Getting hung up on co-mobidities for insurance

 Hi,

I have my first app't with Dr Mattar 2-1.  My BMI is about 38 and I have Fed BCBS.  I know I need to have some co-mobidities for insurance to approve my surgery.  I have always been pretty healthy, but did have a scare with atrial fib last month which is controlled with medication.  My cardiologist said sleep apnea is #1 cause for that so I had test last night, should have results of that in one week.  I did not have any problems that I know of during sleep study, would be surprised if I have that.  While that would be good news, it is one thing that would help get me qualified.  Also, my cardiologist wrote on the discharge papers I rec'd from the hospital that I also had hypertension, which I've never had before.  I think HTN counts as co-mobid too, but that was the only time I've ever seen that as a diagnosis.

I also think I may have arthritis.  I know I have DJD, and herniated disks in my cervical spine from years ago.  Symptoms I have now are plantar fasciitis and at times hip/knee pain.  I guess my question is do I need to go get tested at my family doctor for arthritis or does Dr Mattar take my history and then set up tests.

Any advice oh how I can facilitate getting approved when it is first submitted?  I am starting to get anxious and not wanting to get my hopes up.

Thanks again for all the great assistance!

Lynn

What about diabetes or high cholesterol? Has your PCP recently checked any labs to see what those levels are?? Just a thought.

 Thank you.  Yes, luckily my labs are fine - they were checked a couple of months ago.

Hold on for your sleep apnea test results.  I thought I would have the same problem qualifying due to 'a lack " of comorbidities.  Dr. Mattar sent me for the sleep study too.  When I went in for the results, the sleep Doc asked " How many times do you think you woke up?"  I said 3 or 4 because of the wires...........

But I'd woken up 111 times.  Yes - one hundred eleven times.  You are not always concious of all of the wake events.  It's changes in brain waves - your brain coming out of the REM sleep repeatedly due to the lack of oxygen......

This diagnosed me with moderate sleep apnea and the sleep doc put me on a C-pap machine.  It took about a week to get used to it but it helped almost immediately. I loved my Cpap.  I didn't realize how bad I really felt until I finally started to feel better after starting to use the machine. Gave it up about 5 months after surgery when I was down about 80 lbs...

Good luck with everything!  You're in great hands with Dr. Mattar.  He will take excellent care of you. 

 Hi,

Wow you had woken up 111 times???  I had said I thought I had woken  up about 3 to 5 times as well, mainly cause I felt cold.  The cardiologist I went to because of the a-fib episode I had felt that I probably have sleep apnea.  

I am excited to meet Dr Mattar next Monday (2-1).  He did the presentation at the seminar I went to and I thought he seemed great!

Thanks for the input!

Lynn