Hiya Goils,
When you ladies were waiting for insurance approval, did you call the company to ask (aka try to put a burr under their saddle) about your status? If I were to do that, would I just bug them and make them say no, or would it help them decide that yes, Chickadee is far too fluffy and would highly benefit from this wonderful surgery?

As you can probably tell, I'm not very patient and this waiting is about to kill me. I'm on week four of waiting and was told that UHC can take up to six weeks, so it's pretty much my impatience talking here.

Enlighten me with your thoughts please!

Thanks ever so much,
Chickadee

there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with calling to make sure all the paperwork is there and that it's all stayed together adn that it's still moving along through its route.

and if you have to do that every couple of days, then so be it!!!!

from jiff the B***H [just in case you didn't recognize me!!!!]

never can have too many. You are all the best!
Chickadee, I think I might take your advice and at least talk to my MD about getting the ball rolling. He kinda suggested it a yr ago. He has had about a dozen patients that went for the surgery and they are all happy they did. But then I talk to a friend at work who also struggles, but doesn't have nearly the amount of med issues I do, and she thinks I'm nuts. The usual;"you can do it on your own" or "people die from that, are you crazy?" or "don't you think it's a cop-out?!" And sometimes I do. Then I feel fat, lazy and guilty. So I try for pros and cons. Definite pro: my diseases might kill me before the surgery does, they killed my mom. Pro: I suffered what they called a drug saturation last yr. I'm just not tolerating the drugs well and I don't want to go on insulin(went that route when I was 18 & pregnant; not easy!)
con: Cost$ con:time missed from work con: my husband and I do enjoy food and going out. con: FEAR!!!! con: CONFUSION aaahhhh!

Anyway, I will check out the suggested site and talk to my doc at my appt on wed. thanks again, DonnaD

Thanks Jiffy Sweetcheeks (how long has it been since you've been called that - if ever?). I was hoping you would reply. I think I will give the insurance company a jingle tomorrow. And, there's no way I would ever refer to you as a b***h. You're way too cool for that. I'm hoping the insurance company doesn't refer to me as one either!

Donna, I'm not telling very many people at all what my plans are. The whole "cop-out, you could do it if you really tried" attitude that some people have really pisses me off. They don't live in your skin or know what you've been through. Only you can decide what's right for you. I've done lotsa soul searching (as I'm sure you have) and really think this is the answer for me. As I told you, I'm hoping to have Lap Band surgery because I feel more comfortable with the risks associated with it and the procedure itself than I do with the RNY surgery. Maybe you ought to discuss this surgery with your doctor too, although a lot of people still know very little about it. Whatever works for you! Hang in there.

Goodnight chicks,
Chickadee

That's kind of a scary proposition...don't ya think??????

Well, sweets, in this case I am useless. I hid from my insurance company. I complete blocked it out of mind, convinced that I would be denied, rejected. I didn't want to get my hopes up NOR did I want to contiplate the surgery itself or the changes it may bring.

I do believe the day I got the approval letter that I fell over and began to hyperventilate. I then think I put it in a safe place and left it there for about a week before I peeked at it again.

I never said I was NOT a ninny.

and....just in case you ARE wondering....I DID pass my psyche exam...amazing!

hang in there Chickadee!

peach

Donna,

I think we all went through the fear and confusion thing. It is what drives us to do our research and make sure that it surgery is the right decision for us. As to going out to eat with your dh, you'll still be able to do it. Not right away but after a few months you will. Maybe instead of ordering a full size dinner you'll be ordering an appetizer or splitting a dinner with your dh. Jiff and I often split our meals.

About your friend. I have a friend like that. She is one of my best friends and she was very against me having wls. She was afraid that she would lose me. Often she would say, "It's just food...get over it!" But for me and many of us it is so much more complicated than that. I needed this little policeman of a tiny tummy to say, "whoa, babe you're not really gonna eat any more of that are you?"

Do your research, Donna. Only you can make the decision as to have wls. I will add that my dh was VERY against me doing this until our family doctor who he likes and respects thought it was a great idea. Now we are both happy. Trust me...if I am happy, he is happy.

peach

that splitting thing?? it only works if you both want the same thing. if you don't.. you have another 2-3 meals!!!!!

chickadeedeedee..do we really care if the insurance company calls us names as long as they approve us and pay the bills?????

and thank you!!!! i can't remember the last time this OLDIE was called sweetcheeks!!!! kinda nice!!!!

Chickadee
I called the insurance company. On the day I did, they told me it was approved and the approval was in the mail to the doctor. Just check in with them, if not approved, I would be asking why not. At least you know where to start from then.

As usual, good advice ladies! I called the darned insurance company today and was told my request was kind of just sitting there waiting for information. They told me they needed my heart rate and BMI (which of course were submitted originally), but I called the doctor's office and had them call it in. Hopefully that will help.

Later,
Chickadee

I called my insurance company after several weeks and was told I was approved! I got the letter the next day. It was nice to know in advance. I didn't tell anyone at school I was going to have the surgery except my principal. I didn't think it was any of their business.

I work with two Bandsters. One is a gentleman who has done everything but have "Hey, I have the BAND" tattooed on his forehead. He's lost about 170 pounds total, and is a cheerleader extraordinaire!

Another coworker, a woman, was banded just before Thanksgiving. She's had three fills so far, and her progress has been extremely slow. She has only told a select few, and she has unfortunately set herself up for disappointment by constantly comparing herself to the "cheerleader."

I don't care who knows, LOL. Most people I work with know I'm battling several serious health problems, and they also know I don't give a Fig Newton what anyone's opinion is, LOL. I don't expect the Band to be a miracle weight loss program: I know I still need to DIET...but once I lose the weight, I expect it to stay GONE. I'm tired of dieting and then having the weight I've lost (and all its hoodlum friends) racing to reapply themselves to my backside!

If you are looking for something to say when you tell folks you are having surgery and will be off work for convalescent leave, just tell them you've finally decided to have that annoying "monkey tail" removed.



~VOW