smiller8
5/8/2006
May 08, 2006
I had my initial consultation with Dr. Onopchenko today. It went very well. He says that I am an excellent candidate for surgery. He and his staff were very heipful and informative. They helped to put me at ease with the decision that I have made to have gastric bypass surgery. So now I just have to get through all of the pre-op testing. I have already made my appointment for the psych evaluation, 1st nutritional consultation and pulmonary function testing. I still have to make appointment for bloodwork, gall bladder ultrasound, echocardiogram, upper GI & EKG.
I will be having my psych eval tomorrow and the nutritional consultation on Wed 5/10/06. I'll see primary doctor next week for my annual physical exam and to let him know that I have decided to have this surgery.
I called my insurance company again today. This was my third call to them to see if my plan covers gastric bypass. The first time I was told "NO" they don't cover it at all. The second time the rep said that the doctor would have to call. Today I was told that the surgery is covered if it is deemed medically necessary. I'm glad I didn't take the first answer at face value.
I am totally psyched about doing this now. I attended my first support group meeting on 5/1/06. I was totally inspired by some of the stories that I heard and also very impressed with the open atmosphere. I felt that I could ask anything that I wanted. Everyone seemed to be really helpful. You got the feeling that "we're all in this together." That's all for now I update tomorrow after psych eval.
4/23/2006
Apr 23, 2006
My intial consult is scheduled for 5/08/06. I have called and made appointments to have some of my testing done. I am very anxious to get the process started. Waiting is hard. I have been researching surgical weight loss and I have decided that this is the right thing for me. Of course I do have some fears but I believe that God will se me through this. I just want to be healthy at this point. I am only 39. My story is like many others that I have read here. I have been overweight since childhood. I grew up in a family of five girls. I can remember being the one who had to watch what she ate as early as age 10. I have been fighting this battle all of my life and I am so tired of it. I have high blood pressure, diabetes, achy and painful joints, back problems, etc... Over the years I have tried so many diets (Weight Watchers, a Nutritionist, Herbalife, SlimFast,Dexatrim,MediFast,Living Fit, LA Weight Loss,Diet Drops w/B12 shots, and others) I was always able to loose anywhere from 20-40 lbs, but always gained it back and then some. This is evidence of that fact that I do not lack willpower I just need an effective tool to help me. So, I am praying that this work for me. That gastric bypass will be that tool for me.
I will update as I go along this journey; detailing my experiences; the good, the bad and the ugly ! ;-)
