MyBandJourney2009

I really do know how to spell, lol:blush:

I really do know how to spell, lol:blush:

Well,,, I've done all 6 months worth of pre-op requirements that included 1 doctor appointment each month for 6 months, I dietitian appointment and a psyc evaluation. Now, it's a waiting game for Cigna. I'm ok with this wait even though I'm very excited to get it done,,, it was harder I think waiting the 6 months and having to keep up with all the doc appointments. My surgeon says Cigna has UP TO 45 days to send the approval letter,,, I'm hoping for less time,,, especially since it's 45 business days! Hope to be back soon with more info:thumbup:

Well,,, I've done all 6 months worth of pre-op requirements that included 1 doctor appointment each month for 6 months, I dietitian appointment and a psyc evaluation. Now, it's a waiting game for Cigna. I'm ok with this wait even though I'm very excited to get it done,,, it was harder I think waiting the 6 months and having to keep up with all the doc appointments. My surgeon says Cigna has UP TO 45 days to send the approval letter,,, I'm hoping for less time,,, especially since it's 45 business days! Hope to be back soon with more info:thumbup:

O WOW,,, I didn't even think about the doc's office not sending in paperwork!!! I haven't called Cigna yet,,, I was going on my doc saying they got it and it could be up to 45 days before getting a letter. Geeze,,,, guess I'm calling Cigna today! LOL

O well,,, perhaps my Cigna will get a move on, lol Congrats again!!!

WOW! Congrats! You don't happen to have Cigna do you? I look at the computer every day thinking my doctor's office has gotten some word,,, patience isn't one of my strong suites, lol

I'm doing the waiting game as well. Mine went from the doctor's office to Cigna on August the 24th,,, it will be 3 weeks on Monday,,, Cigna says they can take up to 45 business days to approve,,, that's forever! So I'm praying for a shorter time frame. The waiting part that gets to me is really wanting to know when the surgery will be so I can plan work and kid's around it. It's for sure frustrating,,, but I'm hoping in a few months,,, it will all be history,,, pounds included, lol

I'm really struggling with my decision to do lapband. I've read SO many of the blogs and it seems that everyone is having a very hard time with weight loss after surgery. I know lapband doesn't promote weight loss all by itself,,, but I really thought it was going to make it a little easier to not over eat. You know how it is at times,,, you go out to eat with friends,,, have friends over and you just seem to eat way more than you were actually hungry for,,, the band should stop this sort of thing,,,, or so I thought. Perhaps it's a struggle until the doctor get's your exact fill amount right? I'm just wanting something more than relying on my willpower,,, at 44 years of age,,, 3 kid's and my mother in law in the house with us,,, I seem to have lost the ability to rely only on willpower. I also have many friends that just plain don't want me to do the surgery,,, I have friends that tell me to do what I feel I should, some that support and a husband that is wonderful and says he will support whatever I do,,, perhaps the friends that are telling me to not do it are right? Maybe my gut telling me to do it is right???? O MY LORD,,, I'm SO CONFUSED!

Hey all,, yes, the waiting game for approval seems like it will be harder than the 6 months of pre-approval criteria the insurance company said I would have to do. I finished all of that last week and it's now on it's way to Cigna for approval. I was just wondering if anyone here has Cigna insurance? And if so, how is your process going. I'm praying for a speedy and non eventful waiting period:thumbup:

