REALLY BAD PHONE CALL WITH DR ARANOW'S OFFICE PLEASE HELP ME I AM IN TEARS

I don't know who I talked to except- I know it wasn't Lois- I just finished talking to Dr. Cynthia Wirth this morning- Dr. Aranow said she is the one he refers Aetna insurees to-he even circled her name- so its not like I am mixed up here- Well she no longer participates in Aetna- and my plan the EPO- won't budge on out of network coverage. So I am looking at a $600 bill for psych testing -in addition to $130 for the dietician's first eval, (not covered) and $65 for every half our of RD consult after that. I am also looking at $250 hospital copay, plus I think a seperate co-pay for Dr. Aranow to do the surgery, and since I am a non benefitted employee- I need to accumulate 2 months salary to cover my time off. (this is when the person on the phone began to get snippy with me- she state "you won't be out of work that long why do you need 2 months nobody is ever out that long.."to which I answered I am a homecare nurse- my job is very physically demanding and if there are complications I want to have safety net so Ican pay my bills- plus once I do go back its a month til I get a paycheck becasue of the payroll being two weeks in arrears.) Well she said there was no exceptions blah blah blah- and me- being me- you have to understand my sarcastic twisted sense of humor- something she does not - said "Well maybe he can snip out a kidney while I am under and I can sell that to pay for all this non covered workup" To which she replied "you are getting nasty with the wrong person and THAT won't go over well in your psych eval" Alright so now I want to reach through the phone and grab her by the neck- I can feel the tears welling up- she supposedly is leaving a message for him/Lois doubt if anyone will call me back she is probably busy shredding my file as we speak. I'll still come to the support group meeting tonight if I am calm enough to drive all the way from Andover to Middletown. I'll be the basket in the corner crying. Bernadette

Okay now that the Xanax has kicked in and I have calmed down- also thanks to my buddy Tammy L (I went to high school with her- and she turns up here 20 years later!) She talked me down a bit. I called Middlesex (Dr. Daniels) and it turns out private pay for them is $328. Well thats a bit better, huh? So I guess it pays to shop around! I guess although it would be easier to see Dr. Wirth in Glastonbury- she's closer- I have to count my pennies at this time- pre-op spending sprees are not happening. On another note- it was REALLY hard to not just get out some cookies or ice cream over this one- but I did it- I didn't drown my sorrows in food for once. I have a goal here, getting this surgery and I am not letting this sabotage me. A wild carb filled spree would not help me shed the pre op weight now would it!? Whoever that was in the office was pretty arrogant- one would think that she was the famous surgeon people clamor to see. (it wasn't Lois)

Hi, Bernadette! Good for you on avoiding the carbs! Do your best to come to the meeting tonight and to dinner after (even if you want to save $$ by eating before and just having something to drink). As someone who's been going thru a divorce since 3 months before WLS (almost a year now), I can attest to how helpful everyone's support has been for me (with anything and everything that causes me stress). These meetings and the get-together afterward are the highlight of my week and what keeps me going (along with visits to my therapist). See you tonight, Debby

Hi Bernadette, My visit with My doctors psych only cost me 100 dollars. The Nutritionist was 125 dollars that was also not covered by my insurance. His Name was Christopher Lodi and he works out of My Doctors office. His Number is 453-9444. I know the group that did my surgery works with middlesex hospital so maybe he can help you out! You did good by not giving in to the "Carb Comfort!" Remember, you have to have a few bumps in the road to appreciate the smooth parts! Be well, Julio

I had Dr. Wirth.. she is wonderful. Great job on venting and not stress eating!!!!!!

Okay I am feeling better now- at least mostly. I just got off the phone with Stacey at Dr. Aranow's and she was super nice and even apologized for the first person I talked to who's name I now know but I will not disseminate here.... (who was MEAN to me.) Seemed a whole lot more understanding. The answer from the chief (Dr. A) was no exceptions- which I knew pretty much was going to be his answer- but as I said- at least I got to run it past him- if nothing else now he knows the cost difference between Dr. Wirth and Dr. Daniels....Dr Wirth is at least able to be flexible with her payment plan - but the end result is you pay a lot more.... Dr. Wirth was extremely nice on the phone this morning and I by no means want to discourage anyone from seeking her out pre-op or otherwise- I just want people to know that pre-op wise if you are one of the few unluckies like me whose insurance doesn't cover his associates, it pays to shop around and don't bother trying to get a dispensation from Dr. Aranow to get the psych eval done elsewhere.....**SIGH** Nothing worth having comes easily- and after 30 years of being obese- I guess getting a second chance is worth the physical, psychological and financial pain. I can't go back now- there are four little people who are my life that I want to be around for - for a very very long time. And my husband too- LOL- he deserves having me around when he's in his 90's- he'd be lost without me- I run this house- he's clueless! (but I love him anyway)