Blue Cross Blue Shiled of Iowa HELP!?!?!?!?

[jackie506 1]

:help:Ok I haven't been banded yet but I have 1 more 'weigh in' on my supervised diet. First 2 months gained 4 lbs., third month lost 2, 4th month lost 9, I have to go next this Thursday and I don't think I have lost or gained, My question is this, has anyone else had BCBS of Iowa and lost and then gained during their supervised diet? I am so afraid they are going to think that I am not trying hard enough on my own so they will deny me. I am telling you the scale and I are becoming bigger enemies than ever before :angry! I bought a bike and have been riding faithfully, eating the right food, bought a bean exerciser and do that every other day. The problem is not that I am not doing anything it is that even though I am eating the healthy foods (with a few minor slips here and there) I am eating too much and have terrible Portion Control. I am so hungry when I try to eat just 1 serving of food.

I have a weekly list of eveyrthing that I eat every day of the week and each month when I go to my doctor I take it in. I have been VERY honest with what I am eating. (Even the blizzard that I had from DQ) He told me I was eating right just too much. Seen the nutritionist and she told me the same thing. She was really inpressed with what I had been eating and how I have been keeping track. Do you think they will send that to insurance along with all the other paperwork? Damn it I am trying but this is emotionally excruciating!!!!! :Cry:

Wish me luck. I have 4 more days to move that damn scale down at least a couple of pounds. I have scheduled time to ride my bike everyday for 1 hour and then go to the YMCA. I have 135 lbs to lose so the whole exercising thing is tough but I can do it. Just need some input from you all to (hopefully) put my mind at ease. I am hoping I am not the only one who has bounced around on the supervised diet and that no one has been denied because of it.

Thanks for letting me bend your ear and I can't wait to hear from others.

[Lori Ann 0]

Jackie,

They don't look to see if you have consistently lost....the purpose was to exhaust all avenues of trying to lose weight.....if anything, this is a good thing, because even the supervised diet didn't work for you. You are just super nervous and I can understand. I gained on my supervised diet because of portion control......but they approved me.....they just want to see that you even tried under medical supervision. You are doing great tracking your food intake. I do that now, and it's the only way I can truly look at what I have eaten for the day. Keep up the good work and I wish you the best of luck in getting approved.....I can betcha you will be approved.

[jackie506 1]

THank you soooo much for your words of wisdom Lori ann. I just needed to hear from someone else who had the same situation. I have also done the sleep study and they have found that I have sleep apnea so that is another co morbidity. I have achey knee and ankle joints and doc has told me for 2 years it is my weight. I am 34 and my BMI is 47.7. I am REALLY praying that I get approved and can have surgery in August.

I called the surgeons office today and they reassured me AGAIN, LOL, that they think I will be approved the first time and that this happens to a lot of people. Those people are just AWSOME with patients. The co ordinator at the office always has time to talk and answer questions or just lend an ear. LOVE 'EM!!!

I appreciatate all the support I find here and would love to hear from anyone else who has BCBS of Iowa. Thank you!!!!!

[xgrl 0]

Hi Jackie

I also have BCBS of Iowa I'm just starting my journey I have around a 36 37 BMI I'm super nervous that they won't approve me I've been doing tons of research via the internet to find out if they will cover me I'm only 22 I feel like if I take a positive step to lose this weight early i won't have the co morbities since my family history includes nearly all of them that BCBS covers. I got the 6 Months supervised diet i was on phenteramine for around 2 and 1/2 years i lost around 45 lbs but gained it all back and the fact that phenteramine is suppose to be a short term thing and 2 and 1/2 years isn't exactly short term. I think i should prob have the sleep study done because my father and grandmother and grandfather have it so maybe i've never been tested before...okay so i'm rambling but I'm just super excited that I may have found something that works to lose weight and keep it off it's kinda like starting with a clean slate and being able to start a healthy lifestyle!!! I'll Be able to exercise again without having to use my inhalor and feeling like a may die! alright good luck with your approval i'm rooting for you! let us know your updates!

[jackie506 1]

XGRL I know what you mean about the phentermine. I was on that stuff back in 99 and 2000 and that is why they made me have an echo to make sure I had no damage done to the heart valves. Luckily everything is 'clean as a whistle and looks 100% normal' (quote of the doctor). I have been on several supervised diets also. Just not 6 consecutive months within the last 2 years. I had given up on doing them because the only one that ever worked was the phen phen and then they took 1/2 of that off the market. I was to scared to continue taking the phentermine after that. Held off all these years without having an echo too surgeon said I had to have one befor he would do surgery so I done it. Was so relieved when they told me everything was fine.

I really think I will get approved. The surgeon's office told me that BCBS is not hard to get approved if you meet their requirements and do everything they want done prior to submitting. I sure hope they are right. I am so afraid of getting my hopes up and then being shot down. I have totally met my annual out of pocket maximum so my surgery itself will cost me nothing. I had some other testing done for something else and then all these others the surgeon wanted so I met the $3,000.00 out of pocket max quick.

Keep your spirits high and fight for what you want. Don't let them tell you no.

[Lorsbander 1]

Hey, Jackie! I haven't been here in a while- it was great to see you are still here! WOW! It sounds like you are working your butt off! Hopefully literally! You are determined and positive. You have been so helpful to me. I have appreciated your strength and enthusiasm! I am sure you will be approved. My pulse ox was sent to my family doctor today and then to Dr. Glascock sometime this week. Hopefully no apnea, but I am prepared for the worst. How has it been going with your machine? Keep me up-to-date! Take Care girl!!

