How long did it take you to get to your surgery date from the time you first made a move towards it?  Not including the "thinking about it" time, but from the time you actually picked up the phone and made an appointment either with your primary care doctor or bariatric surgery center to get the ball rolling?

I know everybody's journey is different, and no two are the same.  I know everything varies based on surgeon, hospital, insurance requirements, etc, etc, etc.

I'm just looking to see what others have experienced, not compare my experience to yours! :)

For me, I met with my primary care doctor on May 8th and am still waiting for insurance approval... feels like I've been waiting forever, and still have forever to go!  :)

one and a half months from first phone call to schedule an appoitment to day of surgery.

It took me about 4 months from start to finish. I have BCBS.

This is how my journey is going so far....I read posts on here forever...looked at youtube blogs forever.  Got my courage, called WLS doctor in Montreal, actually went and got a file opened.  Then chickened out.  Decided to try weigh****chers (not successfully whatsoever!!!) and now back here reading posts and envying all that have the surgery behind them and moving forward to their new life!  I am so fllipping scared of the surgery.  I don't want to have drains (actually saw a you tube video of drains having to be dealt with at home 6 days after surgery)...I don't think I can handle that!!!

So....anyway...Back at reading lol...I am 5 hours away from Montreal so the distance is a bit of an issue as well.  

Congrats to all the courageous people on here that have had the surgery!! 

I started my journey in February and now I am waiting on the approval alaso for BCBS. I took a little time to get all my clearances done so that the surgery would be during the summer.

I self paid in Mexico. Less than 30 days

First considered it in July (2003.)

Started investigating surgeons end of July/beginning of August.

Seminar with surgeon, early September.

Surgery, December 2, 2003.

Going on 9 years post-op.

About 8 weeks from decision to incision.

I was self pay so it could have been shorter but I had some family commitments.

About one and a half months.

Google to recovery room = 3.5 weeks

3.5 weeks?  WOW!!!!  Are you self pay???

No - BCBS paid every penny!   It was 8 years ago though - things were very different then to now ...  it really was NOT that common.      I'm not even sure I would qualify now because although I was *just* about a 40 BMI with no co-morbidities, I was only MO for one year after a pregnancy!

I understand what you mean that you probably wouldn't qualify today....I have to prove that over the years I have tried to lose weight with no lasting success.  I have dr's records that go back YEAR'S!!  I "rank" 41.5 BMI, but I have diabetes, high cholesterol and arthritis in all joints (spinal stenosis/degenerative disk disease as well.  I don't think I'll have any problem taking care of that requirement.  Looking backwards, would you do it again?

In a heartbeat - I have never had one second of regret ...

At 50, I have unfortunately developed type II diabetes, but I  work so hard to stay healthy, (eating right, exercising etc) that I am able to keep it under control with the help of Metformin, which is the only prescription drug I take.

I KNOW this would not have been the case had I been that heavy for the last 8 years ...

Good luck with your surgery!

I'm glad that you  have no regrets.  Seems that I hear more "no regrets" attitudes than those who do...especially when it comes to the Lap Band.  I initially thought that's what I wanted to do...didn't take much research to realize that would be a major mistake!   I'm on Metformin too, taking 1000 mg twice daily.  I've reached the A1c goal that the Dr set for me, but I'm hoping that I can lose the weight and be able to get off a lot of my medications.  That would be sweet!!!  I'm 57, almost 58, and it sure would be nice to have a few more years of better health before everything literally alls apart from age!  tee hee  Talk to you later.....and thanks for your input!

Phone call to dr office to surgery table 6 months.

I had my 1st Dr's appointment Nov 22nd. I am schedualed to have surgery this Wednesday.  I have BCBS/ Health Advantage  with the state of Arkansas and they required me to go through 6 months of Dr visits with my primary health provider.  Each persons journey is different depending on their cir****tances.  Whatever time frame you happen to fall in, I wish you all the luck in the world. 

My first appointment with my surgeon was May 15, and I had surgery on July 12, so less than 2 months, but I was really aggressive. I called my insurance and found out what the requirements were, scheduled all my appointments for the nutritionist and psych eval even before I saw the surgeon the first time, and was on the phone with the insurance company twice a day from the time the pre-approval request was submitted to the time they approved it.

I also made a lot of the lifestyle changes (quit smoking, started exercising) that I knew would help me both to get the approval and to succeed in losing weight, before I saw the surgeon for the first time.

Here in Alberta Canada, it's normal two wait anywhere from 1-3 years.  My referral went in Aug 2010.  April 2011 was my first dietician/surgeon appointment.  At this time I was booked for surgery in December 2012.  I received a call for surgery due to a cancellation and ended up with a surgery date of October 2011.  So for me it ended up just over a year.
Giselle

Bless your heart!!!  That must have been terribly frustrating.  Well, at least you're on the schedule now and its within reach!  Hope all goes well!