A little good news

Hi everyone, This is only my second time to try to mail a message and sound a little more happy. I have been looking at this surgery for over 2 years now and may be seeing a positive note. The first time I went to Grand Rapids I was told to go home and gain 20 pounds well I love food- Junk food, greasey food candy chips you name something thats not good for you and I liked it. I love Mcdonalds and thier diet coke. I think I could tell you where every Mcdonalds is in the state of Michigan. I tried very had for 3 months (over the christmas holidays) and I could not gain a pound very devested. So put the idea on the back burner. Started to look at the idea again in November or 2005 have been going to support group meetings every month. My doctor was helping every way she could then more health issues came up (yeah) bone spurs on my heals on meds for acid reflux and high choles,lower back pain ,knee pain, I am just carring around too much extra weight and my body is rebelling. Took over a month to get doc records to ypsi. got the call that they recieved them and they said the documentation looks great******* that was their word. I still think I will get denied the first go around, but am much more hopefull. Trying not to get to excited ---my best freind has her ban done the middle of May. Boy its hard not to be jealolus but I know God is in control and all in due time for me. The good thing is if I do get approved I dont work all summer long and my kids are 14 and 15 so they do good taking care of themselves. Husband is very scared, just doesnt understand why I can not control this myself. At first very much against this but I have expalined to him this is NOT the easy way out I am going to have to work my butt off ( I hope so ). I also told him I love him very much our 4 children and our grandson (with another on the way) I want to be here and enjoy them. after a day with the grandbaby I am exhusted. I also work at a christian preschool and teach the 3 year olds I keep using the excuse Im just getting to old but the fact is Im just getting to heavy. Well I hope to hear something maybe in a couple of weeks. Iam so sick of not eating healthy---I want to feel good and cant wait to tie my shoes without feeling like im going to black out due to lack of oxegen. 20th wedding avviversery dec of 2007 would love to be back in a size 10. I know I have rattled long enough keep me in your prayers. Ann

Hi Ann: I'll keep you in my prayers! I know all about waiting on this surgery and the approval process. You simply have to let the wheels grind on and keep at it. A size ten would be easily do-able in the time frame you're talking about once approved, I bet! I am in a size 8 for the first time since 6th grade! I would have been considered a light weight to some on this board, but I still have taken off 115 lbs. You will see energy that you never knew existed as the weight comes off. The fact of the matter is, once we get to that 40 BMI and over 100 lbs. over weight, there is only 1% (maybe) of the whole population that will EVER be able to lose the weight and keep it off for life. That might help your husband understand your situation. I wrote to you before, but never heard back from you, so I am glad to see you post again. It's so much easier to come on this board and have others encourage you. If you would like, my husband could talk to yours. My hubby was really frightened for me, too! He had a nightmare the night before my surgery that I died (he didn't tell me about this for weeks afterward). I was totally at ease, I'd done the research and the praying and I know I was lead to MMPC and the doctor there. He is a Christian, too! Okay, any questions, please e-mail me and I'll help where I can! Take care, Pam in Paw Paw

Hi Pam Wow I didnt realize you were only in Paw Paw, Im just in south haven. Did you go though Grand rapids or Holland? I am going through dr. schram I really like him and just love his staff in Holland they are always very helpful and positive the last time i went i was totally at the point of giving up with kind loving encourgement I came home feeling much better. My bmi is only a 39 because i am almost 5' 9" tall I think my paperwork went in at 5' 8 1/2 my weight is at about 260 which to me is well over 100 pounds to loose, I would love to get back to 150 and buy some clothes that dont have X's on them, last airplane ride I could barely get the belt on. Im not real good on the computer but I know how to get on alot of different sights and have been reading everything I can get my hands on. More than anything I just want to feel healthy, Thanks for your prayers they are so important to me. Iknow through him all things are possiable, some times we just have to wait on his timming. Ill try to write later Ann in South Haven

Ann, You and I have met at the Holland support group meeting back in March. At the end of the meeting you and I discussed Aetna and the difficulty in getting approved. I was denied the first time and just found out earlier this week my denial was overturned. Keep you spirit high and thinking positive thoughts. And don't be discouraged if you are denied. You can always appeal and Barix will help you with that. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

How Cool you got your approval !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do remember meeting you in Holland. My paperwork will be submitted this coming week trying to stay calm, Like I said i expect to be denied the first time and am ready for my appeal. I thought I read on someone mail that You can pay for your doctor to talk directly with the insurance company I dont remember what its called and it only cost like 25 dollars but they may have a different fee. I fell very sure that my doctor would do this for me. I think Erin said that I'll have to go though and look at her e-mail. My friend Shelley that was with me has her pretesting done on the 9th of May I am going with her and then we are going to try to make it to Holland for the support group meeting. She is have the ban done the following week. There was another person who just had RNY (lap) done I talked to her a week after the surgery and she had made herself very sick by eating a whole can of green beans----Then the next week had a piece of pizza I was so angry with her how stupid to put your body through that. I dont think this tool is going to help her she is not serious about this at all. I also asked her if she had been out walking and she said no because her kids wouldn't go with her oh my i almost lost my mind Well I will try to learn from her mistakes. I'll keep in touch with you.

Ann, I will also be at the next Holland meeting, so I will look forward to seeing you and your friend Shelley again. I couldn't make it to last months meeting because I couldn't find a babysitter. I will keep my fingers crossed for you in getting approved. I know it seems like an uphill battle. In my case, barix has not gotten the official letter from Aetna, so I am getting very antsy. But then once they do the the approval letter I have to wait for Dr. Schram to sign off on it and then give it to the scheduler.....I am asking myself how long is this going to take. I have a ton of company coming to visit in May. So that means I have to put the surgery off until June. Well it may be mid to the end of June because I have two weddings to shoot in the beginning of June ( Im a photographer). Don't you feel like this whole process is a situation of : if it isn't one thing than it is another!!!! Hopefully by the end of July, we will all be losers --right! Again, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers while you wait for the approval...Maybe we will be in the hospital on the same day...wouldn't that be a hoot!

I am thankful that I dont have to do the babysitter issues any more. Mine are 14 and 15 ----though somedays its seems like they need a babysitter or a referre. Still waiting to hear from Julie at barix had to get another year of medical information fax in. want to make sure that she has recieved it. This waiting game can really begin to play on your nerves. Hope to hear something soon,but not wanting to set myself up for the daily letdown. My friend Shelley is going on a cruuise next week with her mom and thats probably when Ill hear something. I sure hope so. How long did Aetna take for you? I would love to have the surgery early this summer and drop some serious weight before school starts again this fall. I know I would feel so much better. Even short distance walks a winding me. Need to run to get some dinner ready husband is working 12 hours a day so I like to have a decent meal ready for him. Looking forward to the next support group meeting. Shelly and I will be returning from Ypsi (her pretesting) we"ll probaly be pretty excited, but she is beginning to get a little nervous, I just keep reminding her that her mom dosent have knees anymore and this way shelly will be able to have knees. Talk to you soon. Ann