goddessgrrl
Any doctors left in the state I haven't seen?!
Feb 09, 2012
Aetna approved for my Roux-en-Y (RNY gastric bypass) surgery on 1/25/2012. I about had a coronary from shock because I started the process to have weight loss surgery (WLS) on 8/27/2010! I'm scheduled for surgery on 2/28/2012, about 3 weeks from now. 
I feel like I got launched out of a cannon when I found out I was approved & had my surgery date. The following Tuesday I had my check-in with my surgeon, Osvaldo Anez, MD FACS's physician's assistant Mary Lou. I hadn't been to the office since December 2010. It was great to see the staff. Dr. Anez's son is the office administrator & he's a doll (easy on the eyes, too, which don't hurt, right?). The physician's assistant Mary Lou was new to me (Tiffany had been the one I dealt with in 2010).
I got weighed & measured again; pulse & blood pressure checked. When I went to Anez's office in September 2010, I weighed 243 with a BMI of a bit less than 36. A year & a half later, I weigh 255 with a BMI of over 37.
I was still thrilled to be back in that office. One of the things I just love about that office waiting room is the fact they have "fat people" chairs! I love those chairs. I just sit down & am so comfy & even have a little extra room on each side of my tucus! 
My relief at having been approved by Aetna was just bursting & bubbling from me (still is). I felt like you feel when you find out someone has a crush on you, & you think the guy's cute in return! I know that's hysterical, but I'm telling you, that was the high I felt. Shot out of a cannon! And the approval just came right out of the blue.
I'd filed, been denied, filed again, & been denied again. I'd written a letter to the Virginia Commissioner of Insurance, from whom I found out my husband's company was "self-insured" through Aetna (so the Commissioner couldn't help me). I contacted my husband's company's benefits rep (you wouldn't believe the red tape I had to go through just to make contact with her; the company wouldn't talk to me because I wasn't the employee, so I had to beg, cajole, nag, remind, you-name-it my husband until he finally (after weeks) contacted the benefits rep on my behalf.
The rep sent my husband an email & said this was a complete no-brainer, that it seemed to be some kind of mixup at Aetna because I definitely qualified for the surgery, & that she'd have it straightened out in a week & she'd be in touch. I was ecstatic & relieved.
A week passed. Then another. I contacted the rep. She said she was sure she'd hear from Aetna any moment.
Can you read the writing on the wall? I never heard from her again.
So I started the begging-cajoling-blah blah blah of my husband to please go to the rep's office & advocate on my behalf. It didn't happen. It hurts my heart, you know? He's so supportive verbally, then, when he can take concrete action to help me, he's "busy" or he "forgot" or he just plain gets aggravated when I sickeningly-sweetly ask him for the umpteenth time to please help me.
Finally, about a month ago (New Year's resolutions & all), I told my husband I would do anything (write him a note, call him, text him, whatever it took) for him to find out what the heck's going on with his lame benefits department. He gave me the pouty-face, the silent treatment, all the usual things The Hubs does when I ask him to do anything for me.
The upshot: the benefits rep who said she'd snap her fingers & Aetna would approve me had been fired. She didn't leave any follow-up file on me for her replacement.
Happy ending: The new benefits rep got me approved within 2 weeks of her start date with my husband's company. I felt like Mister Pennybags, the little old man with the top hat on the Monopoly board: "You've won second place in a beauty contest!"
So since 1/31 I've had 9 doctor appointments! Everything has fallen into perfect order since the day I found out I was approved. Next week I have an appointment every day; one day next week I have three! And I'm loving it.
Like I told my cardiologist today: "I figure it this way: first 50 years, fat & unhealthy. Second 50 years, skinny & FABULOUS!" I've told only a few people. My BFF's mother - a fierce fashionista - said, "Oh my goodness, Gigi is so gorgeous now. She's gonna be a knockout when she loses that weight!"
As we say where I grew up: SHO YOU RIGHT!
0 comments
I feel like I got launched out of a cannon when I found out I was approved & had my surgery date. The following Tuesday I had my check-in with my surgeon, Osvaldo Anez, MD FACS's physician's assistant Mary Lou. I hadn't been to the office since December 2010. It was great to see the staff. Dr. Anez's son is the office administrator & he's a doll (easy on the eyes, too, which don't hurt, right?). The physician's assistant Mary Lou was new to me (Tiffany had been the one I dealt with in 2010).
I got weighed & measured again; pulse & blood pressure checked. When I went to Anez's office in September 2010, I weighed 243 with a BMI of a bit less than 36. A year & a half later, I weigh 255 with a BMI of over 37.
I was still thrilled to be back in that office. One of the things I just love about that office waiting room is the fact they have "fat people" chairs! I love those chairs. I just sit down & am so comfy & even have a little extra room on each side of my tucus! My relief at having been approved by Aetna was just bursting & bubbling from me (still is). I felt like you feel when you find out someone has a crush on you, & you think the guy's cute in return! I know that's hysterical, but I'm telling you, that was the high I felt. Shot out of a cannon! And the approval just came right out of the blue.
I'd filed, been denied, filed again, & been denied again. I'd written a letter to the Virginia Commissioner of Insurance, from whom I found out my husband's company was "self-insured" through Aetna (so the Commissioner couldn't help me). I contacted my husband's company's benefits rep (you wouldn't believe the red tape I had to go through just to make contact with her; the company wouldn't talk to me because I wasn't the employee, so I had to beg, cajole, nag, remind, you-name-it my husband until he finally (after weeks) contacted the benefits rep on my behalf.
The rep sent my husband an email & said this was a complete no-brainer, that it seemed to be some kind of mixup at Aetna because I definitely qualified for the surgery, & that she'd have it straightened out in a week & she'd be in touch. I was ecstatic & relieved.
A week passed. Then another. I contacted the rep. She said she was sure she'd hear from Aetna any moment.
Can you read the writing on the wall? I never heard from her again.
So I started the begging-cajoling-blah blah blah of my husband to please go to the rep's office & advocate on my behalf. It didn't happen. It hurts my heart, you know? He's so supportive verbally, then, when he can take concrete action to help me, he's "busy" or he "forgot" or he just plain gets aggravated when I sickeningly-sweetly ask him for the umpteenth time to please help me.
Finally, about a month ago (New Year's resolutions & all), I told my husband I would do anything (write him a note, call him, text him, whatever it took) for him to find out what the heck's going on with his lame benefits department. He gave me the pouty-face, the silent treatment, all the usual things The Hubs does when I ask him to do anything for me.
The upshot: the benefits rep who said she'd snap her fingers & Aetna would approve me had been fired. She didn't leave any follow-up file on me for her replacement.
Happy ending: The new benefits rep got me approved within 2 weeks of her start date with my husband's company. I felt like Mister Pennybags, the little old man with the top hat on the Monopoly board: "You've won second place in a beauty contest!"
So since 1/31 I've had 9 doctor appointments! Everything has fallen into perfect order since the day I found out I was approved. Next week I have an appointment every day; one day next week I have three! And I'm loving it.
Like I told my cardiologist today: "I figure it this way: first 50 years, fat & unhealthy. Second 50 years, skinny & FABULOUS!" I've told only a few people. My BFF's mother - a fierce fashionista - said, "Oh my goodness, Gigi is so gorgeous now. She's gonna be a knockout when she loses that weight!"
As we say where I grew up: SHO YOU RIGHT!
About Me
VA
Location
19.2
BMI
Feb 01, 2012
Member Since
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
Leaving for the hospital 2/28/2012, 257 lbs.
257lbs
Christmas Eve 2012, 150 lbs! Lost 107 lbs in less than 10 months!
150lbs
