educationrulz

Danielle, Unfortunately the different UHC plans vary quite a bit on what is covered and the requirements for surgery. It really all comes down to what your employer wrote into their policies. I agree that you should log on to myuhc.com, get registered, and then check your benefits under special services/coverage. Although the BRS people seem to give good info, the phone reps are not always reliable. Check your policy online before giving up on this avenue. Good luck!

Hope you're able to get some answers and feel better soon. Did the surgeon fix your hernia while doing the sleeve?

Good luck with your upcoming surgery happyslvr. This is quite alot to go through in one year but it sounds like you're keeping a positive outlook about things. I'm sure that having lost weight will make it a better experience in terms of healing. Let us know how your MRI and surgery go.

This line from your post really hit home with me and may be my biggest emotional problem after surgery. Even though I'm confident about my decision to have this surgery, it does seem crazy to have to cut my freakin stomach out to be able to lose weight. I mean, why can't I do this the normal way! I feel kind of crazy sometimes thinking about this and I feel like people would think I'm crazy if they found out. I don't plan to tell most people the specifics of my WLS, but I'll still know I had my stomach cut out and it will still be wierd. I'm praying that I'll be able to adjust quickly to all of this stuff post-op, but if not I'll just have to deal with it. 30 years of obesity is damn well enough and I'm ready for a better lifestyle!

The great thing about this is that you don't ever have to show them to anyone if you don't want to. I'm planning to get some pre-op self taken photos of myself in undies and a bathing suit. I'll probably NEVER show those anyone, but they'll be good motivation for me if I start backsliding.

Okay Bklyn, so you basically got your approval in one day, right? I'm praying that mine is that fast so I can get started with my tests required by the surgeon. I have State Employee's United Healthcare, so maybe I'll hear something quickly. I think the office is submitting my request tomorrow. I checked today and they had all the required records and paperwork for my 6 month requirements. I feel like I'm going to pop with anticipation waiting for this surgery... Great job on the weight loss TaRel!

I'm glad to hear that you made it home. Being in the hospital can be stressful, even when you know you need to be there. Definitely try to get more walking in your daily routine. I can only repeat what others have said here about walking after the VSG, but I know from experience after my C-section and fibroid removal surgeries that getting up and around did me a a world of good. Laying around too much seemed to accentuate the painful areas. You should be feeling better in no time based on everyone else's experiences. Keep us updated and congrats on getting your sleeve.:thumbup:

Tiffany, I just got a chance to look at your incision video on you tube. I know that it was taken over a week ago, so I hope everything is looking much better now. You mentioned in another thread that you don't have insurance right now, so I'm sure that's been an issue for you. Girl, please go back to the ER if your incisions are not getting better. You don't want them to heal over as big holes in your stomach. After a certain point of them not beng closed up, the dead tissue has to be taken out in order for it to heal properly. You're going to get 50 different opinions about how to handle irritated incision sites any time you post about it. Don't try to take advice from all of us armchair doctors. Get some medical attention. If you can't afford to pay, they have payment plans and financial assistance - you just have to ask for it. The weight loss will come so take care of your health first. We all want the best for you.

Hey you'll - count me in! I'm hoping for a June surgery too. As of today, all of my records are in at the surgeon's office. I have a tentative date scheduled and my paperwork is going to insurance on Monday. We're going to have to post some strategies for passing by all the GA rib joints, krispy cremes, and fish frys after surgery. :thumbup1:

The psych eval should be one visit. The psychologist who did mine told me there was a possibility of a second visit depending on how the eval went, but we got it done in one visit. I guess I'm not quite as crazy as I thought I was. :thumbup1: The 6 month counseling requirement is the one that you won't be able to wiggle on. You're going to have to do that over a 6 month time period. Even if someone is in counseling prior to submitting the request for surgery, I don't think it would count because the counseling/support groups have to be specifically geared toward WLS.

The policies do vary quite a bit from employer to employer. I don't think it has so much to do with the state you're in. It sounds like tsmith's policy has approved two instances of WLS. My policy clearly states that only one WLS will be covered - EVER! Double check your coverage by logging on to myuhc.com and looking at the details of your individual policy. You'll need the member ID number from your insurance card to set up an account. Unfortunately, you can't always trust the word of the rep you get on the phone. When you log on, you should see an area called "other covered services" or "special services" (something like that) in the benefits section. This will tell you if your policy covers WLS.

I was told by my nurse coordinator through UHC that Weight Watchers would count with the proper documentation. But, you're going to have to talk to your personal coordinator to find out if that will work for your plan. I'm learning that the plans differ quite a bit across employers. I suspect there are some time requirements too in terms of how old your documentation can be. Do you have a nurse coordinator assigned yet?

Donna, Thank you for letting us know how your sister Linda is doing. It's so good to hear that she is feeling well enough to send you an email. The content of her email makes it obvious that she has a strong spirit. You are both very brave to keep sharing her story and if it helps just one person or leads to one positive change, then any negative responses you get for posting her experience won't matter.

