I'm going crazy

Thanks guys for the 2 doctor's. Dr. Barry Mckernan does not take HMO's of any kind...so his office said. They won't even deal with them. Dr. Scott Steinberg office wants to send me and packet 1st and then i have to come to a support group which i have no problem with but couldn't I have at least got and Appointment, then go to the support group? This seems as if this is going to take forever and it makes me want to just give up. Dr. Titus Duncan does not do the lap band nor does Celio Burrowes. Which I had my appts. with them 1st but cancelled. I tried to leave time to fight with my insurance and everything but I can't even get the ball rolling. I figured I would be approved by March or April then have surgery buy June, sooner if possible. This is getting to be way too much. Mean while my weight goes up and my health goes down. Has anybody had prior dealings with Dr. Steinberg? Does it take long to get the info. in the mail so that you can go to the support meeting? After that does it take long to get and appointment? I don't think I can wait very long. I only want the Lap-band but maybe I should get one of the others so that I can move forward. I don't think I can wait 6 months just to get to the support group meeting.

I read on another group that emory bariatrics have started doing the lap band. For more information please contact Emory @ 404-778-5671.

I know it seems like it takes forever. I am going through Emory. I called every doctor on my insurance and everyone made you attend an information meeting before seeing the surgeon for the first time. Granted things have gone slower than I wanted, but in reality it has not been that bad of a wait. I attended the info meeting on August 9th. I called and made an appointment the next monday. Many of the doctors had no appointments for several months. Dr. Khaitain had appointments for September 15. I of course took this one. (I had meet Dr. Khaitain at the info meeting) This gave me a month to get together everything they wanted. I went ahead and did the psyc eval and stuff that I knew was needed to send to the insurance. They submitted my insurance the week after. Cigna denied as of Oct 15. Emory will be submitting to my secondary insurance this week which is UHC. They have a turnaround of 2 weeks at the most. I am hoping to be approved by the end of October, but we will have to see. So, my point I guess is that it seems like forever, but it really goes by fast. Marsha

Hi Monique, I'm pre-pre-op and feel the same frustration. It's like we finally make the decision to have WLS and we want it NOW! but they are putting all these speed bumps in our way. Or, so it seems. One thing I've found out is all WLS surgeons are very busy with back logs of people who want the surgery. They can only process so many thru the system: paper work, inital interview, paper work, scheduling you being in the hospital and the operating room, paper work, the doctor's follow-up visits in the hospital, paper work, your follow-up visits to his office, paper work. They have a system that has to be followed in order for you to get the best care, the best surgery for your needs and the best follow-up care. Knowing all of that, I hope you can use this waiting time to help prepare yourself. Attend all the support group meeting you can find. Read and study to educate yourself and your family and friends. Begin preparing for surgery, buy things you'll need, start at least some walking or exercise or stretching and deep breathing. A lot of stress is removed if you can understand that your surgery will not occur one minute before or one minute after when The Universe says it will occur. Yes you can do everything possible to insure the best out come but it will occur when it's suppose to. Oh, one last statistic, there will be approx. 103,000 WLS this year. That's a 400% increase over last year. The system (doctors, insurance, hospitals, dieticians, psych'ist, blood labs, x-ray, etc.) are all MAX'ed out. Welcome to the Journey, Blessings, Scout pre-pre-op

Monique, I'm the one *****ferred you to Dr. Steinberg. He is wonderful! He works with Dr. Appel, but Dr. Appel only does the OPEN RNY. It doesn't take long to get the packet in the mail and it will only be information that you already know (there is nothing to fill out). Go ahead and call back and tell them that you want to make an appt for the group consultation. If you read anyone's profile on this site, they usually have had the same feelings that you are having now. I did! Your time WILL come. Why would you give up? This is a fight for your life and you deserve it!!!