I started this process in the beginning of June 2014, I had a 6 month pre-op diet.

The only thing that was frustrating for me in the process was actually finding a dr in my area to do the psych eval that took my insurance and didn't charge you an arm and a leg extra for testing. But one interesting thing I found during that process was that psychologists tend to make you take the lengthy testing, and psychiatrists do not (well here anyway). I called the hospital to make sure that was ok and they said no we aren't trying to make you take a test. lol whew! Psychiatrist it was!

The psychiatrist mailed the hospital a letter but I asked him to mail me one too. And when I finished the last weigh-in I had my PCP finish filling in and sign off on my PCP recommendation letter and got a copy of that. I faxed both the PCP and psych eval along with all of my supervised weight loss log sheets to the hospital all together, so that they wouldn't be trying to piece everything together and it could get sent to the insurance company more quickly.

I had been told it could take up to a month for the approval/denial, but one week after faxing everything in my phone rings... I almost didn't want to pick it up, seeing it was the surgeons office thinking such a fast call was a denial. Good news!! A couple of days before Christmas even! She was calling to say they already got the approval and to set my date. She suggested a date earlier in January, but since I have to give my work notice, make plans for my dog, etc I asked for a date in February. So my official DATE is February 9th!! Woot!

How I'm going to handle people has me more anxious than the actual surgery. Like I know one particularly nosey person in my office will not be able to help but be intrusive, and if past history is an indicator, pretty rude about it. I've imagined several different scenarios that may happen after I have the surgery and start losing weight, and how I'm going to handle her, and others, and try to be professional about it. lol

It's been a journey, and a new one is going to start soon. =) I start my preop liver shrink diet on January 26th, that will be interesting.

Congrats!!! Now the fun part starts!!

@@blondiebabs Girl! Do Not let some offIce chick ruin your excitements! What your going to tell miss joykill is absolutely NOTHING and do you know why?! Because you don't have to! It's as simple as that! Now, you focus on the good and don't give that girl another ponder! Bye-gones!

Edited January 6, 201511 yr by Elode

CONGRATS! Like you I had all of my ducks in a row. My first visit to the surgeon I had all my medical records, my dietician records....etc. They were shocked! Stated they had never had a patient to bring it to them.....they were use to requesting the info. Paperwork was submitted on a Friday afternoon to the insurance company and I was approved the following Tuesday. Everytime before when I had tried to get this surgery...I ran into so many obstacles. This time everything fell into place.....I knew it was my time. I felt so confident and was not worried or scared at all.

@@babelfish5 THANK YOU!

@@Elode That is exactly what I plan to do! I can't help but try to think of non-informative snappy quips though. lol

@TEXASLADY52 That is so awesome! I have read so many stories here about people who struggled with the insurance part, so I was determined that I was going to try to not deal with all that. Whew!

THANKS AGAIN!! It's super exciting!

Congrats and don't let the office busy body worry you.

Congratulations!!! My date is Feb 10! I have to agree with @@Elode (who gives great advice!) You don't have to explain yourself to anyone!

That rude, nosey lady on your job, I have one at my church and just yesterday she said something about me to someone thinking it wouldn't get back to me...WRONG! Anywho, she will be the one who will try me and when she asks ne what I'm doing (cuz she will) ny reply will simply be "loving myself"....

So Congrats again!! See you on the losers bench soon!!!

@@laurenella82 Oh you may have wanted to save that "good advice" until AFTER you read what I just put on your "nervous" post lol!!!

Lol!!!!

@@laurenella82 lol!! Yeah, the woman walked into my office this morning and saw me drinking a Protein shake and says "oh new year new diet huh" and I just said "Nope, same thing I've had for Breakfast for two years" and she just said "oh". heh People are gonna be people. =) But thank you, congrats to you too!! We'll be on the other side of it soon.

@@BLERDgirl Thank you!

WELCOME!