JanM

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I posted my good news on the three forums I frequent and I bet I have received over 30 messages of encouragement and support.  I even have some posts on my surgery page.  I wish I had an angel but I really don't know anybody local who I could ask.  The support I get on the boards will be enough to get me through!  I was so wired Tuesday when I got the news that I thought I had better verify the time of my appointment tomorrow.  Good thing I did!  I would have been 2 hours late!  The case manager from BCBS called me today to see if I was ready and if I had any questions.  I asked her what my financial responsibility would be and she said she would check it out and call me tomorrow.  That is the only other concern I have at this point but it will work out however much it will be.

I had a miserable day yesterday with heartburn.  I ate something I shouldn't have and I paid all through the night.  I will be so glad when I can take my protonix again.  Stopping the protonix and the naprosyn have been the hardest parts of this process (besides the wait!).  I am so stiff and sore.  I have been trying to take Ultram instead but that makes me so groggy.  I hope they can do something for me post-op to manage the arthritis.  I have my physical Monday and I will ask my doctor about it then.  I will also ask Dr. Eibes tomorrow.  Will update tomorrow after my appointment if I can sneak it in before my son and daughter-in-law arrive from Chicago.  I am not telling the kids about the surgery.  Next week is going to be "dress rehearsal".  I am going to try to get used to the routine of vitamins, protein and liquids so it won't seem so foreign when I come home.

I couldn't wait until Wednesday as I planned.  Before lunch I called the insurance company.  They told me, yes they received my prior authorization request on 2/26/06.  I asked where they were with the process.  She said just a minute, must have checked another screen and said matter of factly, oh, its approved.  I asked when the letter would be sent and she said it was sent yesterday.  As soon as I hung up I immediately called the surgeon.  They said they didn't have the letter of approval yet but since I had heard they would go ahead and schedule my pre-op appointment.  I asked if at all possible if they would schedule me for the 20th as my autistic son would be away at camp all week and they said they would!  The timing couldn't be more perfect!  I was so excited I didn't know what to do.  I told my co-workers and then called my husband.  He almost sounded like he had to force excitement.  I asked if he was having second thoughts or worrying and he admitted he was a little scared something might happen to me but he knew it was what I wanted.  LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AND I WILL BE A LOSER!!!

One of my employees who has been waiting for WLS got her approval and surgery date today.  Her surgery is 3/13/06.  She will probably be the first surgery our surgeon has done since he relocated his program from Grinnell to Des Moines.  She also has BCBS and states they called her with the approval 2 weeks from when it was submitted.  She had not dieted for over 10 years and they did not insist on the supervised diet.  This has really given me encouragement.  I called BCBS (after all it was the 5th business day and they told me 5-7!) and they said they were still in the process of determining whether or not surgery would be authorized.  If I haven't heard by next Wednesday, day 7, I will call again.  I figure they will have to have decided by 3/10/06!  If I hear by then I could be having surgery as soon as 3/20/06. That would be perfect as my youngest son (who is autistic) will be on spring break and going off to camp for that week.  Could I be so lucky??? That would just be two weeks from Monday!  I was worrying that the 40+ clients Dr. Eibes had in the process of getting approved were all gaining approval and his surgery schedule was booking up but apparently this isn't true.  I will continue to pray that my surgery is approved when God feels the timing is right, not me.

I am absolutely addicted to the boards on OH.  I read Over 50 and Iowa boards but the activity there is pretty quiet.  I read the main board but it takes forever to get through all the posts on that forum.  I have posted a few times but still don't feel like I really "belong" there.  I have had lots of great responses when I post and also a couple where I felt rejected.  Odds are pretty good for the positive responses though!  There are always thoughtless people everywhere.  I have also made it 6 days without my protonix so I have 8 more before I can do the H. Pylori testing.  Today was the first day I got by without any heartburn at all and I even had fountain diet coke with caffeine at the movies and hotdogs which sometimes bother me.  I tried stopping my naproxsyn as I have to be off that 1 week before surgery.  Thursday and Friday went okay but I broke down and took one this afternoon because my right knee (my bad one) was just throbbing.  I felt like an old lady getting up and down and walking.  I has been raining all day too so the dampness may be partly to blame.  I am going to try to only take it if I get bad until I have a date.  Counting the days! (I hope)

Second day without my protonix.  I had a bit of heartburn and burping but the tums helped so far.  I am really trying to avoid foods that can cause problems.  I am trying to be patient.  I got my "Cough Buddy" Bear that I ordered from the OH store.  He is cute and somewhat obese himself.  Work has been really busy and I am wondering how I can get ahead enough not to burden my staff while I am off.  They are great gals to work with.  I am sure it will all work out.

