Paigey

I'm planning to have my surgery on a Tuesday and going back to work the next Monday. I will probably try to fix it so I am able to do some work from home if everything goes as well as I expect it to. I really wanted to do the surgery on a Thursday and go back to work the next Monday, but my surgeon said I would need the extra two days.

My pre-op visit is on Monday, 9/13. I start my liquid diet on 9/14. Surgery will be on Tuesday, 9/28. I am really excited about this thing!

My surgery date is finally set! I did my six month diet and finally got everything settled with all of my doctors and the insurance. I'll be having my surgery on Tuesday, 9/28/2010.

Today I am a little discouraged. I had it in my head that I'd be able to get the surgery some time around late January or early February. During my appointment with the dietitian yesterday, she informed me that my insurance is requiring a 6 month medically supervised diet before I can get the surgery. I was aware of the diet and assumed I'd have to provide documentation, but I was under the impression that it had to be within the last three years. The last time I did a diet like that was just over two years ago at the Versalo Clinic. UHC, however, is not accepting that and is making me start over. Now it's going to be May before I can even think of getting my band.

I had my psychiatric evaluation this past Monday. I had no idea there was a 4 hour test involved! Anyway, it's just one step closer to getting my surgery date.

For those of us with UHC, it's not always a bad company to deal with. So far, I've had a very good experience with them. I have United Health Care and a bmi of 36 to 37 with a couple of co-morbities(sp?). I went to my seminar 9/19, saw my primary care physician on 10/3, asked for and received the referral for lapband surgery that day. Within a week, he had most of my pre op tests scheduled and my surgeon's office called to tell me that my insurance was approved to pay 90% with no deductible. I am certain that if I wanted to go ahead and push through all of my appointments quickly, I could have the surgery within a few weeks. I'm too chicken to do that though. I know this will be the last year I am able to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas food, so I am waiting until the first of the year.

Hey Stranger! I can totally empathize with you about the Korean culture and being overweight. I am in the states, but I work for a large Korean company. They always assume that the heavier a person is, the more lazy they are. I don't have my band yet, but my insurance has approved it and I am currently undergoing all the pretests. This is the best site I've found that can answer most, if not all, of my questions. At this point, nothing and nobody could talk me out of having the surgery.

I was really surprised at how fast I got the approval too. I worried that my primary care physician wouldn't even give me the referral because he's very overweight himself. Instead of downing me for wanting this procedure, he actually understood and said he'd help me as much as he could. Within a week, I had my referral and all my pretests scheduled. I also had no idea that I'd find a surgeon on my side of town(Stockbridge), but when I searched for a seminar to attend, he was the only one that popped up! I've been very lucky!

I'm already practicing and it's not too bad.

I don't have my band yet, but I still quit drinking soda(except when I'm sick) about a year ago. What is the reason you can't drink soda?

Do you walk in your neighborhood or did you find a trail at a local park? Would it be the same as using a Gazelle or treadmill for the same amount of time?

Congratulations!

I am fortunate to have very good health insurance paid 100% by my company. That being said, it's not just the people who are out of work that can't afford good health insurance. Not all companies provide as well as mine and others do. It doesn't always have to do with "people sitting on their butts". Most of your small business owners don't have insurance and I'd bet my bottom dollar that they're not sitting on their butts.

I agree. It's actually very logical. Your feet are at the bottom of your body and they carry the burden of your weight. It's only reasonable to assume that your feet will be more squooshed the heavier you are and then when you lose the weight, they burden is a lot less. I thought about that when I noticed how much tighter my sneakers were and how much heavier my steps were.

I have United Healthcare too. I went to my primary care physician on 10/3/09 and was approved in less than two weeks. I was very surprised that it was so fast and I didn't have to jump through any hoops for the approval.

Thanks for the welcome! My doctor is Dr. Srinivasa K Gorjala and he operates out of Southern Regional Hospital in Clayton County. I chose him because he's close enough that I won't have to miss a whole days work when I go in for fills and he came highly recommended by several nurses I know that work in the same hospital. And Maggie, the weather is amazing here today!