Yvette G.
I left my heart in
San Francisco
12/7-
Right before Thansgiving weekend I submitted my online profile to the Mills-Pennisula Bariatric Surgery "Thinnerfuture.com" group and got a phone call and email back from Debbie (The patient coordinator) pretty much a day later. She went over with me some of the information I submitted online and told me I needed to get a letter from my primary care physican stating that she thought it was medically necessary for me to have WLS. As of today I have a consultation appt. with the primary for 12/15 and my consultation with Dr. Foster on 1/6 and I am planning on attending the WLS support group at Mills-Pennisula in January. I am a nervous and a little anxious at this point. I've been doing all of my reading that the packet I received suggested.... I've also been doing some of my own research and talking to people that have already had the sugery. My biggest fear is my insurance denying me because I dont have co-morbities. My biggest motivators are getting heart disease and becoming a diabetic, both of my grandmothers have these problems. Also I want to enjoy life, I feel like now at 264 pounds I am watching the world go by....Im 25 years old! I should be out there having fun with my friends, but I feel held back. Hopefully everything will go well.
12/17
So I decided it's worth it to me to get have a consult with two different doctors and to see who I like better. I am also going to see Dr. Tobin Schneider on the 22nd for a consultation, his resume is very impressive. Yesterday I saw my PCP, I want to meet with her before I went to my WLS consults. I wasn't sure how she was going to react, but she said she is really excited for me and sees me as a good canidate for surgery and will do what she needs to get my approved. She made me feel good about my decision.
12/22
Today I went to see Dr. Schneider, I really like him. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest because I was so nerves. Dr. Schneider is very soft spoken and very very nice, just like the others on OH have said. My consult was suppose to be about an hour but we talked for almost two! He also read all my medical information befor coming in to talk to me, which I appreciate. I felt like he took his time to really get to know me and was more than happy to answer all of my questions and my moms (regardless of how "silly"). We talked and he examined me, and we prescheduled my surgery already! My surgery date is 7/17, I have to wait six months so I have doctor suppervised visits in.
1/7
Today I went to my first support group meeting at Pennisula. My mom came with me for the first half hour and had to leave, but it was good for her to see. I also was very happy I went to the meeting I would save there were about 30 people there, it was great to see where other people are out in this "journey." Everyone was really nice. The nurse also gave us a video to watch, it was great to show my mom that its not going to be the end of the world. I think she is finally understanding why I am doing this, and NO ONE is going to talk me out of it. I am ready, you might say I have tunnel vision. :)
1/11
Today I went for my Nutritional Consultation with the Dietician and I passed with flying colors. I had to do this for my insurance to approve, but a good surgeon would make you go too. If you are wondering what its like its basically going over your eatting habits, and how they are going to be after surgery. Also my dietician quizzed me on what I know about RNY. Such as how big is your stomach going to be? How many oz.'s of protein will you need to get everyday? How much water? What should you not eat? You get the idea. She said I knew a lot about the surgery and aftercare and to keep doing my research. Anyways I happy!
1/23
Today I went to my doctor for my second weigh-in/nutritional consultation/exercise update. Only four more weigh-in's (thank god!). Trust me I know people have it much harder than me, but damn did I feel depressed when I left the doctor today. He totally made me feel like a failure and a lazy a$$. Anyway it made me feel like shit, but I know this has nothing to do with him, this whole process is about me and what my life is going to be like in the future. Just four more visits.
1/27
So today was kind of cool :) I was bored a work (can you imagine that?) and figured I would go out to the Aetna website, since I have had so many blood tests and doctors visits recently, and because everytime I go on the Aetna website I look at the Obesity Surgery policy because I am a little PARANOID! I knew that they were going to be reveiwing the policy in Feb. But guess what!?!?!? the posted the review today!!!! They have a new amendment to the 6 months of weigh-in. You can do 3 months with some additional requirements!!! I almost fell out of my chair because I've completed more than half of them. I called my Mom and then the surgeons office as soon as I finished reading it like 5 times. The nurse scheduled me for 1/31 to see Dr. Schneider to get my last few requirements in!!! I cant believe it, as I write this I am almost in tears because I am so excited. I will let you know how everything goes :)
2/9- Today I had my psychologist evaluation with Dr. Kubin. She was really nice and easy to talk to, we talked for a few minutes about the surgery and then I filled out a 170 questionaire on true and false questions about depression and other random questions. also no the 31st I went to see Dr Schneider about the new Aetna requirements, but he thinks that they are not super clear so he wanted to me see my primary about the new requirements so I need to wait till my appt on the 2nd of next month, oh well. Its only five months till my July date :)
3/7- So this morning I heard this song come on the radio and wow and I cheesy today but it totally made me burst into tears... Its exactly how Im feeling:
I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you,
open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten....
I break tradition,
sometimes my tries,
are outside the lines
We've been conditioned
to not make mistakes,
but I can't live that way
Staring at the blank page before you,
open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten...
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten...
I guess you can say Im a little emotional these days, the stress of the unknown for me is really starting to freak me out. I pray to god that he will let me change my life...Im trying to take it day by day...
