I finally got approved!

Finally, after struggling since January,  finally got approval from my insurance company!  The doctor's office called me a couple of weeks ago to let me know they had received approval on the appeal we had filed.  I met with the surgeon on July 2nd, and surgery date is July 31st.   Now I am so nervous, I am starting to freak out.  What the heck was I thinking?  Can I really do this?  My kids go back to school on Aug. 2nd, so it's going to be very difficult having the surgery on July 31st.  I have a 3 year old at home and no family around to help out.  My husband is going to take off the week of my surgery, which we honestly can't afford for him to do.  Plus, with him working construction, we are worried that they will lay him off if he takes the whole week off.  But I meet with the surgeon on the 30th, and he wants hubby there for the appointment.  Then I have the surgery the next day.  If all goes well, I will be coming home on Thursday, Aug. 2nd.  So he's going to miss 4 days at least.  I've got my fingers crossed that they understand and don't lay him off.   Oh, I am so nervous.  And I'm afraid something is going to happen to delay this.  I'm trying to get everything ready and feel totally overwhelmed.  Any of ya'll got some advice on what to do and where to start?  I don't know where to find the protein shakes or anything,or where they are the least inexpensive.  Is anything like this covered by insurance RX programs?  I am totally in the dark here.  I never thought I would get approved, and now that I have, I just feel so sick with nerves.  I can't sleep or anything.  Please, any advice will be greatly appreciated and welcome.  I live in Hopkins County, Kentucky, but am having my surgery in Indiana.  Thanks so much!!!  Oh, and please, please pray for us. 

Congrats on your approval!!  Woohoo!

Thanks, AnnoyingLizard and Carla.  Ya'lls support and encouragement is so great!   I guess those are ya'lls names for this board and what I'm suppose to call ya'll.  I'm new to this board and those are the only names I see, so I hope that's right and I didn't offend anyone.   I'm having my surgery at St. Mary's in Evansville, Indiana.  Dr. Throop is my surgeon.  He seems really nice and doesn't talk down to you like some doctor's do, know what I mean?  Anybody else on here have him as your surgeon?  I'm sure a lot of ya'll that have already gone through this have children.  How did you deal with it post-op and take care of your kids?  My 3 year old is a hand full on a good day, and I can't keep up with him now.  There's no way I will be able to handle him right after I get out of the hospital.  We've asked Troy's dad's wife if she would come and stay a week and help out, but she's not sure if she can or not.  They live in Tennessee and only see us once a year as it is.  And I'm a very private person and have never had anyone stay with us before.  I don't know how that'll go if she does come to help out.  Plus seeing as how she's only been around Zachary, my 3 year old, 3 or 4 times, he's not likely to pay much attention to her and behave.  Yeah, he's a little devil.  I'm just sooopo nervous about this.  I've bitten off all of my nails. I am having hot flashes constantly.  And it seems like everything else that can go wrong is.  Our A/C went out.  Troy's car broke down so he's driving our van-leaving me with no vehicle and a crap-load of doctor visits set up, dentists, eye doctors, gastro doctor-follow up from upper & lower endoscopy, etc.  Troy needs a tooth pulled, complains every day about it hurting, but says he can't take off of work to have it pulled.  And my medical bills have buried us financially.  We can't pay our regular bills, much less have anything left over to go towards them.  I've been selling anything and everything I can put my hands on to scrape up money just to keep us going each month.  Heck, I've even started to sell our dogs,  it's gotten that bad.  I just pray that this surgery is a success and my health improves enough for me to be able to return to work.  That would be a blessing and a lifesaver for us.  I know it's going to take a while and will be a long journey, but I can do it.  I've worked too hard to give up now.  One day at a time, that's all I can concentrate on.  Getting through one day at a time.   Ok, I knew talking with ya'll would help and motivate me.  Now I just need to get rest of my stuff in order and my supplies bought and start my vitamins and I'll be on my way.  July 31st, ready or not, Here I Come!   Jenni

