this last thing could just put an end to it all.... As someone who just recently gone through it, let me just say it is all worth it in the end! and once you get past this the next thing you'll be waiting for is getting a surgery date...haha Once you get the date it starts to get real real fast!!! As far as the insurance approval don't be afraid to call customer service and check on the status of your auth. Wait until it's been submitted for a week.....5 working days and then call to check to make sure they have it and what's the status....from that point call every other day. I retired from Florida Blue (BCBS of Florida) I think one of you has insurance through them. Back in April when my auth was done they had a 6 business day back log (I found that out through inside connections) so that means about 6 days before it gets to someone's desk to review.........it is probably still about the same, so hang in there! If anyone gets denied ask your surgeon to request a Peer to Peer review....that's when your surgeon will argue your case with a doctor who works for the insurance company.....most of the time your surgeon will win.....if he doesn't then you or the surgeon can request an official appeal. I wish all of you the best of luck! You'll get past this stage in no time!!!