ReaRaes

Hi all my February friends. I have been away so long but I've caught up with your postings and am so proud of all of you. If you can believe it I still don't have approval. I did accidentally find out that it was submitted today. My insurance company said to call back Monday. I don't know if I can wait that long. Most likely middle to late April surgery. Claire, your posts are so encouraging, well, everyones' are. Erin, you are doing great I love your attitude. Dreaming, I am so sorry for your loss. I am still reeling from the loss of my mom in May of last year. I relate a bit to what you had to go through, in 2000 I had major neck surgery and five days later my sister, niece and brother in law were all killed in a car crash. I wasn't supposed to go up and down stairs at that point much less get on an airplane to fly 2000 miles, but I did. My heart pours out to you. Zom and Erin both congrats on the 30 pound loss. My husband and I move on Saturday so I have been packing like crazy, stressing like crazy, we're dealing with trying to get his disability approved through the VA and it is taking forever. They were supposed to pro ide us stuff for our move and we haven't heard from them. So angry as they don't return our calls. I have been extremely bad these past few weeks. I haven't recorded my food, weighed myself, exercised, or even recorded my glucose levels for weeks. I was so afraid that I would gain a ton of weight. I got back on the scale this morning and was shocked to find that I have actually lost six pounds since the 4th of March. My best news is that the house we are moving to is within walking distance to work so I am going to walk every day starting Monday. The other thi g is that we are moving to a house where we don't have a fence somwe will need to walk the dog a few times a day. I've got friends that live not too far so we will walk together when we can. Our dog hasn't been on a leash in probably 6 years. Currently we have 9 acres of land and live out in the country a long way from busy roads we have been here for 8 years. He is so good that when we take trips and stop at rest areas with him we don't need to put him on a leash we just tell him to stay next to us and he does, but now we are moving to the busiest street in town, and can no longer let him out the door and expect him to stay right there in our tiny yard. So between walking to and from work and then walking the dog I should be getting in at least 3 miles a day. Let's just pray it doesn't rain all spring and summer. LOL I wish you all the best. I'm going to keep checking in with all of you and will , et you know when I get approved and get to have my surgery. Sorry for blabbing so long. Best wishes everyone

I am hoping my surgery will be the middle of April. I was submitted to insurance today. Hoping to have an answer by Monday. Then the Mayo will schedule, hopefully two weeks from then. May is my second busiest month at work so I really need to be back at work by then. Just crossing my fingers for approval and a quick schedule.

Congrats to all of you March losers. I think my insurance got the approval request today. I called to change my address with them and asked them if by chance there was an approval for surgery and she said no. Then she said oh, but we got something from the Mayo today but its not processed yet but it's the only thing that it can be from them so I said I'd check back later in the week and they saidvto wait until Monday, don't thin I can do that, I'll try again Monday. At least that means I hopefully can get my surgery in April.

I just turned on a program I have never heard of and they just did gastric bypass on a 600 lb woman. She is up and walking and feeling good. Her husband is an ass though, called her up shortly after surgery and told her that he was having tacos. Then he picks her up from the hospital and on the way home stops at a drive through and since he's driving makes her hold his burger right after she tells him the smell is nauseating. Can we say DIVORCE shortly? We all need to stay far away from relationships like that.

I couldn't tell you anything, never heard of it even. I just know I would have walked out the door when I got home from the hospital.

Congrats on all of these fast surgeries!! I am still waiting for my stuff to be submitted for approval. I saw the doc last three weeks ago today and s he said they were submitting then. Yeah No! Not a happy camper.

Good luck to everyone today and tomorrow. Good thoughts are with you as you make your last few steps before your new life starts.

Hi you amazing people. I just thought I would check in and see how you all are coming after your surgeries. Erin with so many changes your are doing absolutely phenomenal. Claire, very proud of you. I know I'll be doing the same thing with the fear of puking. Kim and zom, you guys are doing great too. No matter when I finally get my surgery I'll keep popping in to check on all of you. Hugs and continued good wishes.

Thanks Claire, how are you doing? Dying to know how all of you early February people are. Guess I'll pop over there and check on you.

I would suggest you go with your surgeon's best recommendation for you. He has looked at your health records and can detetmine from them the best option. If he has no recommendation between the two, take a look at which one with it's differences is better for you. For instance how much weight do you need to lose? If it is 200 lbs or 75 pounds, will you be happy only losing 50% of the excess. Are you diabetic or pre-diabetic? Can you handle dumping if it were to happen often at first until you figure it out?

Some doctors offices require it if you have any symptoms that you might have sleep apnea, some insurances require it as well. My clinic required it after I had the symptoms, slight snoring and being very tired, not sleeping well, waking up multiple times during the night etc.

Go get it Shirley, we haven't worked this hard to be turned down for reasons we can overcome.

Feeling more and more like I am going to be an April Surgery rather than March now. So I'll hang with you all too.

When I talked to BCBS Friday of last week I was told they have ten business days to approve or deny. So at max 2 weeks from submittal and you should know.

