srs82781

Hi nailsbyniki! The waiting game is awful!!! As for as the clinicals being submitted to insurance, I think when most of us say that paperwork was sent to Aetna that the dr sent everything all at once. I cant speak for all, I just know mine wouldnt send it till everything was in hand.... I am unfortunately stuck waiting cause they needed further weight documentation, but otherwise Aetna seems to have a pretty quick turn around time. I would call aetna and just check on the status and they are always so helpful in keeping you updated. I don't think that they call everyone once approved, some people seem to just get the approval letter in the mail so that might take an extra day or two. Good luck and congrats!

Perfect thank you! That's where I plan on going.

Does anyone have Alma's direct email? I don't want to put my info I to Ready4achange and hope I get in touch with her.... I would rather contact her directly.

Headmistress, I feel you! Same issue here! They didnt deny me yet but said I have 45 days to submit 2 yr weight history and will not except my prenatal weight which was 1 of the 2 yrs... Never saw my PCP during that time so I'm hoping the few minute clinics I went to during that time had some weight history for my surgeon to submit. Don't give up hope....

Thanks for the info! Im definitely thinking of changing to self pay my surgeon here is in such high demand and only does sleeves on Fridays and is booked already thru November and December.... Leaving me now to meet my deductible all over again come January.

Just curious what the deposit amount is with ready 4a change. I'm thinking of changing my option to self pay Mexico instead of going thru insurance since I will end up paying roughly the same amount and would get in sooner with going to Mexico..... Is the deposit the same for everyone?

Laptoplunches.com is a great site for different bento boxes, lots of different styles. I actually bought one at Whole Foods but they only carry a limited selection.

Jokingly, my husband said maybe Aetna is just holding out as long as they can asking for more documentation since its getting so close to the end of the year, that was once January hits you have to meet your deductible all over again! Ummmm starting to wonder if that is the case! I wouldnt put it past the insurance company to do something like that! My office send release forms to a few other places to get my weight history hopefully she will have more to submit to Aetna come Friday!

Having issues with Aetna. I received a letter saying they need documentation of obesity for the past two years.... Well I have been obese since about 13, now 31.... And I have documentation from then till now with the exception of the past 2 years! The 1st year I was under prenatal care and even though I was labeled high risk due to obesity, they will not accept pregnancy weight. And then this past year I had never had a need to see a doctor, so I'm at a bit of a loss with Aetna right now. Hopefully the surgeons office can figure something else they can submit to insurance.

Planning on MI hospital in February, If you bring someone along with you to Tijuana and they don't want to stay in the hospital with you, can they stay back in the hotel or do they have to have a separate reservation to stay there.... I mean when you get to the hotel, do you leave your stuff there when you go to the hospital or does everything go with you and just get a new room at the hotel when you get released from the hospital? Just curious about my friend that will be coming with me for support.

I'm having a hard time here as well! My paperwork was submitted to Aetna on 10/15 just got a letter that they needed the past 2yrs history of being obese.... Doesn't matter that my dr submitted paperwork from the past 15yrs of obesity.... And they won't accept prenatal care so the 1st year of the past 2 were prenatal and this past year I had no reason to ever see a doctor until I decided to have surgery. You would think they would at least take my weight from my 1st prenatal visit.... Clearly in the 1st 7wks of being pregnant I didn't gain 110lbs that I was overweight! Not to mention if they accepted the prenatal care I was labeled high risk due to obesity!!!! So frustrating.... Hopefully my surgeon can figure out what else they can submit. Looks like it won't be till after the 1st of the year for sure!

My paperwork was sent to Aetna on the 15th, this monday will be 2 weeks now.... I've called them twice now and it's still under review, but they gave me my reference number so its easier to look up when I call. I'm biting my nails here waiting for a response. They said the turn around time just depends on how busy they are.... Grrrrr, and to top it off my surgeons is booked up all thru november already and most of december! I would hate to have to wait till January and then have to meet my deductible all over again for the year! Fingers crossed they have an answer soon.

My paperwork was finally submitted to Aetna on monday after a month and a half of trying to get everything in order with my patient advocate. My question is for any of Dr Keith Kim's patients... How long after getting the approval from insurance did it take for you to actually get a date scheduled? What is the next step after the insurance approval? Its so difficult to ever get a response from anyone in the office and I'm wondering what I should be waiting for.... Thanks

I've been working with Laura over the past 4mos and emails were just as bad as phone calls. So I would then contact Jackie to see if she could help and was told to contact my patient advocate. Its been over a month since I finished all my pre op requisites.... I was the one that had to hunt down my PCP office to send the correct paperwork it was so frustrating. I'm worried that my issues will deny me due to lack of paperwork so I'm trying to get in to see Ann again this month so if I have to go the 6mo route I at least have nutritionist appts showing every month.

