A little help?

Hello, My name is Stephanie and I've really just begun this journey so I have questions of course. First of all these are the steps I' ve already taken 1. called insurance co., 2. went to a seminar, 3. went to see a nutrionist and 4. have an appointment with the psych and exercise person on the 10 th of April. My question is what happens after my appointment and how close am I to my surgury? Any help I appreciate it. Steph

A lot of that depends on your insurance company's requirements. For me, from first seminar to surgery... was almost 4 years... for some, it's only weeks/months. My story is a rather uncommon one though, check out my profile. You don't say where you're from in your profile... Texas maybe? You know you can list your surgeon too? and the kind of procedure you want? Just click the link "My OH" and look for the link to update profile Kat

Steph, It took 6 months for me to get approved. Just follow whatever guidelines your insurance requires. Lisa

Hi Steph! Like Kat says it really depends on your insurance policy/company. I started researching the surgery last may or june. I had a move so mine took a little longer because I started teh process in MI. I went to a seminar there in November had my appointments at the beginning and middle of December (met with surgeon on the 14th which was the last step of the process before it was submitted to the insurance company for approval..this sounds like your next step is to have your consult with your surgeon after your psych eval) I had my approval by mid January (would have had it sooner but had the holidays in there) Well at teh beginning of Jan I moved to Texas SOOOO i had to have another seminar meeting on Jan 25. I had my consult with the new surgeon on Feb 19 and at that time my surgery was scheduled for March 23!!! What type of insurance do you have????

Hi Steph - I think it depends on you, your PCP, your surgeon, and your insurance company. You: This is the MOST important - Because you are in control of the steps that need to be taken. It sounds like you know about the steps and you're on your way. If you know the surgeon, look on their website for the steps. You do not have to wait for them to get the referrals for the tests, your PCP can do it also. Your PCP: Your PCP needs to be on board (sounds like someone is because you're on your way) to get the referrals. If you know what your surgeon needs from their website, tell your PCP; they will give your the referrals (blood work, urine test, ultrasound, EKG, Chest X-Ray, etc.). My PCP was surprised because most people let the surgeon's office do all the work for them. Take charge of yourself and it will be much faster. Your Surgeon: You may know some people who have used the surgeon you are looking at. I encourage you to search this site for more individuals, that was a HUGE help for me. That helped me to know the approximate time-line. He/she may have a requirement of 6 months dieting, although I don't think most do that any longer. You just need to show everything you've attempted. I put mine all on an Excel Spreadsheet. Your Insurance: Now, I hope you've already read up and made sure your insurance will cover this type of surgery. You can also look up on this site others with the same carrier AND surgeon to see the timeline. If you know they will cover with XYZ, then DON'T submit it to them until you have done XYZ... I've always WANTED WLS, but never thought I could actually do it until I met an old friend who had the surgery. I talked to her for the first time about WLS on February 4th. She told me the different steps. I had my surgery last Tuesday, March 27th. I took charge of my own care and got it done! I had a FANTASTIC surgeon and I'm feeling wonderful now too! Please keep us posted and Good Luck! Jill

Oh - you probably can tell - when I set my mind to something, I do it. I 've always said that about myself, but ended with "except my weight". This time, I was able to do it WITH my weight! It took me a short time to go from commiting to the actual surgery, but I read EVERYTHING I could to make sure I had the right surgeon and chose the right procedure for me. I purchased a ton of books on Amazon (Weight Loss for Dummies is the first staple) and talked to everyone I could. I'll bet your surgeon has a support group, find out when the are and attend, you'll get a ton of information there. Also - be sure to focus on any emotional issues that you may have regarding your weight. You may have seen and heard the "transfer addiction" discussions lately. Some will say it's rare, however, you and only you know what type of emotions may come from losing weight. You really need to focus on that. Focus on the long term success, not just getting to surgery.... You'll do great! Good Luck! Jill