So I met with prospective surgeon #1 - GREAT guy. Very upfront - loves questions and gives all the information he can. He didn't pull any punches and was very frank about what is and is not required and to be expected for each surgery. I do really like him. Oddly enough, he studied under prospective surgeon #2. Said he learned a lot from Dr. Kam (second prospective surgeon). So I'm in good shape, either way.
I'm so excited. I have 2 consults - one on the 16th and one on the 21st. I'm quite anxious to just keep the ball rolling on this. I want this done so I can move on with my life. I know its not good to rush things - and really, I'm not. I'm ready for this, I know what I'm in for, and I've done my own weight in research haha.
So. I called and finally got ahold of the scheduling coordinator and she told me that the insurance company hadn't sent them the approval letter. I have it. My doctor has it. My cousin's wife's sister's pet ferret has it, but they don't have it. *argh!* So I call the insurance company - they said there was an issue with their letter generation system and it didn't get sent to the surgeon's office *flail* So they're going to mail it to them tomorrow as they can't fax a letter that hasn't been generated yet - makes sense but doesn't make sense haha. I asked them to fax them my copy or my doctor's copy but they said they couldn't do that (mine's at home and I'm at work). So they apologized for the SNAFU and gave me the approval code and info and told me to give that to the surgeon's office along with their direct line and to have the surgeon's office call them. So I faxed all of that over to the surgeon's office and now I'm just waiting to hear whether or not that will suffice - if it will, she MAY be able to get me in for my consult on May 21st instead of in 4 months! :thumbup::thumbup::sad::thumbup:
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I got an email from my doctor yesterday - she has submitted to my insurance company for my approval. Now I'm just waiting to hear what the decision is. I can't imagine that I'd be denied. My BMI by the insurance company scale is 54.9, which hopefully will be considered 55 (never thought I'd be happy about that) - just means I can go right to surgery.
I am, in fact, leaning more toward the sleeve than the band at this time. I won't make my final determination until after i talk to my surgeon. I know that there are a lot of questions that i need to have answered. I'm making a list to take with me. I'll have a lot of time to create a larger list of questions. Now my sister is looking into the band - and for her, that might be the right option - but I want to ask questions for her - she has other issues to deal with and she always has the questions _after_ the doctor visit haha. I wish I could take her with me! She's going to her PCP tomorrow to talk about it. I just want to give her a list of questions to ask - and they'll be similar to mine - but I also want to put myself in her position to think of any other questions since our situations vary.
because i like to be a pain in the ass, I called the insurance company - my visit to the surgeon for a consult has been APPROVED. :smile2: I'm going to call them and talk to them regarding it :tongue2:
i'm starting over with my journey to have this surgery done. I thought maybe I could do it without -but I'm so heavy now, I don't even know where to start. I'm so lost in a sea of fat, that I can't find my way out by myself. I'm angry. At myself, at the insurance company, at doctors, at the people that screwed up the first time around and I wasn't able to have the surgery...but its a new day and I'm setting that anger into action to get things done better this time. I have a new insurance company (I have 2 of them, in fact!) So one way or another, I'm going to get my life back. It wasn't that long ago that I was happy and healthy. I need to be that person again.
so I didn't get my call last week and I'm not going to get it this week either. They're CLOSED FOR THE WEEK FOR TRAINING! While I'm glad they're being trained, it certainly would be nice if they'd be taking phonecalls - or at least making the ones they were supposed to make! Maybe that's what their training is on lol.