Congrats on your approval.  Im sure your husband wont get laid off. Aug is a busy time for construction and its so hard to get good help in that business so im sure he will be needed too bad to let go.  I got protein powder for shakes at Walmart,  the canister is expensive, or i thought so, i think i gave about 24.00 for a large can.  but it lasts a long time and by the time you are through with a can of it you will be getting much more protein in food.  Where are you having your surgery? you said In Indiana but what city and hospital?  The nerves will calm down after the enitial excitement subsides.  Its a once in a lifetime chance to improve your life, its so exciting.  Good Luck to you.  Carla

Carla, did want to say that I was trying to respond to your post with another one, and it put it with the other post.  I'm still new at this.  Just wanted to let you know that I did see yours and appreciated your encouragement.   BTW--What kind of protein powder do you use?  I found one called Spring Valley Soy Protein.  Anyone heard of it or used it?   Jenni

I had surgery on November 21, 2006, and I do have a three year old too (and a nine year old). We explained to the kids that Mommy had surgery, and didn't feel good. That I had some boo-boos, basically, to the three year old. She was really good for me. And my son helped too. We sent them to their regular daycare during the day, though. Are you a SAHM? That might be harder. I felt pretty good after a week though. I was raring to go back to work, and bored as hell at home, so you might be back on your feet then too. Do you have any family locally that could help for the second week after hubby goes back to work? Or could you short-term enroll at a daycare if you are still feeling bad? Just ideas. Linda Vicory

Hi, Linda.  Yes, I'm a SAHM now.  I became disabled in 2004 due to all of my health problems.   I'm hoping this surgery will help improve them enough to let me go back to wok.  So far my disability has not been approved by Social Security; we're going through the final step of meeting before the appeals judge sometime this year (maybe).   I do get bored at home now, but there is no way I can work with all my health problems going on.  I have enough trouble keeping enough energy built up to do housework and look after my 3 year old while the others are in school.  As for family, the simple answer is no one that would help out.  His dad and step-mom live in Tennessee, 8-9 hours away.  And we are estranged from my family and have been since before Zachary was born in 2004.  He's never even met my parents, his grandparents.   We moved here last summer, and I still don't know anyone.  Troy and I have each other to lean on and that's it.  I get very frustrated and lonely lots of times.  And I know he has to get tired of hearing me moan and complain about this problem and that problem, and I hurt here and I hurt there.  The good thing to come from all this is that it has really drawn us closer together.   Daycare would not work b/c we can't afford it.  We are barely paying the bills as it is.  What I'm worried the most about is Zachary likes to wrestle.  And I seem to be his favorite wrestling partner.  He'll catch me watching tv or laying down and yell "ATTACK!" and literally do that.  For a 3 year old, he packs one heck of a punch.  Not to mention the way he likes to jump up and kick his feet out and catch me in the stomach.  He's knocked the breath out of me before.  Like I said, he's a handfull.   We've asked his step-mom to come up for a week and are waiting to hear back from her.  But as she's not use to being around Zachary, she's gonna have her hands full.  If she can manage him for just a few hours a day, that'll help.  Hopefully she'll let me know  something this week.   Jenni

P.S. Could your hubby get FMLA  to take care of you? Then they couldn't lay him off. If he's not eligible for it, I would feel certain he'd get unemployment benefits if he did get layed off.  Linda Vicory

He works out of a union so it's very seasonal work.  He hasn't worked enough this year to draw unemployment.  Work has been very hard to find for the past 3 or 4 years.  And he's driving an hour each way for the job he's on now.  

Hi!! Congrats on your approval! You should be so proud of yourself for taking the steps necessary to get your life back!!  I had my surgery in Dec and I have a 2year old.  My hubby was with me for 3 days after surgery and that was it.  My profile tells the whole story.  But I was alone with my lil gal the whole recovery.  I told her that mama couldn't pick her up and that we were gonna have lots of adventures.  She had to climb on a box and a stool to get into her booster chair to eat and she slept in a sleeping bag on the floor of my room cos I couldn't lift her into her crib.  They are ok if you are ok.  If you are scared or nervous or upset they will be too.  Just make an adventure out of the new things...he will eat it up.  Just make sure that you are following the doc's orders about lifting and resting. It's really important! Best of luck to you!   Hugs, Andrea