minpinmom

I have a visual - you walking around Wal Mart swinging a bat . . . lol, we would be talking about YOU next time!

Here are a couple of thing that may help you find a Dr. in your area. First, if you look in the upper right corner of your screen (on the blue bar) use the quick search bar and put in Kentucky Dr.s or Kentucky banders, anything having to do with your area or dr.s in your area. It will search Lapband Talk for you. I did a search for Kentucky Dr.s and here were the first 4 threads, they mention Drs in your area. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/does-anyone-know-anything-about-dr-kaza-kentucky-50474/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f38/ohio-some-parts-kentucky-27091/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f18/lap-band-kentucky-49740/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/dr-argotee-paducah-kentucky-20706/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f38/just-saying-hi-ky-46661/ Then, write down the Dr.s names and search them on Tricare's online physician finder to see if they are in network. I would also, check the forum for local Kentucky people - they may be able to tell you. Your other option (scary one) is call Tricare and have them give you a list of Bariatric surgeons within 400 miles or so, they aren't much help, but you can try. Hopefully this will help narrow down your search. Like I said, you could fly to Houston, have the surgery with My Dr. for a 12 copay, stay the night in the hospital, then the surgeon will pay for your Hotel (not sure how many days) I am pretty sure this is pretty common practice, so it probably wouldn't matter who you went to as long as it was a Tricare surgeon, they would probably provide you with a Hotel. (I AM NOT PUSHING MY DR.) I can't stand when people do that on here, but you can look up his website and see how many days they pay for and such. Texas Laparoscopy Center

We had such a nice time today, my parents came down, brought their brood - 3 Min Pins to play with my brood - 3 Min Pins and a German Shorthair Pointer. What a riot. My house is now a mess. My hubs grilled salmon, ribeyes and chicken. Yum. Mom and I went shopping, my Dad went to a Gun show and the hubs stayed home and rested. He is still having problems with Vertigo. We go in on Tuesday for an MRI, he has MS and they are afraid he may have a new lesion on the base of the brain. We also have a Dr.s appt with his ENT to do some checking, hopefully it is just Labryinthitis, but we normally aren't lucky when it comes to medical. However, the Valium seems to keep the world from spinning, so that is a positive! I can't wait for Monday, I think (once again my optimism shows through) that I will get to schedule my surgery on Monday. It is funny, the weekends are hard now, I want it to be a weekday so someone will be working on my case! I tried a couple of protein bars over the past few weeks, I will eventually get off my butt and blog the details about them. I am keeping a food journal and have been trying samples of everything so I will know what to get, and let me tell you, I have found a few that wow. All I can say is wow, don't waste your money. Well, that is enough randomness to last till tomorrow.

We had such a nice time today, my parents came down, brought their brood - 3 Min Pins to play with my brood - 3 Min Pins and a German Shorthair Pointer. What a riot. My house is now a mess. My hubs grilled salmon, ribeyes and chicken. Yum. Mom and I went shopping, my Dad went to a Gun show and the hubs stayed home and rested. He is still having problems with Vertigo. We go in on Tuesday for an MRI, he has MS and they are afraid he may have a new lesion on the base of the brain. We also have a Dr.s appt with his ENT to do some checking, hopefully it is just Labryinthitis, but we normally aren't lucky when it comes to medical. However, the Valium seems to keep the world from spinning, so that is a positive! I can't wait for Monday, I think (once again my optimism shows through) that I will get to schedule my surgery on Monday. It is funny, the weekends are hard now, I want it to be a weekday so someone will be working on my case! I tried a couple of protein bars over the past few weeks, I will eventually get off my butt and blog the details about them. I am keeping a food journal and have been trying samples of everything so I will know what to get, and let me tell you, I have found a few that wow. All I can say is wow, don't waste your money. Well, that is enough randomness to last till tomorrow.

Where are you located, and yes, before the dr. submits, I would try to have it changed. We can see what area to look at, I am sure someone will know a good Dr. within driving distance. I am in Texas, so I am used to driving.

For 4'10" for small frame (just hope the Dr. says you are small frame) Here is Metlife's website, it is what Tricare goes off of. Met life ideal height weight tables references Met Lifes ideal height/weight for 4' 10" is 102/111. Tricare says you have to be 200% on both the low and high end, so: low end 102 X 200% = 204 high end 111 X 200% = 222 If you are 218, I would wear layered clothes, heavy shoes, even weights on my ankles if I had to, then you wouldn't have to worry about any co-morbidities. As far as Dr.s - how far are you willing to travel, do you want to drive or fly?

It might be worth traveling (money wise) to a surgeon in network. That seems like a lot of money out of pocket, you could drive or fly somewhere and stay in a hotel for a lot less, my surgeon gives free hotel rooms for patients coming in from out of town. Just a thought. Oh, and I am 200% with no co-morbidities and I didn't have to do anything but submit a letter from the surgeon for Medical necessity. Although, a lot of the Dr.s require all that stuff, the tests and such, but Tricare didn't Also, what is your height? You may have said already, I skimmed the responses pretty quick.

