Dawn0825

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I am trying my best to deal with stress in a healthy way now that I am banded.  I prepared myself for the emotions I might have after surgery and once I started losing weight.  What I failed to add to the equation was how others were going react.  It is almost like certain people see your need for some extra support as a weakness and choose that time to try to sabotage you.

My family is so dysfunctional.  I accept that.  I will never have a Norman Rockwell illustration kind of life.  A situation that has been stable for over a year blew up tonight. Before my band I would have probably eaten myself into a coma.  Today I settled for a no sugar added fudgesicle and a long walk.  What kind of disturbs me is that I had to fight the urge to starve myself all day.  That's never happened before.  Hopefully it is just a change in the way my stomach feels when I am upset and not a new unhealthy way to "punish" myself when I'm upset.

 

My pre-ops tests are this morning.  I'm not actually sure what all they are going to do.  I had my diet class 8/22, visit to my surgeon & excercise consultation 8/25.  I had an H&P with my PCP 8/26. Yeah so I've spent most of the last week in various doctor's offices.  

The pre-op diet is going really well now.  I'm eating what I need to be without much thought.  I'm not nearly as hungry or as tired as I was at first.
 

Well a lot has happened since my last post.  We went on vacation and the day we got back my surgeon's office called to tell me that I was approved by my insurance company.  Apparently there was never a request for additional information and the CSR misinterpreted what the status "pending" meant.  I have a diet class on Monday and then I start my 2 week SUPER liver shrinking liquid diet on Wednesday.  I have to make an appointment for next week to see my PCP for a physical and history.  My pre-ops and exercise consultation are on my birthday, Monday 8/25 then I'm all set for my surgery 9/3. 

This week has been a doozy.  I found out that my boxer has a tumor that is going to cost $700-900 to remove.  I took my two year old car in for what I thought would be a $100.00 service and found out that I need $700  in new tires.  On the way home from there a warning light came on.  I took it to the dealership and they imformed me that it is the transmission.  Ugh.  Our brand new motorcycle had an issue and has been sitting at the dealership since Tuesday.  Everytime we check the status the service advisor acts like a d-bag and is rude to us.  He was supposed to call us back this afternoon and of course we never heard from him.  In general I'm feeling bullied by the world.  The delay in the insurance approval is just the icing on the cake.  I'm normally a pretty upbeat and positive person but I'm just feeling very run down lately.  I had a full out crying snotting meltdown this afternoon.  I hope things turn around soon.

I called Anthem again this afternoon and the CSR I talked to said that the status had been changed to pending meaning that  they requested more information from my doctor.  The date on it was 7/23/08.  I'm going to call my surgeons office tomorrow and see what was missing, make sure whatever it was has been sent to Anthem and see if the office needs anything from me.  I thought I had prepared myself pretty well, but this is SO slow and frustrating!!!!  My surgery date is just barely over one month away.  I am so afraid everything isn't going to be done by then and my date will be pushed back.  Or even worse, I will be denied.  I hate this feeling.

I called Anthem to check the status of my precertification.  I was put on hold for about 15 minutes. The CSR came back on the line and told me that he would call me back.  He called back the next day and told me that there was no record of it in the computer but that there wouldn't be until it was sent for review.  I'm going to call again today.  Hopefully I get an answer that makes more sense to me.

I had my follow up today and got my sleep study results.  The doctor told me that there was no sleep apnea which is awesome news!  Another hurdle cleared and I'm on my way. 

The administrative assistant called me this afternoon to tell me that my file will be submitted to Anthem Monday.  She told me that I will need to wait about a week for Anthem to get it into their system before I can check the status.  I also found confirmed that my LAP-BAND will be done as an outpatient procedure (as long as there are no complications of course).  I am hoping to get an answer from Anthem within two weeks.  I am so scared, but also excited to get this part of the process over with!

I had my sleep study today.  I was really nervous about it, but I was exhausted by the time I got there and ready for bed.  I met my technician who took me to my room.  It looked like a regular hotel room with a bed and TV and attached bathroom.  The tech left and  I unpacked everything, filled out my survey and changed into my pj's.  I was very pleased to see a fan in the room since I always sleep with one on.  My tech took me to another room where she attached several wires to my head and legs.  Then she put wide bands around my chest and waist.  We moved back to my room.  I got into bed and the tech put a device under my nose and an oxygen monitor on my finger.  She then plugged the wires connected to my head and legs into a box near the headboard of the bed.  The tech asked me if the temperature in the room was ok, verified that I wanted the fan on and turned the room lights off.  She explained that she was going to the monitoring room and I would be able to communicate with her just by speaking out loud.  We went through a series of tests to make sure everything was working and then I was free to sleep.  The bed and pillows were comfortable and I mostly felt free to move and turn normally.  I fell asleep very quickly.  The next thing I remember was waking up with a full bladder.  I tried to wish it away to no avail.  I was still half asleep and muttered out loud "I have to go to the restroom".  Through a speaker in the ceiling the technician told me that she would be right there.  She unhooked everything, I went to the restroom and then she reconnected everything.  I laid back down but couldn't go back to sleep.  A short time later the tech came in and told me that it was time to get up.  She unhooked everything and told me that I could shower and get ready to go.  There was some residue in my hair, but it washed out easily when I took a shower.  I got dressed and left the hospital.  It was so easy.  I had absolutely nothing to be nervous about.

I called my Psych's office to see if they had gotten payment from Anthem yet.  The receptionist I spoke to said that the office received payment last week.  I asked if they sent the report to my surgeon yet and she said that the doctor would be in today and he would "probably" send it then.  I'll call tomorrow and check to see if it was sent.  This is the only part I'm really anxious about since the surgeon's office needs the psych report before they can get insurance approval.  

My sleep study is tomorrow at 7AM.  I was busy today packing a bag and making sure I have everything I need.  Hopefully I can get some good sleep and not have to repeat the test.  I'm also really hoping that I don't have sleep apnea.  I have enough appointments over the next two months.  I don't really want to add in all the hastle of getting fitted for a c-pap.  It is what is is though.  If I do have it then I'm thankful that it will be treated and monitored up to and during surgery.

Wow only two months and two days until my surgery date.  That doesn't seem like very long at all, does it?