In the holding pattern

[resintx 0]

I am getting so frustrated with this process of getting the lap band. I started back last summer trying to get this process. Every appointment that is needed is made two months out. Now, I have to have a sleep study before I can even be recommend for the surgrey. I meet all the requirments however it has not been sumitted to my insurance(Tricare) and won't be until the sleep study complete and the surgeon writes the recommendation. I was really hoping that I would have already had this done by January to start my new year off. The sleep study isn't until 31st of March and they say that if I do need a breathing machine I have to be on it at least 30 day before I can have the surgery. Now we are looking at April or May. We have a family vacation planned in June and I was hoping to be a little thinner. There is really nothing I can do to speed things up and it is FRUSTRATING!!!!

[olivia_99 0]

I am sorry to hear this..wow..i have bcbs insurance and i only had to lose 10lbs..i didnt even have to have a sleep study..wow..soooo sorry...best of luck!!!

[TQUAD64 9]

I know the insurance process can be very frustrating. It seems to appear that they purposely create these delays via one test after one test. However, the tests are an important process to insure thay you have the best out comes during your surgery and post-after care.

The great news is that you have insurance and more than likely you will be approved. Although the wait is maddening, it is well worth it. It took me 11 months to complete all the requirements of my insurance, which was Blue Shield.

You will get there and it will be well worth your efforts.

Good luck!

[Headhunter 6]

The insurance process is indeed messy. And time consuming.

But, keep in mind that they do it for a reason. They want to be SURE that you are a good candidate for this. YOU know you are, but they need to be convinced.

Also, you said that you have a vacation coming up in june, and that you wanted to be a little thinner for it, which is why you are frustrated by the slow process.

You know, you CAN be a little thinner by June. The band makes it easier, but YOU can still diet and exercise before you get one. The Lap band does not eliminate the necessity for watching what you eat and keeping your body in motion. Many people think that all they have to do is have the band put in, and the weight will just start dropping off with little or no effort on their part. That DOES happen for some people, but for the majority of patients there is still some hard work down the road. For some, it requires a LOT of hard work. It takes a whole bunch of effort to end up with a hot body like Jachut!

The pre-surgery diet that many patients are required to go on has them lose some pretty significant poundage, in many cases. Maybe you should contact your potential surgeon now, find out what the pre-op diet is, and start it now. Some of the diets are pretty drastic, so you might want to alter it a bit, but you CAN lose a lot of weight before the Band is put in to help you!

So, don't wait until you have the band to begin losing weight....start NOW. Get a head-start on it.....it will make the job of the band much easier if YOU have started the process yourself!

HH

[YngGram 73]

First the good news, TriCare responds very quickly. My paperwork was submitted on 01/21 and approved 01/23!! Next, depending on where you are, I believe the sleep study is something your doc is asking for. I am TriCare North (HealthNet), and the test is not required by TriCare. I needed Pulmonary, cardiac, nutrition, and psych evals, TSH Leve, H-Pylori (bloodwork) for clearance. It took me 3 seminars, and 2 consults with surgerons to find one that didn't charge program fees or have requirements that insurance didn't have or cover. This group lets you do all the test at the same place. Not the way I went because I live an hour away. I got lucky because my PCP had oreded some of these as part of my yearly workup. I get banned in 2 weeks so just keep working and don't give up.

Niterun

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Wow that's awful. I'm tricare and my seminar was 7/10, surgery 8/11. same year. I don't know why it's taking you so long! My surgeon operates out of a bariatric center and the nutrition and psych consults were taken care of in one morning. Preop stuff all done at once, too. And I didn't need a sleep apnea test....Maybe where you live and/or the surgeon you picked is just busier? Anyway, good luck!

[phthaloblue 0]

I am exactly in the same spot as you - started last summer, tons of appointments that take months to get, currently waiting for (another) sleep study so I can get cleared for surgery. It's tough to see so many others post surgery dates that are only a few months after their seminar/consult dates. There are days that I even wish I'd known how long this would take, and just find a way to self-pay and get back this year of my life. I'm guessing that your doctor is popular (lots of waiting) and very conservative (lots of tests) like mine is.

What's helped me lately is encouragement from other posters who (like some in this thread) are reminding me that at least I have insurance that will cover the surgery, and that all the hoops they make us jump through will only improve the success of the band once we get it. We WILL get it, if we keep going to all the appointments and jumping through the hoops, and once we do, all this waiting won't seem nearly so terrible.

I hope this helps, at least to know that you're not alone!

[resintx 0]

Thank you to all that posted. I guess patience is a virtue.

Good luck to all you!!:w00t:

[elle8106 0]

I am Tricare too and from seminar to surgery it has been a little over 2 months. My guess is the process is taking longer because of your doctor and your health history.

I've tried weight loss before and not been too successful but I don't have any health issues. Aside from having my gallbladder out 2 years ago and being overweight, I am healthy. My cholesterol is good, my sugar levels are good and my blood pressure is perfect. I have no sleep apnea or anything else.

My goal in doing this now is to stay healthy and not let the weight destroy my body.

If I had health issues, I am sure I would be frustrated about it taking a long time, but I think I would be happy to know that the dr was working to make sure everything else was right and all the possibilities were looked at first.