Hello everyone!

April 19, 2000

Hi Missy, Welcome!

Trish

April 19, 2000

Hey everyone, I just got my surgery date, it is May 24th Yippee! Anyone else

for that day?? ~doing a VERY HAPPY DANCE! Gloria in colorado

April 19, 2000

Hi Missy! Since you live in NC, you can always fax the information to the

insurance company yourself. When I went to clinic, Dr R gave me my papers

and I told the insurance company that I wanted a contact name and the fax

number where they could be reached. I faxed them the information and they

denied me within 24 hours!! LOL But I bet if you did the

same, you would have better luck than I did. I think they like to ignore or

toss alot of papers in the trash. But maybe since I faxed my papers from

the hospital it looked more official, I don't know. It's worth a try

though, then you could get started right away!

fg

At 07:37 AM 04/19/2000 -0700, you wrote:

>OK - I tried to post something yesterday, and

>apparently, it never showed up! I'm from Lumberton,

>NC and have been reading your posts for a week now.

>This has to be the nicest group of people I've ever

>met. You are all very supportive of each other and

>seem to have formed your own surrogate family. I have

>already sent my packet in and I am currently awaiting

>BCBS of NC to approve a predetermination. The surgery

>is a covered benefit under my policy, but we want a

>pre-approval before moving forward. They are giving

>me a hard time, saying several times that they do not

>have any information from Debbie and have not recieved

>any request for a predetermination. I have called

>Debbie several times in reference to this, and am

>quite sure she is tired of hearing from me. I feel

>for her, I know what it's like to have SO MUCH on your

>plate at work with so many depending on you to make

>things happen for them.... I'm sure there are many of

>you who have experienced this as well. I think it's

>neat that there is such a variety of professions

>within this group. It's nice to have access to

>information that you would otherwise have to search

>the world over for and then beg to be given. Perhaps

>we should all do a little networking and see if there

>are other ways we can help each other. I am a social

>worker myself and most of the time, I get a great deal

>of satisfaction from my job... I help people who

>receive public assistance find jobs, obtain reliable

>child care and transportation and make the transition

>from a life of dependence on welfare to what the

>government likes to call " self sufficiency. " It is

>quite frustrating at times - especially when I am

>working with a mother who has no desire whatsoever to

>help herself and would rather receive a welfare check

>each month that she didn't earn than to go out and do

>a little work. Because of my job, I am familiar with

> " whining " and have become mostly intolerant of it.

>However, I find myself whining often about being

>overweight and once I made the decision to have this

>surgery, I felt a huge chip being lifted from my

>shoulders and continue to wait for the day when I feel

>lighter, all over, in the literal sense. God bless

>each and every one of you in your pursuit of a

>healthier life and personal happiness. I hope to

>become part of your group and am anxious to have some

>littermates of my own! Sincerely, Missy in NC

>

>__________________________________________________

>

April 19, 2000

Yeah, Missy, welcome to this great group of people! And good luck with

everything.

Christa

Hello everyone!

OK - I tried to post something yesterday, and

apparently, it never showed up! I'm from Lumberton,

NC and have been reading your posts for a week now.

This has to be the nicest group of people I've ever

met. You are all very supportive of each other and

seem to have formed your own surrogate family. I have

already sent my packet in and I am currently awaiting

BCBS of NC to approve a predetermination. The surgery

is a covered benefit under my policy, but we want a

pre-approval before moving forward. They are giving

me a hard time, saying several times that they do not

have any information from Debbie and have not recieved

any request for a predetermination. I have called

Debbie several times in reference to this, and am

quite sure she is tired of hearing from me. I feel

for her, I know what it's like to have SO MUCH on your

plate at work with so many depending on you to make

things happen for them.... I'm sure there are many of

you who have experienced this as well. I think it's

neat that there is such a variety of professions

within this group. It's nice to have access to

information that you would otherwise have to search

the world over for and then beg to be given. Perhaps

we should all do a little networking and see if there

are other ways we can help each other. I am a social

worker myself and most of the time, I get a great deal

of satisfaction from my job... I help people who

receive public assistance find jobs, obtain reliable

child care and transportation and make the transition

from a life of dependence on welfare to what the

government likes to call " self sufficiency. " It is

quite frustrating at times - especially when I am

working with a mother who has no desire whatsoever to

help herself and would rather receive a welfare check

each month that she didn't earn than to go out and do

a little work. Because of my job, I am familiar with

" whining " and have become mostly intolerant of it.

However, I find myself whining often about being

overweight and once I made the decision to have this

surgery, I felt a huge chip being lifted from my

shoulders and continue to wait for the day when I feel

lighter, all over, in the literal sense. God bless

each and every one of you in your pursuit of a

healthier life and personal happiness. I hope to

become part of your group and am anxious to have some

littermates of my own! Sincerely, Missy in NC

__________________________________________________

April 19, 2000

Missy,

this is Deb in WY. I also have BCBS of TX and this is a covered surgery and

we also are waiting for predetermination. Today I spoke with three people

who have told me they show nothing from Dr. R about the approval except the

notes of my calls. Tomorrow I am going to fax my own copy including an

additional letter and more info I got from the Mayo Clinic Site for weight

loss. Keep the faith! I'll keep praying.

Deb

April 19, 2000

Gloria,

I'm doing the happy dance with you. Sounds like a wonderful day. Wish I

could join you. I'm still waiting on insurance approval. I have to have

that cause I don't have the money to self pay.

