Tanette
Hi My name is Tanette and I currently have my date scheduled for December 11th, 2008. Wow this has been a long journey for me. I have been overweight as long as I can remember. It is something that has always bothered me. I feel like I have been on a diet my whole life and failed miserabley. I am to the point now that I cannot even look at a picture of my self without being so disquisted. My problem is I don't feel as bad as I look, until I look in the mirror and am faced with reality. My mom's friend had the surgery last April and has told me her whole experience she says she has no regrets. So I made the first step in contacting her doctor. When I called Dr. Coirins office they said before they could schedule a surgery that I needed to attend a seminar. So in June I went down to Modesto and went to a 3 hour seminar. I had done a lot of research on line but it was good to hear it in person. After the seminar I was positive I was ready to have the surgery. I scheduled a doctors appointment and went into the doctors in July, only to find out that Blue Cross sometimes requires the hospital to be a "Center Of Excellance" which of course this hospital was not. So back to square one now I needed to find a doctor with a hospital that was covered. That's when I found Valleycare In Pleasanton CA. I called and they referred me to Dr. Nguyen, his staff was very friendly and made me an appointment. I went down and learned what a process I had to go through to have the surgery. It was night and day difference between the two doctors. The new doctor requires you to go thru 10 courses that are 2 and half hours long, you need to lose 5% of your body weight (The first doctor just requires to to stay at the same weight as your consultation, and no classes besides the seminar). And of couse both doctors require the Psy. evaluation and dietary review. Also before they will even schedule your surgery you have to complete half the classes and lose half the weight. Well I finally made it I finished all the classes and I've lost 10 pounds I only have 3 more to go before the surgery. I can't explain how much I dislike everything I have gone thru. I feel like everything Valleycare Weight loss center has to offer is great, but I don't like how everything is required. I really think its a big waste of time. They could make the courses 1 hour but instead they draw them out. I feel like I'm back in High School or something. The nurse seems to be on a power trip wanting me to fail. It seems like they keeping throwing things at me. When I first went to the doctors I was a smoker, They said I had to quit which I knew because of the first doctor who said 6 weeks before. Well not the new Valley care weight loss center they require 3 months. I wanted to have my surgery in the beginning of November but that was 2 weeks too early because of smoking. I quit the day of my first doctors appointment which I am extremly happy about. You would think I would get encouragement from the center. I got the opposite, when ever I would talk about a date they would say so rudely you smoke, and I would tell them I quit. Then I live 3 hours away from the office for the classes the first lady I talked to said I could do them by home study but the director of the program shot me down saying well you have 3 months because you smoked so you can take them by phone. I'm a waitress I work 5 nights a week I have 2 nights with my husband the last thing I want to do is sit on the phone for 2 1/2 hours. Anyway I did it and now I have the surgery scheduled, now I just got a call from that nurse saying she needs my weight because if Im not close she will have to reschedule my surgery. For the love of God I have only 3 more pounds to lose. I'm sure I will lose that when I can't eat for the two days prior to the surgery. I honestly feel like they want me to give up. Thanksgiving is two days away and I plan on staying on my diet so I can make sure to lose the last of the weight so they don't reschedule. I work in a resort community which we make all of our money during the Holidays when people are up at their cabins. My surgery was first scheduled for Dec. 1st which was perfect my husband had that week off from work, it was right after Thanksgiving which gave me 4 weeks to recover before Christmas week. Then they called and said the hospital could not do that date and we would have to reschedule for the 9th. I had no choice this was the next date available, which now only gave me 2 and a half weeks recovery. Then they called 1 week later saying they had to reschedule again now its the 11th which gives me less time, all my family and friends work during this time. It just doesn't matter to them what works for you. I would reschedule for later but I deductable resets at the end of the year which I have already met for this year. With the economy so bad I just can't afford to wait any longer. IM SO FRUSTRATED!!! I just keep telling myself you have come this far just jump thru a few more hoops and it should be here. Gosh I can't wait for December 11th The first day of my new life. I'll keep posting.
