Cashmere
I am a 38 year old woman living in Oregon who has struggled with insurance to pay for her (much needed) lap band surgery for a year and a half now. My sister and I were approved about 14 months ago - she in Australia, me here. Her insurance paid for hers (minus her co-pay) and mine denied it, thus starting the appeal process. In that time as my weight has escalated and my health has declined, with further problems rearing their head, my sister has lost over 80 lbs through healthy eating, exercise and following the advice her doctor and the clinic gave her (and folks online) and looks fantastic. Her health problems have all but disappeared and her personal life has pretty much done a 360 from where she was a year or so ago. Whilst extremely happy for my sister, I've been very frustrated for myself. About three weeks ago, during a phone conversation with my sister, she confessed that the (rare) recent pic of me really freaked her out (as I'd put on about 80 lbs in the last two years thru lack of exercise and unhealthy eating bc it's hard for me to stand for long. No excuse, just reality). I confessed my current weight (at the time it was 381 lbs) which shocked her immsensly. My dad emailed me yesterday and told me, (in his Aussie words) "stuff the insurance, you call and book yourself in and tell me how much it is and I'm wiring it out of my retirement fund. And if you think I'm yelling it's because I am. I'm worried about you and I haven't slept all night, worried sick." His email made me cry and cry. It's a huge amount of money and believe you, me when I say dad doesn't have it to spare. It's coming out of his retirement so that makes me feel like crap. If he wasnts going to though, my sister was going to through the sale of her house that she happens to be selling at the moment. Both of them just made me cry. So I booked my appointment yesterday with Bay Bariatrics. They were LOVELY. It's not at OHSU but Bay Bariatrics is only one of three (3) Centers of Excellence. Because I've had the exhaustive work-up that OHSU requires of it's prospective bariatric patients, I can have all records faxed over (which is being done). And because of that, because of my current (very crappy) health conditions and the fact I'm coming up all the way from Portland, they booked me for my consult (March 11, 2009) and my actual surgery date of April 7, 2009!! Of course I pray that my appeal will be successful and I can have it paid for (and then I can have it at OHSU which is closer) but being a realist, I'm moving ahead and planning for it to happen in April. Oh my gosh. That's so soon! I'm so excited and so nervous. I need to find a good support group in Portland too!
