I got the call yesterday that surgery was approved!! I officially started my process on August 5 -- my 13th wedding anniversary -- when I completed my Weight Loss Surgery Seminar online and met for a face-to-face with the surgeon. At 267 at 5'7", my BMI was around 41, so I was an "automatic" approval, even with no weight-related comorbidities.

My insurance, Cigna, still required the 3-month monitored diet (along with a few other minor hoops), which is 4 total nutrition visits. I saw the NUT about a week after I saw the surgeon, then about every three to four weeks, so not 30 days apart, but at least once per calendar month (so mid-August, early September, October, and November).

Because we were on such a controlled time-frame, and because I (and everyone else on Earth!) was working to get in before the end of the year, the NUT told me in October that she would have the Insurance Coordinator prepare my packet for insurance submission. All of my other appointments had been done and reports were on hand, so all that was missing was the final NUT notes. She would attach those after my visit on 11/05/13 and submit to insurance same day.

After that class, she looked at a sticky note on my folder, and told me my packet was submitted to insurance on 10/31, nearly a week before my final NUT class. She said my notes would go over as an attachment. I was super concerned that the submission to insurance before meeting the minimum requirements would cause a denial and delay, particularly after I returned home to a letter from Cigna requesting more information. There was a little back-and-forth with the Insurance Coordinator on 11/06 as she got to the bottom of the letter (standard auto-generated form letter, as it turns out). Then yesterday, she called to tell me I'd been approved, and scheduled surgery for 12/03/13. Hooray!! So, that was one week from early packet submission, or one day from packet completion. Very, very quick either way!

My pre-op NUT meeting and nurse visit are 11/14, and I start my pre-op diet 11/19. I know it's not all liquid, but I'm not sure what it is. My doctor's office seems to be big on getting back to real food ASAP post-op, so I imagine pre-op is just some kind of very low carb diet.

This process has been shockingly easy. So easy, I can hardly bring myself to believe it's truly happening! I've been looking at bariatric surgery for over 14 years, and the sleeve in particular over two. I am honestly blown away that my day is coming -- that it's an actual date in my planner, and no longer some kind-of far off, abstract idea.

I got the call yesterday that surgery was approved!! I officially started my process on August 5 -- my 13th wedding anniversary -- when I completed my Weight Loss Surgery Seminar online and met for a face-to-face with the surgeon. At 267 at 5'7", my BMI was around 41, so I was an "automatic" approval, even with no weight-related comorbidities. My insurance, Cigna, still required the 3-month monitored diet (along with a few other minor hoops), which is 4 total nutrition visits. I saw the NUT about a week after I saw the surgeon, then about every three to four weeks, so not 30 days apart, but at least once per calendar month (so mid-August, early September, October, and November). Because we were on such a controlled time-frame, and because I (and everyone else on Earth!) was working to get in before the end of the year, the NUT told me in October that she would have the Insurance Coordinator prepare my packet for insurance submission. All of my other appointments had been done and reports were on hand, so all that was missing was the final NUT notes. She would attach those after my visit on 11/05/13 and submit to insurance same day. After that class, she looked at a sticky note on my folder, and told me my packet was submitted to insurance on 10/31, nearly a week before my final NUT class. She said my notes would go over as an attachment. I was super concerned that the submission to insurance before meeting the minimum requirements would cause a denial and delay, particularly after I returned home to a letter from Cigna requesting more information. There was a little back-and-forth with the Insurance Coordinator on 11/06 as she got to the bottom of the letter (standard auto-generated form letter, as it turns out). Then yesterday, she called to tell me I'd been approved, and scheduled surgery for 12/03/13. Hooray!! So, that was one week from early packet submission, or one day from packet completion. Very, very quick either way! My pre-op NUT meeting and nurse visit are 11/14, and I start my pre-op diet 11/19. I know it's not all liquid, but I'm not sure what it is. My doctor's office seems to be big on getting back to real food ASAP post-op, so I imagine pre-op is just some kind of very low carb diet. This process has been shockingly easy. So easy, I can hardly bring myself to believe it's truly happening! I've been looking at bariatric surgery for over 14 years, and the sleeve in particular over two. I am honestly blown away that my day is coming -- that it's an actual date in my planner, and no longer some kind-of far off, abstract idea.

Congratulations, my surgery is the same day as well. Tuesday, 12/3/13