Helen O.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

*Sigh*

Well, I *did* get approved for a loan.  Got the call last week-- late Friday, and I was so excited that I posted all about it on the forums.  But I didn't know the details until today.

Since I didn't hear from my loan agent yesterday, I called this morning.  And apparently I was approved for a loan.. but not for the full amount.  They approved 9000, which isn't even half of what I need.  Lewis, my loan agent guy, said that there was another option of getting the full amount or at least closer to the full amount on a credit card, but that my mom would have to be the primary on it.  Not me.  And he'd need to talk with her about all that. 

And so I called my mom to tell her, and she's not sounding too happy about being the primary.  She said she'd have to talk to Lewis and see what the deal was.  And that she'd call me back when she got around to it.

Setback. I don't know what's goinng to happen from here.  And I hate that. 

It seems like whenever I'm not sure if I want something, it all just sort of happens.  But when I really really really want something?  Nope.  Everything seems to work against it.  Feck.

I just saw that the last time I posted was months ago.  As it turns out, Hubby *didn't* get that job, so the insurance fell through.  He found another job only recently, and that insurance won't be available until this summer some time-- after he's worked a while.  

But-- last week, my mother agreed to cosign on a loan with me for surgery.  With all that has gone on in the past few years with me trying to have surgery, I don't want to jynx it by getting my hopes up.. so I'm waiting to see if she actually will once I get all the paperwork together, but if she does then yay!  It looks like I'd probably have surgery in May after this semester.

That's all for now.

h

Hubby was just hired as a dispatcher for the State Troopers' Office up here in Fayetteville (where we just moved for the next leg of my academic career), and get this!  They pay health insurance for both of us!  I don't know much about the policy other than some Captain's assurance to my husband that "the state takes good care of the state troopers office" but that alone gives me reason to hope!  I have fought some long hard battles trying to get this surgery, and now, for the first time in a long time, things seem to be turning for the better!  Wish me luck!!

The final word on Arkansas Vocational Rehab funding my surgery came a few weeks ago. 

No. 

That's the word. 

It just took me a while to write it here.

Here's hoping for success in weight loss next year.  Hubby and I are going to apply for the Biggest Loser together.  I've applied before with a friend-- Amber.  We actually got pretty close. Hubby's less enthusiastic abut the idea than I am, but he says he'll do it.  It's something to shoot for anyhow.  =\

h

I learned yesterday that one of my professors is a friend of my field counselor's/case manager's.  He's going to send her a good word about my sticktoitiveness, but he let slip that she visited with him a week or two ago and told him their department has only $3000 remaining for this fiscal year.

Which essentially means my suspicions were correct.  Asking me to do another diet was likely a deterrant to get me off their case for a while while this fiscal years' money went elsewhere.  I'll bet you anything when I meet with Kenyotta and Mr. Sanders again in December, they'll say something to the effect of, "You've done great, but we're out of money for this fiscal year (again).. try back July of 2009."  And if I were to do that, there would be another couple hoops to jump through while they put the money everywhere but on my case.

It's a shame they have run me around as much as they have for over a year.  If they pretty much knew I had no chance, they could have saved me countless hours and dollars doing everything they asked on that approval checklist. It's a shame.

So here I am at square one again.  Still no insurance.  Still super morbidly obese.  We can barely afford rent, how in the world are we supposed to pay 400 dollars per person per month for insurance that probably won't cover WLS, you know?  Ridiculous.

Even if I had the emotional fortitude to go through another round of hoops with Kenyotta, Hubby and I will likely be moving before July 2009, as I am applying to a few Ph.D. programs. Let's hope there's a brighter future ahead.

On another WLS note, I posted on the OH main forum asking about RNY in Mexico, because the same professor I spoke with yesterday mentioned the greatly reduced prices.  Someone responded saying that with my BMI being as high as it is, I ought to look into the Duodenal Switch.  I have already.  I've been at this a year and a half.  I've read plenty about all the procedures.  But what's a little more investigation?  Seems all I have is time.

At least I haven't topped 400 pounds to my knowledge.  Amazing that in the past year I've managed to stay below 400.  I don't know how.  It seems I've been steadily gaining since I was born.

So, off to research DS I go.

If anyone would like to send me a check for $15,000, just in case mind you, my address is as follows:

Helen Barnard
74 Colonial West Rd. Apt. #2
Arkadelphia, AR 71923

Just in case.

h

I have just returned from the meeting with my case manager and her supervisor, and the results are as hazy as this entire past year has been in context. 

