sherryh
i get what this is about
Jan 28, 2007
I think people automatically think that those having gastric bypass surgery or losing weight in general think it will make us happy. I know this isn't about a quick fix to mental health or improved self esteem or any of that. I know i will feel better (which translates to feelng happier) if i lose weight. i'm not naive enough to think that my life will be perfect after the surgery. i know that life has it's ups and downs, which won't change if i lose weight. for me, it's 90 percent about feeling right sized. and it's 10 percent about having more choices about what i wear.
my sleep study is next week. i hope someday soon i can sleep better.
my sleep study is next week. i hope someday soon i can sleep better.
i'm feeling blue .....
Jan 26, 2007
Welllllllllllllllll, looks like i have some work ahead of me. I got two letters from my insurance company, both of them denying payment for the doc's appts i've already had. i got the invoices a while ago, letting me know this might happen, so it's not a complete surprise. I was on the phone with them for a half hour today. The clinic i'm going to is out of network. I'm appealing it, and my doctor's office knows and will help with the appeal, but it still sucks. You know how when you are feeling overwhelmed already and then you have ONE MORE THING to do that feels like it will send you right. over. the. edge.?
so, i sat in my car and cried for a while and then called my doctor's office. I'm to blame ultimately, but I haven't ever dealt with a referral out of my network ...so everytime i've been referred to a specialist in the last 3 years, it's just been a coincidence that it's been in my network. and since i talked about it with my doctor and he referred me there, i thought i was all set. word to the wise: a referral does not mean your insurance company will pay for it. best to be sure ahead of time.
In addition to that lovelyness, i got a heads up from the woman i talked to that they might not allow me to have the rny there either, since there are in-network doctors that do the same thing. the part in my favor is that i've already established a relationship with the folks at this clinic ..and not just the doctors. AND when i called the closest hospital that had a bariatric program, the program was suspended for an open-ended period of time.
i did, however, make sure that my sleep study (scheduled for Feb. 5) is covered and i'm all set there. But i really have to do lots of work, along with my doctor, before i proceed any farther. I'm have almost $1000 worth of outstanding bills right now ...that i may be responsible for.
It's all a big pain in the butt. but, i'm going to just pray about it and continue to do the footwork.
I swear, all of the footwork around this is like a parttime job. i really have a lot more appreciation for those of you who have completed the process. And so much for those folks who think of this as the "easy way out" huh?? Just this part would put most people in a psych ward ...and that's just scratching the surface.
so, i sat in my car and cried for a while and then called my doctor's office. I'm to blame ultimately, but I haven't ever dealt with a referral out of my network ...so everytime i've been referred to a specialist in the last 3 years, it's just been a coincidence that it's been in my network. and since i talked about it with my doctor and he referred me there, i thought i was all set. word to the wise: a referral does not mean your insurance company will pay for it. best to be sure ahead of time.
In addition to that lovelyness, i got a heads up from the woman i talked to that they might not allow me to have the rny there either, since there are in-network doctors that do the same thing. the part in my favor is that i've already established a relationship with the folks at this clinic ..and not just the doctors. AND when i called the closest hospital that had a bariatric program, the program was suspended for an open-ended period of time.
i did, however, make sure that my sleep study (scheduled for Feb. 5) is covered and i'm all set there. But i really have to do lots of work, along with my doctor, before i proceed any farther. I'm have almost $1000 worth of outstanding bills right now ...that i may be responsible for.
It's all a big pain in the butt. but, i'm going to just pray about it and continue to do the footwork.
I swear, all of the footwork around this is like a parttime job. i really have a lot more appreciation for those of you who have completed the process. And so much for those folks who think of this as the "easy way out" huh?? Just this part would put most people in a psych ward ...and that's just scratching the surface.
sleep study scheduled!
