Question for Dr.Baker patients,or anyone who's been through it!

Ok! So my mom is faxing my sleep study report to Doc Baker today,That is the only thing left,paperwork,they needed from me...So they'll get that today.I have two questions,actually. First:After getting your paperwork to Dr.Baker's office,Then they will work on getting the approval for me,Or that's how I understood it..How long(after you got all your paperwork to them)did it take for you to hear back from them on your approval?(I have both Medicade and Medicare)I was just wondering how long my wait will be before I get a surgrey date or even word that I've been approved.I am so ready for this guys...I want to feel like a normal young lady...I want to get out there and experience all the things that obesity has robbed me from.I am reall excited and can not wait to get word on approval and surgrey date!I want this so bad..I Pray to God for strength and will power.I pray to God that my nights of crying myself to sleep are soon over.I'm sure you all understand what I mean. The other question I had:I'm sure Dr.Baker will require more test/blood work done before surgrey and I would like to know if I can go ahead and get those test/labs done while I'm there in March,Or will I have to wait and get approved for surgrey with a  date,and THEN get the labs done.I'll be traveling alittle ways and I'm in a wheelchair so I get worn out so easily,we want to try and make as few trips as possible...kill two birds with one stone so to speak.Is this something I need to ask someone there at the office? Also,I got bummed out yesturday....I thought I was getting my Nicorett Patches so I can QUIT those darn cancer sticks but come to find out that my insurance wouldn't pay for them,figures...So now I must wait until NEXT friday,When I get my disability pay and will buy the patches then..It's not that long of a wait but I am just rearing to go go go.....I want to get things in order and I've tried quitting cold turkey before,didn't work out...I Need the help of the patches. Hmm lets see...Y'all didn't know that I was going to write a book here,did ya?hehe sorry about that,I'm just telling you stuff that's on my mind... One more thing I'm a bit worried about........My sister surprised me with Reba&Kelly clarkson tickets for their concert in Jonesboro in Feb.Just the two of us are going to the concert but Mom and Dad are going to Jonesboro and rent us a room for the day/night so I won't have to make the trip all the way down there,sit through a 3 hour concert and have to come back home..I couldn't handle that for sure.So what i'm a bit worried about is getting too tired.I don't want to miss the concert and going to go even if it kills me!I just hope that napping all day before concert will be enough and I won't get too tired and hurting during it.I want to enjoy spending that much needed time with my big sis.Anywho...Just thought I'd share that too...If you have answers or opinions on my questions up there,please post a reply. Have a Beautiful Day,Ladies!(and gents)hehe, Crystal

Dr. Baker's office faxed in my letter of medical ness to my ins company on a Wed.  I had an approval letter in hand Friday.  Dr. Baker's office called me the following Monday to set up my first appt with him and my surgery date.  I had to wait  about 1 month from that date for surgery because he  already had appts scheduled.

I would wait until you have a surgery date before you do the bloodwork.  I was told to complete those test about 2 weeks before my first appt with Dr. Baker.  I'd be sure an ask  Dr. Baker's office those because if you can get it done early, that would really help move things along. 

You have to quit smoking or he won't operate.   I hope you have a blast at the Reba/Kelly concert!  

I have Dr Baker and I also had Medicare and Medicaid (the QMB, not regular Medicaid).  Who do you have your Part D plan with?  I have Humana and they paid for my nicotine patches. I only had to pay like 2 bucks per box.  The pharmacy wasn't going to take my prescription for the patches because they said insurances don't pay for them, and I showed them the page in my Humana Drug Formulary (a book that lists all drugs they cover) and they scanned it with my Part D card and sure enough it went through.  I think the time frame varies from person to person.  After I got all my paperwork in, it was a few weeks until I got to see him, which was the beginning of July (I believe) and instead of 2 weeks liquid diet, he had me do 4 weeks because of my weight (it was 400lbs) and because I wasn't walking enough and I had to see him a second time to be weighed, this was about 2 weeks into the liquid shakes.  At that time he told me for sure he would do my surgery and I got to go to Baptist to do all the pre-admission stuff (mainly a bunch of questions about health history, then going back to the area where you'll go for surgery, more questions, bloodwork, they give you some paperwork, special soap, thing to blow in after surgery and other stuff, then to radialogy for xrays, I don't remember what else).  Also, as for the liquid diet, be prepared to pay $129.00 at his office when you see him for the shakes.  Insurances don't pay for them, you have to pay for them, I wrote a check for mine.  Even though that is the price for 2 weeks, he gave me 4 weeks for the same price.  I think they may even let you post-date a check.  But I don't remember. I had my surgery Aug 15th.  So it was about a month and half after I originally saw him. Have you done everything he wants you to do?  All paperwork, labwork, medical records, psych eval and sleep study, and if you are already on a CPAP then he will want a print off of your CPAP card showing that you use it every night as your supposed to.  Also, and this is a biggie, have you been on a medically supervised diet 12 out of the last 18 months?  He is strict about this, matter of fact, I had an original surgery date of May 2005 with Dr Baker and before I even saw him, it was cancelled because of lack of medically supervised diets.  At the time, Medicare required 2 years supervised dieting.  But now I believe it is 12 out of the last 18 months.  Also, I don't think he will see you if your still smoking.  So, you need to quit smoking.  I am almost sure that he will require proof that you have quit smoking for 8 weeks (this is done with an Arterial Blood Gas, or ABG) before he will schedule your surgery date.  This is no joke, he is very strict about this. And he won't think twice about not taking you as a patient if you don't quit.  You have to realize which is more important to you?  Smoking or Surgery?  I know how hard it is, but you HAVE to do it for your health.  Why should any surgeon waste his time on a patient to give them a healthier and better life if their only going to get cancer or emphysema or some other smoking related disease later on?  Plus not to mention all the things that can go wrong if you decide to start smoking again after surgery, especially during the first year.