What a DAY!!!!!!!!

What a day today has been! I've been kind of down because it didn't seem like I'd be able to get in to see Dr. Oelschlager for at least 3-4 months and then it would be another 6-8 months or more before I could have the surgery AFTER I did all the prelim stuff (labs, etc.). I really didn't want to wait that long. So, I did some more checking into other doctors in the area and found a doctor in Tacoma (about 2-1/2 hours away), Dr. Rifenbery or something. He's listed on this site. I called the office and the lady who answered (Patti) was INCREDIBLY nice and said yes, they take Tricare but they only do lap RNY and as of the middle of November, Tricare wasn't paying for lap RNYs except at the military instillation (it's a two year wait over there to even get seen). WHAT?! So, I told her that I'd just talked to them the other day and there was no problems with lap RNY. So, she gave me the head guy at Tricare who said she could give his number out to anyone who wanted it so that they could discuss it. So, I called the guy and he said that as of mid-December they were covering lap-RNY anywhere within network. So, I called the doc's office again and told them what the Tricare guy said and she laughed because he'd called her right before I called her back and apologized for not informing them and it was a go!! So, I asked when I could be seen and she said "How about the 17th?" I said, "You mean February or March?" She said, "No, Monday, Jan 17th." I said, "You mean in five days?" and she said, "Yes." WOW! So, I said, "Well, how long after that would I have my surgery?" and she said it was basically up to me. She said that I would be given a list of things to do (labs, psych eval, etc.) and they needed to be done in Federal Way (which is about 2 hours away), etc. and she asked if I was local. I told her that I lived up in Oak Harbor and she said that I could have most everything done where I was at and even one of my consults could be done over the phone so I should only have to come down once for the full exam by the doctor (pre-op). WOW!!!! So, she said depending on how aggressive I was at scheduling these tests and stuff would determine when I would go in for the pre-op consult. Then after I do that, my surgery would be scheduled about 4 weeks after that. WOW!!!!!! I'm so stoked!! So, realistically I could be having my surgery as early as April!! Much better than say November or December!! So, I will be seeing a Dr. Cho who is with Dr. Refenbery's at the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery. He's not listed on this site, but we'll see! Their website is great and informative. (BTW, the website is: www.centerformis.com)

Hey, that's great! Best of luck w/all your pre-op stuff! I'm a Tricare patient too, but open RNY was my only choice as far as what was covered. --Cori

WoW~ That is GREAT news!!! I love it when a plan comes together I'm so happy for you It's nice too that you don't have to make a bunch of trips down here! They sound very accomodating and caring! You go girl! Keep us updated on how things are going please XoXo~ Kimanne

Wow that is two big changes since I had my surgery. First, I know someone that had Dr. Rifenbery do their surgery. She loves him. So, when I was approved to see a surgeon, I called him. His office told me that while he did work with Tricare, he didn't accept it. I had to pay for the surgery up front out of my own pocket. Then they would try and help me get Tricare to reemburse me. And, the second you already know. The lap instead of open RNY. I wanted open, so it wasn't an issue for me. But, I know that is going to make a lot of people happy. I wonder when they are going to update their web site. Congrats on a good day, Hat

Here, I pulled up her profile for you. http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=T1041865768 Check out her pictures on her web site. She looks amazing.

Thank you so much, Hat! I checked out her profile and WOW!!! She looks amazing. From her consult to her surgery was 3 months, that's what I'm hoping for!! I'm glad to see her tattoos because I've got one between my shoulder blades and one on the inside of my left ankle and the outside of my right ankle and I was wondering how the surgery would affect them. Actually, when I reach my goal weight, I'm going to get a tattoo on my hip. I've always wanted one there but I was always afraid it would stretch or look funny if I gained or lost weight. So, when I get to goal after my surgery, I'm going to get one!! I'll probably have the # 350 on it somewhere as an indication of how far I've come!!

That is just wonderful, Michelle!! The waiting is soooooooooooooooo hard!!! Good luck on Monday! Hope you LOVE everything about this doc! Sue

Congratulations Michelle! That was nice of you to give up the clothes. If you change your mind let me know. You'll love being on the losing side. It's not always easy, but just knowing you have the tool to finally lose and just the hope and promise of a better, healthier you is the most amazing feeling. I cry happy tears all the time now just thinking how blessed I am to have another chance at life. Love Diana