Extreme frustration!

Hi Everyone, I am relatively new to this board and I am ready to give up! Let me give a little bit of background though. I am a 40 year old married woman with two children. I have been morbidly obese for 15 years, since the birth of my first child. I was, at that time diagnosed with hypothryoidism and it took over two years for my doctors to regulate it. So my weight was up and down for awhile. I had my thyroid removed in 1992 and since then my weight has been as high 300 and as low as 250, usually very steady around 280. I saw my PCP on April 18,2005, got the referral for the bariatric surgeon, and saw him on April 21, 2005. The surgeon's office got in contact with my insurance carrier and I got approval for the surgery, May 9, 2005. I was very happy and thankful. I have got all of my prework done in May, 2005. Psych clearance, cardiac clearance, sleep apnea clearance, gastro clearance, and pulmunology clearance. All came back with the go ahead for the surgery. Little did I know, that the sleep apnea clearance, was not happening. The pulmunologist says I have sleep apnea. No one called me. NOBODY!!! But I have sleep apnea, right? So why didn't someone call and inform me of this? I found out about the "no go" on June 14, 2005. I am TOLD that the PULMUNOLOGIST will NOT give me clearance until I get a CPAP. So who dropped the ball? No one will own up to it. So I need a SLEEP APNEA study. I work Tuesday and Thursday nights from 4:00pm to 9:30pm. Guess when they want me to come in for the study? You guessed it, Thursday night. I scramble trying to find coverage, because my surgery is less than one month away and I have to have the CPAP machine or I could die! Lovely, isn't it? I call up and leave messages for three days to the pulmunologist, who doesn't return my call. Finally get a hold of them today and guess what? The Dr. has not done the interpretation yet, so no machine. I only have 12 days until the surgery, I need the clearance to get the operation. The pulmunologist says, "We won't give you clearance until you get your CPAP." They are the ones who goofed up. I have been told, "if you don't comply you won't get your surgery." What is going on here? I have complied and lost money over the issue(lost wages). If I am supposed to have this machine then why didn't they tell me in a more timely fashion? Why are they threatening me when they goofed up? Does this abuse ever end? I am, at this point ready to say, "Forget this, keep your damn surgery" and hire a lawyer and sue the pulmonologist. I can't get the surgery unless I get the clearance, so what's the point? Thanks for letting me vent. I am just hoping that there is someone who empathizes and will let me know that I am not alone. That's all. Thanks, M

Hi MK You still have plenty of time, even if you have to move your surgery back a couple of weeks. I have been through the same stuff with insurance, remember the "Squeaky wheel gets the grease"... Call them every day and document EVERYTHING, I can't stress that enough. Don't throw in the towel now on your new life just because of some screw up with them. Hang in there. Sue 273/260/?/150 T-6 days & counting

Hang in there M. I know how frustrating it is to have to deal with incompitence. You need to remember though it is your life on the line. If you have sleep apnea and dont have your CPAP (which I have also) you could quit breathing. It is very important! Just stay on them. I know it is very irritating to have to reschedule surgery when you have got everything set up but that just might have to be done and in the long run it is for you. Forget about them - they arent really thinking about your schedule they are just following their rules, I know it is hard but try to put yourself in their shoes - if you did surgery on someone knowing they had sleep apnea and they died because of no CPAP you would be at fault. After it is all said and done you will be thinner and happier and just have to deal with a few bumps in the road. Sh** Happens. Next year at this time you wont even remember being this mad and these people wont mean anything to you. Here's to being a thinner you . Dont give up!! Hugs, Carie

Hi - Oh man can I relate with you!! I'm fighting with the insurance company right now just to get approved!! Have heen denied so I have retained a lawyer and have a hearing on the 19th of July. See others have it worse and I have to agree you will not remember this in a few months and life will go on. I hope to at least have mine done in July or August. I meet the requirements but I had lost 80 pds year and a 1/2 ago and have gained it back so they are deining me becuase I haven't had a BMI for 3 years of 40 or more!!! Not to mention I have had a BMI of 40 - 45 my whole adult life and have given them the records. The policy says 3 years not 3 consecutive years so I retained an attorney and I'm going to go for it!!! This will pass and you will move to the next phase. Hang in there. Kris

I want to thank you folks for responding to my email, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. But wait till you hear what has happened since I last posted... MY WLS LEFT TOWN!!!! Is that not unreal? My surgery was scheduled for July 12, 2005 and now who knows. I am still going to get that CPAP machine though, because I've "earned" it. I will be making an appointment with another bariatric surgeon. Dr. John Meilahn of Temple University Hospital (if anyone is having or had surgery by him, please let me know). My WLS's partner trained under Dr. M and she is referring me to him so that I can still get my surgery. Luckily, he accepts Aetna HMO and Temple is a listed facility. But I have to go through the approval process all over again. Oh well, here we go again... Thanks, for listening. M

I wanted to add that it has been a real pleasure emailing with you and that this will probably be the last time I email in this forum as I am no longer scheduled for surgery in July. Best wishes to all of you. I hope everything works out. See you around the BB. M

M - I'm so sorry about all of the trials you are facing here at the last minute. We had a doctor in Jackson dissapear like that also. Kinda scary. Lots of people got really messed up with that fiasco and are still trying to straiten it out almost a year later. Hopefully your new doc will not make you go through everything all over again. They should just be able to transfer the results to him. I am in the same boat with my C-Pap. I don't know why it is taking so long, but I told them I am leaving town Thursday the 7th and won't be bac****il the weekend before my surgery. They HAVE to get my C-Pap to me NOW! I'm so frustrated. I'm calling my nurse tomorrow and have her put the heat on them. I've come too far to have someone else screw up my surgery! ARGH!!! I refuse to think it could happen, but it really is a reality. Stick around here and let us know how it goes! HUGS Kimberly

I can relate. A couple of posts up it was me venting about my psych eval not making it to the surgeon. But don't get upset and give up. Cause I was doing that. I told my bf I wanted to go home and forget the surgery. And the next morning it was faxed to the doctors office.

Don't worry about changing surgeons. I had to change because my case was too difficult for my original surgeon. He was very good but realized my problems were way out of his league. He referred me to another doctor and transfered all my results to him. As long as the new surgeon is covered by your insurance you should not have any problems at all. By the way I know it frustrates you about the Cpap but take it from some one who has been there you don't want to take any chances. The surgery only works if you live to see the results. It sounds harsh but is very true. I'm getting antsy too. I'm set for July, 29. Good luck and God Bless

M- I understand your pain. I thought getting the insurance was going to be the biggest problem. But I feel like I have had more problems come up after. Just when I had relaxed and thought things were square. And I have thought about throwing in the towel myself- more than once! Some of this stuff seems so tough and not worth it. (like you, I even thought about sueing someone- not something I have ever done...but it certainly crossed my mind) But this morning I was thinking about all my issues. And I did like Greg said in another post. I pictured myself one year from now after having surgery. And then I pictured myself and my life on year from now without the surgery. That was all it took....it's all going to be worth it. I figure it's another possible 20 years of life for me feeling unhealthy or possibly 40 or more feeling healthy and active. Hmmmmm... it's not a hard choice for me. Keep the faith! It will work out!!!!!!! I know your stressed out! Spend some time making a list of all the things you want to do when you are lighter. Good luck! And keep us posted. Linda