Question:
Should iItry to get approval
to have the surgery even though i've only been on the job for under a month, and FMLA and short term disability aren't available for me yet. I do have a 1 week of vacation, but i think i will need more then a week off depending on what type of surgery i have. Do you guys think that i should wait until next year to have it done or go for it now. I really want to get it done but i also don't want to lose my job. Any suggestions? — Stacy I. (posted on July 25, 2002)
July 25, 2002
Stacy, I would wait a little bit longer, maybe not a year, but a while
more. I don't think that trying to get approved for WLS now would cause
you to loose your job, but having such a major "personal problem"
so early may cause you to be passed over for promotions and raises and may
hurt your boss' opinion of you as a worker. I suggest that you wait a few
more months until they really know how great and reliable you are. Then
they will probably be more than willing to work something out so that you
can have the time off. As an employer, that's what I suggest. If your job
is really important to you, prove yourself a little more first so that you
don't frighten your employer into thinking that you are going to be sick
all of the time. Then again, if your job is just a job and not really
something that you want to do long term, that waiting wouldn't be so
important. Good Luck!
— Amber L.
July 25, 2002
I think you should get this started. By the time you get your consult,
approval, pre-test and phych exam it will be several months if you are like
most of us. Good luck. p.s. I thought about this last year and didn't do
it..now i have 30 more pounds to lose.
— Pam G.
July 25, 2002
Hi there. I had been working at my current job for about four months when I
started my journey. If I had known earlier that I was going to take this
step, I would have began it earlier. I'm curious about something- how do
you already have vacation and insurance if you just began the job? I mean,
lucky you, but I thought that all jobs had the standard 90 day waiting
period for the insurance...Anyways, I would go ahead and start it if you
can. The only thing I would be concerned about is how your employer would
feel about you take time off when you just began working there. Some boss'
seem really cool about it while others are not so supportive. Get a feel by
talking to others around the place. You can do this without going into
detail about what your plans are. But depending on the surgeon you choose,
it could take months for you to actually have surgery so getting started
sooner is always better! Best of luck!
— karmiausnic
July 25, 2002
Start now, by all means. Depending upon what kind of insurance you have it
could take a while. From the time I got my PCP to recommend this for me
until I got actual insurance approval was from November 30, 2001 until May,
27, 2002. I'm scheduled for surgery August 15. My insurance required a 12
week physician supervised diet program that had to be in the last year, so
we had to do that before I got approval. Start working yourself into the
mindset to succeed at this. I started dieting and have lost about 30
pounds. I've cut out those things that I knew I couldn't do after surgery.
I've experimented with protein drinks and vitamins so I could find the
combination that would probably work for me. By the time you get
approval, it could be a while, so get started now.
— Cathy S.
July 25, 2002
<font size=+1 face="Helvetica">Stacy -- Congradulations on
taking your first step for a better you. I encourage you to go ahead and
start now. You will have <b>ALOT</b> to do, so go ahead and
get started. Order your medical history from your doctor(s) - Primary
Care, OB/GYN, any specialist, etc... Depending on how many doctors you have
utilized this could take weeks. But any doctor that can document any
co-morbitities it is worth getting their information. If your PCP is
pro-surgery, you may want to go ahead and talk with him/her about a
referral letter to your insurance. Also begin researching the surgeons in
you area. Check with your insurance company to see if the surgeon(s) are
"in-network" or "out-of-network". Check to see if the
surgeons are a member of the <a href=http://www.asbs.org/>American
Society of Bariatric Surgeons</a>. Check the profiles here at
Obesity Help.com to see what type of feedback their patients have left.
Email the people and ask them for honesty opinions. This could take weeks.
But one you have choosen two, maybe three surgeons set-up appointments
with them. Some doctors have six, eight, twelve week waiting list. After
your consultation, you may need test(s) (ex: sleep apena, psych eval.), and
this could take several more weeks. And don't forget that insurance can
drag their feet. Some people get approved in a few days, some in a few
weeks, and some even longer. But once you go through all of this and you
are approved, you will be scheduled for surgery and this too can take
weeks. I know there are people out their that have gone through this
process (begining to end) in just a couple of months, but for most people,
I don't believe that is truly the case (I began my journey in Jan '02 and I
am still awaiting insurance approval). And once you have your approval,
<b>most</b> approvals are good for a year. So if you don't
feel that things are right for you to take time away from work, you can
schedule your surgery for a few months down the road. Best wishes on your
journey! Sue Joy</font>
— Sue J.
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