Holzer Center for Comprehensive Weight Loss

I would like to correspond with anyone who has in the past or is going to Holzer Center for Comprehensive Weight Loss in Gallipolis, Ohio for WLS. I am in my last month of my 6 mth. doctor supervised weight loss for my ins. (Medical Mutual). After the first of the year I will have my medical clearance from my doctor and then Holzer can submitt all of this to my ins. My doctor is Dr. Ronn Grandia. Thanks in advance.

Hi GrammaAnn, I went to Holzer, I had Dr. Canady. I had my surgery Oct. 26 of this year. I had Medical Mutual insurance too. I have lost 43 lbs so far. Bonny

Hi Bonny; I'm really glad to hear from you. I would like to hear about your process with Holzer, leading up to your surgery, during your surgery and the aftercare. Also how difficult Medical Mutual was to deal with. My husband and I have Medical Mutual Super Med Plus. I am in my last month of my 6 mth. doctor supervised diet, I've completed my Physicological (sp?) testing. I now need my medical clearance with my own doctor then it should be ready (I hope and pray) to be submitted to my ins. I've been thinking about having WLS for several years and have been faithfully researching it for a little over 2 yrs. now. In Sept. I went to Holzer and met the staff and Dr. Grandia. He seemed really nice. We had a conference (meeting) with us and 5 or 6 other patients there to see Dr. Grandia that morning. We met with the Nutritionist and she went over briefly the requirements. (I was a little disappointed, I was hoping she'd go into more detail). Then we met with Dr. Grandia. Then in the patient room we met with Dr. Grandia again and Teresa his Assist. I had a list of questions I had made up, but didn't really get the opportunity to ask them. Thank you for posting to my request. GrammaAnn (Annetta)

GrammaAnn, My first app. was on 4/15/04. My husband and I went in and met with Dr. Canady, he explained everything, said I was a perfect candidate for surgery. I met with Terry, looked at her pictures. I felt like she understood since she had the surgery also. I met with Sara, who was the nutrisionist then. It was so nice not to feel like I was just the fat person who no one cared about. My insurance turned me down so I went to the gym for 6 months, saw my PCP every month, he was not in favor of the surgery so I felt like he did not help me. After I was turned down a second time I just gave up for a while. It wasn't until my granddaughter's were due that I decided to go back. My daughter has hepatitis and I thought if something happens to her I will have to care for these babies. So I called and talked to Terry in January 2006, she said I wouldn't have to start over and made me an app. to come back in. I saw Melissa for 8 months, I was afraid to stop going even after we submitted an appeal. I had to go back for a phys. exam and see Dr. Canady again but after doing that I was approved. I was taking blood pressure meds by then so things were getting worse for me health wise, my PCP now is better about gastric surgery. My insurance is Ohio Med which is Medical Mutual Super Med Plus. I feel like eveyone at Holzer was so nice and when I go back they are so supportive. It is almost 2 months for me and I am so glad I did it! Where in Ohio are you from? Bonny

Bonny: I live in Caldwell, Ohio. So it takes us about 2 hrs. to get to Holzer. Do you mind telling me who the Ins. denied you previously, before finally approving you? I 'm so scared they will deny me, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, and I've only told a very select few people. Maybe after I'm approved, I will feel more free to share my plans with others. I'm not sure. Maybe I had the name wrong of the woman that met with us after we spoke to Dr. Grandia. I can't even remember the name of the Nut. (As you can tell I'm terrible with names) Ha Ha I can relate to the reason you wanted it for your grandchildren. My husband and I have a son, who has two sons. I want to be that Grandma that can get down on the floor with them and play, run and play with them in the yard. I'm only 42 yrs. If I don't do something I'm only going to get larger and feel worse and worse. I have such bad back pain, pain in my hips, legs, feet and ankles. I hope and pray that the Ins. gives me an approval first time. ( I guess I'm praying for a miracle. ) Some people get through without any road bumps, but others have to go through H _ _ L and back to get approved. How is the follow up program? Do you attend the support group meetings? Do you live very close to Holzer. Thanks for letting me bend your ear. Ha Annetta

GrammaAnn The insurance denied me because they said I didn't have any clinical proff that I had ever tried to lose weight in the past 5 years. They said that both times. I didn't have any comorbidites at the time. My blood pressure was high this last time and I was on medicine, plus I had gained more weight. I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not. I don't know if they just deny it to see if people are really serious or not. Who knows why insurance does what they do. Just keep tying no matter what they say. I do go to the support group meetings, I go in the evening. It is an hour drive for me, my sister usually comes with me. Bonny

I have attended 2 Support Group meetings in Cambridge. Dr. Grandia ok'd me attending them before I have my surgery, but after surgery he'd like me to attend a couple of the Support Group meetings at Holzer. I agreed to it. The meetings in Cambridge have been meeting every other month, beginning in February they will be every month. I've really enjoyed these meetings, meeting others that have already had WLS or others in the process like me. Thank You for replying to my questions. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.