2 quick questions
on 7/28/11 12:10 pm - OH
My surgery won't be until December or January (*hopefully*), but I was starting to think that getting my labs checked and fixing any low values would be a good idea now so I can go into surgery at my best. Since I'm still pre-op should I ask my PCP to order the labs, or will my surgeon order these as part of the surgery requirements? I'm hoping Dr. Kemmeter would order them, because if my PCP orders them as "preventative" my insurance won't cover any of it.
Also, I was looking at the different types of iron, and see that the Rx proferrin forte seems like the best. I have awesome prescription coverage, so I'm hoping I will be able to get script for that once I'm post-op. Does anyone know if you can get a script for that WITHOUT being anemic? Or will I have to wait until my post-op labs come back and see where my levels are?
Thanks.
Chris
HW/225 - 5'1" ~ SW/205/after surgery 215 ~ CW/145~ BMI-25.8~Normal BMI 132 ~DS Dr Rabkin 4/17/08
Plastics in Monterrey - See Group on OH Dr Sauceda Jan 13, 2011
LBL, BL, small thigh lift, arms & a full facelift on 1/17/11 UBL 1/21/13
Love my Body by Sauceda
on 7/28/11 12:41 pm - OH
Also Kemmeter is planning a DS Extravaganza (seminar) soon. It will be at GHP on Saturday, Sept 17 from 1 - 4 pm. Everyone is welcome. I believe that this will be a great source of info and support for those both pre and post op & for anyone considering surgery (and even family/support members).
Do you have to do any weight loss period requirement with your insurance? I went through a program near my house for that. They checked my labs 3 times during that period. My Iron was very low the 1st 2 times they did them. I found a heme iron that I bought from Swansonvitamins.com. Here's a link to the kind I've been taking. Got my Iron levels up well into the normal range in about 2 months.
www.swansonvitamins.com/ET387/ItemDetail
Good luck!
on 7/28/11 12:49 pm - OH
Yes I have a pre-op diet. Mine is 6 months. I started the pre-op diet in May, so it will be done in mid November. I started the diet before I even picked my surgery or surgeon. I just wanted to get the process underway. So I'm hoping that if I get things going with Dr. Kemmeter now, I will have most of the things done by November when my diet is over.
Not sure what your insurance is, I think their policy is different depending on the insurance you have.
I went to his seminar, turned in a bunch of paperwork & they told us they would call back in a few days to schedule an appointment. After a week, when I hadn't heard back, I called to try and schedule an appointment. They said because I have Priority Health, they couldn't schedule an appointment until I got the approval from my insurance for the bariatric consultation. That approval required that I had already finished my 6 month weight loss period and I had to have my PCP fill out a form and fax it to the insurance company. Your insurance may have different rules though, so hopefully they will get you in eariler than I was able to.
Just to give you an idea how the process has gone so far.
I finished my 6 months on June 20th, then it took 2 weeks to get the consultation approval. I had a consultation with Dr. White about 6 days later & then saw Dr. Kemmeter & Scott (the behaviorist) 2 weeks later (Monday). Now they had to submit to the insurance company for the actual surgery approval (currently waiting). They told me that approval could be another 2 weeks. Once they get that approval they will schedule a surgery date. Dr. K said they schedule out about 4 weeks. So I'm hoping to get a date in early September.
on 7/28/11 1:59 pm - OH
I was REALLY hoping to get in by the end of december, but with that timeline I think I have a better chance of seeing pigs fly. I'm not sure how the scheduling of it will go since I'm in nursing clinicals right now and I can only take time off certain times of the year. So if I can't get it done in December, I may have to wait until May of next year . UGHHHH!!!!.