Help!!!!!!!

Hi room, I had my eval today at Vandy and was told I have to clear up my anemia before I get cleared for surgery. Also sleep study, psych eval, and bloodwork. Has anyone had the anemia issue having to be cleared up? Also has anyone heard anything about the surgeons at Baptist Hospital? They want me to do the med. supervised weight reduction thing @ Vandy for 500 since my physician didn't document well.. But i can not afford that. I am stressed!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know the Dr.'s out of Baptist, but I know it's one of the leading hospitals in the country for heart patients. The Dr. I will be seeing is in Franklin, TN. He doesn't require a psych eval, just a letter from your own psychologist or shrink. No smoking 30 days prior to surgery. I attend his seminar at Willliamson Medical Center on Sept 20. I already have his packet, once I fill that out, send in a copy of my insurance cards front and back, along with the letters from my Dr.'s, after he reviews all this, gets the insurance taken care of, then I will see him. The day I see him, I will get my pre-op testing down, register at the hospital, and if necessary see the nutrionist all in one day. His nurse Pam is a real sweetheart. His name is Dr. Oxley. And everything is taken care of at the medical center, including the nutrionist. It's all thru the insurance company. You might want to check him out. Here's his phone number: 615-435-5980. Let me know if I can be of any help. Kathy

Hi Okemi, The anemia should be no big thing, I have had it so many times it is rediculous but its not usually a big deal to get it where it should be, just get some iron tablets and take them for a while and see if it makes a difference.. or try eating foods with more iron like liver.. ICK lol.. As far as surgeons at Baptist I have not heard, but I had sleep study done at Baptist and they were great. And concerning the diet, I can not imagine $500 just to go weigh in each mth.. there has to be a cheaper clinic.. just call around and ask what they would charge for a 6 mth weigh in for documentation purposes..then have the records sent to your surgeon at the end..?? Hope this helps a little. I wish you the best in your journey.. Keep your chin up! Dawn

Okemi, Call your insurance and ask them if a program like Weigh****chers would suffice if your PCP weighed you once a month. As for the iron thing, Dawn is right, getting your iron up is no biggie, go get some One a Day's for women and it should be back to normal in no time. My surgeon is out of Baptist and I am more than pleased with his office, and the dealings I've had thus far at Baptist Hospital. No long waits, very informative staff at both places, curteous and compassionate, as I said, quite pleased. I had been to another place (Centennial Center for Obesity) and never even made it past the rude insurance girl who had my file for 7 months and never moved on it. After I got fed up and changed to where I am now (Cumberland Center for the treatment of Morbid Obesity) they got more done for me in 2 days than the other place did in 7 months!!!! In 24 hours, I went to their seminar, saw the doctor, spoke their financial department about what to expect the out of pocket expenses to be, and then to the insurance gal (Colleen Lankford, a true doll) and my file was complete within a week, and submitted the day it was completed!!! Now, THATS SERVICE....Let me know if youré interested in the phone number. As for the sleep study and the psych eval, Colleen (my insurance gal) told me that most times the insurance companies require them, and even if they say they don't, it's best to have it already there. She said that too many times she has seen that they had said "not required" only to find out that the claim was denied because of the lack of them. Ít's the insurance companies way of holding out to see if you'll give up and thereby save them the expense of having to pay for your surgery. I hope all this helps you in some way. Godspeed and we are all pulling for you. Hugs Carol

Get back with your PCP and have him document better or even better yet you write the letter and get him to sign it. Also, eat green leafy veggies and take some iron to increase your red blood cell production. Don't chew on ice at all...... Anne

Thanks everyone! I will get started ASAP. I am really grateful for the Weigh****chers idea. I will ask my insurance and pcp. Thanks!! This room has been my touch stone!

You might try attending one of the seminars at Centennial. They have a wonderful program. They only require the psych eval when insurance has approved surgery.