ReneeB53
Getting Close
Oct 10, 2007
PATs
Oct 02, 2007
October 2, 2007
My PATs [preadmission tests] were yesterday. My supervisor let me flex my day so I went in early and left for the tests and came back to work. I wlll make up more time later this week so I don't have to use any more precious sick days. The surgicenter is almost an hour away partly due to traffic. Anyway, I preregistered for surgery, got weighed, bloodwork, urinalysis, EKG, chest Xray, BP, temp, NUT session, lung capacity test with a respiratory specialist, nurse session, met with a MD, turned in FMLA papers to be completed, and toured the hospital. I still have to lose at least two more pounds in the next 13 days...piece of cake. Oh, did I say cake? Speaking of cake, my birthday is the 10th so I will be eating cake possibly for the last time or at least not for a long time. My coworkers asked me today what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday because they wanted it to be a special cake as they know I will be eating very differently soon and they thought I deserved whatever I wanted one last time. I really don't care about the cake. What really touches me though is the sentiment behind their thoughtfulness. They are trying to show me support in their own way. I know they will be supportive in my new eating lifestyle and I really love working with them.
COUNT DOWN!
Sep 23, 2007
My daughter lent me a copy of Before & After and I read it in less than 48 hours...even read through the recipes. I will be getting a copy of my own. I got a chance to educate my supervisor and a few coworkers who were asking about my upcoming Lap RNY surgery. They really listened and I feel like they will definitely support me in my recovery and new lifestyle once I return to work. My supv is even going to allow me to flex my schedule on Oct. 1 when I go for PATs so I won't have to use my sick time! I really appreciate that. I am now focusing on getting in a daily walk, taking vitamins, drinking water, and increasing my protein intake and decreasing my carb intake. I am getting more excited than nervous now especially when I think that I won't be lugging all this extra weight around next summer. I am ready for a positive change!
Patience is a Virtue
Sep 06, 2007
The past two and a half weeks seems like it's been a month! No lie! I called Barix Clinic and left about six messages, emailed, and even called a different extension and asked the person to relay a message to the scheduler. I finally got a call back. She told me my test results were sent to the insurance company on Aug. 22 and that I would hear from the scheduler in 2-3 weeks. It was already almost two weeks so I was happy I would not be waiting much longer to get a date. Exactly two weeks and one day I received the call to schedule my PAT [Oct. 1] and Lap RNY [Oct. 15.] I am just like so many other people at this point of the journey....scared, excited, nervous, wavering one hour to the next. I have spent the last month meeting some wonderful friends here at OH. I have enjoyed getting to know them more and more each day. It makes this process easier as support always makes people feel more secure and confident. Also the information I have learned and jotted in a notebook from the OH forums is so helpful. Thank you everyone...especially Marsha and Laureen. Now I need to concentrate on losing 10 pounds and walking daily before my surgery.
Medical Month
Sep 06, 2007
I wasted no time scheduling the tests Dr. Pupkova ordered. Not only was everything she requested completed by August 14, but I also added a past due colonoscopy, gyn exam, and mammogram. I never had so many medical appointments in one month in my entire life! The GI doc suggested getting my colonoscopy done before WLS because my pouch would be so small it would make it difficult to prep for a colonoscopy after the surgery. Made sense to me as I was past due for one since I was over 50 already. There was one small glitch concerning my bloodwork. Barix Clinic didn't get the results because the wrong fax number was on the script. We finally figured it out and the lab resent the results. Now all I need is a PAT date and surgery date.
The Consult and Insurance Approval
Sep 06, 2007
My mother went to the consult with me. She is more than my mother, she is my best friend. I am her only child. It was nice to have her support and to know she wanted to learn more about the surgery I was considering. I had gone online to learn more about the surgeon with whom I was having the consult. I was really impressed with everything I read. She explained both Lap Band and Lap RNY weight loss surgery to a small group of us. Then I met with her privately. Due to already having my gallbladder removed, having a hiatal hernia, and that I had at least 100 pounds to lose, she recommended the Lap RNY procedure. I agreed. I left with a script for bloodwork, endoscopy and cardiology consult due to family history. I have Personal Choice Insurance and it took only two weeks and one day for approval! I got a phone call and the next day received a letter. I was able to provide my weight history and various attempts at weight loss from 1976 to now. I guess I had so much documentation and the fact that few on my father's side have lived past 65 y/o due to diabetes, heart disease, HBP, high cholestrol and other obesity related conditions that I got approved with no problems.
Searching for a Surgeon
Sep 06, 2007
My daughter taught me about Centers of Excellence and since she had her Lap RNY at one close by I decided to go there too. However, I found out that the surgeon no longer took my insurance [Personal Choice], but was considered Out of Network and it would cost me almost $10,000 for his services. The hospital stay would be covered. I decided to look into Barix Clinic in Langhorne, PA, which I found out was completely covered by my insurance. I also knew two people who had their surgeries there and were very impressed. I scheduled a consult for July 9, 2007.
Initial Reaction
Sep 06, 2007
Ever since I learned about gastric bypass surgery about two years ago, I thought it was too drastic. I thought it was unnecessary and that rerouting your digestive system was unnatural and that God didn't make us that way. I thought it was an option that should only be considered by SMO. When my daughter, 30 y/o, announced about a year ago that she was going to have WLS, I tried to talk her out of it. She was almost 300 pounds and miserable unable to lose weight on diets. She had her surgery on Jan. 9, 2007, and as of Sept. 2007. has lost over 100 pounds. She looks great and feels better. She gently kept suggesting I at least learn more about it and consider it as an answer for me too. She gave me two books and I devoured them. My mind was changed. I am very grateful.