Also waiting..... It's took a month for my surgeons office to get all their paperwork together!!! But they said they finally submitted it Monday, I checked with Aetna via email and they did receive it. I'm going to put a call in tomorrow to aetna and check on the status. They say they have up to 2 Wks to respond but most people said they had an answer within 3 days! Then it's back to waiting on the surgeons office.

My girl friends and I joke around and call it rhino rash since it looks like rhino skin! Lol.... I'm still in the process of waiting for a date for surgery but my friend who had gastric surgery swears by palmers tummy butter for pregnant bellies or even straight cocoa butter. She puts it on at night with her pj pants.... But you're not alone even when I was thinner in high school at a size six, I always had rubbing thighs with that issue. Good luck!

I also have completed the 3mo program for Aetna. My issue is that the woman they have handling my paperwork at the surgeons office is impossible to get ahold of or to get her to respond to you. Very frustrating. Apparently the office now has everything to submit to Aetna but I have no idea to know if they even did it yet!!!! For anyone that has called Aetna to check on the status, what do you ask them?

It's tough when you lose control of your own life. This is the one thing that you can work to control. If you had surgery in the town you live in see if the office has a support group, if not look online to see if you can find one in your area or someone that you can meet with face to face to help you along. My fitness pal is a great tool and so is this site but having support around you that are living a similar life can really help. Good luck I have faith that you can get yourself back on track. You have made the a breakthrough already by realizing what your doing.

I'm still pre-op but started the Celebrate brand chewable bariatric vitamins. The hospital that I'm using had samples in the pharmacy to try and they tastes really good. The nut recommended taking the multi-AGB (adjustable gastric band) because is had added iron in it. You can find samples online and just pay $1-2 for shipping and they will send you one of every flavor for multi and calcium.

My situation is very similar! I am at 260 had dropped a lot of weight before my wedding 2 years ago and 4 mos out from my wedding I got pregnant. I gained about 50+ Poinds durning my pregnancy and then only lost about 20. I want more children but I don't want to go thru another high risk pregnancy due to obesity. I want to be healthy for my 18mo old and also for future children. My surgeon told my husband,who was so concerned about being able to have kids after surgery, that it was safe for me to have a pregnancy with the sleeve then it is to be pregnant and morbidly obese. I am currently waiting for a date for my surgery all my pre-op clearances have been completed! Hoping for late October early November. My doctor recommends a year before trying for another but I know every doctor is different and we will be monitored with them so they will know what's best for us! So happy for this decision for both of us! Good luck!

I was told to stay away from the chews cause they are a calcium carbonate and your body cannot break it down to absorb it anymore. You are lacking that portion of your stomach now. You need a calcium that is calcium citrate have not found many that are chewable. Had to order them online. Good luck and definitely talk to your NUT.

I just joined myfitnesspal and am trying to build up my sleeve support buddies!!!! I have completed all my pre op and waiting in a surgery date My user name is srs82781 Thanks!

Sounds like symptoms of dumping. That's more common with bypass patients but my surgeon said that some sleeve patients can experience dumping too from consuming sugar. It will pass, just very unpleasant to deal with.

Anyone that tells you that you're taking the easy way out doesn't understand what you are about to do. Like my surgeon told me.... This isn't an easy way out, this is the toughest desicion you will make and you're a strong person for doing that. It's not like you will live your like you did before surgery.... This is a lifestyle change and the WLS is a tool to help you in the process. Good luck and hopefully you will find someone at home that will be in your team to help you.

I know it may seem scary but all the searches I had done prior to making my decision for surgery said to wait 12-18 mos post so you are fine on how long you waited. If someone were to miscarry I don't see the sleeve as being the reason. You are making better choices then before with eating habits and you already take vitamins I'm sure.... I never took prenatals because they made me very sick so I took my normal vitamin and added in a DHA supplement. So taking a vitamin cannot hurt. I think your dr is just worried because they are not knowledgable enough on the subject of WLS and pregnancy, they haven't had patients with the same issue. It will not make you high risk. You live a healthier lifestyle then most pregnant women. My 1st pregnancy I lived off taco bell, blts, and chipotle.... Ummmm not healthy at all. I was already 230 when I got pregnant and went up to 285 when I was induced!!! Talk about high risk!!!!