dolphin_dreams

Mert, I'm sorry you're having such a frustrating time with the approval process. I wanted to hopefully give you some hope. I am a Texas teacher with TRS plan 2 and I was approved. Here is a timeline of how things went for me. July 28- Met with surgeon August 22-received a letter requesting a psych evauation which I had already completed on Aug. 9th. I'm not sure what was up with that as my Doctor's office confirmed that BCBS had received a copy. The letter stated that "a thorough review would be completed upon receipt of the information." September 26- I received a vague letter stating that BCBS covered Lap Band surgery. It did not, however, say that I was approved. I talked to my wonderful nurse, Barbara and she said that what a letter like that means is that you have to schedule the surgery and wait to be pre-authorized. October 4 - Saw a nutritionist and the doctor set a date for surgery. October 5- I received a call from Barbara that I had been approved. I also got a letter from the insurace company the following week confirming this. I did not have to do a sleep test since I had already been through two. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in November 2004. I was hoping to be approved before September 1st since that is when our deductable starts over but that didn't happen. My doctor's office said that they weren't surprised since BCBS usually takes at least 6 to 8 weeks. I was also told that they(BCBS) also will not except faxes . Everything has to be mailed from the doctor's office. I hope this helps. Good luck and keep us posted.

I'm so happy for you!

Isn't it a wonderful feeling! Congratulations!!

I saw Hoot at the dollar movie last week. It''s a wonderful movie for the entire family! This is one I will have to have on DVD.

Hi and welcome to the board. I don't know the answer to your question but this is a great place to look for answers. There is a wealth of knowledge on this board. Congratulations on your weight loss so far!

I'm praying for a quick recovery with minimal damage. Please keep us posted. God Bless You.

This sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you. I know that changing schools can often be an emotional decision. It's always hard to leave behind old friends and memories. A change, however, can be very exciting. I opened a new elementary in our district two years ago and I absolutely love it! Good luck with this exciting new turn in your life. Recently banded and an exciting new job offer--sounds like you're off to a fantastic start! P.S. What district did you get an offer in? By the way I teach in a Frisco Elementary for Lewisville ISD. You know how crazy school district attendance zones can be.

Buffie, I hope that everything goes smoothly for you. GOOD LUCK!!

I'm so sorry to hear that you are having problems. Hang in there and let us know how things turn out. HUGS

Welcome to the board. This is a wonderful place for information. I am very happy with my decision to have the band. Below is the information for my doctor. North Texas Bariatric & General Surgery Dr. Frank Veninga 4333 N. Josey Lane Plaza II - Suite 207 Carrollton, Texas 75010 PH 972.939.8218 FX 972.395.1789 http://www.bariatricsurgerydallas.com/index.html

I almost always have a protein shake. Every now and then I will eat oatmeal or Cream of Wheat. I'm usually pretty tight when I wake up regardless of how late I eat the night before. I guess that just proves that every band reacts differently.

Lettuce is not always my friend either. I've gotten to where I just avoid it.

Congratulations and good luck. I was banded in November. I've lost 62 pounds and I feel like a new person. Keep us posted and enjoy your wonderful news!

Have you done any lifting or new excersise lately? I had this happen to me but my pain was more like a stich and wasn't constant. It happened after I lifted some heavy boxes. Everything turned out fine. I hope all goes well with you. Keep us posted on what your doctor says.

It sounds like you've gotten off to a great start. Good luck and congratulations!

I hope your surgery went well. Take it easy,give your body time to rest and welcome to BandLand!

Welcome to the board and good luck with your surgery. My band has been a wonderful tool and I love it!

Welcome to the club and good luck!

The Aveeno in the bath works for me too. You can get it at Walmart or just about any drug store. I also use the Aveeno lotion with lavender. It is very soothing. If it doesn't improve, she may need to be put on a steroid pack. That's what I always seem to end of needing. I hope she improves quickly. I have bad reactions myself and can definitely sympathize.

My baby is a spoiled rotten siamese named Niele.

Way to go. I didn't think my first post went through so I posted twice and now I can't delete so congratulations again!!

Good for you!! When I hit it a couple of weeks ago, it was a huge mental boost for me. Congratulations and enjoy your success!!

Here's hoping that all went well.:gluck:

I love their RE9 system as well as their sea salt body scrub. It is expensive but truly does last a long time.

Well I went in today for a checkup which my doctor has his patients do every 6 weeks. He and I both agreed that I didn't need another fill. I did, however, have something interesting done. Have any of you every heard of a metobolic test? The test takes ten minutes and the information that you are given is very informative. After determining your resting metabolic rate, you are told what you burn while resting, performing daily activities, and exercising. You are also given your target caloric zones also. In other words, the results show you how many calories your body actually burns and calculates how many calories you should eat to lose or maintain your weight. You are also told how your metabolism compares to others of your sex, age, height, and weight. I recommend the test if your doctor offers it. I found it very helpful.