Tobeornottobe

I totally understand how you feel. I'm scheduled for surgery next week. I too have been having second thoughts. However, we've come this far so hang in there and know you are not alone in this journey and the way you feel is completely normal. Good luck.

Is your insurance through your job? All insurance companies offer bariatric surgery, however, its not considered a medical necessity so employers can opt out. If your insurance is through your employer, the other plans offered may have the same exclusion with BCBS and United Healthcare.

I don't have any timeline to offer but have you called them yourself? Sometimes you can get answers before the doctor's office.

Casseroles travel really well. I sometimes wait until I get to my destination to pop things into the oven (this is a great option if you can do it). Shepard's pie travels well as do parsnip mash. Spinach and artichoke dip can be served warn or cold. It reheats easily in a microwave. Buffalo chicken dip also travels well and is easy to reheat in a microwave. Hope this helps.

There are many ways to take traditional recipes and make them healthier. http://natashaskitchen.com/2014/01/31/skinny-spinach-and-artichoke-dip-recipe/ http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mashed-potato-casserole (omit the bread crumbs and sub sweet potatoes) http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tex-mex-hash-brown-casserole http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/smoky-three-bean-bake http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-chicken-chilaquiles http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-eggplant-lasagna http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/wild-mushroom-lentil-cottage-pie Anyway, hope it helps. Shepard's pie Curried Parsnip Mash

Wow so many people on December 8th. Good luck all.

You should check this out really well, since your husband is still covered his insurance, his insurance would be primary and your insurance would be secondary. The general rule of thumb is they go by what the primary insurance covers. You should look into this before your husband starts the process.

I have Cigna. My paperwork was submitted on a Tuesday and got approval on Thursday. If you were submitted on this past Tuesday, you probably won't get anything back until next week since Thursday and Friday (today) are days off. HTH

Just wanted to add Naked Pea Protein 27 grams of protein. I bought it from Amazon 5 pounds (76 servings) for about $54. The great thing is since it has no sweeteners it can be used in sweet and savory dishes. The pea protein I used before was awfully expensive.

Please note the act reads: 12 weeks of leave in 12 months. Not that you have to work for a company for 12 months before you are entitled Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for:the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth; the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement; to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition; a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job; any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;” or Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/

The practice I use recommends chewable vitamins (bariatric advantage), since after the surgery swallowing pills can be a challenge.

Is COBRA available? Can you buy your own insurance on the healthcare exchange or through a broker? You do have options. Good luck.

LOL it does seem a bit strange. You will be approved and it will all go swimmingly!

This is a violation of HIPAA. It may have been done mistakenly so I would contact the doctor's office and inform them. I, like you, am a very private person and this probably wouldn't sit well with me either.

You can start now. I started the process with United Healthcare and hubby and I both changed jobs and our health insurance changed to Cigna. My timeframe changed from 6 months to 3 months. So instead of having surgery in Feb/March of next year, I'm going in on December 9th. When we moved to Cigna, I called Cigna and got them to email me the criteria and verified benefits, co-pays, etc. As far as nutrition, WW and Jenny Craig are acceptable as long as you are supervised by a medical doctor. Cigna does not require a day to day accounting of what your diet. The nutrition component is mostly to know you are equipped with the information to make you successful after the surgery. Monthly weigh-ins are also required. I visited my doctor's office once a month to be weighed. My surgeon has nutritionists in his practice so I used them for documentation. Please note: Cigna requires 90 days of documented nutrition information, not 89 but 90. I did 4 nutrition visits to be safe. These are the Cigna requirements: Medical management including evidence of active participation within the last 12 months in a weightmanagement program that is supervised either by a physician or a registered dietician for a minimum of three consecutive months ((i.e., ≥ 89 days). The weight-management program must include monthly documentation of ALL of the following components: weight current dietary program physical activity (e.g., exercise program) Programs such as Weight Watchers® , Jenny Craig® and Optifast® are acceptable alternatives if done in conjunction with the supervision of a physician or registered dietician and detailed documentation of participation is available for review. However, physician-supervised programs consisting exclusively of pharmacological management are not sufficient to meet this requirement. • A thorough multidisciplinary evaluation within the previous six months which includes ALL of the following: an evaluation by a bariatric surgeon recommending surgical treatment, including a description of the proposed procedure(s) and all of the associated Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes a separate medical evaluation from a physician other than the requesting surgeon that includes a recommendation for bariatric surgery unequivocal clearance for bariatric surgery by a mental health provider a nutritional evaluation by a physician or registered dietician Here is a link to the current Cigna policy: https://cignaforhcp.cigna.com/public/content/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf Hope this helps and good luck!

@@Solmar Brilliant!! I am so happy for you!

I make a weekly menu. Use the menu to shop for ingredients (what veggies do we need, meat etc.). We generally cook 6 out of 7 days.

I will be sleeved by Dr. Halmi next month. I know several people who have had surgery with him and they rave about him. I will be having my surgery at Fair Oaks.

It's important for me to be able to read what's in it and low is sugar. My preferences are pea protein and brown rice. I like the mix in Plant fusion which includes quinoa, amaranth and pea protein. I'm not a fan of hemp as it gives me stomach issues. I prefer the flavoring be natural but that's not always possible in powders. I usually order my protein via the internet, Jet.com, Amazon.com or directly from the manufacturers site. Protein is available at local stores, Target, Harris Teeter, Giant, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe but I find the pricing to be higher than online.

Clif Builder Bars (20g) are vegan and available at most grocery stores. I also like Barre bars but they have limited availability and only 10 grams of protein, great in a pinch but a but expensive. I love chia bars but they are low in protein. Honestly those are the only ones I use.

@@Solmar, sending positive vibes that all goes well with the peer to peer. Honestly, sometimes, the peer to peer does the trick. It maybe a small unanswered question the insurance company needs answered. This will all work out and you'll be ready to go in no time.

Are they going to do a peer to peer review? There is still hope. Don't give up.

Let's do. That would be great!

I'm having mine on December 9th.

It depends on the plan. If you are paying for insurance out of pocket, look at plans that offer bariatric coverage as part of the plan. Not all do. Speak with a broker or check healthcare.gov.