3/16- So today was an extremely emotional day for me. So... I've been going to a life managemet/wls coach and she suggested I go see a podiatrist and get a sleep apnea test done so I could have them medically documented. So I called a podiatrist and got a appt. for Monday afternoon and I decided to call Aetna to see if there were any sleep centers near me because I couldnt find them on their website and I called and they were to much help either. So I called Dr. Schneiders office to see if they could recommend a place. The specialist kept asking me why? and saying she didn't need it for approval. So finally I broken down a little on the phone (sometimes I can have a little bit of an attitude. ;) ) and she asked me who I talked to and I told her. So she called the person at Aetna that she sends the paperwork to and let her know I thought I needed a sleep study, the woman told her to fax over all of my paperwork and she would look through it. So Dr. Schneiders office faxed over 22 pages of paperwork, the women at Aetna called her back and told her she received it all and that my weight records looked "meticulous." She said I could have a answer as soon as next week on when I can have my surgery. I am shocked! Ive been doing all I can... I am only thinking positive thoughts at this point, I am fighting with all my strength to not think of the "what-ifs"
6/9- Well everyone yesterday was FAB-U-LOUS!!! I was APROVED!!! Thats right APROVED for surgery!!! Its been a long 7 months but its worth it. I can't wait its 1 month 1 week and 1 day away!!! Dealing with Aetna was not that bad, maybe because I work for such a large company. I sent everything in on Tuesday 6/6 and had an answer Thursday 6/8. I had to complete six months of Doctor supervised diet visits. Submitting early just got me a denial. I am so happy. If anyone has questions about Aetna PPO I am more than happy to help!
7/25- had open gastric bypass on the 17th. I'll give you a run down of how it went :)
The night before surgery I was calm as a cucumber. My family was not, my boyfriend got no sleep, nor did my mom. The morning of surgery I was not scared either. I had to be at the hospital at 6am. Fear did not strike me until my surgery nurse wanted to put the plastric IV canual (not sure of spelling in my wrist). I have to say that was one of the most painful parts of surgery. She then pumped saline in through the IV which burned like hell. I was being for anti-anxiety meds after that :-( but it was too late. They also put the tight thigh high stockings on me to prevent blood clots. A few minutes later the OR nurse came to get me. She gave me a wonderful pink flowered cap to put my hair in. She joked with my family a little and took a picture of my family with me before wheeling me off to the OR. She brought me into a freezing cold room and I moved over on to the operation table. The last thing I remembered was asking how the work in such a cold room :)
I woke up in recovery, I dont really remember much about it, but struggling a little to breath because I had a nose tube. Its all pretty fuzzy though. I remember very vagly being moved to my room. I made it to my room by 1pm, they had me up and walking by 5pm and again at 8pm. The next morning the pulled out my nose tube at my catheter. (neither hurt to have taken out). I didn't have a little problem with a nurse the first night, that told me I was pressing my pain med but to much a turned to down. She had told my mom earlier that day that pain meds will make you constipated and I shouldn't take much! The nurse was a freaking nut! At 3AM in the morning my pain was not even on the charts anymore I was crying and another nurse came in and had to give me a shot in my thigh and increase my pain meds. Needless to say the next morning she was not long working the the Bariatric floor!
Day two I was doing pretty good, sleepy from all the noise on the floor and getting up every hour to go to the bathroom. Pretty uneventful because I still was not able to eat.
Day three is what I like to call my "break down day". The whole day I did pretty while, they gave me my first meal and took my pain pump away and gave me Loretab liquid to drink. I think I had been poked and proded too much. My mom tried to give me a shower and I started crying when I say my staples and almost fainted. Later that night I was in pain and tired so the nurse tried to give me some meds in my IV and it didn't work, it started to burn horribly and I burst into tears, the IV had burst my vain and the meds were going under my skin. The nurse wanted to put another line in an I cried even harder, my mom tried very hard to calm me down. I cried myself to sleep that night. Not my best day, but I got through it. Thanks to my mom. I was just exhausted and tired of being poked and proded.
Day four they gave me stage 2 liquids and I was released from the hospital. The 10 minute car ride was a little bumpy. But day four was pretty uneventful.
Since I have been home I have been doing a little better everyday. I felt like I was pregnant and hungover till I got off the pain meds. Food has been a little hard to get down but its getting easier everyday. Next Monday I get my staples out :)
Thanks to everyone on here for your support. It gets easier everyday :) It was a bumpy crazy ride but I hope its all worth it in the end. Since Thursday I have lost 8 pounds!
* Im Still Hungry: Finding Myself Through Thick and Think
By Carnie Wilson
I really enjoyed this book because it talks about life after surgery. What is life like a few years out, it also talks about the emotional aspects of being angry and not being able to let go. Its a good fast read.
* Gut Feelings: From Fear and Despair to Health and Hope
By Carnie Wilson
It made me laugh...it made me cry...It was very touching to learn about her life...including the emotional issues that make some of us over eat.
* Weight Loss Surgery: Finding the Thin Person Inside You, Third Edition
By Barbara Thompson
This is a great book if you want to learn about the specifics of surgery. Its a great book to share with family members so they can learn about the surgery. Also the last chapter of the book is written by her husband and the toll it took on him and their relationship together.
I have more online research sources I will add later.
If anyone has feedback feel free to contact me!
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