techytina
October 3, 2008
Oct 03, 2008
Found out that Dr. Nusbaum is not in my network. Insurance will only pay 70% of the surgery. Called insurance company today and they have removed weight restriction for approval.
I have called my previous surgeon's office to ask them what they require for me to take the next steps with them. Dr. Apkin is in network.
Got a call back from Dr. Apkins office. His office requires that I have a BMI of 60 or less. I feel like banging my head against the wall.
I have called my previous surgeon's office to ask them what they require for me to take the next steps with them. Dr. Apkin is in network.
Got a call back from Dr. Apkins office. His office requires that I have a BMI of 60 or less. I feel like banging my head against the wall.
So Far
Sep 26, 2008
July 2007 - Finally made the decision to have the Gastric Bypass Surgery. Not sure what steps to take from here, but I will do what I need to do in order to make this happen.
Have attended two Gastric Bypass seminars.
September 2007 - Met with Dr Apkin, weighed in at 375. Need to make appointment with nutritionist for consultation as well as psychologist to see if I am right in the head to have the surgery. Also need to take an online course from Dr Apkin's office to make sure that I am serious about the surgery. Need to go for labs too.
Sept 2007 - The lab forgot to do some of the tests. Need to go back again.
October 2007 - Met with the Nutritionist. Told me things I already knew. I can't lose weight because my body is holding on to every ounce of fat it stores. Need to meet with Psychiatrist, but he doesn't take credit cards. Only cash or checks. Need to come back.
November 2007 - Met with Psychiatrist. Passed with flying colors. Of course I'm serious about the surgery. I am not playing around when I stated that I want to live in order to play with my son and stick around to see him graduate college.
Got a call from the doctor's office. Cannot proceed with surgery according to my damned insurance company unless I weigh 335 or less. What the F**K. Makes no sense to me. I have to lose weight in order to lose weight?
Only one option. I will have to go this on my own and hope I don't die in the meantime.
February 2008 - I have come to the end of my rope with the crazy bitch that I work with. Between her and my weight, I can't take it any longer. I need to do something radically different. Unbeknownst to me, Bruce and my sister have been working on an intervention behind my back to send me away to a facility.
I couldn't believe my ears. I called up my friend who works with my husband and she told me about it. I called the facility immediately. I was at the end of my rope and needed help. I didn't think that I could take the time for myself and do anything like go away and get treatment. But it is essential.
I have a date. March 4th I fly out to California to the number one eating disorder clinic in the country.
March 2008 - What a remarkable experience. I have been burying my problems for so long and putting myself so far down on my own priority list that I didn't realize how desperately I needed help. I can see clearly now that I needed this intensive therapy and straightening out of my eating. The doctors here suggest highly that I seek a gastric bypass. I try to explain what happened the last time I tried to get one.
April 2008 - Back home how. More positive about the future. Still very much obese and in pain, but hopeful. I have been weighed since I started the clinic, but have not been told how much I weigh. I will be seeing a nutritionist soon to continue my healthy eating.
May 2008 - Worrying about going back to work. Not sure if I can go back to the insane asylum that I worked for and retain any self respect. I was working 60 - 90 hours per week. I wasn't having any quality time at home with my son or my husband. Everything centered around my poisonous job.
Still slowly losing a pound or two, according to the nutritionist.
June 2008 - Went back to work for one day and quit the next. Realized that it was the same old story as soon as I got back there. Nothing had changed. So I had to be the change that I saw. I know that this is going to put a financial strain on my family, but I need to make this change.
July 2008 - My psychiatrist has sent me to an IOP program for depression. He changed my anti-depressant medication. It isn't working and he thinks that this will help. I realize that being morbidly obese doesn't exactly make me a happy camper either.
August 2008 - IOP program is over. Interesting enough, learned some new things about coping. Made a few new friends. Can't go on vacation this year because of finances.
September 21, 2008 - A friend in Rotary pulled me aside today. She has an appointment with a Dr. Nussbaum in Livingston soon. She believes that he will be the surgeon to do her surgery. He is willing to work with her in order to make her surgery happen. I would like to think that this is the case for her. However, she doesn't weigh as much as I do. I wish her well. I told her that I would call him. I am not getting my hopes up too high. I still have to fight the insurance battle. I have so little energy left for it right now, I feel like giving up.