Deb in WY

April 20, 2000

Missy,

Welcome to the group! You are right about it being a really nice place to

be! With BC/BS, I'll bet you have littermates in no time!!

Claire

Redhead in FL

MGB 4/10/00 !!!!

Dr. Rutledge (http:/clos.net)

" He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the

day of Christ Jesus. " - Phil. 1:6

April 20, 2000

Missy,

Welcome to the group! You are right about it being a really nice place to

be! With BC/BS, I'll bet you have littermates in no time!!

Claire

Redhead in FL

MGB 4/10/00 !!!!

Dr. Rutledge (http:/clos.net)

" He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the

day of Christ Jesus. " - Phil. 1:6

April 20, 2000

Hi :

Right now I am having a hard time getting my information from the Bariatric

Treatment Center in Ann Arbor Michigan, the manager in the office told me

that by law she does not have to release them to anyone. I beg different

because I use to work in a dr. office so right now I have hired an attorney

who is in the process of getting my records I may have to pay for them but I

WILL GET THEM. Too bad I am having to use legal force. But I don't believe

all facilities are this terrible to work with (I HOPE).

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

in Michigan

April 20, 2000

In a message dated 4/20/00 8:02:23 PM Central Daylight Time,

BenhamGirl@... writes:

<< Hi :

Right now I am having a hard time getting my information from the Bariatric

Treatment Center in Ann Arbor Michigan, the manager in the office told me

that by law she does not have to release them to anyone. I beg different

because I use to work in a dr. office so right now I have hired an attorney

who is in the process of getting my records I may have to pay for them but I

WILL GET THEM. Too bad I am having to use legal force. But I don't believe

all facilities are this terrible to work with (I HOPE).

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

in Michigan

>>

,

Do what I did to get my records from them. I told them I needed them for an

appeal for my insurance company. They did not even squabble and faxed them

the next day......no questions asked.

Oxford,Ohio

April 21, 2000

Thanks :

I will try that. I sure do want those records, I went through a lot to get

all the information collected for them.

Have you had your surgery yet?

What part of Ohio are you from?

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

April 21, 2000

Thanks :

I will try that. I sure do want those records, I went through a lot to get

all the information collected for them.

Have you had your surgery yet?

What part of Ohio are you from?

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

April 21, 2000

Thanks :

I will try that. I sure do want those records, I went through a lot to get

all the information collected for them.

Have you had your surgery yet?

What part of Ohio are you from?

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

April 21, 2000

In a message dated 4/20/00 6:59:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

eprobbins@... writes:

<< I have a doctor

from a couple of years ago that said they wouldn't release the

records to me but would fax to the surgeon. >>

Hi !

If the problem hasn't already resolved itself, try having them fax the

results to your Dr. or you GYN. Might help and save wondering if Debbie got

them or not.

Claire

Redhead in FL

MGB 4/10/00 !!!!

Dr. Rutledge (http:/clos.net)

" He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the

day of Christ Jesus. " - Phil. 1:6

April 21, 2000

In a message dated 4/20/00 6:59:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

eprobbins@... writes:

<< I have a doctor

from a couple of years ago that said they wouldn't release the

records to me but would fax to the surgeon. >>

Hi !

If the problem hasn't already resolved itself, try having them fax the

results to your Dr. or you GYN. Might help and save wondering if Debbie got

them or not.

Claire

Redhead in FL

MGB 4/10/00 !!!!

Dr. Rutledge (http:/clos.net)

" He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the

day of Christ Jesus. " - Phil. 1:6

April 21, 2000

In a message dated 4/20/00 6:59:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

eprobbins@... writes:

<< I have a doctor

from a couple of years ago that said they wouldn't release the

records to me but would fax to the surgeon. >>

Hi !

If the problem hasn't already resolved itself, try having them fax the

results to your Dr. or you GYN. Might help and save wondering if Debbie got

them or not.

Claire

Redhead in FL

MGB 4/10/00 !!!!

Dr. Rutledge (http:/clos.net)

" He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the

day of Christ Jesus. " - Phil. 1:6

April 24, 2000

Hello

I am from Mich also. Your email caught my eye because you were from Mich

and had went to BTC also. I had started this process with BTC in Ann Arbor.

I had my first consultation and Dr. Popalawski questioned a previous

surgery I had. He said that I would have to get the go ahead for open RNY

from the dr. that did it. The Dr. that did the hernia repair said he could

not recommend that I have the Open RNY.. He was not against weight loss

surgery in general, and told me I could have lap bypass. I checked into a

Dr. Gagner in NYC but that he recommended me to but he did not take my

insurance (BC/BS). I belong to a few on line support groups and everyone

said Dr. Rutledge was then best. And I know from experience that the lap

way of surgery is much better than open. So I am starting the process over

with him. I was feeling pretty hopeful again, but after reading your E

mail I am very nervous that they will not give me my records either. I had

my Psych evaluation done there also. I will be SOL without all my

information. It took me a long time to get it all together the first time.

So please keep us informed. Please feel free to email me personally, I

would be happy to hear from you. Maybe we can be buddies and help each

other through this. I am 42 yrs old and work as an Engineering Coordinator

in Midland MI. I have a BMI of 51. I need to lose 140 lbs. I have been

obese for about 20 years. Tried every diet and diet pill in the world I

think. I have been researching weight loss surgery for a couple of years

and actively trying to get it for about 8 months. Well must go for now.

Good luck with getting your records.

from Michigan

April 24, 2000