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I am a first grade teacher from Connecticut who started the pre-op process in April of 2013. My surgeon assured me on multiple occasions that I most definately would be able to get the surgery done before school started at the end of August. I speedily finished all of my necessary appointments needed to submit my case to the insurance company. The entire time I went to the surgeon, I was told that Cigna (my insurance company) was the enemy who took 30 day or more to get back to them.

I called Cigna at around 4:00 today to inquire about my surgery case. Afterall, my doctor told me they would submitt my paperwork ASAP and I had last seen him on July 10th. The representative at Cigna was very nice and put me on hold to see how everything was going. I explained to the woman the same thing I told the doctor.

1.) I am a first grade teacher.

2.) I HAVE to get the sugery done this summer before school starts on August 28th.

3.) If I do not get the surgery done before school starts it will affect my students and their learning.

4.) It will put off when I can get the surgery until October (if they do not hurry up) because no teacher in their right mind would let a sub teach their class the first month of school. The first month of school is where you set your classroom rules and establish a classroom environment. This is especially important in the earlier grades where they are not as familiar with school routines yet. We also get all of our fall benchmark testing done in September.

After waiting 10 minutes on hold, the woman says that "Your doctor did not submit your paperwork until July 30th."

Wait...what? I saw my surgeon on July 10th! Why did it take 20 days to submit it when they told me they were all set?!

The Cigna rep told me that she could not speed the process up any more either. At the most they could try to hurry it after day 24, but that's right when school starts....

After getting off the phone with Cigna, I called my doctor's office to raise holy hell, but of course, they're on vacation until August 12! I am so disappointed with them right now because they knew I HAD to get this surgery done before school started. I can't wait till they get back so that I can hear their excuse for taking 20 days to submit my paperwork.

I now have to

1.) Go back to school without the surgery done and explain to everyone why.

2.) Take 1- 2 weeks off from my poor class to recover

Sorry for my rant. I'm just so upset :(

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Ahh man thats just terrible. This is why I trust noone. I would be calling every day to ensure everyone is doing their job :D Just shows you how much of a routine/business this really can be

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so sorry that the doctor's office let you down. I know it won't help with this delay but I bet nothing like this ever happens to you again. I'm sure it's been a lesson learned.

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I am a teacher as well I was scheduled for July 2 and had insurance issues so had to postpone. I am now scheduled for Oct. 4th the Friday before Fall Break. I was disappointed but here are the positives I can share with you. Most everyone I talked to said a week would be sufficient for a not labor intensive job. Also I seriously veg out during summer break, tried my pre op diet before I knew I had to change my date and 3 days made me crazy. Sitting in my house watching tv, soooo many food commercials. Back yard parties are always bbq's and I am a boredom eater...at least now the pre op diet will be while I am super busy, busy enough that this big food lovin' girl forgot to eat a few times last year. So October is not that long to wait and time will fly by. I know it sucks to wait for something you want so bad. I have waited 8 years for this a few more months should be fine. And also if it is early Oct. hopefully we will be able to have a little turkey on Thanksgiving! Lol

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Hi I feel your pain. I'm a teacher out here in Atlanta GA and fortunately things went well. I told the surgeon I had to have it done before August 1 as school starts here August 12 for the students although teachers go back Aug. 6. I had my surgery on July 18th. All I can say is doctors don't have a sense of urgency about anything and they don't quite get the responsibilities that teachers have and how we do like to schedule surgeries during the summer since we get such a long break. I would write a letter to them complaining so maybe they would assist you in other areas in the future as far as time of appointments and followup visits etc. as I see my doctor's last apt is at 2:00 p.m. so its like more time off school for that. I wish you the best and hope that you are able to get it done soon. Patient dear one. Patience :) Halimah

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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