Question:
How can I speed things up?

What can I do to speed things up? I saw my surgeon on Tuesday and I am so anxious, I can hardly think straight. Is there anything I can do (besides call the insurance every day) to get this going faster?    — Carol E. (posted on February 20, 2002)

February 20, 2002
Hi there! I'm not sure I can offer suggestions to speed things up but I did call the ins co after 5 days on the pretense that I wanted to know if they had rec'd the paperwork.....much to my surprise the lady told me they had sent the approval out that morning!!!!!! After you get approval, then the real waiting begins...hurry up and wait and wait and wait...it seems like your DATE w/ DESTINY will never come and you worry that something will screw it up so that it will be postponed...I have FAITH that all will work out...I'm 33 days and counting. Hand in there!!!!!!!!
   — V. Page C.

February 20, 2002
Just hang in their and keep on top of everything. It is easy to get impatient, I know. I have been working for getting WLS for over a year now. I finally came to the realization that it would happen and many things determining when were out of my control. So they weren't worth stressing out over. It has taken me 15 years to put on all my weight. Another few months won't kill me (at least I hope not.) It took me 4 months to go through insurance approval and the week I finally got approved, my surgeon was called up to serve in the reserves because of the War in Afghanistan. Its my personal way that I have been affected by 9-11 but I decided you have to just roll with the punches. I Started with a new Dr. and am now scheduled for Mar. 4. Which 2 month ago seemed like an eternity away, but now it is less than 2 weeks. But call your insurance and Dr.'s office often, without pestering.
   — Dell H.

February 20, 2002
You are like every one of us, in a hurry for the thing that will change your life. There are hundreds of pre-ops in the same boat. My advise is, do not drive the office doctors staff crazy.....but do exactly what they tell you, believe me they want you to have the surgery, even though it seems they give you a thousand obstacles! Make sure you have your testing done as quickly as possible, by the time you have your insurance approval, you could recieve a surgery date. Be patient, there are hundreds of us waiting and waiting. Many times the waiting patiently and doing exactly as the doctors office tells you, is a sign of your compliance ability. I have a neighbor who was all cleared for surgery and he bugged the office staff so much and was so nasty to them that the surgeon called him and told him that he would not operate on him, because he did not like his attitude! Hang in there.
   — [Anonymous]

February 22, 2002
I think you misunderstood my posting. I plan to call the INSURANCE, not the doctor's office every day.
   — Carol E.