Hello, just starting jumping thur all the hoops to get approved. Seeing a dietitan monthly tell surgery is scheduled, done alot of blood work, had my gallbladder ultrasound and mammogram. Had my visit with psychiatrist and passed! Now waiting to see if Empire BC/BS will cover the sleeve. Don't know what I will do if they don't. I know I dont want to have bypass or lap-band.

I know I have to get my weight down and I really think the sleeve is my best chance. It still really scares me some night I can't sleep just thinking about if I get approved. I lay there thinking about how much pain I will be in. What if it takes me forever to recover. So many what ifs!! If I do get approved I plan on having surgery end of May. Hope I don't lose to much sleep between now and then.

Good luck to everyone here!

hey there you're going to do great. . . do you have a plan B in place if your insurance doesn't approve you? Have you thought about self pay? I was self pay and it went alot faster and i got an excellent rate as well. . i got my loan at 3% from the credit union and from the seminar to surgery was about 1 month. . very quickly. . .no it won't take forever to recover, by the time you get home from the hospital you should feel not too badly depending on how your body reacts to the surgery of course. . the pain of course depends on how tolerant you are with pain, so that will be up to your body, I was up and walking the hallways at 6 hours after surgery. . .no problem. . either way, you'll do fine, good luck and keep posting!

Just to put your mind at a bit more ease, Empire BCBS (I have it too) started covering the sleeve as a "medically necessary" surgery on 11/18/2010! As long as you meet their guidelines, they should definitely approve you! I'm so excited! I'll be submitting for approval hopefully at the end of this week!! WooHoo!!! Skinny jeans, here we come!! ;o) GL!

Can't wait to hear something. To beable to wear skinny jeans or maybe tuck in my shirts again. When will you try to have surgery? I work in the lunchroom at school so I want to have surgery at end of school year. Let me know when you find something out.

Just to put your mind at a bit more ease, Empire BCBS (I have it too) started covering the sleeve as a "medically necessary" surgery on 11/18/2010! As long as you meet their guidelines, they should definitely approve you! I'm so excited! I'll be submitting for approval hopefully at the end of this week!! WooHoo!!! Skinny jeans, here we come!! ;o) GL!

No plan B have my heart set on the sleeve! If you don't mind how much did surgery end up costing? And where did you have it? Thanks.

hey there you're going to do great. . . do you have a plan B in place if your insurance doesn't approve you? Have you thought about self pay? I was self pay and it went alot faster and i got an excellent rate as well. . i got my loan at 3% from the credit union and from the seminar to surgery was about 1 month. . very quickly. . .no it won't take forever to recover, by the time you get home from the hospital you should feel not too badly depending on how your body reacts to the surgery of course. . the pain of course depends on how tolerant you are with pain, so that will be up to your body, I was up and walking the hallways at 6 hours after surgery. . .no problem. . either way, you'll do fine, good luck and keep posting!