Attending Nov 20th Emory meeting, Dr. Lin, and I have Wellcare

Wish me luck! I am gad to FINALLY be going to the meeting Nov. 20th at Emory. How long do all of you think it will be b4 i can get the surgery if attending Nov 20th meeting, what should I look forward to for approval work with Wellcare? I hope it all goes well. I really need this surgery ASAP.

Julie

I am also attending that seminar.  I can't speak for Wellcare, but if it is seriously medically necessary, they should be able to put a rush on things.  They had a deadline for my wife's surgery a couple of years ago and got her in just under the wire.  Look for us there.  I'm about 6ft , red hair and beard.  My wife will be there too-she is 5'2" and 3 yrs post op rny.

Not to put a damper on things, but the Emory seminar is a "cattle call" for lack of a better term.  It would be difficult to find someone you already knew than someone you hadn't met before.

-Elli

This will actually be the third one I have been to, so I know what you mean.  I do hwever stick out like a sore thumb....looking like a 6ft, 300+ lb Leprechaun

A Leprechaun, eh?  Okay, so maybe she will find you. 

I must admit, I was not impressed with Emory Crawford Long when I went to their seminar.  First the height and weight...I know how tall I am, I haven't shrunk by an inch (yet).  And I hadn't gained 5 pounds from my weigh in that previous Saturday at Weigh****chers.  In fact, when I weighed in at WW again 2 days later, I lost from my previous WW weigh in.  So, Emory was essentially saying that my BMI was a couple of points higher than it actually was with their height/weight check.  When they contacted me about 2 weeks later, I was told my BMI was too high for surgery but they would love for me to consider doing their medical management program - WTH?!  Of course, the medical management program wouldn't be covered by insurance.  It seemed like they were out for the money. 

The surgeon who I finally consulted with had no problem with my BMI.  On top of that, I'm working WW knowing I was fighting the insurance and when I exhausted those options I would self-pay (of course now I don't have to do that...thank you SHBP!  ).  So, I knew I would lose potentially "enough" weight long before surgery was scheduled.  Sure enough, since I started WW in Feb (and WLS process in April/May) my BMI has gone from 59.6 to 51.4 (or something like that).  I'm sure Emory Crawford Long would be happy to take my money for surgery now!  Their loss.
-Elli

They have guidelines based on BMI that they have to follow for risk reduction and successful outcome.  Sometimes it backfires.  I think it is more meant to keep the lower end BMI folks from doing the surgery.  Some surgeons have you lose like a 100 lbs before they will consider you.  If I could drop the 100, I wouldn't need the surgery, duh.  Different scales weigh differently.  How level the floor, the calibration etc.  I have actually gained about 5 lbs walking around a corner to a different specialist in the same office.  Was the surgeon from Crawford Long or from Emory Bariatrics?  I hope all goes well for you.  I have had two in my family that have had a RNY, and combined they have lost 300+.  Keep up the fight.

The surgeon at that meeting was Dr. Lin.  But yes, I realize that different scales aren't calibrated the same.  Just rubbed me the wrong way about trying to get me to sign up for their OptiFast or MediFast program (whatever it was).  Thing is I never even met with the surgeon.  It was the office flunkie who, based on my weight and height at the seminar, said they wouldn't do surgery.  Would have been different if I was visiting the surgeon and he wanted me to lose X pounds before surgery.  

Thank you.  And good luck to you.  I know this surgery is the weapon I need to finally win this fight. 
-Elli