CMTurner

I am hoping to have the same news quickly. You will be posting a surgery date before you know it. Continued Good Luck!

I actually heard from the surgeon's nurse (guess she is tired of talking to me or having to return my calls every other day :biggrin2:) and she told me that the surgeon asked them to pull all the files that needed notes transcribed for insurance and she would work on them Friday afternoon. So maybe this means it will get done and maybe actually sent off to insurance sometime next week. Now just gotta pray, dance, whatever that Cigna approves so I can jump on the "Band Wagon". Good luck to you all too.

Baby oil. apply with cotton ball and let sit for a bit then rub right off.

Hey xgrl Got one better for ya. LOL I saw my surgeon for the insurance required history and physical on July 23 and they still don't have that typed up and sent downstairs (literally down the elevator and about 30 yrds to the weight loss center) so they can send in the information to the insurance so I can wait some more to find out if I am approved or have to start an appeals process. I have called the surgeon's office and the weightloss center multiple times. Surgeon's nurse said she "left the dr a note", "there is a tape on the dr's desk that needs to be typed up but she doesn't know if my visit is even on there". I was only in her office for about 10 minutes or so so I am not sure what is taking her so long. She probably could have completed it from the information provided by my pcp. I will be calling again tomorrow. I bet if the insurance needed those notes to pay the claim for the office visit they would have them done and sent off. Maybe they are waiting to be paid for the office visit before they type up the notes to send in for approval. Uggghhhhhhh!! About makes me wanna see about switching doctors at this point. Just hope the insurance approval (hell even a denial) happens quicker than this. At this rate it will be December before I can schedule a surgery date since at the July 23rd visit she said they were currently scheduling surgeries for mid October. :biggrin::cursing::tongue_smilie:

How did I know Plain would post here??? LOL Just kidding. I like that you like to keep educated Plain. More men should.

If a woman only ever gets one thing, I think it should be a bullet (or a double bullet!)! We have both and the double one comes with a wonderful soft cock ring where you can slip one in the front to stimulate the clit and the other in the back to stimulate him! Whoever invented the bullet....Thank You! In fact, it is the present I buy for my good friends. I recently found a wireless, waterproof version that has a remote that is useful from 25 ft away. I haven't had the pleasure of getting one for myself (yet) but now all my friends remind me when their birthdays come up. LOL I tried to talk one of my friends into slipping it into her boyfriends pants pocket and try activating it when he got up to sing kareoke but she wouldn't. Oh well. She did advise me later it was a wonderful gift. Froggi you came up with a fun thread.:crying:

Cigna is pretty insistant about the 6 consecutive months of medically supervised weight loss. I would see about coming up with that or following through on 6 consecutive months of medically supervised visits with a medical record for each of the 6 months with a weigh in at each visit. They are strict about this. The weight history of 5 yrs not so much. I know I have Cigna. I haven't been approved yet (because they are still awaiting my history and physical from the surgeon to submit) but I got that information from the staff at the weight loss center and directly from the Cigna website. Here is the link stating their coverage position on bariatric surgery (only if bariatric surgery is covered under your plan) http://www.cigna.com/customer_care/healthcare_professional/coverage_positions/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf Hope this helps. My suggestion is appeal (and either "come up with" or complete 6 month visits)

I paid a $350 "program fee" which includes their initial evaluation (to qualify for surgery), 2 nutrition education classes (which were required by the surgeon), processing my insurance request, and follow-up sessions with the dietician for 5 years. That of course doesn't include any copays or coinsurance amounts for visits or pre-op testing or the surgery. The nutrition classes were pretty helpful but I think I coulda gotten my own info together to submit to insurance and have it sent in already since my initial surgeon's appointment was July 23 and they still don't have the notes from that to send in for insurance approval. I guess I will have to start calling them everyday and maybe remind them they aren't keeping up their end of the bargain since I had to pay that amount before I could go to the classes or see the surgeon. Hmmmmm:confused2::crying:

I know what some of you mean....I too feel like I could give the seminar/class for the most part. I tried talkin to this girl and give her the web address but she said the thought of seeing a video of the surgery or discussing the process of fills was making her squeamish. LOL Boy does she have a rude awakening coming. Thanks to everyone who has "told their story" or provided info in any way.

