Update 3.

I immediately call the doctor's office. I get G on the phone. I give her the number and tell her that they said I was approved. She takes the number down and says that she will call me back.

About 10 minutes later, she calls back. She says, "Yes you are approved! Your approval code is good for one year."

"Could there be any better news?" you ask. Why yes there could. NO 90 day or 6 month medically supervised diet first!!!

I explain that I have to be off work on Fri, Apr 2 and Mon, Apr 5 (Tadpole's school is closed for Easter!) and ask if there is any way to get in on March 31? They say that they will look into it and call me back. In the meantime, I am scheduled for the surgeon's education class, tomorrow, 3/18.

I heard nothing Friday. I heard nothing Monday. So, again I called. G gets on the phone and says, "Oh yeah, we have you scheduled for Wed, Mar 31 at 0830. "

O.M.F.G.

I started my pre-op diet today! 2 protein shakes (30g protein) a day. A sensible dinner. No more than 1200 cals a day. I can have sugar free pudding, yogurt, cheese sticks, veggies or fruit in-between meals if I feel like I am starving.

I will write up today's food, tomorrow!

So, 2 weeks from today, I will officially be a bandster!!!

-Frog

P.S. Goals will follow shortly too!

Update 2.

I'm totally making a pest of myself! Again, I call the insurance company on Thurs, 3/11. I ask for pre-determination. I get a nice lady on the phone that looks up my account. She comes back and gives me a number and says to note it. I do. I ask what it means...her reply?

APPROVED!!!!

I cried.

-Frog

Update 1.

Let me take you back in time. March 3, 2010 to be precise. This was day 14, business days that is.

I called the insurance company again to see if I could "help" by providing any additional information they might need for the determination.

Pick 1 for this, pick 2 for that, pick 3 if you have no clue what to do! I picked through the various menu options at the insurance company. Kept telling it that I was trying to find out information about a medical claim. I finally got a living, breathing human. Shock of shocks, turns she was the right person to get to. When I described the situation and what I was trying to do, she informed me that I had been calling the wrong place all this time. I wanted "pre-determination" not "claims". She transferred me.

I got to the pre-determination section. I explained to the lady (Again I got to the right person...she was awesome!!!) what I was trying to find out. She said hold one...looked up my file and told me "there is no file in here showing that you have an open a case."

SAY WHAT?!?!

I start to mildly freak. I tell her no biggie, I will just call the doctor's office and verify. She says that is what she would do.

I call. The gal there, G, tells me that the insurance always freaks people out. She will make a quick call and get back to me. She calls me back about 5 mins later. Says she talked to D. He said that he just opened my case for approval the day before. I forgot that they told me the Doc office goes through a 3rd party for approvals. Guess that is who she was calling.

I asked her if that means I have to wait another month. She said, "Hopefully not. D is a good guy and I asked him to expedite your file."

Time will tell!

-Frog

Updates.

I am swamped with stuff at the moment...and family just arrived for a surprise visit.

I have 2 posts I'm working up that will bring everyone up to speed and give all the details on where we are on this journey!

Have a great Sunday.

-Frog