I just got off phone with surgeons office. Two weeks ago they said they were submittng approval to insurance company. I havent heard anythng and everyone else seems to be getting approval in a day or two so I called and asked for the exact date it was submitted. "Unfortunately, we have not yet submitted the request", they tell me. What? If this was the first foopah, I wouldnt mind, but there have been so many trivial delays on my journey I get frustrated just thinking about it! And i have been diligent in knowing where my file is and following up so it doesnt get lost in the maze. But it seems to every step of the way!!! They are currently scheduling surgery for April! Grrrrr.

It might help you to know my first consult was Feb 22, 2011!!!! Exactly one year ago! I did the required 3 month diet thing from March-May and it has been slow as molasses ever since. I laugh thinking that last year I thought I would be banded by August! When that didnt happen I knew for certain I would be banded by Christmas. i even cancelled Christmas thinking I would be recuperating.. Then I found out the surgeon doesnt do surgery in Dec. So I knew for sure it would be Jan 2012..i was all excited that I would begin the new year with this new lifestyle. When that didnt happen becuz I needed another test, I skipped Feb and jumped to March fantasies! NOT. It's now looking like April. Or maybe next year at this time I will be laughing at the thought of thinking it would possibly happen in April, 2012.

What do you think? are these all signs that surgery is not for me? Why is everyone else breezing through and I have nothing but delays????

That is crazy! I had my first appointment on jan 31st and I have my surgery tomorrow. If you are in a larger area I might be looking for a new surgeon if I were you.

The same thing happened to me, but I didn't have to wait as long a you besides I had a 6 month diet, but I kept calling the insurance 2 sometimes 3x a day, and the surgeons office every other day. I explained to the nurse how important and life changing this is to me and apologized for calling so much but that if something was that important to her I'm sure she would do the same thing. It only took 1 day after submitting it to the insurance and schedules for feb 29th

I have to go thru this doctor if I want my insurance to pay for it. And he's actually a highly respected surgeon who is associated with a Center of Excellence. I cant blame the doctor. and I cant blame just one person. It's been a trail of mishaps and delays...

But Im truly beginning to think this is intervention and I shouldnt go thru with it...im going to turn it around and tell myself I have yet another month to lose weight on my own thru nutritional eating...

Keep up eating well as it will make it easier after you have the band but do not let this delay deter you. You may or may not be able to lose the weight without the band but the problem as most of us know is keeping it off. I am sure that everything will be resolved soon and then you will be on the other side thinking wow have I really had my band that long already!

scream and holler and ask for the manager!!!! Or better yet, insist you want to talk to the doctor, it is his reputation at stake!

Did you ask why they haven't submitted? Is there any way you can submit yourself? Ask them for the paperwork and send it off? I don't know if that is possible. But taking from May to the end of Feb to submit seems a bit ridiculous.

Sounds like a nightmare to be honest, but i certainly wouldnt blame fate or divine intervention for delaying things, normally its incompetent office staff personally i would make a formal complaint to the surgeon, about the delay, after all they are his staff and he probably has no clue that these things are happeneing.

Good luck and i hope u get a date soon

Ugh I was in your shoes too just a few months ago. It took me over a year to get everything done too! It sounds like you are very close though...I had many delays and played the waiting game for many months ...I was supposed to be banded in October, then November, the surgeon even said himself I would be banded in December!!! Obviously that didn't work out because of unexpected tests and insurance problems...Then finally I got the good news that my insurance approved it in January....was banded a couple of weeks ago. I too thought it would never happen because of all the problems ...but its very normal. Some people get right to their surgery, and some have to wait a freakin year that's just how it goes. I'm sorry it had to happen to you but I know you will be banded this year. Don't let them do this to you anymore- call them up and demand answers as to why they never sent it out, keeping you on pins and needles for 2 weeks for absolutely nothing. If anyone should know it should be them that this process is nerve-racking for us! They should be more on top of things and more caring as far as I'm concerned. Tell them you want to know exactly when the paperwork is sent out, so you can call your insurance company yourself until you find out the good news. Good luck and I know you will be banded very soon...please let us know when you get approved!!!!

^{DO NOT GIVE UP!!! IT IS WORTH THE WEIGHT (I MEAN WAIT! LOL)}