I was out with some friends this last Friday night and my friend introduced me to this girl who is also getting the lapband done here in Memphis. I am excited for her and we start talking about the whole process and surgery. She tells me she "already has approval from her insurance" but she still needs to attend a seminar and have her psych eval. So I tell her about this and a couple of the other websites I have found helpful. She says once she has met those requirements she is just waiting on a surgery date. That is bad enough that here is this other person just skippin right through and being approved for surgery with hardly any effort ( I KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE ENVIOUS but I am). Then she proceeds to ask me what foods she won't be able to eat (because I pointed out she would have to give up beer(at least for a while) and carbonated beverages). She seemed REALLY concerned about consuming alcohol. Then her next question was wether her port would be visible or be on the outside of her skin. This is where I KNEW she had NOT done ANY research. She didn't even know there would be adjustments to band after the surgery????? The only FACTS she knew where how much her insurance was going to cover and what procedures she thought she would have to do prior to surgery. Maybe surgeons should do some mandatory testing to prove the patient is totally capable of having the surgery and that they totally understand the fundamentals of the surgery and their role in having the band work for them. And then those with higher scores get surgery dates quicker than those who fail. I see people on here everyday trying to learn all they can and asking questions so that they can get the best results from the surgery and then so see someone who honestly has no clue and "just can't wait for the weight to be gone" (her exact words) makes me wanna pull my hair out. But since it may fall out some after surgery I think I should do something else. LOL. Needless to say she got up and didn't sit back down with us. I think she was "afraid" I might tell her more about the procedure and the things people have to do to make the band work for them and that it wasn't just a quick fix. Like I said it makes me completely frustrated with some people. ARRGGG! Ok done venting and thanks for letting me.

He also lifts the mons as part of the tummy tuck on all his patients. WOHOOOOOO my cookie will see light of day again. Shalee I think I woke up all the neighbors you had me laughing so hard (cause I know exactly what you are saying). I can't wait until I am where you all are. Thanks to everyone for letting us "tag along" on your journey.

CONGRATS! See praying and dancing does work! I just found out friday (Aug 1) that they still don't have the notes from my 5 minute history and physical from the surgeon (July 23). So I am hoping they get that asap and get all the stuff sent to insurance quickly. xgrl I did some extra praying last night so you and I should be announcing our surgery dates soon.

I don't mean to pop your balloon but, I would be concerned how that much fluid just "disappeared" from a supposedly closed system. I mean if it was say .1 or something but, for most of your fill to just not be there would concern me greatly. I would make sure at your next appt they check the volume of saline in your band again. If that amount or a similar amount is just gone again, I would think there is something wrong with either the band itself, the tubing or the port. From my understanding and from discussions with my surgeon and getting to actually handle a filled band in the doctors office, I don't see how saline would be able to come out without there being a hole somewhere. Being a closed system means it should not just lose volume or that fluid would be able to "evaporate". It would be similar to getting a breast implant and one or both were to lose volume. The only way that could happen would be a leak. The packaging may shrink or expand due to pressure adjustments but the actual volume would never change. I hope everything is fine or there is some other explanation. I just know that saline doesn't just "evaporate" from a closed medical device.

In human anatomy or in mammals in general, the mons pubis (Latin, pubic mound), also known as the mons veneris (Latin, mound of Venus) or simply the mons, is the soft mound of flesh present in women just above the genitals, raised above the surrounding area due to a pad of fat lying just beneath it which protects the pubic bone. It is anterior to the symphysis pubis. The size of the mons pubis varies with the general level of body fat. After puberty it is normally covered with pubic hair. In humans, the mons pubis divides into the labia majora (literally "larger lips") on either side of the furrow, known as the cleft of venus, that surrounds the clitoris, vaginal opening, and other structures of the vulva. The fatty tissue of the mons veneris is sensitive to estrogen, causing a distinct mound to form with the onset of puberty. This pushes the forward portion of the labia majora out and away from the pubic bone, and parallel to the ground (when standing). Or pretty much what is behind the front part of a small bikini. Hope this helps. I know if I end up having a lower body lift after weight loss, I am gonna want them to help me out in this area too.

