buglebird
01/07/04: I actually started my profile about 9 months ago. Since then, I have finally had my ankle pain diagnosed. I had ruptured the posterior tibial tendon, and I underwent corrective surgery 06/09/03. My surgeon performed a tendon transfer to reinforce the ruptured tendon, fused a joint in my foot to re-create the fallen arch, and also performed a gastroc slide in my calf muscle. Recovery time is approximately 18 months. I still feel pain (although it is slowly improving) and have to sit a lot of the time, which sure isn't helping my weight situation any. I have been warned by my orthpedic surgeon that my surgery WILL fail unless I lose weight. The surgery was not completely successful and my Dr. may have to perform another corrective surgery, but once he heard that I am trying for WLS, he decided to hold off and see if weight loss alone can help the existing situation. MY PCP sent a letter to my insurance company (Premera Blue Cross) requesting WLS in the spring of 2003. I was denied, and also learned that they don't cover WLS...no way, no how. Luckily, I had another option. The school district I work for also uses Group Health, which DOES cover the surgery, although there are a few hoops to jump through, first, so I switched insurance in 09/03. I am now in the process of hoop-jumping, and hope to have surgery in July or August 2004. In the meantime, I have been to a nearby support group meeting, and hope to be able to attend it more regularly in the near future. Wish me luck!
07/06/04: Well, I'm almost finished jumping the insurance hoops. Group Health requires 6 months of an approved and supervised weight loss program (i.e. Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc.), a psychological evaluation, and pre-payment of a year-long post-op weight loss management program ($1450.00 out-of-pocket). I have one more week of Weight Watchers, I've completed the psyche evaluation, and I have the money for the weight loss management program. In another week, I will pay the money, send proof of my Weight Watchers membership to my PCP, and she will send all of this information, including the results of my psyche evaluation, with my appeal letter to Group Health. GH really can't deny me at this point, as I meet all of the physical requirements for surgery, and I have now met all of the insurance requirements, as well. Of course, I probably just jinxed myself. Again, wish me luck...
7/29/04: My PCP's office called today to tell me that my level 1 (one) appeal letter is on its way to Group Health as of tomorrow. I asked that they notify me when they send it so that I can see how long it takes to process. As I stated earlier in my profile, I've met all of their requirements, so technically they shouldn't be able to deny me. A co-worker with the same insurance has already been approved, so once I'm approved, we may possibly have our surgeries close together. That will be neat, because we can support each other. We are even using the same surgeon (Dr. Mathew Rawlins at Rockwood Clinic South in Spokane, WA). I'll post again once I know more.
8/16/04: Well, Group Health received the appeal letter from my PCP on 8/4/04, and since my PCP is representing me, they mailed her a medical release form and an "Appointment of Representative" form, which we both had to sign. So, my PCP filled out her portion, then mailed it to me. After I signed it, I mailed it Priority w/ delivery confirmation, so that I would know when they received it. It was delivered to Group Health at 3:20 AM today. Now, I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting for my approval. My friend, whom I've mentioned in earlier postings, got her surgery date...12/08/04. Woo hoo! We are both going with Dr. Rawlins at Rockwood Clinic South, in Spokane, WA. The hospital used is Sacred Heart. My friend has a friend who works as a nurse there, and she works closely with the bariatric surgery program. She is adamant that my friend not have the surgery. She is just sure that something bad will happen. As a matter of fact, my friend called me all upset last week because her nurse friend stopped by to tell her that they lost TWO bariatric patients recently (one due to a blood clot and the other due to unspecified post-op ailments), and to please not go through with the surgery. Now that her surgery date is set and things seem more real, this really shook her up. She called me because she knows I've been through five surgeries and lived to tell about them. This seems to calm her down a little bit. What worries me is that she is so busy worrying about the surgery itself, that she doesn't seem to see beyond it to the necessary lifestyle changes. I, on the other hand, am not as worried about the surgery, but I dwell on life afterward. Can I succeed at this? What problems will I encounter, if any? Will I be happy without my good friend, food? I have no doubt that I will be approved, but my main concern is that I am able to get a surgery date in December, 2004. I am a teacher and being able to use Christmas break to heal and re-learn how to eat without missing tons of school will be invaluable. I'll post again when I hear from insurance. Peace.