I am still waiting to find out - the Dr.s office says Tricare is using "unfamiliar" codes, so they have to have their office manager call and verify everything. Hopefully I will know on Monday. It will slow my progress down, having to be in the hospital overnight, most of Dr. Spiegel's surgeries are outpatient, so I assume I will have to wait until there are enough of us overnighters for him to spend the entire day at the hospital. Hopefully it will be soon. I am so ready for this.

Yesterday, I finally got a hard copy of the approval to my Dr.s office and they called and said it is coded with numbers they are not used to seeing, so they would have to have the office manager look at is and determine if it was a "good" approval. So, I wait. All Day. Nothing. Of course it is Friday, so I will have to wait until Monday before I hear anything. I really have no right to bitch, I mean, I am approved, this is just taking a lot of time. But I can't help it. I am so on edge, waiting to schedule a date it is driving me crazy. Not to mention, I really had thought I would have been banded by now. I know it is coming, but I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, I want to throw a fit and get to open my present early! Ugh, ok, I will stop complaining about it . . . I mean, I won't complain about it anymore today :-) well, not on hear at least!

Yesterday, I finally got a hard copy of the approval to my Dr.s office and they called and said it is coded with numbers they are not used to seeing, so they would have to have the office manager look at is and determine if it was a "good" approval. So, I wait. All Day. Nothing. Of course it is Friday, so I will have to wait until Monday before I hear anything. I really have no right to bitch, I mean, I am approved, this is just taking a lot of time. But I can't help it. I am so on edge, waiting to schedule a date it is driving me crazy. Not to mention, I really had thought I would have been banded by now. I know it is coming, but I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, I want to throw a fit and get to open my present early! Ugh, ok, I will stop complaining about it . . . I mean, I won't complain about it anymore today :-) well, not on hear at least!

Not sure if this is completely true, or if it is just a problem I am having, but my Dr. wanted me to do outpatient, and Tricare amended the approval so that it will be inpatient. I don't know if it has to do with the Hospital is a Center of Excellence and Outpatients aren't? I couldn't find any surgery center (outpatient) on the Center of Excellence . . . Anyway, just thought I would add that bit of info for yall.

I am in shock! The nerve of some people. I would have went Spider Monkey on her ass. My husband is medically retired, he is 32, has MS, a failed spinal fusion and a nerve disease caused by the Dr. cutting a nerve during the surgery for the failed spinal fusion. :-) OK, with that said, he is totally disabled and has a handicap license plate. Now, my hubby looks 19, perfectly fit and doesn't "LOOK" like he has problems. He parked in handicap at WalMart and some old fart tried to hit him with a cane, proceeded to cuss him out and tell him that he was trash and didn't need to park there and he should be ashamed of himself. My hubby, just told him to mind his own business and go his own way, then he tried to hit him with his cane, hubby said, sir, if you raise that cane to me again, you had better be prepared to use it. The guy went off, cussing and yelling, but still. The nerve of people. Let me tell you, if I would have been there, I would have a criminal record right now. I get so freakin mad just thinking about it. So, I feel for you, it doesn't just make you mad, it makes you sad, upset, freaked out, insecure and embarrassed. You handled it well. Kudos to you.

I am so glad that the new blog section has been updated, however they must have updated right after I made my last post - cuz now it is missing. That's ok, it wasn't something that would inspire the world, so I guess I can live with it. I will probably recreate it tomorrow - unless, of course I have good news and get a surgery date, in that case, I will have much more exciting things to post about!

I am so glad that the new blog section has been updated, however they must have updated right after I made my last post - cuz now it is missing. That's ok, it wasn't something that would inspire the world, so I guess I can live with it. I will probably recreate it tomorrow - unless, of course I have good news and get a surgery date, in that case, I will have much more exciting things to post about!

Hey guys, I posted on a sticky a while back and didn't get any responses. I can post pics in posts, but not in my blog, are their different directions? I can't seem to find any answers.

This cracks me up! So, my hubby has vertigo and is in bed, so I sneak in here and get on the phone with Tricare (if you haven't followed my story, he has banned me from calling them again), but when the Cats away . . . So, I call Tricare and say, gosh, I still haven't received my auth in the mail, since you can't fax it to my Dr. could you fax it to me? She says, oh honey, it was faxed to your Surgeon and your PCM on 1/30 and then again on 2/1 per your request. Stunned, I say, oh wow, thanks, I thought yall couldn't fax on my behalf, she says, it depends on who you talk to yada, yada, yada, anyway, she gives me the fax number and it is to the Houston office and my coordinator is not at that office, the lady takes the fax number to the other office (mind you, she didn't burst into flames when she did it either). Says it will be re faxed tonight to the other office. She also says if I know my PCM very well, I can call them and have them fax their copy. So, I call the surgeons Houston office, sure enough, the fax machine must have eaten the damn paper - uhm, twice. Whatever. So, I call my PCM, they are going to track down the paper and fax it over. :-) Hopefully it will get done by one of them tonight and I can schedule tomorrow. ROTFLMAO, because I have thought this EVERYDAY since my approval came through. Oh, congrats on getting your letter, and people say miracles don't happen!