Xgrl- are you from Iowa, too? What area and what doc are ya seeing? We will take all the support we can get!!!!!!

[iowagirl 0]

I'm a newbie here and so glad I found this forum. Have my first consultation next week. I also from Iowa - Central Iowa in fact - so i'ts great to see others from Iowa on here. I look forward to reading and learning more on the forums!

[jackie506 1]

Hey, Jackie! I haven't been here in a while- it was great to see you are still here! WOW! It sounds like you are working your butt off! Hopefully literally! You are determined and positive. You have been so helpful to me. I have appreciated your strength and enthusiasm! I am sure you will be approved. My pulse ox was sent to my family doctor today and then to Dr. Glascock sometime this week. Hopefully no apnea, but I am prepared for the worst. How has it been going with your machine? Keep me up-to-date! Take Care girl!!

Xgrl- are you from Iowa, too? What area and what doc are ya seeing? We will take all the support we can get!!!!!!

Hey Lori!! I have missed hearing from you. Hope your pulse ox was good. I got the CPAP but I really don't like it. It usually falls off my face a couple of times a night. I am one who tosses and turns so that is why. The straps come undone pretty easy.

Got the results of my endoscopy yesterday. He says that I have a small amount of inflamation from the acid reflux but the biopsy they took came out normal and he does not see any reason I will not do fine with the lapband. He told me he thought I am a great candidate. YEAH!!!!!:clap2:

I still have to see a pulmonologist but Mary at the office said I could just wait until I am approved if I want because it won't take me long to get into one. That is all that is left and then to have blood work right before. My goodness I better be approved! LOL. Feel like I have been ran through the mill.

Are you submitting to insurance after you get your pulse ox results? Good luck!!!:biggrin1:

[jackie506 1]

I'm a newbie here and so glad I found this forum. Have my first consultation next week. I also from Iowa - Central Iowa in fact - so i'ts great to see others from Iowa on here. I look forward to reading and learning more on the forums!

Congratulations on making the decision to pursue the lapband and wellcome. Hope your consultation goes well. Keep us posted!!!

[xgrl 0]

Hey Misty Yeah I'm from Iowa I go to Iowa State but otherwise my hometown is North Iowa. I have my seminar with Dr. Glascock next tuesday I'm really hoping i'm a good canidate I've made appt with my Regular Doc so i'm hoping she will order the test so my insurance will cover them cause i have a heart mumer so that will pretty much cover the cardio stuff and i have acid reflux so theres the endoscopy and i'm tired and never get any good sleep so there is the sleep study HOPEFULLY i'm crossing my fingers that my doc will see my Logic she's always very nice and very helpful and has been working with me for the last 5-6 years to work on my weight loss and so far unsuccesfully unfortunatly but that's why i'm here it's a last resort really so i'm hoping my insurance will allow it before my health gets worse.... Thanks for the support i can't wait till i have more news i'm counting the days to the seminar and after that my first consult sending wishes your guys ways talk to you soon

[xgrl 0]

haha that was actually suppose to be to Lori oops haha

[jackie506 1]

XGRL Lorsbander and I are both seeing Dr Glasscock also. I printed his credentials and took them to my regular PCP and he looked over them and told me Dr G has great credentials. I have also met a few other people who have had surgery by him (rouxenY and lapband) and I have not met one person who doesn't rave about how good he is.

Good luck!

[Lorsbander 1]

Hello Iowa gals! I have heard only good things about Dr. Glascock. I heard he is a stickler, though. He wants everyone to follow his instuctions precisely. He is tough, but I think that is what I need.

I am a little worried about my insurance paying for this. I recently got a bill for my psych eval and my consultation and they would not pay for either of them. I am pissed off! (I have BCBS of Georgia.) The psych eval was $248. (The psychiatrist was a real quack. Very unprofessional and inappropriate. I am a counselor, so I would know.) I suppose I am gonna have to fight with my insurance for this. Crap.

Hey, XGRL, I am a UNI grad, but my husband and I are big Iowa State fans. Go Cyclones!!!!!! I live in Eastern Iowa.

Talk to ya all soon!! Have a great weekend. It's gonna be a hot one!!

[jackie506 1]

Hello Iowa gals! I have heard only good things about Dr. Glascock. I heard he is a stickler, though. He wants everyone to follow his instuctions precisely. He is tough, but I think that is what I need.

I am a little worried about my insurance paying for this. I recently got a bill for my psych eval and my consultation and they would not pay for either of them. I am pissed off! (I have BCBS of Georgia.) The psych eval was $248. (The psychiatrist was a real quack. Very unprofessional and inappropriate. I am a counselor, so I would know.) I suppose I am gonna have to fight with my insurance for this. Crap.

Hey, XGRL, I am a UNI grad, but my husband and I are big Iowa State fans. Go Cyclones!!!!!! I live in Eastern Iowa.

Talk to ya all soon!! Have a great weekend. It's gonna be a hot one!!

Did you get the results of your pulse ox? I hope your insurance pays for the other tests that you have done. My insurance (fortunately) has paid for all the testing so far. I am really hoping I have no problem getting approved.

Off to the doc tomorrow for another months weigh in. Wish me luck!