8/25/04: I contacted Group Health on 8/16/04 and was told that they would be assigning my case to someone that day, and that they were also in the process of drafting a letter of acceptance the same day with the contact info of the person who would be working on my case. Well, it's been just over a week and I have not received any letters, so I called them today to check on the status of my appeal. I found out who was assigned to my case (Kris is her name), but wouldn't you know, she isn't in today, and would I like to leave my phone number so that she can call me back tomorrow. So I left my phone number, which she should already have since she has my entire life history now, and I will await a phone call that will never occur. Actually, I won't wait...I will call back tomorrow. *sigh* I go back to work tomorrow, for the first of four days of meetings before school starts on 9/1/04. I'm not ready!!!!
9/11/04: Still not approved. I called Group Health on 8/26/04 for a status check on my appeal and found out that they didn't have the complete record of my six month attempt at Weight Watchers. Funny...no one called me to let me know that. I only found out because I called THEM. They gave me their fax number and I faxed the records that very evening. Since then, I have been calling about once a week and keep getting the same answer: they are still in the information-gathering process. I wanted to know why my friend was approved so quickly and why she didn't have to do as many things to get approved, such as the psyche evaluation, so I called the appeals coordinator. Her name is Jody, and she was really helpful. She also told me that she is located directly across the hall from Kris, the person handling my appeal, and told me she would go find out what was going on. She put me on hold, and when she came back, she told me that my file has been turned over to one of the medical personnel, and that I should have a determination in a couple of days. Kris didn't seem willing to help me when I spoke to her, and she even went so far as to inform me that I am not the only person who has a pending appeal (I thought that was inconsiderate and rude of her, especially since I never got demanding or irate with her), but Jody seemed to go the extra mile. I'll check again on or around 9/15/04 to see if I've been approved or not. Regardless, I missed my window of opportunity for having surgery right before Christmas break. My surgeon's office is booked up into January, 2005, now. I was hoping to have surgery right before Christmas break so that I would only have to use a couple days of sick leave, then use the time off during break. Also, I am going to Maui the end of February, 2005, and I was hoping to have surgery early enough that I will have lost a significant amount of weight before having to travel by plane. I was really looking forward to fitting into the plane seats better. Oh, well. Hopefully, my next posting will be to announce that I've been approved and that I have a surgery date. Peace.
9/16/04: I'm approved!! I just found out today, and I've already got my consultation with the surgeon scheduled for next Thursday, 9/23/04. There is a slim possibility that there may still be a surgery date available in December, as I was hoping, but more than likely it will take place in early January. But at least it's going to happen. It's scary...but it's necessary. It has taken forty-three days from the time Group Health received my appeal for the approval to come through. I'll post again after my initial consultation next week. Take care, all.
9/27/04: Wow...after all of that frustrating insurance hassle, things are finally starting to happen. I had my initial consultation with the surgeon on 9/23/04, and it went great. Dr. Rawlins feels that I am an excellent candidate for the surgery, and I will be having a LAP RNY-Proximal on 12/10/04...three days after my birthday. Happy Birthday to me! I so wanted a surgery date in December, so that I could have Christmas break to get used to the new eating routine, and I got the very last available date in December. Finally, things are going in a postitive direction. It's exciting...and terrifying...all at the same time. The friend whom I've mentioned earlier is having her surgery on 12/07/04 (my birthday), and I'm going to try to be there for her, since her family isn't planning on being there. They are afraid for her, and are therefore unsupportive. Of course, none of them have ever had a weight problem, and they just don't understand. I'll have to lie and take a sick day to be there, but it will be worth it.
11/02/04: Well, time is marching on by. My surgery is just over a month away. I have my pre-op appointment with my surgeon, the physician's assistant, and the dietician on 11/18/04. I had my chest x-ray and my EKG performed last week, and I'll have my lab work done next week, in preparation for my pre-op appointment. I think this is really going to happen. I will be going to my WLS support group meeting tomorrow night. I look forward to these meetings because I learn so much, and it's fun to see the physical changes in the other group members, which are pretty obvious, since we only meet once per month. Well, it's bed time...if I don't get enough sleep I tend to be cranky, and my students hate it when I'm cranky. *chuckle*
12/16/04: I did it. I am now six days post-op and feeling pretty good. Having major trouble getting all six tiny meals in per day, managing an average of four, and water is tough, too. It gives me a feeling of indigestion, even when sipping tiny amounts, yet soup, yogurt and pudding don't feel uncomfortable at all. Dr. Rawlins says this is common. I know I've got to work harder at getting the meals and water in because my legs feel really weak. My four lap incisions are healing nicely, and I just feel slightly bruised now. I can bend over and tie my shoes without pain, so all is well. It's amazing...in only six days, my clothes are already beginning to fit looser. Who would have thought?
