A little discouraged...

[jnbwilds 0]

Good news!!! You can skip most of this time-consuming, annoying stuff! (if you self-pay that is.....)

I know it is a pain, and I was happy to be able to miss most of it - but I would much rather have gone through all the appointments and tests AND had my insurance pay for even a little smidge of the cost.

Hang in there!

[Katie59 0]

Ok, so having been on here for a few weeks and getting answers to many of my questions, I finally made the call to the surgeon thinking that I would meet with him, make my final decision, then go through the necessary steps to get my date. Well, I was told I had to attend a seminar before i can even see the doctor, which only happen once a month. This month I will be away when it is held, so I won't even get to attend the seminar until the end of May, then who knows when I will see the doctor. Is this common? I'm feeling a little discouraged...

well, it willgive you time to be sure... I have been ressearching for 2 years and just mailed my app.. and not heard yet... so.... every day I rethink my decision.... but the only one who counts is your opinion......

Kate

[amsderb 1]

I found that once I started the process it was like...gotta win...gotta win...gonna do it...etc...

And now I am and am more sure of my decision everyday that I learn more!

[travelinsnorkel 0]

I actually called to register for the seminar and they had a slightly earlier date. So, that is promising. However, I found out that my insurance doesn't cover the procedure so I'm hoping that that won't hinder things. I am trying to relax and work on no stress eating! Thanks for the advice!

[DaisyMay 1]

I am self-pay and my surgeon still requires all of the same pre-op things for me as he does for those who have an insurance company who will pay. He says the pre-surgery appointments are for my safety and not just to get insurance to pay so everybody has to have them. And yes, obviously he has to worry about his liability. So, in my case, self-pay doesn't mean I get to skip anything. However, as soon as I got the list of what I needed to do I got on the phone and called around to get in as fast as possible for each appointment. The sleep lab suggested by my surgeon was 6-8 weeks at least for an appointment so I verified with my surgeon that I could use a different licensed sleep lab and found one that could take me within a week. I went to my seminar on March 11 and here it is less than a month later and I have already completed all of my pre-surgery appointments - sleep study, psych eval, dietician, physician approval, cardiology review, lab work, pulmonary approval. I have a surgery date of May 13 and the only thing I have left to do is finish losing the 28 pounds my surgeon requires me to lose pre-surgery. I am down 15 lbs. and have 13 left to go. I suggest you go get weighed in ASAP and start a diet and get your pre-surgery appointments scheduled and it will go faster than you think! Plus, although I too was a little disappointed at the delay, I think waiting a few months is good to give the head time to adjust to what the body is about to undergo. I applaud those who have had to wait six months or even a year or more. That's patience!

[kellygirl0520 0]

I really feel your pain! I just started in this journey as well. The best advice I can give is to try not to get overly anxious. You will read post from individuals on here that were approved by their insurance in 2 to 3 days, or someone that had the surgery 3 weeks after attending their seminar. Try not to get fixated in other peoples experience and enjoy your own. Every experience will be different and unique. That is what I have had to realize in this whole process. Good luck to you!

[travelinsnorkel 0]

I got good news today! I emailed the doctor's office and actually got an email from the doctor saying that since I did the online seminar presentation I can schedule an appt and ask any extra questions at that time so my appt will be 4/29!