I'm a lost puppy dog... Help!!

[sandi_022 6]

Sooo here's the short version of my story. Tried to get my insurance to cover the surgery.... well, no can do. I was actually down to the point that all they had to do was schedule my surgery... dangit! Well, I decided to go with Dr. Almanza in Mexico. I've been talking to the pt. coordinator, but I still have some questions. My surgery is on March 8th. What should I expect?

They never said anything about a pre-op diet, but from what I've been reading, its looking like something I should do, even if he doesn't require it. Also, for those who've had theirs done in Mexico.... if there are complications, were you able to find doctors around you that would be able to assist you? or are most of them against helping? Lets hope not for my sake lol.

If there was one piece of advice you'd give to someone going in for the surgery, what would it be?

[finding me 1]

From what I got the pre-op diet is to shink you rliver and to lose the fat around it. I would contact your doctor's office to see if they have one you are suppose to do. This is the way I look at it. You are paying them good money to do this for you adn darn it if you want to call they 3x a day to ask questions that is what they are there for and that is what they get paid for. But if you just want to do the pre-op diet here is a link to a tread that discusses a few of the different types of pre-op diets. Each doctor is different.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/what-your-pre-op-diet-110374/

[kimclow 1]

I'm curious...what happened? If you don't mind sharing...I have just started my 6 month dr supervised diet, and am really afraid of being told no after months of anticipation.

[sandi_022 6]

I'm curious...what happened? If you don't mind sharing...I have just started my 6 month dr supervised diet, and am really afraid of being told no after months of anticipation.

Well... My mom worked at a hospital as an RN. We had her insurance, and they covered the entire amount of the surgery. I was stoked! So I went into the meeting and all that and they got me an appt, and I found out that I had to have a year of a supervised diet, pretty much through my dr. I went a head and got the psych. eval, and everything was good. Unfortunately, before the year was up, I was no longer covered under the insurance, because I turned 24. I was on the supervised diet for like 8 months. So I then looked into a self pay option, seen a sign on the door that they had a program that would help pay for it. The Dr's office was NO help what so ever. It was like ask the right questions get the right answers, then get transfered to 50 different people just for them to tell you that they can't help you. Then my step-dad got Blue Cross Blue Shield out of TX. Well with the one out of Texas I had to jump through flaming hoops to try and get them to cover it. They said they'd cover it, but I had to go another 6 months, not only a supervised diet, but it had to be with the nutritionist. Well, my step dad left that job before the 6 months were up. I then got another insurance company and they told me that they would pay for the doctor to do it in his office, but since he had to do it in the hospital, the hospital wasn't covered. I'm like wtf? Seriously?! And that was after calling a ton of different people at the dr's office for them to help me. I think my dr's office just didn't care to help me at all. They make it sound like they're going to do whatever they can to get the insurance company to accept the procedure, so you get all excited, and they don't do a darn thing. By then I just gave up, and started doing research for doctors in Mexico.

The issue i'm having now is just the unknown. Again, I feel like i have to ask the right questions to get the right answers out of them, and then I feel like i'm asking way to many questions. I figure they would at least mail, or e-mail me a packet of what to expect, or something to re-assure me that i'm going to be taken care of, and I'm in good hands, but I haven't got anything. The only correspondence i've had is when I contact them. I guess its one of those things tho, thats probably why its cheaper, because you don't have that one on one, you just have to go into it and hope for the best. I'm sure everything will be fine, I'm not scared or anything, I just don't want to have to get all the way there, and them be like "oh by the way... we can't do your surgery because...." That would just stink!

I can definitely say tho, that I probably wouldn't have even thought about going to a different country to get surgery if it weren't for this site. There are so many things that I've learned and so many questions that I've had answered just by reading. I'm glad I found it :sad:

[ElfiePoo 109]

Every doctor is different. Most of the presurgery supervised diets are insurance requirements, not doctor requirements. I had no presurgery diet other than liquids the day before surgery.

Same with after surgery. It runs the gamut from 'liquids for one month after' to 'back to solid foods in days'. I was back to regular foods 2 weeks after surgery.

I will say that in the 6 weeks prior to my surgery, I lost 14 pounds and without dieting. I just started becoming more conscious about what I put in my mouth. That was also spending a week hitting all my favorite places because I didn't know how soon I'd be able to eat there again. Little did I know that I'd be able to eat there 2 weeks after surgery and until I got restriction (almost 3 months later!).

.

[LeighaMason 19]

Sandi, Are you from Texas?

[sandi_022 6]

Sandi, Are you from Texas?

I'm not, I'm from Michigan. Since the economy here is so terrible, my step dad went to work in the Oil fields in wyoming, and that TX was where the BCBS was out of. Kinda weird, I know. lol

So I spoke with the pt. coordinator, and she forgot to send me the paperwork on what they need me to do, and what I should expect. I got the paperwork this morning, and I feel MUCH MUCH better. I don't feel lost any more. All my questions were answered, well, most of them :thumbup:

[LeighaMason 19]

Good luck with your surgery, I do have one piece of advice if you don't mind. I think that proper fills are at least as important if not more important than the band. Be sure and find a good local fill center. :redface: