Ok Banded pro's this is my first time posting , I would like to know if n e 1 has been banded in columbus, ohio at the Mt. Carmel hospital and if so how was your experience? I have just sent in my first set of paper work to be approve by their Dr. Also they are charging $300.00 for administrator fee (paper pushing to the Ins.), not to mention I will have to spend another $200.00 for their nutritionist and this $500.00 is not covered by my insurance:faint: . Are fee's normal? I was just wondering because I feel as much as the surgery cost, these things should be included! N E help would be nice

That is AWESOME Sue!!! I was just thinking about you this am, and wondering how your fight was going...Looks like you will be a March Bander, too! YYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Go us!

I'm going to vent just a wee bit..... The surgeon's office coordinator who does the submission to Aetna called and said I still don't have a 5 year weight history so you need to get it.! I told her the PCP office said they sent it and was willing to talk with her to show her where to look. She said you get them to fax me what I need. I faxed my PCP office and in less than 30 minutes they called me back and said, yes, they copied 6 pages, 1 page per year showing my weights in 2002-2007 and she faxed it to the surgeon's insurance submission coordinator by 4pm today. So then I called back to the coordinator, and left a VM to look for the fax and confirm with me as soon as she had sent it to Aetna. I'm getting a little feisty now but I think I deserve to be given that I've been cooperative and patient for too long now to have office staff pointing back and forth at each other.

Okay, I'm done venting. Keep your fingers crossed something happens next week! I'm bummed I lost a whole week this week.

BCBS called an hour ago to say that I have been approved for the surgery!!! I am still in shock! :eek:

Suecasb-- that's wonderful news. I'm hoping I get my approval next week.

Who is doing your lapband surgery? Do you have a surgery date yet?

I don't have a date yet but Dr. Choban will be doing the surgery.

Sue---that is wonderful!!! i am so happy for you. it has been such a long, bumpy journey for you.

Special K--take heart from Sue's story. "they" tried to stand in her way to being thin but she prevailed.

Nurse Niki--i was at Dr Chobans on thursday around 2. I wonder if you were in the waiting room the same time i was. There were two ladies there that had testing done. One was waiting for a ride and the other worked for the state. We talked briefly.

I want to make it to the next meeting at polaris. My work schedule has been so hectic lately. I have been working both my days off every other week, so i dont have much time.

I got my 4th fill on thursday. Dr choban said i had 3ccs and that the most the band held was 4. so does that mean i have a 4cc band? i know i should have asked her that.

She said i had lost 9 pounds since my last visit, which was nice news. the weight seems to be coming off much slower now. i am not exercising like i should. but Dr C was very happy with my weightloss.

I asked if i could get an "unfill" before going on a 3 day disney cruise in May. She was reluctant. but i said i wanted to enjoy the food and how much weight could i gain in 3 days!!! she said she would take half out because if she took it all out i would be starving and eat everything in sight. seems like a fair compromise. and right after the trip i will go in and have it all put back in.

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if there is anything that I need to do the day prior to a fill? I thought that I had read somewhere that you need to go back to liquids 24 hrs. prior to the fill.

Dr. Choban is my doctor but I can't remember if she said anything about going back on liquids the day prior to my first fill. Anyone else out there have Dr. Choban? If so, did she give you any special instructions? I guess that I could always give her a call in the morning.

Thanks for the input!

Marie

:confused2:

I have been reading as many posts as possible to help me through the process of hopefully being banded in the future . I am stuck with this five year weight history thingy. I have four years and was not seeing a doctor for two years prior to 2004. When I called to make an appointmnt in 2004 to my doctor who I had not seen for two years, they said they no longer had my records. So I just got myself a new Dr. Now I need that weight history which will more than likely put me in the year 2001 to 2002. Has any one else been so lackluster in seeing the medical field? I am wondering if anyone knows the law on how long a DR. must keep a patients medical records. Talked to Charlene and I could tell right off that she was over worked and hope that I can get things done without bothering her too much. I don't know about the rest of you but this whole thing with the $300. here and $200. ther bothers me a little as I feel it is paying them for the paper work etc. Anyway She definitly needs help. Can anyone help me with this weight history thing?

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if there is anything that I need to do the day prior to a fill? I thought that I had read somewhere that you need to go back to liquids 24 hrs. prior to the fill.

Dr. Choban is my doctor but I can't remember if she said anything about going back on liquids the day prior to my first fill. Anyone else out there have Dr. Choban? If so, did she give you any special instructions? I guess that I could always give her a call in the morning.