My surgery ended up taking almost twice as long as it should have. There was quite a bit of scar tissue from my gall bladder surgery 14 years ago, as well as a problem with a bleeding blood vessel on my pouch as they were suturing. Doc thought my pouch might not drain well during my swallow test the next day due to the bruising and swelling involved, and warned my family and me that I might have to stay in the hospital an extra day or two because of it, but it turned out not to be an issue.*Whew!* I did end up staying an extra day, though, because my JP drain was still draining heavily on the third day. I felt well enough to go home, though, so it was tough. Boy...operating tables are NOT friendly to backs. After that four-hour surgery, my back was hurting more than my front. *chuckle* I think I will sign off and go to bed. I can't allow myself to sleep too late in the morning, because I need as much time as possible to get in all of those "meals" and all of that water. 'Night!
12/26/04: I am 16 days post-op, and although I don't accurately know how much weight I've lost, I did take my measurements on my two-week anniversary. I've lost a total of 16.5 inches already. Pretty unbelievable. It's not enough to make a huge difference in the way my clothes feel, but the change is noticeable. People are already noticing the weight loss in my face and jowl area. I was really questioning my decision to have this surgery during my second week post-op. I was so hungry, and liquids just weren't doing it for me. I was weak the entire first two weeks...my legs felt like wet spaghetti all the time and I didn't have ANY energy. But on Christmas Day I got to move on to purees...and boy do I feel better! I'm not really very hungry now, and the meals stay with me longer, not to mention being more satisfying to both my pouch and my mouth. I've backed off from drinking things that have artificial sweeteners, as I read that they increase hunger. So I'm drinking lots of water, and when I'm cold, which seems to be all the time now, I drink hot de-caf herbal tea. I also treat myself to a couple ounces of plain milk as a snack once a day. It tastes wonderful! I'm so glad I didn't come out of this lactose intolerant! Well, I think I've run out of things to say, so I'll sign off for now. Take care!
3/19/05: Well, I guess I'm a bit overdue on posting. Things have been so busy and I'm so tired in the evenings that I just don't get here as often as I'd like. I am 14 weeks post-op and I've lost 75 lbs. and 59.25 inches. I think things are going along quite nicely. I am very lucky. I don't have food issues. I have vomited only one time, and that was in Hawaii after having swallowed a bunch of sea water while on a guided snorkeling excursion in very rough water. It upset my stomach so I was unable to eat all day. After not eating for 12 hours, I tried to eat a few tiny bites of prime rib, thinking that it would be tender, moist, and juicy. It wasn't, and I proceeded to toss my cookies...er, prime rib...in the bathroom. That has been my ONLY vomiting experience. I choose my foods very carefully, always putting protein first, then eating a couple of bites of veggie. I have become addicted to the FoodNetwork, always trying to find recipes that work for bariatric patients. I've found a couple of really yummy, easy-on-the-pouch, high protein recipes. Give me a holler if you are interested in them. I have become a bit of a gourmet these days, cooking with fresh garlic, herbs, spices, etc. to give meals more appeal. My biggest downfall before WLS was my sweet tooth, but now sweets don't really interest me. Sometimes I'll see something sweet that really is tempting, but then I think about all of the carbs/sugar and lack of protein and decide it isn't pouch-worthy. I'm so proud of myself when I do that! Water is still an issue. I am a music teacher, and with having to talk and use my arms/hands all of the time, it's hard to drink enough water. Sometimes I wish I had a desk job so that I could just be quiet and sip as I work. Because of the lack of water and veggies, I have been struggling with hemorroids for the past month or so. This past week they were so bad that I stayed home from school just so that I could lie down and keep the pressure off. I got a prescription from my PCP for heavy-duty suppositories (MUCH better than over-the-counter stuff) and also for a flavorless, colorless fiber supplement (GlycoLax) that can be mixed with any liquid. Flavorless was highly important because my gag reflex is very sensitive since surgery, and some things just make my throat close up. It's only been a week and already things are greatly improved. I'm so relieved!! My friend Sandy, who had WLS 3 days before me, and I take pictures of each other (front, both profiles, and rear) every month so that we have a record of our weight loss. I also keep an Excel spreadsheet and record my weight and measurements every two weeks. We joined Curves together and try to work out 5 times per week. Some foods that work really well for me are 2% cottage cheese with a bit of canned fruit (pears or mandarin oranges), a mozzarella stick wrapped in a piece of deli turkey and dipped in dijon mustard, mozzarella sticks dipped in marinara sauce, roasted boneless, skinless chicken thighs (breasts are too dry) with spices or buffalo wing sauce, homemade spaghetti sauce over spaghetti squash, buffalo wings (unbattered), egg crepes stuffed with fontina and mozzarella cheese and covered with marinara sauce before baking (from "Everyday Italian" on the FoodNetwork), and most cooked veggies. I don't eat soups or yogurt because they just don't stay with me. From what I've read, many pos-ops don't experience hunger for several months following surgery. I started experiencing hunger the second week. That was a bummer, but I've learned to live with it, and I don't get it confused with "head hunger." I just water load and live with it. It's not so bad. Well, until next time good luck to all of you who are either contemplating surgery, awaiting surgery, or on the other side. Ciao!