He Erika,,, Yep, Dana is right,,, that's all the stuff that Cigna will want. When I first started my jouney, I was at a seminar that my surgeon does. There was a lot of paperwork that he asked anyone that was seriously considering surgery to fill out for him. About a week later, his office called me and said they had heard from Cigna and that it would be covered. I had my first one on one appointment with him and he went over all the things Cigna would want. 6 months/6 appointments with my doctor for weight loss management, dietitian and psyc eval. I finished all my 6 months of appointments last week and am now waiting for my doctor's office to send the letter of need to my surgeon. That is the last piece of paper that Cigna will ask for. My surgeon doesn't even send it to the insurance till he has everything they will ask for. The 6 months went by MUCH faster than I thought it would, but the past week waiting for that ONE letter is driving me crazy, lol. Dana, you mentioned something about 2 to 5 years of medical records,,, my surgeon has said nothing about this. I hope that's not a hurdle I'll have to do??? My surgeon said that the 6 months were for a record of weight loss since sometimes it's hard to find past weight loss records. Well,,, that's where I'm at right now. I'm praying that I wake up tomorrow and find an email from the surgeon's office saying they have the letter and have sent Cigna all the paperwork! Good luck to you both, keep in touch with your Cigna process! :-)

Hey everyone:-) I'm reading a lot of people having to do different types of test before surgery. My surgeon hasn't mentioned anything to me,,, only the 6 monthly appointments, psyc appointment and dietitian. I guess some blood work is normal before any surgery,,, just wondered what everyone else has been told. :confused:

I think that's awesome! Instead of being nervous for several days,,, you will only get to be nervous till tomorrow morning:-) Just think, this time tomorrow you will be on the other side of this quest! My prayers are with you:-) Congrats!

Well, I was hoping to have a September date, but with my doctor's office taking forever to fax over a letter the insurance requires,,, it's looking like it might be October. My birthday is Oct. 9th,,, so maybe I'll get surgery for my b-day:-) I've got Cigna and I've done 6 months of pre-approval stuff that they require,,, but I'm sure they will take their time in giving the approval. They are paying 100 percent on my surgery since I've met my out of pocket maximum this year,,, good reason to drag their feet, lol:-) I'm excited now,,, but I'm sure I'll be a basket case when the time get's close,,, I've NEVER been put to sleep and that alone scares me. But like so many people say,,, the time will be here and gone before we know it and then we will be trading stories of how are first few weeks after surgery are going. Can't wait for that pureed meat, lol:-)

I was told that I would do the pre-op diet for 10 days before surgery due to it shrinking my liver making the surgery go better. Gotta tell you,,, I've NEVER done even a day with liquids only unless I was sick,,, so to think for 10 days I have liquids only while I still have to cook for my family,,, it's going to be tough,,, I'm gonna have to put a picture of a liver on my fridge to keep my mind focused on the importance of it. Good luck to everyone having to do this!

Hey Tory09 and Froggie D,,, are yall having trouble with your doctor's office and the insurance company? I had pretty good sailing with the doc,,, but I'm worried about the insurance company. I can't find a lot of people on here that have Cigna,,, so I'm in the dark as to how long they will take. The doc said they can take up to 45 days but usually don't take longer than 30,,, so I'm guess-timating my surgery date around the end of September. I have no clue about the pre-op surgeon stuff,,, never thought to ask that,,, is it pretty standard for the GI thing? I'm thankful for the people that have quick approvals,,, I like hearing those stories,,, keeps me positive:-) I hope to hear more of the stories about yall's approvals,,, I will pray for good things for us all! I'll keep my finger's and toes crossed as well, lol:-)

Wow,,, yours was only about 4 months! That's awesome.

Hey Tory09,,, I too finished all my requirements on Friday. I called my doctor's office and was told they were waiting on my regular doctor to fax over a letter of need. She told me to expect an call from her first of the week that all was submitted. I'm nervously excited. Maybe we can keep in touch about the approval process,,, perhaps we will even have surgery about the same time. I'll pray for your speedy approval,,, along with mine:-)