I called BCBS today and they have my prior authorization request logged in now.  They said I should expect an answer in 5-7 business days.  That means I should know no later than March 8!  One of my co-workers said she had an answer from them in 5 days.  I stopped my protonix again today to try and be ready for the H. Pylori test.  So far so good!

Passed my angiogram today with flying colors!  I really felt the prayers and support.  I wasn't even a tiny bit nervous.  The procedure lasted about 30 minutes and I was home by 1045.  My wrist ached a little but I had no bruising whatsoever.  The doctor said my coronary arteries were great and he cleared me for surgery.  I called the insurance company on my way home and they still had not received the prior authorization from my surgeon.  They suggested I call back Tuesday.  I will call Monday!  I am getting closer!

I was congratulating myself on my patience in not contacting the insurance company until today.  Well, I called today and they said they had not received anything yet from my surgeon!  I thought surely that was a mistake and called my surgeon and the insurance person said that was correct.  They had trouble with their dictation service and just got the dictation.  She said that as soon as she could get Dr. Eibes to sign it today it would be sent off.  So I am two weeks behind where I thought I was in the process!  Of well, he won't schedule me for surgery until after I have the angiogram and get cardiac clearance on Friday anyway.  Maybe by this time next week I will have an answer AND be ready to schedule my pre-op appointment.  I have now been off my protonix for 4 days now to be ready for the H. Pylori test.  I would be able to take that on 3/2.  I had a miserable night with heartburn and popping the tums.  I decided I would try to eat high protein and bland today and see if that doesn't reduce the GERDs flare!  Wouldn't hurt me at all anyway to start getting practice with my new eating habits!  Will post after my angiogram.

I had my appointment with the cardiologist today and I feel MUCH better now.  He said that the type of abnormality they saw often turns out to be a shadow from the breast in women.  He says he is fairly confident they won't find anything with an angiogram but the only way to know for sure would be to do the angiogram.  He left the decision up to me and my rational self kicked in and agreed to the test.  I would rather know before I have trouble than wait until I have a heart attack and sustain heart damage! What sold me on the decision was the fact that he goes into the radial artery (in the wrist where you take a pulse) instead of through the groin.  The recovery is nearly immediate with no laying flat, clamps or uncomforable pressure being put on your groin, etc.  He said if all goes well I would be home by noon.  He does it in the outpatient cath lab next to the hospital.  If I would have severe disease requiring a PTCA or stents, they would roll me over the skywalk to the hospital cath lab and work me in.  I am having this done on Friday the 24th of February.  I wanted to get it over as soon as possible.

My insurance must be working on my preauthorization as they sent a request for more information to my PCP.  He called me to verify my diet history.  He feels it will go through okay.  A week from tomorrow I could have cardiac clearance AND authorization for surgery!  I am going to think positive!  I will update after my angiogram next week or sooner if I hear from my insurance.

I got a call from my family physician today.  He was reporting that I had some ischemia (decreased blood flow) to my heart during my cardiac stress test Friday so I need to see a cardiologist and most likely have an angiogram.  I must have had a premonition as this is what I feared about the stress test.  I didn't have any chest pain but apparently there were changes anyway.  The good news is they found this before I had an actual heart attack.  The bad news is I was a cardiac surgical intensive care nurse for 18 years so I have all the horror stories stuck in my brain instead of all the successes I saw (that way out numbered the complications).  I encouraged both my father and my father-in-law through this test as well as the father of my brother-in-law.  I am doing my best to think positively but I cannot deny that I am afraid.

I talked to a co-worker today that is also waiting for insurance approval.  She has a history of chest pain and two partially blocked coronary arteries and has cardiac clearance for surgery.  I am hoping for the best case scenario with minimal blockage that will allow me to go forward with this surgery.  After all, the significant weight loss that would result would be better for my heart if it is compromised.  I have told my husband, sister and a close friend but will wait to tell other family members until I know for sure that I have an angiogram schedule.  No sense in worrying anyone before I have to.

My cardiology appointment is Thursday afternoon.  If I am told I need an angiogram I am going to ask for it as soon as possible so I have less time to stew about it.  Keep me in your prayers!

Well, I lived through the cardiac stress test!  I had been warned that insurance might not cover the test ($2000.00) But when I checked in they said they had received authorization!  I was able to walk on the treadmill for the required time but coughed through the rest of the day from the workout my lungs received.  I think it was okay (no one rushing in to shock me or give me meds) but will get the results next week.  Now, just waiting to hear the insurance response to the prior authorization request.  Patience!