Re: [MiniGastricBypass]psych evaluation

[Guest guest]

Sara, you are in my prayers. I know how frustrating this must be, but

you'll make it!

Blessings

~Amy.

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Thank you for your kind message! It helps so much to have the support of the

people on this list.

Sara

Beamon@... wrote:

> Sara, bless your heart. We have all been through hell carrying all of this

> weight around. Then we have our own personal problems to deal with, such as

> the death of your child (I am so sorry by the way about your child), and to

> top it all off, we have to deal with the ignorant beliefs of people that have

> not had a fat day in their lives telling us how we can and cannot handle

> problems that we have. I am so tired of people with that mentality. My

> prayers are with you. Just know that we love you and are with you all the

> way. Here is a giant ((((((((((((((((hug))))))))))))))) for you.

>

>

> (waiting to start a new life)

>

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My psych evaluation saga is continuing to be very frustrating, but I am trying

to remain calm and hopeful about the whole thing. Here's my very long update

(feel free to skip it if you are not interested):

I was waiting for the psych evaluation (which I had done almost 2 weeks ago) to

arrive at the insurance office. A week and a half after the evaluation I called

the insurance company, and they hadn't received it, so I called the

psychologist's office to see if they had sent it. The secretary there thought

they had sent it to my doctor (which surprised me because I had been very clear

about it needing to go directly to the insurance company as quickly as

possible). So we called back the insurance company to see if the psych

evaluation had come in the packet that they had received from my doctor. It

hadn't. I called back to the psychologist's office, and they finally got the

person on the line who had met with me. Well, she said she hadn't even started

to write up the report and that she thought she would need to see me again. I

asked her if she had any concerns about our first visit, and she said no, that

she thought she just needed to get some more information! Now this person knew

at the first visit that I expected this to take one visit, and that I needed it

done super quick (that is the only reason I had driven 2 hours to have the psych

evaluation - because they said they could do it that day). At the end of that

first visit she had said " Good Luck, I hope everything goes well for you. "

Since she knew I needed it done quickly, and since she said that, I had assumed

she was done getting whatever information she needed. It also seems that if she

thought, upon further reflection, that she needed more information that she

should have let me know that, instead of me not hearing anything for a week and

a half, and then calling them and only finding out that way that she felt she

didn't get enough information. At the first visit she had seemed to me like she

didn't know what she was doing, but I thought maybe that was just my

perception. It turns out this person is apparently an intern and only sees

patients one day a week, and she had apparently forgotten all about me and was

covering her butt (excuse my language) for having not written the report by

saying she thought she needed more information. I wonder if I ever would have

heard from her again if I hadn't called to see where the report was!

My brother is a psychologist in Texas. I called him to see if he thought there

was anything strange about this whole thing, and he thought it was really

incompetence, and that she obviously did forget about me. He told me that I

would be better off seeing someone else (which is what I thought), and that I

probably should rescind any release of information rights I had given her. When

I told her I was rescinding my permission for release of information, and that I

would need to go elsewhere (I was really nice about it, telling her that I

really needed things done quickly, and she couldn't see me again until the next

week, and it would be easier for me if I went to someone closer to my home), she

got very upset. She said she couldn't find any release of information that I

had signed in my file. So I said " Great, then there's no problem. " And she

said, " No, you have to write one now and send it to me. " !!!! I said that since

I was trying to rescind my permission, that I wasn't going to send her it now!

She said I had to because she needed to tell my family doctor that I wasn't

going to see her anymore, since he had referred me to her. I said that I would

tell him. (My family doctor thought the whole requirement for a psychological

evaluation was unnecessary anyway, and he hadn't really referred me to her, he

had just had his nurse call while I was in his office to see if there was anyone

who could get me in right away and do it in one visit). So our conversation

ended with her telling me she was going to call my doctor anyway, without my

permission, and I said fine. I told my brother all this afterward, and he said

she was being unethical, but that she was probably worried because she is an

intern and was going to be evaluated about this, and she might get in trouble

for having done a poor job.

Anyway, to try not to make this any longer than it already is, I went yesterday

to see a therapist closer to my home, and she called the insurance company while

I was sitting in her office. She told them that I obviously was fine and didn't

need a whole huge psychological workup. The insurance company said that they

did require that I see a psychiatrist (which is not what they had said before,

but isn't that typical for an insurance company, and that would have meant that

the first person's evaluation wouldn't have been good enough for them anyway),

but that it would be all right if I just had one brief meeting with a

psychiatrist since this therapist had evaluated me and felt I was fine. Anyway,

of course the psychiatrist is all full up until July 18th!! They did say I

could call this coming Tuesday and see if he has any cancellations - so I am

praying for that! The therapist says she will write up the report in advance

from her visit with me, and that the psychiatrist will just look at it and see

if he needs to add anything, and then it can be faxed right away to the

insurance company.

Anyway, once this whole mess is done, and the psych evaluation is in to the

insurance company, they said I should have an answer in 48 hours as to whether

they will cover the surgery.

So if anyone is still reading this long, long post, I would appreciate your

prayers. Also, my packet is in to Dr. R's office, and they said he will look at

it when he gets back at the beginning of this week. I want to have the MGB this

month!

Thanks for all your support,

Sara