Jan 19, 2007
i'm very psyched that i did some looking around and asking around. I got my sleep study scheduled 5 weeks earlier when i went to another hospital to see if they could do it. It's not just about it conflicting with my surgery date (because we all know anything can happen) but also, i'm not sleeping! i am up gasping for breath, snoring loud enough to wake the dead and suffering with a headache most mornings. it sucks. I have a headache now and I woke up with it. ugh. am going out to sleep in my car for a while. i'm at work, my house is 15 minutes away. but it's warm in my car and i can take some aspiriin and chill for a while.
i found out, too, that i have to send 5 years worth of my weight history to my doctor's office in boston.
one of my friends commented that she isn't sure she would do all of this work. it's funny ..there is a lot to do to prepare for this surgery. i don't mind it at all but the medical community (along with insurance companies) is sometimes so challenging. Everyone is very helpful, but stuff moves along so slowly.
On a different note, i start PT next week to deal with my ailing knee. I have either a flipped, torn or bruised meniscus ligament that i've had since last June. I am ready to start some walking but of course my knee is preventing anything that would be considered more than a stroll. and we have no snow here, so i'd really like to get out there. I'll be happy when this feels better.
i've also made a commitment to no more new clothes. it's hard because i love buying new clothes. bottom line is that i don't need any ....and when i lose, i can have fun buying them.
i found out, too, that i have to send 5 years worth of my weight history to my doctor's office in boston.
one of my friends commented that she isn't sure she would do all of this work. it's funny ..there is a lot to do to prepare for this surgery. i don't mind it at all but the medical community (along with insurance companies) is sometimes so challenging. Everyone is very helpful, but stuff moves along so slowly.
On a different note, i start PT next week to deal with my ailing knee. I have either a flipped, torn or bruised meniscus ligament that i've had since last June. I am ready to start some walking but of course my knee is preventing anything that would be considered more than a stroll. and we have no snow here, so i'd really like to get out there. I'll be happy when this feels better.
i've also made a commitment to no more new clothes. it's hard because i love buying new clothes. bottom line is that i don't need any ....and when i lose, i can have fun buying them.
freaking out
Jan 16, 2007
Okay, so i got my pulmonary guy to fax the referral to a sleep clinic in another town so that i can have it done sooner. This place is an hour away and they operate 4 beds, 7 nights a week. So, that is making me feel way better. Waiting for a call now.
I also heard from the surgery scheduler in Boston, who gave me a tentative surgery date for March 19. I haven't even seen the doc yet and i don't see him until March 5. I was starting to freak out, thinking it was good/scary that i was going to get things going so quickly. Then i called her back and found out that she meant April 19, not March 19. WHEW.
So, after the sleep study, i fax the results down to my internist, and they'll forward all of my stuff to the insurance company. My insurance company covers the surgery and the surgery scheduler is faxing a preliminary certification to them this week and then we'll know if they need any more info.
I'm still nervous about telling my boss that i'll be out in april/may because i'm afraid to trust that it's really going to happen, you know?
in between my first appt. with my surgeon and my surgery date, i have lots of stuff to do at the clinic (learn how to eat, what to expect, etc.) and i'm psyched for that.
soooooooo many things going through my mind right now.
whew.
I also heard from the surgery scheduler in Boston, who gave me a tentative surgery date for March 19. I haven't even seen the doc yet and i don't see him until March 5. I was starting to freak out, thinking it was good/scary that i was going to get things going so quickly. Then i called her back and found out that she meant April 19, not March 19. WHEW.
So, after the sleep study, i fax the results down to my internist, and they'll forward all of my stuff to the insurance company. My insurance company covers the surgery and the surgery scheduler is faxing a preliminary certification to them this week and then we'll know if they need any more info.
I'm still nervous about telling my boss that i'll be out in april/may because i'm afraid to trust that it's really going to happen, you know?
in between my first appt. with my surgeon and my surgery date, i have lots of stuff to do at the clinic (learn how to eat, what to expect, etc.) and i'm psyched for that.
soooooooo many things going through my mind right now.
whew.
sleep, or lack thereof
Jan 15, 2007
I just got an email this morning about my sleep study. I'm scheduled for March 10. grrrrrrrr.
