Liz B.
12/28/2001- This was the start of my journey YEARS AGO!
I Have made an appt with Dr Pearce - its a support group meeting and then I am planning on going to the local group in Jan also.
My insurancce is BCBC Bluechoice PPO. I hope I get approved! I made an appt on Jan 9 with a PCP recommended by the local RNY group. Also I have told my Mom. She was remarkably supportive.
My sister is also supportive and my dh says if I am going to do this he will be supportive... That is a great deal of support! :)
I will update more later
01/10/02 Well I went to my pcp and asked for a referral. Luckily a lot of locals goto him for this...He was so supportive!
I found out today that we are self insured here at work .. now i have to see if I am approved!
I am getting so excited. I have a few more records to get and I'll be on my way!!! :)
01/2002
I am very anxious about getting the ball rolling on this. I keep trying to find info on my insurance. I really don't want to have to fight for this. I have a back up plan to go to my husbands insurance if mine won't cover it. His is an HMO but seems more people have approvals from BC/BS with an HMO than my plan.
My first seminar with Dr Pearce is 01/08/2002!
Well my insurance does have an exclusion- DENIED!
06/04
Wow almost two years later! I just had another baby but magically enough weigh the same! I have a new job with new insurance. Starting the journey all over again.
04/30/06- I'm baaack! :)
I wanted to keep my old info here so people will know how long my journey has been.
I have seen information on the lap band since the beginning but there was never any surgeons locally I could find. Then when I started working at my new job in 07/04 many co workers have had this surgery done. Some had the RNY and some had the lap band.
When I began working in July 2004 I had been off work awhile and we had free insurance at my husbands work so I didn't get the health insurance. I waited until enrollment this year and told myself put in one really good last effort to lose weight and then I didn't enroll in the insurance telling myself that I was gonna diet one last good time. I joined weight watchers and got a Gym membership. I told myself this was it. I put everything into. From 08/05-01/06 I lost 30 lbs. Its good but slowly I fell back off and today I've gained back 15 lbs. I started weight watchers at 284. I am 5' 3".
I have two co workers looking into lap band and called the surgeon that many people at work have gone to. They email you a presentation called emmi for the lap band. I watched it and called back and was set up on an appt two days later. How is that for fast?
On April 26, 2006 I met with my surgeon, Tim Eldridge,for lap band. He was great! He really took the time to talk to me. Said that as a surgeon he usually does 90% of the work and the patient does 10% with aftercare. He said with the lap band its the only surgery where he does the easy part -10% of the work. He said he puts the band on and the rest is all me. He told me I had to work really hard at this and that the results were up to me. He said most only lose 70% of their weight. I'm happy with that because most charts say I need to be 121 lbs and I'd look like death at 121. In the end he told me he thought I was a great candidate for this surgery that he could tell I was informed and he could tell I'd put in the effort. He was sending in my letter on thursday or friday and then his office manager would call me this week to let me know. From my coworkers I know I will have to go to a psych consult and to see a nutritionist. So hopefully we will know soon how this is going to go!
05/03/06
I finally called the dr's office back and called insurance. Insurance is waiting on my info and they told me yesterday they are going to get my info and it takes a week.
I called the dr to find out what I can do for now. SHe gave me the # to the psych consult, told me I need to goto my pcp and get a tsh test and a referral letter. Finally she is going to send my info to the nutritionist. Tuesday I go and get my dr letter. I asked my pcp receptionist if he does referrals and she said yes so I am glad! I am going to write a letter with my diet history and history of problems from being overweight so he'll have that information. I have done weight watchers recently and I also have asked my dr about diet before. I had an absolute exculsion with my prev insurer so I know thats why it can't be coded in my file.
My appt with my pcp is on Tues 05/09/06.
05/04/06
The nutritionist called today and we are meeting on 05/09/06. I thought this was great so I called the psych to try again for an appt. May 26. I am going to try and be patient about this because I know others have been way more patient than me. They did put me on a list to move me up if anyone cancels. Maybe by June I'll be ready to go :)
05/05/06
Well my ins info is finally in the insurance system. I got my id# and signed up online. I was able to see what info they needed before claims could be submitted. I completed the questions and hopefully they can accept claims now! I called the surgeons office and vickie took down all the info. She asked about my appts and she seemed to write those down. Not too much longer!! I hope the psych can get me in sooner so that I can maybe have my surgery at the end of the month. Wouldn't that be awesome :)
05/08/06
GREAT NEWS! The psych consult was moved up to Wed. 05/10/06. Today I am doing my physician appt and my nutritionist. Then tomorrow the psych consult. Give it a few days to send it to the surgeon, then the surgeon submits it to insurance next week so maybe I'll know by May 19? :) Maybe maybe maybe I can get it this month :)
05/10/06
I am done with all my appts. Everything went well. The nutritionist was very informative. My PCP was very supportive. Today I had the psych eval and it was okay. Emotional but okay. He did say I would succeed and to quit thinking I'm going to fail. He said he recommended it for me so that is great!
Now I have to just wait for the surgeon to submit the information to the insurance :)
05/18/06
I called the dr's office yesterday and they still haven't gotten the letters. Then I found out the person that submits to insurance is out for 2 weeks. Meeting tonight at the hospital. I'm gonna go but don't really want to because of my social anxiety thing due to my weight.
05/21/06
I didn't goto the meeting. I'm slightly annoyed that nothing is happening. I am going to follow up on tuesday with the 2 drs letters. Then again I know they won't be submitted because the lady is out of the office for another week.
05/23/06
I finally called the surgeons office.The person that handles insurance for the surgeon is out for two weeks and her helper was out for the day too. But I ended up calling the psych and my pcp and the letters were sent already. So today I am going to call and see what they are going to do since the main lady is gone. I'm sure the one girl can send it over to the insurance company for me. I make it all sound so easy. When I left a message yesterday I said 'I'll just start calling everyday'. And I will just because I'm not inactively waiting anymore.
05/31/06
Called and talked to the dr's office. They seem to be behind still. There was a communication issue but she finally understood. She said she would have my stuff sent today. I called the insurance company and they called doctors office and asked for a predetermination to be faxed over. Sounds like they have a lot of factors to be approved and I don't know if I meet them all but we'll see.
06/13/06
Nothing new. Well I hurt my back. Dr said weight related...hmppph!
I've been going through a bout of depression. I really hate it. I just feel like I'm not good at anything and that I'm lazy. Truth is my body was telling me something is wrong you just need to stay still. I guess I know why people with back injuries often get depressed. I decided that since it was hurting and the dr wants me drugged for a few days to let my back try and heal that I was going to take time off work. I am going to pop the pills and lay around for a couple days and go from there...
July 2006-
I got a date! I having the procedure on Aug 1st. 2 weeks yikes!