Hi all. My wait for insurance approval started today. I will tell you,,, the 6 months of pre-approval stuff,,, it goes by much faster than it seems in the beginning. I went to a seminar the first of April,,, filled out all the information packet they gave me, got a call from the doctor's office the next week and met with him the end of April. When I got there, he had already called and found out all that was needed by my insurance company (cigna) for them to approve it. It was all that yall mention, the 6 months of diet plan with my regular doctor, 1 dietitian appointment and 1 Psyc appointment. Here I am, 6 months later and I can't believe it's time to submit to insurance. The thing that made my time go by so quickly is that I spent a lot of free time reading on here all the things I could read,,, pre-op , post-op , people 2 days after surgery all the way to a year after surgery. I got a little upset at times when I read all the bad stories,,, but read a post one day that made a lot of sense. She said to try and read between the lines of the ones with bad stories to tell. Some of them were still during the 2 weeks after and not feeling so well,,, and some of them weren't following along with what the dietitian said, or never had someone explain it all. I will tell you, the dietitian appointment had to be paid out of pocket, Cigna wouldn't cover that,,, but it was the best money I've ever spent. I learned SO much information from her. When you get to that time in your process,,, be sure to take notes and get ready to hear things that will sound od, but will help you recover faster, not get dehydrated and get to to your goal in a reasonable amount of time. She went step by step telling me what my body would feel like on each step from day one to my 6th week. The first 6 weeks may be the roughest for us,,, but she said if we get through that,,, we are good to go. Like week one and two,,, I think it's just liquids,,, but week two liquids can be Soup, etc. then week 3 is pureed meet,,, yep, doesn't that sound yummy. BUT, the more protien you eat, the better it is for your body to burn the fat and not the muscle. It's like everything she said goes with each other to make your body work as a well oiled machine. So, with all that said,,, look forward to the 6 months,,, it was my time to be the most prepared person that I can be. I plan on kicking this weight's a*s and never seeing it again. I look forward to hearing how all your pre-op stuff goes as I count down my cigna waiting period,,,, yeeehaaa :-)

Wow,,, all the worry about the psyc eval,,,, it was all about the doctor's,,, not me, lol. Well, about me,,, but just to see what sort of patient I will be and not my worry that I thought they were going to be looking at me to see if I could handle being thin, LOL LOL LOL I'm SO glad to hear that you are doing so well after surgery. You hear of so many that don't. Did you do anything prior to surgery to help yourself more afterwards? Like working out a lot, etc. Also,,, if we have done all that Cigna requires,,, why would they deny the first time around,,, did they take the full 45 days to reply that they were going to deny? Then did it take you another 45 days? Sorry to hit you with all these questions,,, but I'm trying to be as prepared as I can:-) Again,,, glad you are going well!!!

Hello everyone:-) Well, it's down to the wire with me having all my things in line to turn into my insurance company. My doctor knew what Cigna would require, so he's had me taking care of that for the past 6 months. TODAY I have the Psyc appointment that Cigna requires. I'm a bit nervous,,, do they have to see that I'm not going to go crazy when I get thin? LOL Well, actually I will go a little nuts,,, buying new clothes!!! SO, has anyone had to do this sort of thing with the psyc doc? Just wondering what to expect when I get to her office.

I'm glad to meet you all here in "banded in September" land. I don't have a surgery date yet, but the doctor said for me to plan on the end of September or first of October. I have just today completed the 6 months of doctor visits which was everything the the doctor said Cigna would want and it get's mailed to them tomorrow! I had an appointment each month with my regular doctor for a total of 6, an appointment with the dietitian and today, an appointment with the Psyc doctor. I'm hoping that since I've done what insurance would want,,, it might be a speedy process on the approval. Ok, so I have another question that has nothing to do with lapband,,,, how do you guys get the bmi scales and stuff on your post? I would love to get that. Thanks for listening,,, good luck to us all!

OK,,, so I've learned things here talking about the port that I never thought of before,,,, but on another note,,,I have to ask,,, what's up with the tummy picture? Is this someone that has lost all her weight and is sucking in her stomach?

Sorry,,,didn't mean to say Post-Op,,, guess I want the surgery to be done with,,, thinking after instead of before, lol:w00t:

Sorry,,,didn't mean to say Post-Op,,, guess I want the surgery to be done with,,, thinking after instead of before, lol:w00t: