msmugsy

I have BCBS California, and I was originally approved for the band. Just like you, I decided to switch to the sleeve after my initial consultation and reading the boards. I asked customer service at BCBS if I needed a different approval, and I was told that WLS is WLS, and the original paperwork would be fine. Since, I have an HMO, but medical group had the final say and after thinking everthing was going smoothly, I found out had to get reapproved for VSG. Then, I was denied for VSG, but my surgeon's office submitted an appeal for me directly to BCBS, and after a few more weeks of waiting, my surgery was approved! I could have saved a month or two if I had straightened out the paperwork sooner, but everything happens for a reason. Hope your approval sails through the process!

I am having my sleeve done in Burbank, CA on October 7. Maybe we could plan to take a little trip to Mexico together for tummy tucks in a few years!

There was one question that the psychologist asked me that kind of threw me. She said that research showed that people typically only lose 50% of their excess weight with the sleeve, and how would I feel about only losing about 60 pounds after drastically changing my body. I was thinking "Hhhmmm...that's not the results I have seen on the boards." But I said something about being okay with weighing under 200, but that I would be disappointed, and that I would do everything to have a more positive result. I was told to plan on spending three hours at the psch eval because there was a test I had to take. Most of it was very similar to a personality test. They were trying to see if I was a hypocondriac, was in denial, or suffered from paranoia or depression. Then, I had to complete a survey about my eating patterns and food likes and dislikes, textures of foods which reminded me of a Jenny Craig survey. I had to watch a video of the surgery, but it wasn't like the type I had seen on youtube; it just showed diagrams instead of the actual surgery. After talking to the psychologist for about 30 minutes, she said she was giving me the ok to have surgery as far as my mental and emotional state of mind. You will do fine...just be honest and relax.

I have been lurking here on the boards for the past few months, but I actually registered yesterday. At last, my VSG surgery date has been set for October 7, 2010! Last December, a coworker referred me to her doctor who had approved her for lapband surgery. After six months of weightloss tracking and regular visits, my primary care physician approved a referral for lap band, but after my initial consultation with the surgeon and researching the sleeve on this site and others, I decided that the sleeve was a better option for me. Well, after jumping through a few more hoops, the medical group ended up still denying to pay for the sleeve, and since I have an HMO, I thought my journey had ended unless I went with the band. Before I even asked, my surgeon's office sent a request directly to Blue Shield, and I was approved! Luckily, Blue Shield CA started covering the sleeve this past July. I am so excited!