New here, Learning about everything!!

Hi Everyone, I have been reading all the messages and looking at all the photos.Everyone talks about all the pain they went through after surgery and they are still glad they went through it.I know it's going to be a long, hard process, but I can't wait!! I went to my first seminar on 3/15/05 in Covington. The nurse called me a few days later and I have my first appointment to see the doctor on 4/5/05.I still have a long way to go but it will all be worth it. From what I read it takes about 3-4 months for a surgery date. Has anyone had it scheduled less than that? From all the photos I have seen, everyone looks great and I'm really proud of each one.I don't have any pictures yet, I will post them when I get scheduled for surgery. I sure hope nothing goes wrong with everything.

Welcome to the site!! Hope things all go well with you. Keep us posted!! Pam

Thanks Pam, I will keep everyone up to date. Can't wait.

HEY LINDA, I AM NEW TO THE MESSAGE BOARD TOO. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THE PROCEEDURE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. I ACCTUALLY MET W/DR. ORDOYNE THIS MORNING. I HAVE GONE THRU ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO AND HAD HOPED I WOULD GET A SURGERY DATE. HE WANTS ME TO GET A SLEEP APNEA TEST DONE THOUGH. THE MORE YOU HAVE THE BETTER TO GET A QUICK OK FROM INSURANCE. WHEN I SAW YOU WRITE THAT IT TAKES ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS TO BE CLEARED FOR SURGERY, I FREAKED!!! I WAS HOPING FOR APRIL! I NEED TO PLAN MY FAIR-WELL TO "PIGGING-OUT" MEAL AT THAT GREAT RESTAURANT IN YOUR TOWN, "THE HOUSE OF SEAFOOD"!

Actually some people get approval very quickly and others it is like pulling teeth for them. I got approval fast after the insurance got the paperwork, or maybe I should say after they got it enough times that they had to acknowledge that they got it. Of course, they didn't bother to notify the Dr. of approval so he held off of getting me a surgery date. I told the office when I got approval and they never called to say that they never got a letter. When I got mine, I thought everything was moving along smoothly. So one piece of advice. Call the insurance company to verify that they get the paperwork after it is sent. If they say no, then have the office fax it. Then check again. Call to check for approval... when you get it ask when you can expect for you and the Dr. to have your confirming letter. When you get yours check with the Dr. office that they got theirs. If not. wait 2 days and check again, if not, then call insurance co and insist that they fax a copy to the Dr. You wouldn't think you would have to dog their steps like that but you do! So if you want April check, check, check. I was probably too patient. But persistance pays off. You might get an early date. My Dr. wanted approval before you did all the tests. Once approved I found out that I had to schedule them and not the office. If they had told me that in the beginning, I would have had everything done as soon as possible after my Jan.4 first visit with surgeon. But the way it was I had to wait from Jan.4 until the end of Feb. for approval then set up all those things. I could have had the surgery in March and be done with it for a few weeks already. I am going to do the sleep apnea test tonight. It is funny the surgeon didn't require it, but the pulmonologist set it up, just in case.

Hi, Thanks for your response. I hope I don't have any problems with the insurance company, but the way my luck goes it will probably be 5 years before they approve it.haha. I haven't even had my first appt yet. They said I have to have a psyche evaluation done but they didn't say when.I don't know wether to set up an appt. now or wait till after I see the doctor.I will probably call tomorrow and find out. I know you must be excited about your surgery date.I know i would be. Keep in touch. Linda

Hi Linda Dr. Lavin is my doctor. I didn't wait around for anyone or anything! I found out what they needed and went to work! I got them to fax me medical release forms and I faxed and mailed them to ALL my doctors that had relevant information writing a note that I was seeking approval for bariatric surgery and to include anything and everything that would help with my approval. I set up a Psychiatric Evaluation myself. I asked if a certain doctor was OK and they said he was so I called and made an appointment (that alone can take 6 weeks to get in). I knew I needed cardiac clearance, so again, I made the appointment. For every doctor that I saw, I asked them to dictate a letter to Dr. Lavin. I was not going to sit around and wait for office people to mail this or that blah blah blah. I started the process at the end of July. I had to have a sleep study as well and all of that (notes, doctor's appointments, evals) took a couple of months. By mid October, I was approved and I got a surgery date for 2-3 weeks later. My advise is not sit around waiting for the patient advocates to work on your case. Work it yourself! You can help speed up the process. Just don't tell them I told you so! All the best to you! ~Vanessa

Hi, Thanks for your advice,I'm going to do everything I can do to speed up this process.Everyone I have talked to says it takes 2-3 months for everything to go through. Their should be just 1 office where everything is done at one time. Keep in touch. Linda