September 22, 2008 - Called and made an appointment with Dr. Nussbaum for October 3rd. I am sure that I won't have to go through the nuritionist and psych consult again. I have sleep apnea and elevated cholesterol too. We'll see what happens.
Have attended two Gastric Bypass seminars.
September 2007 - Met with Dr Apkin, weighed in at 375. Need to make appointment with nutritionist for consultation as well as psychologist to see if I am right in the head to have the surgery. Also need to take an online course from Dr Apkin's office to make sure that I am serious about the surgery. Need to go for labs too.
Sept 2007 - The lab forgot to do some of the tests. Need to go back again.
October 2007 - Met with the Nutritionist. Told me things I already knew. I can't lose weight because my body is holding on to every ounce of fat it stores. Need to meet with Psychiatrist, but he doesn't take credit cards. Only cash or checks. Need to come back.
November 2007 - Met with Psychiatrist. Passed with flying colors. Of course I'm serious about the surgery. I am not playing around when I stated that I want to live in order to play with my son and stick around to see him graduate college.
Got a call from the doctor's office. Cannot proceed with surgery according to my damned insurance company unless I weigh 335 or less. What the F**K. Makes no sense to me. I have to lose weight in order to lose weight?
Only one option. I will have to go this on my own and hope I don't die in the meantime.
February 2008 - I have come to the end of my rope with the crazy bitch that I work with. Between her and my weight, I can't take it any longer. I need to do something radically different. Unbeknownst to me, Bruce and my sister have been working on an intervention behind my back to send me away to a facility.
I couldn't believe my ears. I called up my friend who works with my husband and she told me about it. I called the facility immediately. I was at the end of my rope and needed help. I didn't think that I could take the time for myself and do anything like go away and get treatment. But it is essential.
I have a date. March 4th I fly out to California to the number one eating disorder clinic in the country.
March 2008 - What a remarkable experience. I have been burying my problems for so long and putting myself so far down on my own priority list that I didn't realize how desperately I needed help. I can see clearly now that I needed this intensive therapy and straightening out of my eating. The doctors here suggest highly that I seek a gastric bypass. I try to explain what happened the last time I tried to get one.
April 2008 - Back home how. More positive about the future. Still very much obese and in pain, but hopeful. I have been weighed since I started the clinic, but have not been told how much I weigh. I will be seeing a nutritionist soon to continue my healthy eating.
May 2008 - Worrying about going back to work. Not sure if I can go back to the insane asylum that I worked for and retain any self respect. I was working 60 - 90 hours per week. I wasn't having any quality time at home with my son or my husband. Everything centered around my poisonous job.
Still slowly losing a pound or two, according to the nutritionist.
June 2008 - Went back to work for one day and quit the next. Realized that it was the same old story as soon as I got back there. Nothing had changed. So I had to be the change that I saw. I know that this is going to put a financial strain on my family, but I need to make this change.
July 2008 - My psychiatrist has sent me to an IOP program for depression. He changed my anti-depressant medication. It isn't working and he thinks that this will help. I realize that being morbidly obese doesn't exactly make me a happy camper either.
August 2008 - IOP program is over. Interesting enough, learned some new things about coping. Made a few new friends. Can't go on vacation this year because of finances.
September 21, 2008 - A friend in Rotary pulled me aside today. She has an appointment with a Dr. Nussbaum in Livingston soon. She believes that he will be the surgeon to do her surgery. He is willing to work with her in order to make her surgery happen. I would like to think that this is the case for her. However, she doesn't weigh as much as I do. I wish her well. I told her that I would call him. I am not getting my hopes up too high. I still have to fight the insurance battle. I have so little energy left for it right now, I feel like giving up.
September 22, 2008 - Called and made an appointment with Dr. Nussbaum for October 3rd. I am sure that I won't have to go through the nuritionist and psych consult again. I have sleep apnea and elevated cholesterol too. We'll see what happens.
