treequeen

Wow...welcome to my world.. first the doc went on vacation before he wrote my letter.. that was a week, then I get the approval in 4 days and get the call... and she says... "a scheduler will call you next week"... I'm still waiting and wondering why the heck she couldn't just schedule me herself right then.. Good luck getting the date you want...mine is gonna be a month later than I wanted That is if it isn't booked up by the time the "scheduler" gets around to calling me.

My doc said 3-6 weeks depending on your job.. I am hoping for as long as possible... just cause there is a lot of lifting and they have very high expectaions and very little empathy. I will have used all of my extra time so I won't be able to leave early if I feel like crap.

after the seminar, I called aetna to see is sleeve was covered. They connected me with a woman who had the RNY who answered a lot of my questions on the phone that day (about an hour on the phone).. She sent me an email with all her info and links to helpful websites so I could research. We have been emailing since December. My surgeons office sent my paperwork directly to her and I was approved in 4 days... Wonder why they didn't get you to someone you could have a conversation with. Not sure if my lady can help you but if you want her info, PM me.

can't wait for that to be me. I get up at least 2xs a night to go.. and on a bad day I'll go 8 or 9 times just while i'm at work. Part of the reason I never go anywhere...even on meds, the damn thing will just release and I have to walk funny to the restroom.. humiliating

I got approved on Friday.. the scheduler will be calling next week and I am hoping for the 3rd week of August just after my vacation. Fingers crossed for the 15th

So today I got a call from my advocate from the surgeons office. She didn't leave a message and was gone by time I got off work...I'm thinking it was to schedule a date cause when I got home there was an e-mail from my aetna contact who said all was well with the paperwork and I'm approved for the sleeve and 1 bed day in the hospital...That took the joy and turned it to worry because my surgeon requires a 3 day hospital stay. He likes for the swelling to go down significantly before doing a leak test which is the reason for the long stay. Now I'm afraid if I have to pay for 2 extra days myself I will have to keep saving and by the time I have enough, my approval will have expired and I'll have to start all over again.

All is well in my world again! Advocate said that it is the standard initial approval from the insurance... and I have nothing to worry about.. And even better, she told me my out of pocket is $300 less than I thought it would be!!! Now I just have to wait for the scheduler to call me next week. Yippie! Thanks for the support everyone.

My contact at Aetna told me they have a 15 day turn-around... I know it's hard, but try to be patient.. you'll get your approval.

If you have aetna... they do cover the sleeve.. don't know why they wouldn't just tell you. When I called I spoke with a person who had the RNY procedure and she talked to me for quite awhile about her experience. I just finished my 6 mo diet and am waiting approval. I don't think there is a set amount of weight you absolutley have to lose, but the goal was 10% which I lost by just tracking my calories and eating more like the dietician wanted me to. There is a 3 month diet option also, but the program fee was out of the budget for me. Good luck with everything.

Thanks Candace. I am now trying to figure out if I have enough vacation/sick time to work out going on vacation first..That would put surgery a month later than I was hoping for which i can deal with, I just wanted to use my vaction time to supplement my disability pay.... It'll work out one way or another.

I had a feeling when I called my advocate Monday and she said the doc was on vacation this week that it was gonna mess up them submitting my file to the insurance....which messes up the timing of everything. She assured me that they would pull my letter from his files cause his assistant had his password.. mind you he said he would write the letter as soon as I left last friday morning... well today I find out that he never wrote the letter so now I have to wait for him to come back from vacation.. well I hope he enjoys his cause now I don't get to go on mine

I have to pay whatever I have left of my out of pocket expenses which will be $1500 before surgery.

My job wants a 2 week notice of my surgery date..so they can cover my shifts

I will have a longer stay than most ppl on here. My team wants to make sure the swelling is down enough to get a good look during the leak test. It's a mandatory 3 day stay.

someone should tell him that he may be destroying the weightloss possibilities of so many of his patients... Like you said... not everyone has the confidence...who knows.. those emotional eaters might leave the office and stop at the first Dairy Queen.. What a dumb a$$.

my contact at Aetna says they have a 15 day turn-around.. I am in hurry up and wait mode too.. I wish my surgeons office would have penciled me in for a date... I am dying to know when this can happen so I can plan my vacation time... It's making me nuts. My advocate was on vacation and just came back on Monday so I called to see if she was able to send my paperwork to Aetna and she tells me the doc is on vacation and they are "trying" to get his password to get my letter... Ugh!!! Am afraid I will have to wait til he comes back. Good luck getting your approval quickly.

You can keep it hidden as long as you want to. If they ask how you are losing you can tell them you are tracking all of your intake, calories, protein, carbs etc... and that won't be a lie.

I would do the party stuff first....Just in case you aren't feeling well... do you want the kids' memories to be mom sick at their party? Maybe make it your last hurrah. I know you are anxious, but you have waited all this time.. what's a couple more weeks?

No one in my family was really supportive...but I keep talking about it so they know i am serious and are starting to accept it. Of course every time I give an update on my losses during the 6 month diet...Dad will make a comment like, See, you can do it on your own and I tell him I've lost and regained this weight so many times.... And don't get me started on MY sister.... talk about the C word! I have been fat my entire life...she was always thin... well until her 30s she just turned 40...she wears a 16/18....I can't talk to her about the surgery cause she Always has something horrid to say... or makes gestures pretending to be me shoving food into "my" mouth when I'm depressed or whatever... as cruel as she can make it. Now I Know for certain she will not take it well when I am thinner than her. I am already better looking! Worst case scenario... I cut her out of my life completely. (Trust me.. it wouldn't be a loss). Like others have said... you have to do what's best for you. Put yourself first for a change. Best of luck to you.

I agree that you should no longer see that "therapist"...Not real professional if you ask me. Maybe try the one who did/is doing your psych eval...they probably have experience with ppl who get wls.

My son is 11. He is a very sensitve boy...he doesn't want me to lose weight cause I won't be as comfortable to lay on. There have been times when it has upset him to see me happy and having fun... (I have always said that my misery is my scarlet letter...) I am hoping he will be able to adapt without me sending him to therapy. As much as I figure I will struggle recognizing myself, I wonder if it will happen to him too. How did your kids react thru the whole process?

I ask my son if he wants to ask any questions and then answer them to the best of my ability without causing him distress. He seems ok right now as we wait for a surgery date. After will be interesting...I am hoping I am one of the lucky ppl who doesn't suffer too much afterward...and can keep my hormones in check so he won't have to deal with mood swings.

I love (sarcasm) when ppl say you look like a famous person... I always got Nicole Kidman probably because of my curly hair.. and my response was always "Ya I look like I ATE Nicole Kidman...or If she was fat!" I figured it might make them uncomfortable if I finished their thought. That pretty face thing has been the bain of my exisitence since I was a little girl. And If one more doctor tells me I'm fat...as if I don't know... especially since all they have on the walls to look at are obesity charts....or says my weight is the reason for whatever I came in for no matter what it is....Well.. there is no telling what I might say... People suck... Professionals who should know better suck even more!

I work with mixed age groups and I have told everyone and kept them up on my journey so far. Most ppl have been supportive but there are those who are judgemental and make comments. Lots of ppl watch what I eat. Some ask questions, some pay compliments on my loss so far, some don't say anything at all. I don't care what the negative ppl think about it. They haven't lived the life of a morbidly obese person, they haven't done the research...they are ignorant to my situation so what would I waste my time caring what they think for? Good luck and don't worry too much.. it might not get as bad as you are imagining.

I've never been to one, but heard it's a great place. There is one about 30 mins away... now have me wanting to go. What are the prices like?