Hello all, I am getting ready to go to the seminar and in hopes of changing my life for ever. I have already got pre-certified from my insurance so hopefully the next 6 mo. will go by quickly. I am very nervous but excited. I am looking for new friends and experiences so talk to me and I also would like to know other peoples receipes and do's and don'ts regarding diet after the surgery. Beck:wink_smile:

Hi, I too am excited, I am on my pre-op diet, high protein, plenty of water, my appt. to be banded is Oct 15, just over a week away. I was born in Charleston, W.va. but live in Ga. now but having my surgery in St. Pete, Fl. by Dr. Rehnke, he's done over 25K lap-banding surgeries. I'm drinking UNJURY protein, my doctor ok'd it, I've lost 9 lbs in a week, good stuff too! Write back and let's stick together. ok?

Good luck! :tt2:

caladonia41

I'm a ways behind you but everyone on this thread is super nice. Good Luck

How long did it take most of you get get your approval/find out if you were approved? Did most of you get a letter before the docs office called or what? =/

It took me 3 weeks to find out because the office didn't send all of the right paperwork in. I was denied the first time because they forgot to have me sign a form. They resubmitted with the corrected paperwork and it took one week after that. Needless to say, it was a long month!!!! I found out the same day the office did. Now, with my husband it took 2 weeks, but we found out a week before Jeannie's office did. The insurance mailed the approval to Dr. Kaplan's office and they sat it aside without telling Jeannie! After a couple of phone calls from me, they finally got it together.

It works well for you to be proactive for yourself! Call the insurance company daily to find out the progress. They don't care and it's a simple phone call. Once approved, ask them for a confirmation number, too. Once you get that approval, call Jeannie's office and get the ball rolling. Don't sit around waiting on them to get it rolling for you. They're busy and sometimes don't take care of it right away. Not that they're not doing what they're supposed to, just that they get tied up with other things. :tt2:

what form did they forget to have you sign? Also I have no idea how to call the insurance and ask about my claim etc. Lindsey told me if I havent heard anything by the 20th to call Jeannie...that's all I was told. now I am really confused and worried.

I didnt sign a form

It was a form that reviews all the ins and outs of the surgery. They had my husband sign it without any problems, so I don't think it will be an issue. I was one of the first to go through the program, so I think they were still getting stuff together. Look on the back of your insurance card and there should be a customer service number listed. Just call it.

I know the number for the insurance but i dunno someone said about an ID you have to give them or something. I think the ID for my mom's is her SNN and I'm just really clueless when it comes to this stuff. I never knew that I should call the insurance company and bug them about approval...no one told me anything. Now I am super confused.

How do i call them daily and ask how the approval is going like what do I have to tell them and such etc etc -idiot-

The # that I give when I call is a group #, they stopped using my husbands ss# a few years back. We have BCBS and it starts with an R in out case followed by a bunch of #s, the only info they ask for is address and my name when I call...hope this helps

The group number is on the card but the last time I had to precert for testing they wanted another ID number too and it said something about SNN lol I'm going to call the insurance on thursday or friday to see how it's going even though I have no idea what I am doing or what to say

Not sure if I should get excited or not, went to both my regular dr today and the nutritionalist, my reg should me a fax from Dr Shin saying my insurance had no time reqquirements, only the 3 months that his weight loss center expected. I thought today was my third but they don't count the first time you meet the nutritionalist since you haven't had a chance to loose yet, so one more Oct I go for 3rd time, then my psych eval, then final insurance and surgery. So its looking like it could happen this year, possibly. Oh I do have a seminar I have to go to tomorrow night after I meet the exercise gal. So I'm like happy and trying not to get happy and even a bit nervous at the same time. I know I'm strange.

On a bad note I gain 2.5 lbs, but my mass went down LOL, So either I'm building muscle or retaining fluid. I'm real sure I'm not retaining,

Hopefully next visit I'll know for sure of the montha t least.

I had lost on my first appt with Lindsey already. Was down 3 lbs just from quitting sodas. My paperwork was submitted today. I called the insurance to see if they got it and they said most likely since it was faxed it's there just not on file yet. They told me to call again tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully they will have it in hand and pending then. I want my approval to do by quickly. EVERYONE SEND ME APPROVAL DUST. :crying:

Hi Everybody...Starting to feel human again!! Thank Goodness!!..I am going to go back to work 1/2 days starting tomorrow....doesn't take to much to wear me out so I think I'll go alittle slower than I orginally thought. This is day 7 post op....still on liquids.....not hungry though...so that part has been the easiest. I notice if I drink to fast I get really bad pressure in my upper chest so it is teaching me to go slower..even when drinking. My 5 incisions are healing nicely, only 1 of them is longer than an inch... One of them is pretty high on my belly and I think my bra may bother it, so I may have to go bra less for a week or so,,,,hahaha... I have spent the past few days looking at low calorie cook books and weight watcher cook books looking for healthy things to make that I can freeze and take to work..I work with 30 women and they are for the most part junk food junkies and fast food for lunch is the norm.

After a few bad days I am back to being very excited and happy about this procedure..I believe it will be life changing.

I would like to do that exercise class with you all starting next week, can you tell me where it is at..and how long until I can exercise, I see Kaplan on the 13th. Thanks for all your nice notes and I will chat at you all later, Theresa aka wvnascarfan

Glad you're feeling better!!! I'm waiting for approval...tis stressful.