Well, I now have an avatar if you can believe it and I did it without any help! Although it is a litle pixelated...said it was 100X100 but, oh well. Maybe one of these days I'll figure out how to actually post a picture! It seems like the days are crawling by as I wait for my first appt. on July 10th. Now I find myself impatient to get on with this now that I've got things moving! Have I mentioned how much I hate Hay? Yes, we live on a farm and are in the midst of haying right now so of course it's hotter than heck and I don't do well in hot weather, needless to say!!! Although I was thinking this morning as I was climbing over a gate while carrying a half bag of feed  for the lambs that for a fat lady with a bmi of 56 I'm still pretty agile! Keeps the arms from getting flabby, at least.Well, I'd better sign off and go feed the orphan kittens in the barn and check the water tubs. MY, MY I lead such an exciting life!!

Well, the fun continues!! This afternoon the surgeon's office called and said the insurance approval had come through to them so I now have my first appt. with the internist on July 10 and first appointment for psych eval and appt. with the surgeon on July 25. I don't think I'll be on the surgery schedule until probably end of August or into September. I keep trying to tell myself to be patient but now that I've started this I can't wait to have the surgery! My Mom is as excited as I am. She has been my biggest supporter in this, as is my sister. My kids don't care one way or another (I'm just Mom and they love me anyway). My hubby is not thrilled with the surgery idea mainly because he is severely allergic to anything that involves a medical facility(LOL)!! He is just afraid that something will go wrong(he's also a professional worry wart!) So I don't talk about it much to him because then he sits and stews about it. I have told a couple of co-workers that are good friends and they were supportive also. I don't understand why I'm somewhat hesitant to talk to anyone about this....if I was having my gall bladder out or a joint replacement or something , I would tell people and no one would think anything of it. I do find that since becoming an OH addict(LOL) I'm more able to discuss this with others, I guess because I no longer feel so alone in this problem. I feel like a whole new world of people has opened up to me! Thanks everyone on OH!!!!

I have decided to track everything here in my blog in my weight loss journey. On May 14, 2007 I finally got brave and attended an informational meeting at MMPC in Grand Rapids MI. I am very fortunate that I have available to me a group of surgeons and Bariartric Center at Spectrum Health with a great success record. I can't believe after reading other's stories how far some of you have to go just to receive decent care. Well, I filled out reams of paperwork and made an appointment with my PCP to get insurance authorization. I actually had to gain 4 lbs. so that I could qualify without co-morbidities! I have never in my life tried to GAIN weight and it was harder than I thought it would be!! It took me 5 weeks to gain barely 4 lbs but it put me at a BMI of 55.6 which was what I needed to qualify. This was on June 4 that my Dr. faxed the paperwork to my insurance and she told me it would take about a week or so before I would hear anything, but after all the horror stories of insurance companies I had read about here I kept telling myself not to get my hopes up. And if they required more of me I was just going to do what I had to to get approval. Then on June 14th when I got the mail there was a letter from Priority Health! I hardly dared to open it.....I actually felt sick when I saw it! But I opened it and very cautiously peeked inside and there it was-I WAS APPROVED!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it after only 8 working days! Of course I ran right home and called the surgeon's office to ask what I needed to do next. They said they were just waiting for insurance approval and when I told them I had just received it in the mail, she said they should get it either Thurs. or Friday and would call me to schedule appointments as soon as it came through to them. I am so excited, can't wait to get this process going.