ffinally

How about that.  I FINALLY have a surgery date.  I have been jumping thru hoops since April.  I have Dr. Juarez as a doc and he really runs you thru the mill.  Besides the info class, we have to go to lapband camp 101,  lapband camp 201,  nutrition 101  and cooking 101.  The last 3 can be taken after surgery tho.  Of course that is not counting the cardiac eval (5 hours) and the pulmon eval and the psych eval and the nutrition eval.

Soooooooooo.  On Dec 19th I will be going to sleepy land and when i wake up, I will be banded.   Whoooooo hoooooo.

Bette M

congratulations!!! I am excited for you. You will enjoy being a lab bander. I was banded in July and have no regrets. PM me if you ever need someone to talk to.

thanks so much.  I heard a lot of good things about Dr. S. but he does not take medicare so I had to go with 2nd best.  I have heard that Dr. Juarez is excellent also.  We will see.

see ya

bette

I am sorry but Dr Schlesinger took my medicare. I have health net ruby plan 2. Good Luck.

Revisions may have different criteria than first surgeries?  I'm pretty sure that Medicare requires a Center of Excellence?  .....  I haven't heard that P.V. has made that status yet...might be wrong but I thought the only Center's of Excellence were Bridges St Luke's and Scottsdale Bariatric.

I'm sure Jen or someone else can give us Mediare details so all who lurk may know?

I bet my insurance company must of screwed up and thought PVH was a center of excellence. I don't want to bother Jen with it because she is off sick. I wonder how long it takes to get center of excellence. Dr Schlesinger is excellent but I won't say anything about PVH.

Joyce, you are correct.  Currently, if this is your first surgery, and you are a Medicare recipient, you must have your surgery at a Center of Excellence.  The only two facilities in Arizona are St. Lukes and Scottsdale Healthcare North.  PVH is waiting patiently for COE, but it is a process that is very involved at many different levels.  Lots of work by lots of people, but hopefully it will be soon.  The bariatric team, and our two outstanding surgeons,  have worked hard to achieve the status, so we will continue to work hard to be successful. 

Best Wishes....

Merry Christmas to me.    Merry Christmas to me.

It will be bitter/sweet.  My son is going to drive to Calif to spend Christmas with my daughter and grandkids.  In the meantime, I will be sitting here alone, drinking my holiday meal!!!

But isn't that great.  I am so excited.  And being retired, I can always take off and go there a few weeks later.

Thanks for your congrats. 

bette

Yay Bette!!!!  What a fabulous Christmas gift to yourself!!! 
You've got a GREAT surgeon with an amazing comprehensive program to go with!!!!  I'll see you at a support group soon....Don't forget they're the 1st Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm!!!

Bette,
I am so happy that you got approved and what a blessing just before Christmas.  You will do well and keep trucking along that long road of waiting.  It will go by faster than you realize.

Deanne