Congrats Hmj! So happy for you all. Today has been anothervrotten day for me. It started out with the clinic calling me at 2:00 today saying they don't have all of the documentation to submit to insurance. Ofcourse now icalled them Monday morning to check on n it and was told they were submitting either later Monday afternoon or Tuesday. This being two weeks after my last appointment when they said they'd submit by the end of that week. So, I Ihad to make phone calls to my pcp requesting the info be sent to them, (they couldn't have requestex dc that over the last five months while I was going to see them? ) Then they tell me that I have to show six months of trying to diet, three of them being consecutive, so I should just make an n appointment with my pcp for March and then she can send them mn the notes and we can submit then in March. So,mn off I went to the records department to order the requested stuff and asked them to look for notes on my weight and diet requirements within the last year. Cross your fingers my pcp wrote some notes about that after our discussions. Next great thing, I got an email from our attorney telling me that the defendants in our lawsuit are now suing our realtor and dragging this poor guy in to our mess. And, to top it off my neck and back are hurting so much tonight that I had to crawl in to bed at 8:30. I think I have decided tonighg if they can't find doctors notes and I nowhave to wait until Ln April for surgery that I am going to go ahead and have my neck and back done first. I just can't stand living with the pain any longer and having them done will make it so I can exercise more and easier. Will keep you posted.

You got this Patti. See you on the when you're on the bench. Thoughts are with you.

Hi Mellie, welcome to the site. I haven't had my surgery yet, hoping early next month. Something I read on here that I am going to post on my mirror is what I keep in my head. The taste of any food will never be better than the extra life I am giving myself. I have at this point only given up sodas for the most part. I may have one every couple weeks. But I am fine if I don't have one. I am drinking a Protein shake every morning for Breakfast and if I go to lunch, I don't have the fries or the sides. I have a sandwich or half a sandwich and veggies or quinoa salad. I have cut my calories way way back. I use myfitnesspal.com to track what I eat and I make sure that I get up and walk at work. I am trying very hard to get at least 5-7,000 steps a day before I leave work. I was trying to walk on the treadmill at night when I get home, however I have back issues causing an extra lot of pain when I do too much walking. I am meeting with an ortho surgeon next week to discuss my options so I can get my exercising in and get healthier. I didn't realize that I ate as much as I did until I started using myfitnesspal. I also bought the Mayo Clinic diet and am following many of their steps in that they make a whole lot of sense. Their first step is to add 5 habits. The second is to break 5 habits and then add 5 new bonus habits. The first 5 are: eat a healthy breakfast, eat fruits and vegetables, eat whole grains, eat healthy fats, move. Habits to Break: no tv while eating, no sugar, no Snacks, moderate meat and low fat dairy, no eating at restaurants. Bonus habits: keep food record keep activity records, move more, eat "real food", write your daily goals. This really helped me in the beginning and I know that it will really help me after surgery. Since I was told I do not have to lose weight before surgery, and I don't have a pre-surgery liquid diet I have loosened up on some of this because I keep justifying with myself that after surgery I won't be able to eat some of this stuff so I might as well eat it now and get it out of my system. I realize I have to quit justifying it and have decided that the minute I get my surgery date I go back to following all of these rules. I still follow most of them. I do not eat while watching tv, if I snack it is on something healthy and in place of a meal. Only you can make these changes, no amount of bonding with a counselor will make that change. You can lie to them and yourself. It's being honest in your food and activity journal that will open your eyes and make you make that change. Just keep in your head constantly the reason you are doing this and the vision of what you want at the end of this. Good luck. You will do great if you keep your eye on the prize.

Generally when people are denied it is because they haven't met all the requirements, or didn't provide proof of those requirements in the submission. When your doctor's office goes to submit, make sure they include everything in their list of requirements. Then you should be perfectly fine.

So frustrated...I just called my insurance to see if I have been approved yet. They don't even have the request yet. I sent a message to find out when it is going to be submitted. It has been two weeks since I met with the surgeon's office and they told me they were going to submit right away. Really getting nervous I am not going to have my surgery until late in March. I was trying to time it perfectly to be off work the week of Spring break. And then be able to pack up for moving April 1st. If it gets too late in to March I am going to be useless in moving.

Greatwhite, welcome to the site and good luck with your decision. I have bcbs of mn. Every policy and what is covered can be different, it depends on what your company has decided to purchase for coverage. You can go online to the bcbs website and see what your requirements are. I can tell you what they required for me. Documented at least two years of obesity, also documented attempts at losing weight, bmi of 40 or co-morbidities and bmi of 35, and a three month supervised diet or behavior modification program. I finished everything the last of January and am now just waiting for approval. I actually don't know yet if the Mayo has submitted to them yet, but that's where I am at. Yell if you have any questions anyone here will be more than happy to help. The best thing really is before you start with the appointments and such is to call your insurance and ask them every question about coverage you have. Ask them what is covered, before during and after the surgery. There are many parts of the process that some people here have found out may or may not be covered.

Congrats it's coming up very soon. Do you have to start a diet soon then? If so, what is yours?

Hmj, do you have a new date then?

No Kim, he doesn'tbut they know my work schedule crunch. If my pain is like everyone elses we hopefully will be ok. I can pack boxes. Just can't move them. My husband will have to do that, and all of my students, 15 college guys that would help if I asked.

Welcome, Patti. I am sure you will find lots of great advice here. I know i have. I'd originally hoped for the 20th, but now am hoping for March 6th. But last I checked Mayo still hasn't even submitted to my insurance yet. At least my insurance doesn't show it as pending. I really need it in early March. My husband and I need to move April 1st. And he can not pack up this house alone. We'll be moving from 5,000 sq. Feet to probably a one bedroom apartment.

So glad to hear from you Claire. Erin, you are doing amazingly well. Everyone sounds like they've got this down. I can only hope I do as well as you all are. Happy Valentine's day to all.