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How Long Was Your Process Getting To The Approval And Surgery Date?



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6 months

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All together, ours will be about two months time. Sounds like no time at all, doesn't it? We did all our hoop jumping in two weeks. We had to wait for a doctor's letter and now we are waiting to submit to insurance. We anticipate surgery in December. Our first surgeon visit was October 10, 2012.

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All together, ours will be about two months time. Sounds like no time at all, doesn't it? We did all our hoop jumping in two weeks. We had to wait for a doctor's letter and now we are waiting to submit to insurance. We anticipate surgery in December. Our first surgeon visit was October 10, 2012.

Two months, that's so fast! And I thought that I was going to brag that mine only took 5 months. I get to call tomorrow to set a date, I'm crossing my fingers for you that the insurance approval goes through without any problems!

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There are so many factors to consider, it's hard to say. Your insurance may impose a diet, anywhere from 3-6 months long, but some insurance companies have dropped this requirement. Then it depends on the surgeon you go to and what they want - some want you to lose a certain percentage of body weight before scheduling a surgery date, and that will depend on how long it takes you to do it. Other surgeons don't care that you lose weight and just want you on a pre-op diet.

I'm still pre-op as well, and I started the process in July. I got a referral to a surgeon in October and I've gone to the hospital's seminar, now I'm just waiting to get a call to schedule an appointment. But I have no idea what will happen from there.

It's been very hard for me to stay patient, because I'm not typically a very patient person. But I've embraced that I want to make a whole lifestyle change, so I'm taking this time to start working out regularly and changing my diet by cutting a lot of carbs. Spend this time wisely to educate yourself about what post-op life is like, because that's for the rest of your life. The surgery will come when it comes, but when it does, you'll do best to be ready!

Good luck to you!

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Hey y'all :)

Ok so i am not there yet' date=' but i was wanting to know how long should i be lookin at with the process of gettin to surgery from the First ever appointment with your PCP askin for referral?[/quote']

3 months from my first visit to operation date. It all went very quickly.

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Thanks for the info. I have the same plan. Did you have to do the diet? I had the nut appt' date=' psych clearance, history of being overweight and then they came back and asked for cardio and pulmonologist clearance. I have to I for a cardiac stress test tmrw and I am hoping that once the info is submitted to the insurance I get a date.[/quote']

I did not have to do a diet for approval for bcbs. Just the nut pysch weight history and I believe that was it. Then it got approved. But I also had to do sleep study bc lung Dr had me do pulse ox over night and it was consistent with apnea. But sleep study showed none. Also had egd. Just had my ultrasound of abdomen which showed gallstones. Kinda hoping they take it out at the same time. Got my date Friday for December 10. It's tentative right now bc the I had to get a heart event monitor (unrelated to wls) but the lung Dr won't clear me until she gets those results. It's weird I have pulmonary clearance pending the heart Dr. So hopefully that all goes well.

Did you get approved?

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All together, ours will be about two months time. Sounds like no time at all, doesn't it? We did all our hoop jumping in two weeks. We had to wait for a doctor's letter and now we are waiting to submit to insurance. We anticipate surgery in December. Our first surgeon visit was October 10, 2012.

2 months only, you didnt have to do that 6month diet?

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There are so many factors to consider, it's hard to say. Your insurance may impose a diet, anywhere from 3-6 months long, but some insurance companies have dropped this requirement. Then it depends on the surgeon you go to and what they want - some want you to lose a certain percentage of body weight before scheduling a surgery date, and that will depend on how long it takes you to do it. Other surgeons don't care that you lose weight and just want you on a pre-op diet.

I'm still pre-op as well, and I started the process in July. I got a referral to a surgeon in October and I've gone to the hospital's seminar, now I'm just waiting to get a call to schedule an appointment. But I have no idea what will happen from there.

It's been very hard for me to stay patient, because I'm not typically a very patient person. But I've embraced that I want to make a whole lifestyle change, so I'm taking this time to start working out regularly and changing my diet by cutting a lot of carbs. Spend this time wisely to educate yourself about what post-op life is like, because that's for the rest of your life. The surgery will come when it comes, but when it does, you'll do best to be ready!

Good luck to you!

Okk thank you. :)

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3 months from my first visit to operation date. It all went very quickly.

oo yes that is quick, :)

hopefully the process wont be tooo long for me

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depends on your insurance and yourself. If your persistant, and determined then it will take you less time, check my sig for how long it took me.

PS. Dont speed into it, you need to prepare physically and mentally no matter how long it takes.

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I did not have to do a diet for approval for bcbs. Just the nut pysch weight history and I believe that was it. Then it got approved. But I also had to do sleep study bc lung Dr had me do pulse ox over night and it was consistent with apnea. But sleep study showed none. Also had egd. Just had my ultrasound of abdomen which showed gallstones. Kinda hoping they take it out at the same time. Got my date Friday for December 10. It's tentative right now bc the I had to get a heart event monitor (unrelated to wls) but the lung Dr won't clear me until she gets those results. It's weird I have pulmonary clearance pending the heart Dr. So hopefully that all goes well.

Did you get approved?

Not yet. I went for the stress test on Friday and had the echocardiogram. They weren't able to "look at the results" until the beginning of the upcoming week but the dr told me I passed the stress test portion just needs to review the echo results then they send the clearance over to the surgeon who submits to the insurance. I'm so anxious. I just want to here a yes your approved or no your not (which of course I'd be devastated but the waiting game is killing me). :-(

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I did not have to do a diet for approval for bcbs. Just the nut pysch weight history and I believe that was it. Then it got approved. But I also had to do sleep study bc lung Dr had me do pulse ox over night and it was consistent with apnea. But sleep study showed none. Also had egd. Just had my ultrasound of abdomen which showed gallstones. Kinda hoping they take it out at the same time. Got my date Friday for December 10. It's tentative right now bc the I had to get a heart event monitor (unrelated to wls) but the lung Dr won't clear me until she gets those results. It's weird I have pulmonary clearance pending the heart Dr. So hopefully that all goes well.

Did you get approved?

And congrats on the date!!! I wish I had a tentative date :-( lol

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I started May 14 with informational session. Sleeve date is Nov 20th. Aetna has a 3-month nutritionist program to complete before you can send for approval. Package was sent on Oct 15th to Aetna and I recieved approval on Nov 5. Then surgery scheduled for about 2 weeks out from that. I have BMI = 39 with high BP, sleep apnea and early diabetes. The whole process has been surprisingly smooth for me. One week to go before surgery!

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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.
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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.

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        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.

    • CaseyP1011

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