5/29/08
My Cardiologist Dr. Monte Slatton's Office just called with bad news; I have a blockage and Moderate A1 Insufficiency (I have a leakage in the main aorta) with Inferoapical Ischemia! My lungs are healthy but my heart needs repairing before I can be accepted as a patient for Bariatric Surgery. They might have to put a stint in... they'll know more when I go for my Cardiac Catheterization on June 16th!  I go back and talk to my Cardiologist on June 11th and they'll explain all and get me ready for the procedure! I have to have this done before the Cardiologist will give me a clean bill of health for Bariatric Surgery. So it's kind of a good thing that I wanted the Gastric Bypass... no telling how long I would have gone with out the stress test and radioactive echocardiogram etc. This is why the Insurance company requires these kind of specialists testing before they will approve and pay for WLS. "God is Good!"

5/28/08
I finished 2 days of testing at the Cardiology Center of Amarillo. I had never had a Stress test before and I am now waiting to see if I did well. The 27th they did a Treadmill Stress tests with an IV of Radioactive solution, then an Echocar-diogram and lastly pictures of my heart where I had to lie still with my arms over my head for 11 minutes. Then today the 28th I had to have Resting pictures again for 11 minutes in the same picture machine… this time the Radioactive solution was just injected into my arm and we had to wait 30 minutes before the pictures were taken. Being STILL is something I hate to do, LOL!  I just did a Google search and this procedure is called “ A Myoview stress test!” My Cardiologist Dr. Monte Slatton will call me in a day or two and go over my test results. I hope I passed and am healthy enough for RNY surgery. I am supposed to ask him what my “Ejection Fraction is?” My oldest daughter Michelle is an ER-RN and wants to know if it is 50% or higher… kind of neat to have my kids worry about me for a change! LOL

5/19/08  
Went to BSA Hospital in Amarillo for a Breathing Test and Chest X-Rays. My husband and I were really impressed with BSA. From the hospital we went to my Pulmonologist Dr. Alfred E. Conde for my exam and consultation of the tests at BSA. I passed both with flying colors. My swimming a mile three times a week with fins, mask & snorkel really helped me get great breathing test results.  I see my Dietician Marilyn Baird again tomorrow 5/21/08; here in Borger at GPCH… this will start my second month of three, under her care in preparing me for Aetna’s approval for Bariatric Surgery. Then on 5/27/08 I have my Appointment with the Cardiology Center of Amarillo. This will be #3 of the 4 required specialists I have to see for Aetna to approve my laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). 

 5/06/08
 I started a 3-month program with a Dietician recommended by Dr. Crum's Office on April 22, 2008. This is the first step in my eligibility requirements for Aetna's approval for Bariatric Surgery. My husband Gary who supports me 100% in my decision to have Gastric Bypass surgery is taking me to Dr. Crum's Support Group Meeting in Amarillo tomorrow at 6 pm. He wants to meet Dr. Crum, we are anxious to meet the surgeon who will give me a New Healthier Life, to share with my husband for the rest of our lives!