crecia1975

You guys are lucky. I don't get the Optifast bars or soup. Just 5 shakes a day, Water, sugar free Jello, sugar free popsicles, crystal light, diet green tea and any 0 cal drinks w/out carbonation. This the first day for me, also. The day has been ok so far. Tonight will be the real test. I put some food in the crock pot, for my kids, this morning. I think I'll have my oldest just serve her own and she can dish out her sister's food. I just keep telling myself, " It's just 14 days..... The start of a new beginning." We can do this!!

Insurancce made me get a letter of medical clearance from my PCP. She had me write up all of my weight loss atttemps and added that to my chart. I think she had me write that so she could cover her butt. She then wrote a wonderful letter.

Hello there! I am also getting banded on Oct. 12th and I will be starting Opti-Fast tomorrow as well. I was also wondering how the Opti-Fast tastes. I am so afraid it will be nasty.

I have a very mature 15 year old at home, but she would still be too young for this kind of surgery (luckily she doesn't need it). She's a good kid, but I agree with Betsy regarding teenage noncompliance.

LOL! Me too! My mind wouldn't have been able to really wrap around all the commitments invloved with WLS and I think I was a "mature" 14 year old as well.

My surgeon waited for the insurance approval before they set the surgery date. Luckily they had my date ready the same day they called me about the approval. I think it will just depend on what surgeon you go to. Some will set a tentative date and some don't. I think it also may depend on the type of insurance you have. Good Luck to you!!

You need them to actually write a letter saying you are clear to have this surgery and it's neccessary. My PCP had me write up all of my weight loss attempts, how much I lost/gained and what failed in the attempt (most dr's don't make you do that, but mine wanted all of it for my chart). Then she wrote a wonderful letter stating I needed this or I could get HBP, diabetes or have a stroke. She talked about my weight loss attempts in the letter. I just had my husband pick it up for me and I took it to my surgeon's office during my next visit. Be sure to make a copy because my surgeon's office thought they lost mine on my last visit, but they found it right away in my other file.

That is awesome! I know how you feel. I was just approved on Tuesday. The insurance company had my paperwork for almost a month and it drove me crazy. Now I'm scheduled for surgery on Oct 12th. :thumbup:

I started this long journey on March 20th and now I am approved!!!!!!!!! My surgeon's office called me right after I had just talked to Cigna about 30 min earlier. Cigna told me the paperwork was still in the nurse review phase and to call back to check the status on Friday . Then the phone rings and I get approved!!!!! :crying: I have to go to a class on the 27th and get my Optifast shakes. Then I'll be banded on Oct. 12th!! WOO HOO!!!!!! Go Lacrecia! Get busy! (doing a little dance) :smile:

You just have 1 week? Lucky! I have a 2 week diet of Optifast shakes and liquids. I'm not looking forward to that.:alien:

Thank you Brenda. I appreciate that. I really like reading what is going on with this group. I never have a lot to say (I'm a very shy and quiet person), but I've jumped up and down as I've read all of the September approvals and surgeries. I feel like I know everyone and I'm happy for them. I'll still read the updates every day and I'll say what's going on with me :wub:

My first consult was free for me. My surgeon used to have seminars, but then he didn't have them by the time I started with him. Since he stopped the seminars, you have a one on one consult. He doesn't charge for the first consult. It normally would have been a $50 co-pay. That's what I pay for any specialist co-pay, but he waived that. So I don't know about the $200 fee. That sounds high. Shouldn't you just pay your normal co-pay??

Hi bayareanan! I'm not in Dallas, but I'm close. I'm in Fort Worth and my surgery is Oct. 12th. I'll be doing a 2 week liquid diet also. Your son sounds like a very nice young man. I wish you a smooth surgery and fast recovery. If you don't mind me asking, who is your surgeon?

Hey everybody!! I posted here a few times and I've read everyone's updates every day while I waited for an approval. I finally got an approval yesterday and I will be banded on Oct. 12th. I was hoping to be banded in September, but unfortunately that didn't happen. I still feel like a part of this group even with an October band date. I will still keep up with everyone while I wait for my date to approach. I think being on the computer might help when I start my liquid diet :wub: Ha ha!

Hi everyone! I just got approved yesterday! I am scheduled for surgery on Oct. 12th. I started this long journey on March 20th and now my surgery is almost here!! We all need to keep each other posted on our progress before and after surgery. October 2010 will be our second "birthday" every year. WOO HOO!!

Thank you!!!!

Jillian, Your paperwork will be approved before you know it. I can't lie and say the waiting didn't kill me, but now I can't believe the time has already passed. Please let us know as soon as you are approved. Then maybe we can be October bandsters together!!!

Thanks for the invite PuppyBandit! I'll come and check out the thread. YAY OCTOBER!

Thanks rockstar! I can't believe how much better I feel since I got my date. We will have to compare notes since we are one day apart. Does your doctor make his patients do the liquid diet before surgery?

Thanks Monica It seemed like I would never get approved. We definately need to get together very soon

Thank you nancy_marie! I hope you get your "yes" soon. Your date is a little before mine so let me know how it goes. Good Luck to you!

Wow!! That is fantastic!! Good for you. I wish mine was that fast. My paperwork was submitted 08/17, to Cigna, and I'm still waiting. The longer I have to wait, the more I feel like they are going to deny my surgery. This is driving me crazy!

I was also wondering how they get away with lying. I'm also starting to believe they would lie so they can deny the claim. I have a friend who used to work for a medical insurance company. She told me how they try really hard to deny you if they can. It makes me so mad because I've jumped through all of the hoops they asked for and then they lie to me. I don't understand their logic because they've paid thousands of extra dollars for no reason. I had to go to a nutritionist, psych eval, and 6 months of dr visits. All I paid was the co-pays......but the real kicker to me was my sleep study. I looked at the claim and Cigna was charged $6,900.00 for it. They paid all of it!!!!! Does that make any sense!! They could have looked at my dr's notes for the past 5 years and see that I'm fat!!! Why all the extra run around?? I am really hoping and praying that my paperwork is approved soon. Cigna's had it since 08/17 and I hope they don't take the full 30 days to approve. I really want to be banded this month. I'm so anxious and excited!!:thumbup:

Hi Sarah! My insurance company tried to tell me the same mess (Cigna). I called to check on my paperwork and the rep proceeded to tell me they wouldn't see any paperwork until the procedure was done. She said I didn't need to get pre-approved because it was a covered benefit. That didn't sound right to me, but she kept insisting that was the case. I then contacted the insurance rep from my surgeons office and she told me the correct info. They DO have to get a pre-approval from Cigna. I called Cigna again and the next rep said my paperwork was in the review process. I wish I could have talked to that first rep again and told her she needs to know what the hell she is talking about if she wants to be in customer service. :thumbup:

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm just waiting. My surgeon got all of my paperwork to Cigna on 08/17 and I'm still wating and waiting and waiting............:biggrin: