I received a call from Dr. Pattersons office today.  Dr. Patterson is no longer available to do my surgery on they date they assigned me.  Since I work full time and spent months arranging time off work and office coverage, I'm not able to schedule another vacation until 2012.

I'm so very disappointed. If I don't have the surgery  as scheduled, my insurance elegibility will expire and I will have to start the entire approval process over.   My insurance now has a specific written exclusion for WLS  so I would never be able to get re-approved.

Hopefully Dr. Patterson will re-consider, but if not, it just wasn't meant to be.   I did call LWMI and ask if it's possible to switch to their program and keep my surgery date, but they didn't have an answer.

If anyone has any suggestions for me, please let me know.

Does Dr. Patterson's office have no alternative to offer you?  Is there no other surgeon in her group who could do your surgery?  Given your insurance limitations, I think they should help you find something viable.

After significant discussion, they did offer a solution...a surgery date a week later.  Apparently there aren't other surgeons in Dr. Pattersons office so keeping my scheduled date is out of the question.

My problem is that it takes 60 days for me to get vacation approval (after and only IF I can find someone willing to cover my office.)  And since the proposed surgery date is less than 60 days away, that wont work, and I cannot request another vacation for another year. (It took me five years just to earn the two weeks off so I could have enough time to recover.)

My insurance eligibility expires soon too, so I am not able to make any more appeals or get re-approved for insurance coverage.  

I did reserve the surgical date a week later, but four days of recovery time before I have to be back to work will be very very hard for me.  I suspect I will go through with it.  I only hope it doesn't cost me my job. 

I believe there are federal laws that help you with time off for medical purposes. Look into the Family Medical Leave Act.

I'm assuming you're having laproscopic surgery. I had my RNY on Friday and was back to work on Wednesday. The surgery, for me, was almost a non-event. I've felt more sick with the flu.

Thank you so much for your reply.

It is such a relief to finally hear that it doesn't hurt much! When I had my VBG 10 years ago I was in excruciating pain for well over a week. I went back to work after two weeks buti was definitely not
ready.
The FMLA medical act you refer to applies to companies with over 50 people at a work site. My office only has three so it doesn't apply to me. But I would not use it anyway. My surgery is a very personal and private thing. My husband knows. But not my friends, employer, coworkers, or extended family. They know I am taking my two week vacation and the rest is none of their business.
I have been saying "I am going to lose weight next year", so hopefully no one will ask me any humiliating questions.

 When I had my laproscopic RNY surgery, it was a cake walk. I went in on July 9th and was out of the hospital on the 10th. I then was done with the narcotics wednesday morning. I am sure I could have returned to work on Monday the next week without issue.  The only pain I really experienced was when I laid down on my left side, which lasted two weeks. 

So don't fear the pain! I left the hospital at 408lbs  and am currently at 368 lbs, 22 days later.

Thanks for your reply! I had surgery January 16th. I had a few complications and spend several days in the hospital. Recovery was fairly smooth.  I am down to a size 6 and just started running today!  I hope to run the Portland marathon next year!