I haven't been banded yet, and HATE low fat cheese, but Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb rocks. I love it. Each wedge has 35 Cal, 2 grams Fat, 2.5 grams Protein. It is quite a lot too, I eat it on crackers, it will cover about 6 crackers. There are all sorts of recipes on their site too, I haven't tried them yet, but I am sure I will. Here is the website for Laughing cow cheese Laughing Cow

Believe it or not, it makes me feel better knowing that it is not such an uncommon thing. I was approved on Jan 29, I guess we can watch each other and see how long it takes. Really and truthfully, I thought I would have been banded next week, but this really blows. At least we are approved, we are going to be banded! Hopefully soon.

I am so freakin excited. May 10-16th, I will finally get to attend the Miniature Pinscher National Competition. I can't freakin wait. I will be taking my chocolate girl, Piper and showing her in the Best of Breed Competition and possibly handling one of the Top 20. A lady that has one of the top 20 dogs in the nation called ME, (blushing) and explained that her Handler isn't going to be able to make it to Nationals and wanted to know if I (still blushing) would be interested in taking him into the Top 20. The Top 20 is a gala of sorts for recognition for the 20 Highest ranked dogs in the Nation for 2007 - it is very snooty and all the best are there, normally, I wouldn't even consider going - it is formal attire. But here I am, thinking about actually HANDLING a Top 20! Wow. I am so excited. A couple of my show friends are getting together to drive up there - we are all located near and around Houston and the Nationals are being held this year in Oklahoma City. What fun. An entire week of Min Pins. Hopefully I will be banded and everyone will be able to see a difference in the way I look. I was creating a budget, and put 30 a day for food - then I thought wait a freakin minute! I will be banded, hmm, food budget is now MAD MONEY!

I am waiting on the same damn thing. I was approved on January 29th, letter mailed that day, still nothing. My Dr.s office says they have to have the hard copy. So I called my Insurance and they can't fax it, they said the online approval should be fine. UGH! Every day I stalk the mailman waiting to see if it is there and nothing. I feel for you I am in Houston too - and let me tell you, if I knew where my Insurance company was, my happy butt would be in there demanding a hard copy myself. This is insane. Keep me informed, I am not allowed (according to my husband) to call either the Dr.s or the insurance until the letter comes in. Apparently, he believes that since I have all of the arguments already played out in my head that I may just cause a wee problem and tick the wrong person off. So I am not so patiently waiting.

I am so freakin excited. May 10-16th, I will finally get to attend the Miniature Pinscher National Competition. I can't freakin wait. I will be taking my chocolate girl, Piper and showing her in the Best of Breed Competition and possibly handling one of the Top 20. A lady that has one of the top 20 dogs in the nation called ME, (blushing) and explained that her Handler isn't going to be able to make it to Nationals and wanted to know if I (still blushing) would be interested in taking him into the Top 20. The Top 20 is a gala of sorts for recognition for the 20 Highest ranked dogs in the Nation for 2007 - it is very snooty and all the best are there, normally, I wouldn't even consider going - it is formal attire. But here I am, thinking about actually HANDLING a Top 20! Wow. I am so excited. A couple of my show friends are getting together to drive up there - we are all located near and around Houston and the Nationals are being held this year in Oklahoma City. What fun. An entire week of Min Pins. Hopefully I will be banded and everyone will be able to see a difference in the way I look. I was creating a budget, and put 30 a day for food - then I thought wait a freakin minute! I will be banded, hmm, food budget is now MAD MONEY!

Girl, I rated your journal 5 stars - I feel like you are so much like me, when I was single, I can't help but read . . . and be a bit entertained. I can't wait for you to get skinny and Steve to slobber and wished he would have hit that sooner :-) Wendy

My Dr. measured my wrist and said I was medium framed, but to tell you the truth, I am not sure what they sent to the insurance. Maybe they said small frame and I got in through the 200%, or maybe since I had co-morbidities in the past, they wrote them in the letter. I do know, they didn't require me to do a psyh or nutritionist, I even did the psych and they didn't send it in. And they didn't send in any docs with it, just a simple letter from the surgeon.

Also, just to point out, I had severe sleep apnea years ago and had major surgery to correct it and I had CHILDHOOD Asthma. I know the Dr. put those in the letter to the Dr., but they are not affecting me now. The ONLY thing submitted was a letter from the surgeon - no documentation. Who knows, maybe Tricare is so new to this process and they are moving people through pretty quick. Maybe they aren't trained yet on what the standards are, my suggestion, get your paperwork in asap, I haven't heard of anyone being rejected yet.

I can't wait to use it. I try to have the attitude that my Min Pins -they don't take crap from anyone!