Mine wasn't much more than yours except for my insurance (Cigna) you had to have office visits and weigh ins each month during that six month period. And they were fairly strict that those had to be six consecutive months. I hope what you did was enough for your insurance. I hope you don't have to re-do your six months. Sorry.

for the encouragement. I was feeling pretty down and almost didn't even feel like getting online because I was sooo jealous of all these "I'm banded" or "Surgery in 2 days" kinda messages. I was so sure they would go ahead and schedule me for sometime in August since there would be plenty of time for approval but noooo they won't even tentatively schedule me in October. The nurse says they can't schedule until they get approval notice. Uggghhhhh! LOL But I am starting to do better now. LOL I have even started to get more "aware" of how and what I am eating and am going to start going to the pool in the evenings to start some sort of exercise. I am back to logging on at least a couple times a day to be encouraging and get encouragement from this site. I realize a lot of people have had to go through even more frustrations and hoops than I have but it sure would have been nice to walk into my family's holiday party weighing alot less. LOL

I totally understand and sympathize. I am waiting for approval also but my doctor's office won't schedule surgery date until approval is received which really sucks since they also told me they are currently scheduling for OCTOBER! UGH!!!! With a surgery date that far out I just don't understand why they can't go ahead and schedule me. It's not like there isn't time for approval and an appeal or two if necessary. I am just sooo frustrated right now. Thanks for letting me vent on your thread. I hope you hear from your insurance soon and best of luck on your weight loss journey. I am sure you will do wonderful. BTW your pic looks like you don't even need surgery. Very pretty girl.

Well I don't get to be and August All Star.:sad:I met with my surgeon today to do a history and physical as the last requirement for insurance approval for Cigna and found out even if I was approved tomorrow, the first available surgery dates are in October. Sigh. But good luck to everyone getting banded in August and keep up the good work and being such great inspiration to the rest of us waiting to join the loser's bench.

Hi. My doctor includes 4 fills in the price of surgery and I lucked out and my insurance does cover fills. Now if only they will approve me quickly after my initial surgeon's consult today! Good luck with your research.

Not only are they not covering the bariatric surgery but, if you self pay and then have to go into the hospital for any complications that THEY determine to be related to the surgery they won't cover that either. I too say talk to your HR or shop for another insurance. Sorry.

xgrl Add me to your list too please??? LOL I would very much appreciate it and will add both of you to my "Quick Approval Prayer" too. I have my last nutritional class today and surgery consult tomorrow and then they will be sending to insurance. I am soooo hoping for an August surgery date. Good luck to all on their weight loss journey.

Just have your GP notate that they have been unable to weigh you as scales have a 300 lb weight limit. That was in the instruction for my GP when completing the 6 month weight loss attempt. I would definately try to get insurance approval prior to going self pay. Just think of all the nice, new, smaller clothes you could buy with the money you would save. Good luck in your weight loss journey.:thumbup:

I am not a smoker but do know about trying to quit an addiction. My Nutritionist said that my doctor requires anyone she is doing surgery on to quit smoking a month or more prior to surgery and that they would be checking the pre-op bloodwork for nicotine and if the results showed person was still smoking, surgery would be cancelled until they could quit. That info seemed to make a couple people in class sit up and take notice. Hope you don't have the same problem.

When talking to anyone at the insurance, write down EVERYTHING. Get their name and if they were super helpful try getting their direct extension. Some will give it to you or at least a direct number to their department. I have a seperate calendar that I printed off the internet to notate all my doctors appts etc and also note who, when & what on the date when I talk to anyone. It's amazing how much that helps if you end up having to talk to a supervisor or your HR rep. LOL Hope you have great news soon. I will having my paperwork turned in at the end of next week so I am right behind you.

St. Francis Center for Surgical Weight-Loss does have a support group that meets the 2nd Thursday of every month from 7:30 to 8:30. It isn't the same as a seminar but it is people who have had the surgery and people considering weight loss surgery to meet and get info and talk to people who have been through it all. It is at St. Francis Hosp in the St. Catherine Room (behind the Emergency Dept.). There is a sign that says Longinotti Auditorium over the door that you enter from outside. The nutritionalist is there. Sometimes they have "guest speakers" and sample products and of course there is Q & A time. I would suggest going to Dr. Woodman's seminar and maybe also catching a support group meeting. You can contact St. Francis CWLS at 901-765-3040 for info on the support group. Continued good luck and before you know it that 6 months will be over and you will be getting approval from ins. You are welcome to PM or email any time you wanna talk.