reallyrosy

Yes and that's what drove me batty last year and the surgeon's office staff got mad at me. So now I am with another hospital not exactly close by but at least in the same state and a cheaper quoted rate. Medicare kept saying the surgeon knows what he has to provide and the surgeon's office kept saying "no, they won't cover it." One year later, back at the farm, I don't even bother calling medicare. The new hosp said upfront medicare won't pay for vsg. They, at least, didn't try to 'sell' me rny or anything else that is covered. So I don't feel like i'm at war with the people I'm entrusting with my well being. I just hope I have enuf to cover any 'unforseen' events. Scary stuff. Huh?

The part I don't understand: they have a code for it. Why? It sounds like a huge conspiracy! Like we need this as we decide getting 86% of our stomach's removed. If I were younger, i'd probably wait.

I'm in awe of your success. I wonder if the disability has anything to do with the approval. I have a secondary insurance tht tells me I am approved and if I call medicare, they say I am approved but once the docs and hosps etc get into it, according to them, medicare says I am not approved. My head is spinning . Will see surgeon in nov. Still waiting for bill quote from hosp. Good luck to you!

Thsnk you! Your story is a true inspiration and it gives me courage to continue my search. I'm glad that it is still available to read. Would you still recommend the sleeve? I. Eas there's a lot of time and science since u wrote. My cardiologist would like the band (just because he knows more people who have that) but is there any negative press on the sleeve now? I'm going to be self pay at yale new haven...if I get past the first interview that's being scheduled now. Thanks for sharing

I like this and I've lost 127# on the south b***h diet with phentermine and I don't mind the diet at all. I can cut cravings for carbs by not having them around. Maybe I would be more successful with the sleeve....hmmmm. did u get sleeved yourself?

Thanks for confirming.

I'm surprised. What a nasty reply! Seems out of character from what you initially posted.

Curious as to rep of dr. Duffy. If you had sleeve here, please advise.

Really, Jane? I have read so many horror stories @ dangers of being depressed post surgery plus people writing how they messed up and are stuck or actually gaining weight. I understand @ the Fluid wt build up immediately post surgery, but later on? It looks like one does revert back to old habits. That he old habits don't get surgically excised and this scares me. If I'm fat because of habit that I'm unable to modify now, what magic will the surgeon implant? Should I risk giving away 85% of my stomach for an uncertain outcome which may not be any better than I've got now? Look, I'm 66. I'm retired. I want to be able to DO things...anything...go on a short trip for r&r. Get up in the a.m., dressed, and walk the dog more than 1/2 block etc. Later, I want to ride a horse. Right now, I exercise 5-6 days /wk improving slowly, but outside of the personal training and individual practice, I function worse than some 80 or 90 y/o women. Hard for me to walk down one step. Always looking for aomething to hold onto for support....just losing wt is going to make this go away? Why do people regularly write those horror messages if they hvent some truth to them? Thanks for your response!

This won't be the first time I've lost weight and the way I lookand the new clothesdo make me happy but I'm here and facing a life threatening decision. Clothes isn't the reason for surgery. I need an exorcist. I've been in therapy since I'm 18. I don't see it happening. I don't see myself moving like I am confident on my feet...I don't see me getting past the first time I fnd myself alone in the house watching tv and what? Sucking my thumb? What the he!! am I going to do? I wonder if I can ask the surgeon if HE thinks its the right thing for m. I can't even find anyone who will comment on this guy...you'd think a Yale surgeon would be well known but nobody on either forum will comment on dr duffy. WHY????

****. My whole life has been food addiction and depression and now I'm going to hace to deal with it again fter being sleeved. Oh I'm this close to getting approved and I don't know if I'm so sure about it now. If I could pull upmy big girl panties and talk myself out of this, why can't I do it without surgery? I think I'm using the surgery to punish myself for wasting my life til now. I'm 66. I'm gonna change? Ha! I don't believe anything good can happen.

Ok but it seems to say that the pcp needs to be aware of this eventuality. How many of you who are sleeved have PCPs who know anything @ nutrition and /or sleeving??? We have to be our own advocates...big time

Would any pts of yale university's dr. Duffy care to share experiences? I'm about to have my file presented to him for VSG. Any feedback welcome.

Me too. I will be self pay for the sleeve if Yale ever gets around to scheduling me....quoted about $25,000

hi i'n \\m looking at dr duffy. heard both bell and duffy are "good" that's all i know. tried papasavas last year but his office refused due to insurance snafu. am now self pay and its cheaper at yale.

Thank you for your honest response. I see where I have to determin if spending 25,000 and risking complications at my age is going to be worthwhile for me. You've been loud and clear saying exactly what I feared. But you have shown hope, too, and it is exactly what my fat doc hastold me all along...u fall off the wagon, u get back on. Thanks again

I'm working on it since last summer. Out of patience, out of time. Glad for you, though. Are u in the new england area?

How can we go to mexico? Id have to buy 2 seats on the airplane. Id have to buy 2 seats back, too. Id probably end up throwing a blood clot because of not walking enuf. Plus, is ther a place on the forum to find out how other early sexually abused sleevers do with any type of wls?

I have been in therapy since I am 17. I am 66, now. I do NOT believe there is something more I can learn about controlling my eating.

I'm talking @ medicare. There is no way to work with them

How did u determine that your iinsurance won't cover any future problems that may result from the vgs? I'm going to be self pay too if I ever get the chance to havge the surgery. Am wrking with major ivy league university hosp. Cost is about 25,000.

That scares the hell outta me. I'm going thru this procedure to remove 2/3 of my stomach and don't know if it will contain my out of contrl eating or just be a very expensive temporary loss. Damn. I don't want to spend all the money to find out I need therapy. I've been in therapy since I'm 17 and that didn't cure my eating habits. The only thing that did work for me was phentermine and exercise workouts. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing by persu8ing this. I don't think that the online 'support' is enough.