RussH
Green Chili Blue Corn Cheezy Chicken Enchiladas and stuff...
Mar 30, 2009
The title says it all. Anyhow my fire chief gave me a going away/birthday/big life changing step party last night (Sunday). Since he forgot my b-day and what not, he and his wife made up for it by inviting me over for one last gluttony dinner. I had left overs tonight.
Pat and his wife saw this as a momentous occasion and he felt that I wouldnt be able to eat them anymore in the quantities he makes that he should. Let me just say they are to die for they are SOOOO good.
Today at work my boss with my permission sent an email to the department staff for the purpose of informing the of my future disappearance from the department and if they were willing to donate time to me in the form of sick leave. As my short term disability doesnt cover this as they consider this an elective surgery.
The medic who wanted to come to California while I recovered can no longer come as she couldnt get the time off necessary. I hope she will be around when I get home from Cali as I am taking the train back.
0 comments
Pat and his wife saw this as a momentous occasion and he felt that I wouldnt be able to eat them anymore in the quantities he makes that he should. Let me just say they are to die for they are SOOOO good.
Today at work my boss with my permission sent an email to the department staff for the purpose of informing the of my future disappearance from the department and if they were willing to donate time to me in the form of sick leave. As my short term disability doesnt cover this as they consider this an elective surgery.
The medic who wanted to come to California while I recovered can no longer come as she couldnt get the time off necessary. I hope she will be around when I get home from Cali as I am taking the train back.
Insurance
Mar 27, 2009
On the 19th, I called my insurance to see if they had received a request for auth from USC, and the representative said that they had and that it was scheduled for the week after the date I wanted. I changed that date to the date I wanted and requested the updated auth form to be sent to my pcp and surgeon. I emailed Mary and told her that I had confirmed my prior auth and my approval for the DS, she told me that she would hand it off to the auth coordinator on the following Monday.
I get an email from the insurance auth coordinator confirming the auth for the DS. That they are going to get a new letter. Her next statement made me smile and I quote, "I have to tell you, this is the fastest I have ever received authorization for a bariatric surgery as this usually takes 2 -4 weeks."
It does help that I started getting the insurance authorization back in early february, I wanted to take the driver position in this situation as I didnt want it to be caught up in red tape.
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I get an email from the insurance auth coordinator confirming the auth for the DS. That they are going to get a new letter. Her next statement made me smile and I quote, "I have to tell you, this is the fastest I have ever received authorization for a bariatric surgery as this usually takes 2 -4 weeks."
It does help that I started getting the insurance authorization back in early february, I wanted to take the driver position in this situation as I didnt want it to be caught up in red tape.
Visit to USC- Bariatric
Mar 27, 2009
I left on the West Bound Amtrak - Southwestern Chief on Friday, March 13th. I arrived in Los Angeles an hour early on Sat, the car rental shop wouldnt be open until 8am according to the sign. It was 8:45 by the time I got a car to get me to the WLS seminar in Pasadena at 10a. I learned a lot in that seminar and it was my first introduction to Dr. Crookes and Dr. Katkhouda and their techniques in WLS. I left the seminar feeling confident with my choice to have surgery, I retired to my hotel (in the ghetto as one friend put it) to sleep as that didn't happen on the way over.
My appointment with Dr. Crookes was on Monday, Mar. 16, at noon then I was to take the train home that evening. Anyhow I woke up that morning and prepared for the day and my appointment. I got to USC at 09:30, I was going to meet one of Dr. Crookes' other patients and she and I chatted before her appointment. Somehow they were able to get me in early and I met some of his staff, of which were awesome and really kind. Dr. Crookes came in and we spoke about the DS, RNY and Lap Band, I told him that I really wanted the DS and I told him why. He would normally then give the patient a list of items to be completed before surgery; lab, cardiac eval, pulm function test, nutrition and psych eval. Now I had all of that with me when I showed up on that day. It was practically an open and shut case. Dr. Crookes' RN asked when would I like to have surgery and I replied the sooner the better and we tentatively said April 8th, then would be finalized by getting an auth from my insurance.
0 comments
My appointment with Dr. Crookes was on Monday, Mar. 16, at noon then I was to take the train home that evening. Anyhow I woke up that morning and prepared for the day and my appointment. I got to USC at 09:30, I was going to meet one of Dr. Crookes' other patients and she and I chatted before her appointment. Somehow they were able to get me in early and I met some of his staff, of which were awesome and really kind. Dr. Crookes came in and we spoke about the DS, RNY and Lap Band, I told him that I really wanted the DS and I told him why. He would normally then give the patient a list of items to be completed before surgery; lab, cardiac eval, pulm function test, nutrition and psych eval. Now I had all of that with me when I showed up on that day. It was practically an open and shut case. Dr. Crookes' RN asked when would I like to have surgery and I replied the sooner the better and we tentatively said April 8th, then would be finalized by getting an auth from my insurance.