This is the time line for that:
Oct. 30: Doc in Boston suggested that i might have sleep apnea and suggests a sleep study.
Nov. 5: Called PCP to see about sleep study. because of the way the hospital/clinic works here, I had to see a pulmonary/cardiac/lung disease specialist first.
Dec. 10: Saw pulmonary doc. he agreed with internist about sleep apnea. put in referral for sleep study.
Dec. 29: I drop off reams of materials (questionaires and such) at hospital for sleep study personnel.
Jan 4: I e-mail the sleep study scheduler about when i might get a date. she tells me she is creating a schedule that weekend and i'll know soon.
Jan 12: i e-mail the scheduler again and ask how i will hear -- from the doctor, from her, via the phone, a letter, or an e-mail -- about the study. she writes back that afternoon and tells me that i will get a letter.
Jan 15: Sleep study scheduler sends me an email letting me know my date is on a saturday, March 10.
I have no problem with waiting for that, but i'm afraid that, since my appt with the surgeon is on March 5, that i'm going to not be able to get things in place (CPap or whatever) for a month before the surgery, which is what my doc wants. AND, i really wanted to avoid being off during the summer months. It's not about waiting that long for the surgery (i'd hate to wait until September or something but May or June isn't that far away ...) but my office is very heavy on long-term employees, so there are lots of vacations scheduled to taken during those months. i oftentimes am peeved with my coworkers but i don't want to do anything to make things even harder, you know?
anyway, i'm going to call my pcp today and see if he can refer me elsewhere and i'm going to email my internist in boston and see what he might suggest.
thanks for reading.
This is the time line for that:
Oct. 30: Doc in Boston suggested that i might have sleep apnea and suggests a sleep study.
Nov. 5: Called PCP to see about sleep study. because of the way the hospital/clinic works here, I had to see a pulmonary/cardiac/lung disease specialist first.
Dec. 10: Saw pulmonary doc. he agreed with internist about sleep apnea. put in referral for sleep study.
Dec. 29: I drop off reams of materials (questionaires and such) at hospital for sleep study personnel.
Jan 4: I e-mail the sleep study scheduler about when i might get a date. she tells me she is creating a schedule that weekend and i'll know soon.
Jan 12: i e-mail the scheduler again and ask how i will hear -- from the doctor, from her, via the phone, a letter, or an e-mail -- about the study. she writes back that afternoon and tells me that i will get a letter.
Jan 15: Sleep study scheduler sends me an email letting me know my date is on a saturday, March 10.
I have no problem with waiting for that, but i'm afraid that, since my appt with the surgeon is on March 5, that i'm going to not be able to get things in place (CPap or whatever) for a month before the surgery, which is what my doc wants. AND, i really wanted to avoid being off during the summer months. It's not about waiting that long for the surgery (i'd hate to wait until September or something but May or June isn't that far away ...) but my office is very heavy on long-term employees, so there are lots of vacations scheduled to taken during those months. i oftentimes am peeved with my coworkers but i don't want to do anything to make things even harder, you know?
anyway, i'm going to call my pcp today and see if he can refer me elsewhere and i'm going to email my internist in boston and see what he might suggest.
thanks for reading.
anxiety
Jan 08, 2007
It's 4:10 a.m. and i'm up writing here because i can't sleep. I'm still waiting on my sleep study and although my doctor suspects i have sleep apnea, i'm not even going to get in for the study for probably another month or month and a half ... and then i'll have to wait another month for the results. Then i'll have to wait for an appt. with the pulmonary doc. and i'm not the most patient person in the world when it comes to this stuff. So, i wake up gasping for breath or i wake myself up from snoring ... and can't go back to sleep. as a result, i'm sleep deprived and falling asleep at my desk every day. UGH.
I'm trying to pray for gracious acceptance for the things that happen in my life. I know that i'm not driving this bus.
I'm trying to pray for gracious acceptance for the things that happen in my life. I know that i'm not driving this bus.
About Me
NH
Location
47.3
BMI
Jan 02, 2007
Member Since
