Leann K.
6/21/05
Went to the WISH center for my first consultation but was sent home due to the fact that my insurance company requires a 12 month supervised diet with my PCP. I was hoping that the WISH center would help me with that but I guess not.
I went to my PCP and he is all for surgery and will do whatever he can to be sure I "fail" my 12 months of diet with massive documentation so I can hopefully qualify for surgery next summer. I know that there is no way that conventional dieting is going to work for me. When ever I lose some weight and stop the diet I gain all the weight back. I was very disappointed after my trip to the WISH center but my PCP has given me hope again. I can't wait until next summer. I am also considering visiting with Neweigh. I heard that they really help get insurance approval. I at least feel like I am on the right track. :)
5/7/06
I switched from the WISH center to Innova Hospital and found a wonderful surgeon Dr. John J. Gonzalez. I was instantly comfortable with him and he is doing everything he can to make sure I get approved. He noted that I was pretty healthy for my weight but stated that it could all change within a few years after he looked at my family history.
So, here I am playing the waiting game. I have completed all of the preop testing my surgeon requires and now I am just waiting for insurance approval.
On a positive note, all my tests came back great although I am hoping that it doesn't slow down my approval process. My only problem is that I am 125 lbs overweight. Go figure. I am just hoping that I get approval quickly because I hate having so much up in the air. I feel like my life is on hold until I get either approved or denied. I will post as soon as I find out new information! :)
5/23/06
Lately I have been suffering from a series of paperwork setbacks. My surgeon has the wrong fax numbers on his paper work so all of my test results went...well, who knows where. I started calling my surgeons office to see how it was going and they told me that they hadn't gotten my results so we had to hash all of that out. finally they get my test results but don't have any documentation from my year long diet from my PCP. I got the correct forms filled out for my PCP to fax the paperwork and they sent my sister in laws paperwork instead. My name is Leann Booth hers is Leah Booth. This isn't the first time this has happened. Hopefully, now that i called and chewed out my PCP's nurses they will have the right paperwork!! I also have to go back to my OB/GYN to get proof that I was overweight for the last 5 years. Some one please tell me this is worth the head ache!!
I am hoping that my surgeon will have all the right paperwork soon and I will be approved soon. I want to have plenty of time to adjust to my new life before I go back to teaching Pre-K.!!!! ARGH!!
6/22/06
I have been calling Innova every week and found out today that they sent my paperwork to BCBS this morning. She was worried that my 12 month supervised diet wasn't enough but she sent it anyway. I have started seeing my PCP again just incase it doesn't happen this summer I will be more than prepared for next summer. The only problem I am having right now is that I am eating everything in sight with the mind set that I may never get to eat it again. I have gained 12 lbs in the last month. This surgery better come through or I am going to have to figure out a way to lose this extra weight (and keep it off) on my own.
My dr. put me on Adiprex just in case the surgery falls through. Hopefully I won't be on it very long since it makes me jittery and very active. My house hasn't been this clean in weeks!! :)
I will post again when I hear from insurance!! Cross your fingers and toes for me!!!
7/7/06
Called insurance again today and my paperwork still hasn't made it to the medical review people and they said once it gets there it still may take a few weeks. I guess it won't happen for me this summer. It really makes me mad because I was hoping for some really good life changes. I am tired of being like this and I know that if I diet I can lose weight I just can't keep it off. Now I even wonder if it would be worth it to try to lose weight if I want to have this surgery next summer.
One thing for sure I am going to get this process started alot sooner next time. I started in March this time and evidently it wasn't enough time. Hopefully Dr. Gonzalez's office will hang on to my files so I don't have to do so much of the paperwork over again. I just pray that all this frustration is worth it.
I plan on hanging out on the chat boards and keeping my profile updated. I just wish I could be a loser too.