Danielle, This depends on what your employer has written into their policies as a covered benefit. Some people with UHC have a weight loss surgery benefit, some don't. For my employer, different UHC policies cover different things. In my case, we have to have the HRA plan and not the HMO plan to qualify for weight loss surgery. You'll have to make some calls to UHC customer service or to your HR/benefits department to find out if you qualify. If you don't, you might be able to change to a different plan during open enrollment in order to qualify for the WLS benefit.

Hmmm, that's interesting about the overstitching. I hadn't heard that before so I'll be sure to ask more about it at my next appointment. My insurance doesn't require a nutrition consult so I haven't done that. I had thought about doing it anyway for my own benefit, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I feel like I"ve gotten such great info here that I can get by without it. I am required to meet with the nutritionist after surgery, so that should keep me on track with eating properly. I'm freakin out a little now because I've gained a few pounds since my initial visit and that's a no-no. I have jumped off the eating binge train and have been doing better with my diet and with exercising. I hope it's enough to lose whatever weight I've gained since the initial consult. If it looks like I'm going to be cutting it too close, I'm going to move to liquid shakes for two meals a day.

Thanks Tiff, I appreciate that. I am glad I haven't totally worn out my welcome here by going a little postal on this issue. I have decided that this surgery is going to save my life and I don't think I'll be as successful as I could be without the support of this forum.

I'm excited to see that you are sleeved and home recovering. Please keep us updated on your progress. And thanks for your earlier post. I really appreciate it.

Bjean, I agree wholeheartedly with what you have to say. Clearly, many people here feel that I have crossed the line with my earlier post. That may well be the case. As a grown woman, I'll take the heat for that and deal with it. My apolopies for what may have been rude discourse were quite sincere, otherwise I would not have included my apologies in the post. I feel that I have engaged in generic debate in expressing my opinion as others have for most of this thread. Unfortunately, I reached the point where my level of tolerance for what I felt was insensitive behavior toward people who have experienced complications had reached its limit. I guess in my mind, people who are ill or have been ill and are perhaps still too emotionally hurt to speak up for themselves deserve some defense. Perhaps the nature of online discussion caused me to be more zealous and direct in that defense. After having read several stories of people's experiences with tears in my eyes, I wrote something that was laying heavy on my heart. Call it bitchy, childish, rude, or whatever you will. I have no problem admitting that all of what I said was not necessary to make my point. Much of it was said from emotions. I feel that many of us have been beating our head against a wall trying to make a point in a generic, vague way and I was tired of beating my head against the wall. So, accept it or not, the apology stands...

That's great to hear. It looks like I'll be a month behind you if all goes as planned. I'm also excited that I may be able to get the single incision sleeve. Have either of you discussed that option with Dr. Macik? I think I'll know more about whether I qualify at my pre-op exam. Honestly, it doesn't matter THAT much. I just want my sleeve...like yesterday!

Krystal, I wish you the best however things turn out. You have a great attitude about all of this. This will go a long way toward helping you be successful with your weightloss goals.

HEARSAY!!! HEARSAY!!! AGAIN, HEARSAY! See highlighed above... Sorry PNW if this seems a little rude because that's not my nature. But, I'm sick of the fact that you and others seem to think you can come on here and pass on all this great info about what YOU have seen and heard happen to others at this clinic but have the unmitigated AUDACITY to question what others have seen and heard - not to mention what they have personally experienced. Why aren't your reports relegated to the hearsay files? Why is what YOU say about this place supposed to be gospel? This is the worst kind of hypocrisy and I'm through mincing words. If you expect ANYONE to believe a word of what you have to say about anything then you need to stop acting like other people are lying. At this point, I don't believe anything you say about this place. I think you are so shortsighted that you would say anything to make YOUR doctor come out smelling like a rose. But why? Why do you care so much if someone questions the care at this facility? Do you own stock or something? I mean geez!!! You need to get off your highhorse and join the rest of us in reality. How dare you question the details of stoongal's account of what happened to her sister, as if the details change the bare facts of the story. So what's the problem with her story, her timeline is off or something? I imagine that if you're in fear for your loved one's life, maybe the details and sequence get a little off track. Who the freak cares!?? Did you enjoy your little side trip to this clinic in Mexico where you could go and compare stoongal's story with the staff there and try to find holes in her story? If so, then shame on you! I have no reason to disbelieve stoongal's or anyone else's story. But, if I did, I personally would rather mistakenly offer words of comfort and encouragement to a person who might have posted a false story about complications than to mistakenly criticize a person who posted a real story about complications. The option seems like a no-brainer to me. YES, complications happen. Yes, bad things happen to good people. More often than not, it's the care a person receives after a complication that determines how they feel about their medical experience. But, since you can't bring yourself to admit that SOME people have had negative post-op experiences with this doctor and that things should have been handled differently with SOME patients, then spare us any more of your fake rosey rosey reports about how great you claim this place is. Your credibility is SHOT at this point!!! Sorry if this post makes anyone else uncomfortable, but I've just had it up to here with this. Sorry...

I hadn't thought of the veggie omelet instead of just plain scrambled eggs. Yummy! Definitely gonna use that one. I'm probably going to have to overload on meats in order to feel satisfied on the pre-op diet.