Thanks for the input!

Marie

:confused2:

My surgeon doesn't ask us to do anything the day before... or even the day of. After the fill we go to liquids and then progress to soft and then mushies until we feel we're ready for regular food.

Good luck on your first fill!

I have been reading as many posts as possible to help me through the process of hopefully being banded in the future . I am stuck with this five year weight history thingy. I have four years and was not seeing a doctor for two years prior to 2004. When I called to make an appointmnt in 2004 to my doctor who I had not seen for two years, they said they no longer had my records. So I just got myself a new Dr. Now I need that weight history which will more than likely put me in the year 2001 to 2002. Has any one else been so lackluster in seeing the medical field? I am wondering if anyone knows the law on how long a DR. must keep a patients medical records. Talked to Charlene and I could tell right off that she was over worked and hope that I can get things done without bothering her too much. I don't know about the rest of you but this whole thing with the $300. here and $200. ther bothers me a little as I feel it is paying them for the paper work etc. Anyway She definitly needs help. Can anyone help me with this weight history thing?

Joy,

Your prior doctor should still have access to your records. I'm not sure how long you must keep patient files, but I'm pretty sure it's at least 10 years. I would call them again and ask them to see if they can get them out of storage for you. You might have to pay a fee to get copies, but it'd be worth it.

Good luck.

Thanks, I will call him back on Tuesday. Just did a little reserch on my own and found out they have 60 days to respond with the info and then an additional 30 days if needed. I am so impatient as I am getting older everyday. LOL

Call Me Joy -- Aetna just reduced theirs on February 8th from 5 years down to 2 years of weight history if there is any chance you have that one.

If not, I was told I could get records from my OB/GYN's office with my weight on it if you're a person who goes for annual exam and Pap every year. Just an idea.

Oh, and I paid $50 to have my old records pulled from storage but they had them and sent them to the surgeon's office.

Hello Ladies!!!

Palarin I don't know what it is about being banded and having gas, but I have it to. Now as for your first fill and every fill they tell you to eat a light breakfast, and after you get the fill Dr. Choban tells you to go back to the liquid diet for the next 24 hours. That is it. P.S Make sure you keep breathing during your fill, me like a Goof ball think that I got a tad bit nervous and stop breathing and I huh kinda fainted, okay, okay I did faint:embaressed_smile: I was their first and maybe only one to faint on them, looking back on it I am laughing at my self!! It is not bad at all once she gives you the shot to numb you its all good!!

.:party:Sue I am sooooo happy for you!!!!! The way they have been scheduling Dr. Choban appt. after they have been notified by the Insurance company you may be Banded This month!!

Call me Joy, My ins. company BCBS did not require my PCP to provide any weight loss history, in fact they just went off the form that I filled out with all the diets I did some under Dr.s care and most on my own.

SpecialK You will be banded before you know it!! Maybe I should call Dr. Choban's office and asked if I can come work with Charlene since I don't work, I would be processing every one paper work very fast due to I know how it feels to wait.....................Okay Okay I still love being a House wife, but I wonder if they would concider some one coming in to volunteer to help poor Charlene.

Lady QT --thanks for that Monday morning pick me up to get in the right attitude--- offering to help her rather than criticize. I'm just going to pray that today is the day she gets to my paperwork and be content with God's will on how long this takes.

Oh my gosh!!!! I just got the call from Charlene at my surgeon's office that she gave them the info needed and Aetna turned around and immediately approved my surgery this morning! I have to now wait to get a surgery date. She says she gives the approved patients list to the surgeons' to schedule and then I should here something soon!

:tt2::wub:

URGENT ??????????

Sorry, this is gross. Ok, I was banded on the 6th. Yesterday I went pee and there was a little blood well, Today, I went poop a few times and when I was done and wiped there was dark blood on the T.P. and brighter red blood in the potty. Not just a little, the water is pure red. I called and they said it could just be a hemroid(sp) I had one a couple years ago. But, The poop was not hard at all. They said I can go to the E.R. or go to west and make an appointment. We think that is too much blood for just a hemroid. and I am having pain and cramping in my tummy and below my belly-button. I know, I am really sorry, this is gross and TMI, but, I need to know if I need to go to the E.R. or not. I don't want to go if I do not have too. but, I worry about the amount. I seem to be losing quite a bit of blood. Any Advice would be great. Thank you so much. Ps. Way to go Special.