8/27/05: Wow! It's been five months since I last posted. I can't believe it has gone by so fast. I guess that's what happens when you are finally able to join the world of the living. A lot has happened since I last posted. In my previous post, I had mentioned that was was suffering from hemorrhoids. Well, it wasn't hemorrhoids, it was an anal fissure. I have been following in the footsteps of Carnie Wilson. The fissure would become painful, then I would use presriptions and it would begin to feel better...then weeks later it would flare again. I began having serious problems with it at the end of June, and by July 11, I had been spending most days in bed to ease the pressure and try to escape the pain. I went for a couple of weeks that way, getting out of bed only to eat, go potty, shower,and go to the store for meager groceries. I completely stopped working out, too. It hurt too much. My PCP wouldn't schedule an appointment, which was frustrating. She just assumed I had hemorrhoids and kept setting me up with different prescriptions, which stopped working. Finally, my mom took me to the emergency room, and the doctor there got me hooked up with a surgeon the very next day. After the most excruciating exam I've ever had to endure in a state of consciousness, he discovered that I had a fissure (which tore and became worse due to the exam), and set me up for a lateral internal sphincterotomy 3 days later (that was the soonest he could fit me in). By performing this procedure, it would relax the inner sphincter muscle, which would in turn allow the fissure to heal. As long as the resting pressure of that muscle was too high, the fissure would not be allowed to close up and heal. He also gave me some good drugs, so I was able to get through the next three days okay. The night before the procedure, I was taking a sitz bath to sooth my poor bottom so I could sleep, and I felt a lump in that area...hard as a rock! I was pretty freaked out because I thought the fissure had become infected. When I got to the doctor's office the next morning, my mom told said to him, "She's not a happy camper." He said, "Oh? Why?" I told him what I had felt, and his response was, "Uh oh." One look at my poor bottom and he scheduled me for surgery the very next day, which was a Saturday (and he is a Seventh Day Adventist, mind you). The lump I felt was the result of fully thrombosed hemorrhoids in addition to my fissure. The exam three days before and been so traumatic that that was the result. So, the next day I had the lateral internal sphincterotomy AND a hemorrhoidectomy. July was so fun. But gosh I feel better now. My exercise of choice over the summer was water aerobics in a local public pool, so I got even more fit and a tan to boot! I am now 8 months out, and I've lost 142 lbs. I only have 32 lbs. to go in order to reach the goal my surgeon set for me, which is what I weighed when I got married at the age of 19. Oh...and I saw my ex-husband yesterday. It was weird. He hadn't seen me since before my surgery, when I weighed 336 lbs. He almost didn't recognize me. He had a bit of a shocked look on his face. Also since my last post I broke up with my boyfriend of 4 1/2 years. So now I find myself back in the dating pool, and I'm not happy about it. When a date with someone new involves a meal, it's so obvious there is something different because of how little I eat, yet I don't feel I should have to explain...especially because of the taboo related to WLS being the "easy way out." I don't believe that for a minute, having lived for the past 8 months the way I have, but ignorance seems to rule. Also, people who find out you were once morbidly obese tend to think that you will be, again, someday. Not me!!!!! The other thing that bothers me is the idea of finding someone new, and then taking that next step toward intimacy...with all my sagging skin. I feel great...even attractive...in clothes. I feel really ugly naked. Hopefully once I reach goal weight and get stabilized, I will figure out a way to pay for plastic surgery. I can live with my bat wings, but my thighs, tummy and butt have got to be fixed. They are definitely broken. *chuckle* I have not regretted this surgery once. I would do it again in a hearbeat! I have had no food issues, my weight loss has been quite steady compared to what I have read and who I've talked to. My weight loss has slowed a great deal this past month, but it is still dropping. I am 24% ahead of schedule on my weight loss, according to my surgeon. In other words, in his experience people who are 6-7 months post op (where I was at the time of my last appt.) usually have lost about 50% of their excess weight. I had lost 74% of mine. I must be dong something right. I just haven't had any of the problems that so many others have had, and my fissure and hemorrhoids may or may not be related. I drink a protein drink every day for breakfast, take my vitamins, take my fiber supplement, focus on protein first when eating, and eat low-fat microwave popcorn when I feel the need to crunch on something. Well, that's all for now. Maybe I can get back on the bandwagon and post more often.
