JJs_email

I agree with Shey, pick up the phone and call. TriWest is usually really good and I'm sure you'll be able to get the issue settled quickly by talking to them. Sometimes it is as simple as the doctor not putting the correct information on the form.

I haven't had surgery yet but when I attended my pre-op class we were told that we would likely gain 10 - 20 pounds between the time we check into the hospital and leave the next day. This is because they pump you so full of fluids to keep you hydrated, you're swollen, you're full of gas. I would recommend hiding the scale for a few weeks.

I really appreciate all the response! Thank you for the help!

I am having surgery on June 9th. This weekend I want to finish getting what I need for my pantry (broth, sugar free Jello, etc). I would love to hear what you have to recommend and what helped you the first few weeks. My doctor does not have a long pre-op diet. I only have 1 day of liquids the day before so I am mainly looking for post-op suggestions.

Thanks!

J.J.

I have a six hour class scheduled for two weeks prior to my surgery. I then have a 3 hour class one week post op. I have no idea what to expect but I loved reading what everyone else learned.

My band date is June 16th. It's gone so fast. Here's my timeline:

Initial appointment - 4/14

Dietitian appointment - 4/14

Exercise consultation - 4/14

Psych eval - 4/14

sleep study - 4/15

Approval - 4/23

2nd sleep study - 4/28

Pre-op class - 6/2

Pre-op appointment 6/3

Surgery - 6/16

Post-op class & wound check - 6/24

Dietitian visit & 1st fill (tentative) - 7/19

I've never really owned a food scale. Could you please give me some tips as to what to look for or recommend an awesome scale that will do everything I don't know it needs to do :redface:?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Merry! I am close to you in a lot of things. I am:

Age: 38

Weight: 231

Height: 5' 3"

BMI: 40.9

Surgery Date: June 16th

I'm really excited to be starting my journey. I work full time and was just promoted into a new position where I am Manager of Budgets and Financial Analysis. It's been a fun, but challenging, change as I went from being a co-worker to the manager (same team).

I have two wonderful daughters who are 18 and 13. When I'm not working I'm usually hanging out with one of them or my husband. We just celebrated our 19 year anniversary last week :biggrin:

Good morning. I am very, very happy to say that I received my approval yesterday :biggrin:

I am having my surgery with Dr. Blackstone at the Scottsdale Bariatric Center on June 16th. I have an all day class on June 2nd and pre-op appointment on June 10th.

I just wanted to see what Dr. Blackstone prescribed as a pre-op/post-op diet. I have heard that she did not have one or that it was minimal (depending on BMI and other factors). I am going to have to cram in a few business trips before the surgery and would like to get a little head start on planning. Since it's Saturday and the office isn't open to ask them I thought I'd see what other patients experience has been.

Thanks!

I just received my surgery date . . . June 16th! I'm so psyched about it. I need to lose 10 pounds but I've already lost 3 of that. I love my doctor's office. Here's my timeline.

April 14th - initial appointment

include: dietician, exercise consult, psychologist eval and doctor consult

April 15th - sleep study

April 16th - blood work

April 23rd - BCBS of Arizona approved

June 2nd - all day long class

June 10th - pre-op

June 16th - banding

Congrats! I just received my approval notice about an hour ago I went to my initial appointment April 15th, sleep study April 16th, blood work April 17th, approval April 23rd . . . life is good

I've told my family, close friends and my Vice President. When I receive my final approval (keep your fingers crossed it should be any day) then I'll have to tell my team at work. I'm the Manager of Budgets and Financial Analysis . . . I think my team will notice that I'm gone. Since I just took over the position from someone who caused a lot of mistrust I am trying to keep a very open, honest relationship with my team. I think it helps that my boss is very supportive. :thumbup:

You guys are giving me hope! I talked to the coordinator in my surgeon's office and she sent my file in TODAY. Finally! I plan on calling BCBS on Friday just to make sure everything has been received.

Good thing I am not a stress eater otherwise I'd be in big trouble...

kagead

I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona. I had my initial appointment, nutritional consult, exercise consult and psychological eval on April 14th. They submitted all of my paperwork to my insurance yesterday, the 15th, and I had my sleep study last night - - they don't think they'll need the extra documentation. I'm right there with you holding my breathe :thumbup:

If you have dealt with Scottsdale Bariatric could you please let me know your experience with them? I have a friend who's mom went there and raves about them. Everything I found while researching them looks good :smile2:. I guess I'm just a little nervous and would like to hear if people loved them or didn't have such a good experience. Thanks!

Thank you both for your response. I had looked into Scottsdale but I have TriCare and heard that they do not accept it. I have a friend whose mom had her surgery there. I will need to check into again and see if they do take TriCare.

Could you please tell me if you have had your procedure or checked into the Weight Loss Institute of Arizona? I am looking into them but would love to hear your experience with them if you have used them. Is there after surgery program good, did you receive good care, that kind of stuff. Thanks!

That's so exciting, congratulations! I am also TriCare Prime. My doctor on base says I'm "too healthy" for him to issue a referral. I have a BMI of 41.4. I am looking into consulting a doctor after base to get the referral to get things moving. I meet TriCare's requirements for surgery but it only works if I can get a referral. I'm going with the theory of if you don't succeed, try, try again:crying:

The program that I am looking into has a $500 program fee, $400 psychological eval, and $1,000 3-year program fee (for nutrition and exercise counseling). None of that is covered by insurance. I think it's worth it though. I looked at some other programs that do not have the 3-years of post surgery help. Cheaper, yes but I think the extra help is key for me. That being said I haven't decided for certain yet it's a lot of money on top of what I have to pay after insurance it's over $8K.

Last week I attended a seminar about LAP-BAND® hosted by one of our local weight loss institutes. I was very exciting. They provided a lot of information including just a quick blurb about cost and that at the first visit the financial counselor would review your insurance one-on-one. That makes sense, everyone has different insurance. They did include that there would be: $500 – program enrollment (includes pre-authorization testing), $400 – psychiatric eval, and $1,000 for the three year nutritional/exercise program. That all seemed reasonable to me. I also knew that my insurance had a $1,000 access for bariatric surgery. When I got the appointment today they said it would be slightly over $8,000. In addition to the costs listed above they use a second surgeon who is out of network (out of everyone’s network) which is about $5,000 and some miscellaneous fees.

My husband has been active duty military for over 20 years and I have not seen a “civilian” doctor in a long time. I knew it would not be cheap but I was really surprised at the cost. Is this similar to what your fees were?

I know each insurance is different but I had serious culture shock! :scared2:I was going to use my insurance through work but now need to look into TriCare referrals.