Hey Skye, I am
wishing you all the
best on this
journey. It is a
hard road,
thankfully we all
have each other
here. Good luck with
getting your VSG!
hugs, Lisa
I called Aetna today. They said that I was denied. I'm not for sure why. I have to wait for the letter to get to the surgeon office. It was a fast answer just not the answer that I wanted to hear. Si I will wait and see what the letter says. I also have another appointment for the Rheumatologist on the 24th. So I will wait and see what the results are that they have for me. It is sad to say but I hope that something comes up on my blood test to help me out with my appeal. I will try to appeal. If I still get a no then I will wait for 2009 and see if we will start getting approvals for the sleeve. If not then it will be self pay for me. So I will eventually get my sleeve. Just not a fast as I would like. I guess I should not get ahead of myself. I still do not know why I was denied yet. I know this is why I would not let myself get to excited because it is denied more that approved with Aetna. So I will update when I have some thing to update.
Well I had my last consult with my Surgeon. I gave him the results to my gallbladder scan. So it is definite it will be taken out with my sleeve. By the way they will be sending paper work to Ins Monday morning. So I will be finding out soon on if I will get the approval for the sleeve. He says that he thinks that it will get approval because the BY-PASS and DS is overkill. I did talk to him about the DS if the ins would not approve the sleeve. He said that it is more dangerous. That there in more deaths with it. I talked to him about the BY-PASS. (Which I do not want.) I was asking him about the diabetes coming back after 2-3 yrs. He told me that if you gained weight it would come back. I told him that I have been researching and have discovered that it does not cure it that it only puts it in remission. I have seen that several on here has said that it comes back. He said that her puts a band on the pouch so it can not stretch out that way there is not regain. He says that most surgeons do not do this. So I'm thinking double whammy. BY-PASS AND BAND. I did not say this to him of course. I guess I will cross that bridge when it comes. Any way it will be submitted this coming Monday. So wish me luck. I hope to hear something soon.
Pain or tenderness under the rib cage on the right side
Pain between shoulder blades
Stools light or chalky colored
Indigestion after eating, especially fatty or greasy foods
Nausea
Dizziness
Bloating
Gas
Burping or belching
Feeling of fullness or food not digesting
Diarrhea (or alternating from soft to watery)
Constipation
Headache over eyes, especially right
Bitter fluid comes up after eating
Frequent use of laxatives
GALLBLADDER ATTACK SYMPTOMS
Please note that if you are in severe pain and particularly if your attack symptoms are accompanied by fever DO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. The following symptoms are typical of a gallbladder attack.
Moderate to severe pain under the right side of the rib cage
Pain may radiate through to the back or to the right shoulder
Severe upper abdominal pain (biliary colic)
Nausea
Queasiness
Vomiting
Gas
Burping or belching
Attacks are often at night
Attacks often occur after overeating
Pain will often but not always follow a meal with fats or grease
Well the good news is that they took a lot of blood. The bad news is I may not get the results in time. They told me to go back in 4 wks. So I guess I will go ahead and let the submit after the consult. If I have to appeal then I will have the information good or bad to go with the appeal.
I also seen the physical therapist on the 23rd. I do not know why but this is the one that I had misgivings about. It is the appointment that I actually learned the most with. I have been having pains and could not really get my PCP to check into it. Well my PT went though just about every thing top to bottom. She explained my pain and is going to write my PCP and the Surgeon and let them know my trouble spots. She was very nice and explained everything so you would understand. Also she is going to teach me exercises to do at the house. She will be showing me how to use the bands and the exercise ball. She also showed me how to stretch out my problem areas.
Of course she tried to tell me that we could do all this without the surgery. She was happy to know that I was not getting a by-pass.
Now the Rheumatologist was great. His sister had gotten the BAND and he said that she has had complications. He was excited when I told him that I was getting the sleeve. He seemed like he knew about all the procedures. He also told me that they are doing some kind of weight study there at his office. I told him that if I did not get approval on the sleeve that I would talk to him about it. I told him that I wanted the surgery due to my diabetes. He said that he understood and that he would support me how ever he could. Know if I can just get the results in that will help. I just want to get this submitted already. I want to know if I'm going to be approved or if I'm going to have a fight on my hands. I will be back on the 31st to give an update on the consult. I will find out if they are going to submit already. That's all folks. LOL
I have made two more appointments. 1) is required. It is with a physical Therapist to get a consult for excersize. 2) is with a Rheumatologist. I thought that I'm having some joint pain so why not get this checked out. Especially if it will help my chances for the sleeve. So Today at 1 pm I will see the Rheumatologist and then on Thursday I will see the Physical Therapist. So wish me luck. I'm going to do what ever it take to get my sleeve. The DS really scares me. Even though it sounds like that one is the one to get for diabetecs. NO OFFENSE, I see people with the DS and they just seem to skinny. Maybe that is the way they want to be. I just want to be healthy and not worry about loosing to much weight. so those that have the DS please do not think that I'm ditching it it just scares me.
I was born in Okla. Now my home base is in Texas. Due to my husbands job we travel with his work. It is nice because we get to see many places and get paid for it. I have been over weight since I had my first daughter. I thought that it would be a piece of cake to take off the weight. I ate everything but the kitchen sink. So needles to say it never came off. I had my secound daughter 4 yrs later. The first daughter gave me 2 beautiful grandsons.
I have been happily married for 30 yrs.He has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. The best father and provider that any one could have. He gives me 100% support for my WLS journey. He has told me that if the Ins will not pay that we could self pay so that gives me hope.
I have found out that my Ins will cover 90% of the surgery. I have to do the 6 month thing with the doctor charting everything. I had to find another Doctor because the doctor that I had did not agree with the WLS. I have found one and will be making the appointment next week to get things started. Then I will be on my journey.
I have obesity in my family. Just about all on my father side have diabetes and high blood pressure with congestive heart failure. My father is insulin dependant. I have lost 3 Aunts from complications due to diabetes. Two went blind then kidneys failed. On my mothers side we have obesity and diabetes and CANCER. There is to many kinds of cancer to write down. There is 4 other siblings. All but 1 brother are diabetec. With high blood pressure. I have high blood presure with dibetes and thyroid problems. If I could cure this with WLS then I'm all for it. Of course the weight loss would be the icing on the cake. I see what my dad goes through and I seen what my Aunts went through. I do not want this for my future. My suger is getting where I will have to be on insulin soon.
I'm looking into the VSG because I like the way you do not have to worry about the malabsortion. With my family history I want to be able to take the meds that I will have to take. Also what I like about the VSG is you can always turn it into the DS or the RNY if it does not work. So this is the one that I will be checking into. So if I can get this, it is the way that I will be going. So I will be giving updates as I go. Thanks for all the support and stories that you tell. Skye