7/09/06: Holy cow!! It's been almost a year since I last posted! And it sure zoomed by fast! Let me reiterate...holy cow! When school started last fall and my students first saw me, many of them were in shock at how different I looked, just from the weight I'd lost over last summer. Now that another school year has passed, some of them have forgotten that I was ever obese. Strange how things change. I have become such a clothes horse...oh, my gosh! I wear a size 12 and it's sooooooo lovely to be able to shop anywhere, and be able to spend so little on an outfit. Plus-size clothes were so incredibly expensive! My teaching career is going well, I am enjoying my summer break, getting my exercise, and so far able to maintain my chosen weight. I fluctuate between 164-170 lbs.
In my last post I had mentioned that I'd broken up with my boyfriend of over 4 years, and wasn't too happy about the prospect of dating again. Boy, howdy! Dating stinks! I dated a few men who ranged from weird to pretty cool, but the cool ones eventually paled, too. Just when I was about to give up, I met Donnie. We "met" on a local singles website, e-mailed a few times, talked on the phone once, and as soon as we hung up the phone, went to meet for coffee. This was on 2/26/06, and we've been together ever since! Donnie is from the south, and he is the epitome of southern chivalry. He opens doors, doesn't allow me to carry groceries, holds my hand, pulls out chairs for me, and all of those other things that most men don't do anymore. He is 6'4", and built like a cowboy, Wrangler butt and all. He thinks I am tiny, and compared to him, I really am!! I feel downright dainty and feminine with him, and I love it!
I'd like to write more today, but I need to get busy. I hope everyone who reads this is finding happiness and success. Bye for now...
9/17/06: It's amazing how things continue to change for me since undergoing WLS in December of 2004. It was my 40th birthday gift to myself, and although I was afraid, I also knew at the time that it was the only option for me. Boy, was I right! And since then, things keep getting better and better. During my weight loss, and right into my maintenance phase, my exercise of choice has been water aerobics. I can't speak highly enough of this form of exercise. It is a total body workout that really works you hard, yet you don't come away feeling drained or exhausted. It is energizing yet tough, it combines cardio with strength training for toning (and because of the water resistance, even the cardio portion of the workout involves strength training), it utilizes many muscle groups simultaneously simply by having to maintain control in the moving water, plus it is low/no impact, which is so important for those who are still quite heavy, or for those who, like me, suffer from osteoarthritis and other musculo-skeletal issues due to years of morbid obesity. With that said, I am excited to share that I was hired as the newest water aerobics instructor at the local court club. I finished training a week ago and now have my own class, which is the only one we offer that follows a new format. Other classes are 60 minutes long, but mine is 75 minutes long and offers extra strength training. So far it has been well attended, and the participants seem to like my style and my sense of humor. I hope it continues. I also hope to get my Aquatic Exercise Association certification in the spring. I also have a consultation with a surgeon on Sept. 20 to see about the dreaded skin removal. Unfortunately this doctor only does TT to my knowledge, and I will require a full lower body lift, but I am hoping that her opinion will help me get coverage for the surgery with another doctor. We will see what happens, and I'll post my findings when I know more. Until then, I hope all is going well with everyone in their individual journeys. Take care until next time...