The first fifteen minutes or so involved a review of my case file, which is complete save some medical documentation of my high blood pressure, which was recently diagnosed and for which I was prescribed medication.

The second fifteen minutes involved Kenyotta being very motherly in her concerns about so young a person undergoing WLS. Puntuated by her supervisor's skepticism regarding surgery.  Honestly, I don't know why they even offer surgery as a service with the view they take on it.  But.. I was clear and concise and articulated my responses with as well-educated an air as I possibly could.

Which led to fifteen minutes of Mr. Sanders commenting on how positive I was and how other clients are angry and upset and just looking for a quick fix.  He seemed genuinely impressed, and somehow what I think would have been a "no" turned once again into a "maybe." 

He told me he wanted further documentation of my inability to lose a signifficant amount of weight. (Because apparently my one year weight loss program didn't satisfy his interest).. and I am to enroll in HSU's new weight loss program (which I have already done anyway) and keep Kenyotta updated on my progress throughout the semester in the way of scanning and emailing my medical charts.

In December, at the end of the program and this semester, they will re-evaluate my case and make a decision from there.

So.. no decision again.  I just continue doing what I was going to do already and then have another meeting in another few months.

I am absolutely emotionless about it at this point.  Maybe in part because my cold is giving be a bout of "I don't care, just let me sleep" syndrome. 

So that's that.  For now.

h

 

 

She finally wrote me back today:

Helen, there has been no word from my supervisor to date. In fact, he is on vacation until next week. I will make sure that I confer with him on Tuesday. Hopefully, he can inform me of the status of your request. I will be in contact with you on Tuesday afternoon.   Thanks,  Kenyotta



And that's all I have to say about that.

h

Sent an email to my  case manager on the 22nd, and she hasn't responded.  This is a first.  Every email I've sent has been answered the next day.  I wonder what this means.  Maybe she's on vacation. My would-be surgeon just finished his.

Hmmp.  =(

Left and right people begin their WLS journeys leaving me in the dust.  Some take interest, decide to have surgery, complete the approval process, have surgery, and live happily ever after all in a matter of a few weeks.  I've been working at it nearly 9 months, and I'm still in the same rut I was in last November. 

So discouraging. 

h

My case manager said my file would be in her supervisor's hands on the 8th and on its way to the medical review team's hands after that.  July is now half over, and I still haven't heard from my case manager about my approval or denial.  I *want* to email her again and ask.  But it's out of her hands until she hears word, and I get the feeling I've been annoying the hell out of her with all of my "are we there yet" emails.

I am beginning to doubt very much that this will happen for me this summer.  Even if the medical review team approved me tomorrow and I was notified, I would still have to meet with my case manager to come up with a plan of action before a surgery date could be scheduled.  And my surgeon is going on vacation in about a week.   I can't have surgery too far into August, because classes resume for Fall on August 27th, and I'm starting my internship.  The chances of everything working out well and fitting into a tiny little window of the next few days is-- let's face it-- hardly possible.  *So*.. being the type to try and see every situation through to fruition, I am now planning for approval and looking toward the winter break between Fall and Spring semesters.  I don't know how that would work with my internship, but I will make it work if I have to.  I have nearly a month between semesters to heal.  Maybe I could schedule my Fall finals a week early so that I could schedule surgery for finals week and have that extra time to heal?  I'm just not sure yet.

LOL.. I just realized that if this thing falls through and I've had no surgery by next spring, at least by next spring I will have a Masters degree and hopefully a full time job with benefits.  God knows I have all the paperwork.  Surely insurance companies aren't any worse than the state government.  Surely.


Here's hoping for tomorrow.

Helen

Following is the reply I got from my case manager this morning regarding my email yesterday.  Tell me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this sound as though she's preparing me for a negative answer?

*worries*

h

" Thanks, Helen, for staying on top of things. I am not sure how quickly the medical review team makes a determination but I can tell you that I will have your case file in my supervisor's hands for review on the 8th of July.....He is in Hot Springs on Tuesdays and Thursdays but I am out on itinerary this week ....so the 8th is the first Tuesday that I will see him. He will review the case himself and forward to the medical review team for an eligibility determination. They will be in contact with me after their decision has been made. I would be remiss if I did not tell you that I have six cases that are going to be reviewed this fiscal year.......I cannot tell you exactly what that means for services (because I simply do not know)...but I do want you to be fully aware of all of the circumstances by which an eligibility determination will be made, as fiscal responsibility is a great part of determination for services as well. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.   Continued success in your masters program!   Best regards,   Kenyotta"