APPROVED by BLUE CROSS of CALIFORNIA !!!!

[Guest guest]

Hey everybody!!!! No kidding!!! I've been approved for a Duodenal Switch

procedure. Yes, by Blue Cross of California PPO !!!!!

I didn't even do an appeal. I just bugged the heck out of people and finally

the nurse assigned to my case (Nurse Kathy) sent it for RECONSIDERATION by an

" outside " doc.

Dr. Welker called me yesterday and told me the good news, but suggested I hold

off spreading the word until I heard directly from Blue Cross. He said he'd

talked with a Dr. Blickenstaff. The doc said something like " Oh, no. Not the

DS again. I've discussed this a hundred times. " Dr. Welker said something like

" There must be something you'd like to know that would convince you about the

effectiveness of the DS... " He went on and finally did convince Dr.

Blickenstaff and Dr. B said he'd approve it. Dr. Welker is a god!!!

Nurse Kathy just called today (she had yesterday off) and asked if I was sitting

down. Then she told me the good news. (I didn't let on that my surgeon had

called me yesterday.) She was very excited for me!

Can you believe it? I cried when Dr. Welker called (and I'm not an overly

emotional person). Will I really be a normal weight person for the FIRST TIME

in my life? When I say that is unbelievable, I'm being very serious.

Oh, my God. Now I have to schedule a date. The nurse is putting Dec. 20 down

as a date...although I told her I can't do it 'till January. I'm to get back to

her when I decide on the date.

Oh, my God. Oh, oh, oh, oh.... I'm still in a daze. I didn't think I would

ever be approved.

~~ShirleyAnn

Pre-op Dr. Welker