I had been getting anxious. Waiting for an email from either the customer service of my insurance or the insurance coordinator at my surgeon's office telling me that my paperwork was submitted. I didn't hear from either, so I called my insurance company. It was submitted on November 30! The rep was nice and said it takes 3 days to review. If the office is on the ball, I could have a date by next week. Best news...the six month diet is no longer required! That would have been a serious delay! Phew! When I called the first time six years ago, they required 18 months if you were not diabetic or a cardiac patient!

Ps..

What line of work are you in?

I'm a counselor on an acute psychiatric care facility. Mentioned to doctor I don't want to risk getting injured by a client too early in the process. It's not an everyday thing that we get someone agitated/aggressive but it happens. When I was pregnant, staff and even patients who knew me were protective. If someone acted out, I was shuffled to a locked area and was exempt from restraints and agitated patient code responses. Unsure if they will be as accommodating with this...

I'm a counselor on an acute psychiatric care facility. Mentioned to doctor I don't want to risk getting injured by a client too early in the process. It's not an everyday thing that we get someone agitated/aggressive but it happens. When I was pregnant' date=' staff and even patients who knew me were protective. If someone acted out, I was shuffled to a locked area and was exempt from restraints and agitated patient code responses. Unsure if they will be as accommodating with this...[/quote']

Are you a social worker?!

Are you a social worker?!

No, more like a psychoeducator. I assess, educate on diagnoses, coping, social skills.

Four weeks at least. Two weeks is a good estimate of when your body is healed enough to resume some normalcy, HOWEVER your body is going to be absolutely exhausted weeks after that. It will be basically starving because the amounts you can eat are extremely restricted. I for one can't even miss lunch without becoming a zombie. You won't be mentally able to handle very much at least until a month post op. everyone in my WLS support group echoed this.

Also don't forget to get FMLA paperwork done for your job so it's protected if you have to be off work.

I have been working with and keeping my boss up to date. Just got the "packet" of dates and times from the surgeon, and can now get the FMLA stuff together. My boss has been supportive. She has a son with juvenile diabetes and knows that I have been struggling to work, be a mom and wife, and diabetic.

Four weeks at least. Two weeks is a good estimate of when your body is healed enough to resume some normalcy' date=' HOWEVER your body is going to be absolutely exhausted weeks after that. It will be basically starving because the amounts you can eat are extremely restricted. I for one can't even miss lunch without becoming a zombie. You won't be mentally able to handle very much at least until a month post op. everyone in my WLS support group echoed this.

Also don't forget to get FMLA paperwork done for your job so it's protected if you have to be off work.[/quote']

Thanks for the information. I did not tell my boss what kind of surgery I was having. Because I teach, I only needed to take a day and a half off beforeChristmas break. What is FMLA? Seems like something I might need.

Assuming you're in the U.S., FMLA is the Family and Medical Leave Act that forces your employer, by law, to give you up to 12 weeks (if I'm remembering correctly) off of work (unpaid) but it protects your job, employers can't hold your time off against you in performance evals, and your insurance coverage must extend the length of your time off, even though you're not working. You can lose your job if you don't use it (because them your employer is within their rights). More info: http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/#.UMPXGtG9Kc0

Thanks Jane. Good to know.. Just in case.

No probs! Good luck!!