A Better Jennifer .
(newest on top, oldest at bottom) July 3, 2006 Since we had to be there at 5 AM and Galveston is about 1 & 1/2 hours away...sometimes 2 depending on traffic and weather, that meant an early start for us. Since all of my childcare options fell through, all 7 of us were headed to the hospital. I got up at 1 AM and took my pre-op shower. I then started to get everyone else up...John to shower and everyone else to get dressed. We were ready to go by 2:30 AM. Since it was still raining terribly, we left early. We arrived to the hospital without incident and John and I went to the pre-op area. Onward to our journey. I wasn't scared, nervous or anything like that. John said he was a bit apprehensive but nothing major. I got on to the surgery table and everyone was so nice. Dr. Trahan came in at the last and apologized for being a bit late. He said that he had a hard time getting there due to the excessive rain we had been having. Boy, did I understand. I woke up in the recovery room...just like I had taken a nap. The nurses were so attentive and they said everything went well. I didn't feel too bad. After what seemed like just a very short while, they said that we were on our way to my room and off we went! When I got to the room, I got up to the bathroom. As long as I was up, I said that I might as well take my first walk (since they were going to make me do it in 2 hours anyway) and off I went. One lap around the unit and back to bed I went. John, I was told, was out of surgery but still in recovery since his oxygen saturations kept dropping way too low. They said that otherwise, he was doing okay. The rest of the day was spent sleeping and getting up to walk every 2 hours. Every 2 hours I would go to the bathroom and walk 1 or 2 laps. My family came in and all seemed well. About mid-afternoon, Dr. Trahan came in and told me that everything went well. He said that John's surgery took 6 more minutes to do than mine. He said that John was doing okay with the exception of the low o2 sats whiich was being managed by supplemental oxygen. Dr. Trahan said that the regular radiology staff isn't going to be at the hospital on July 4th. Since he normally has his patients NPO (nothing by mouth) till the morning after surgery and then does a swallow study, this was a problem. He decided to have the swallow study done before the radiologist left for the day. John's was going to be done on his way to the floor from recovery. Both swallow tests were passed and we were on to a clear liquid diet!! July 2, 2006 A whirlwind of an update...I haven't fed my OH addiction in far too long!! This has been a busy 2 weeks for me. Two weekends ago, our friend Jackie (Lap Band 12/30/2005) moved in with us. She's having a rough time right now and we are helping her out (her husband thought it was okay to get another woman pregnant). She has been a welcome addition to our household and we have enjoyed having her here. She brought her dog...that hasn't gone well. The dog is extremely jealous of Alisha and she has nipped at her 3 times. So, Nika (the dog) goes to her new home today. A week ago yesterday (06/24/06), I was supposed to go to John's 20 year high school reunion. That morning, Alisha woke up with pink eye and a cough with a runny nose. So.......I stayed home and John went alone. I was eating all the OTC cold "prevention" remedies that I could find. The last thing I need now is to have a cold cancel my surgery!! A week ago today (06/25/06), John returned from the reunion with his older kids (who live with their mother). They usually spend the whole summer with us but they had some things to do in June. They are Morgan (girl) 13 y/o and Spencer (boy) 12 y/o. They have sure turned into teenagers in the past 6 months and it is about to drive us crazy!!!! Actually, they are great kids and I love them to pieces!!! They are a big help and, for the most part, fun to have around. They adore Alisha and she adores them so all is good. On Monday evening (06/26/06), we picked up my dad from the bus station (he refuses to fly so he rides 2 days on the bus to get here from northern Michigan). I hadn't seen him for a year and a half so I was long overdue on some direct loving from my dad!!!! The grandkids adore him and he is in his glory!!This now makes 7 people, 2 cats and a dog all living in our 3 bedroom apartment!!! Good thing we like each other!!! On Tuesday (06/27/06), we had a belated birthday party for Alisha (who turned 5 on June 19th). We had it at the local 50's style diner which is Alisha's favorite place to eat out. We had 20 family and friends there. It was a blast but we were all worn out! On top of all this activity, I worked all week in a furious rush to get things all in line for me being off for my surgery. 4 people know what surgery I am really having and have been my rocks of support this past week! Everyone else was left to their own conclusions so they think I am having...a hysterectomy, a gall bladder removal, an ulcer surgery or my shoulder operated on...it's almost kind of funny..... Friday evening (06/30/06), we went grocery shopping to stock up for a while so we don't have to do this for a while (except milk and freshables)...and it began to rain... Here in southeast Texas, it rains so hard that you start thinking about building an ark. Saturday (07/01/06), my dad took us all out to breakfast. It's like loading cattle every time we go somewhere! Thank heavens for our mini-van!!! Then we ran to Wal-Mart for some last minute things. When we finished, it was raining so hard that you couldn't see the first row of cars in the parking lot from the store. Great! We waited a while but it didn't let up much. We all got soaked! Yesterday afternoon (07/01/06), we had a wonderful surprise....an OH member who had contacted me briefly called to say that she was in the area visiting her mom and invited the whole crew over to fellowship, swim and eat. So, we decided to go and meet her and her family. We were only going to spend 2 hours there. 6 hours later, we had to drag the kids away. We made new friends and had a joyous and fun filled day filled with love and support. Just goes to prove the saying...strangers are only friends that you haven't met yet. And now today (07/02/06)...bowel prep day!!! The toilets and tubs are gurgling (and we are doing our bowel preps!!!). It is hard to believe that John and I finally have our surgeries tomorrow. We have to be at the hospital at 5 AM! (The hospital is 1-2 hours away depending on traffic and weather (rain, fog). The rain is soooo bad...everything is flooding. We are contemplating building an ark today between pooping sessions so that we can get to the hospital in the morning! June 29, 2006 John got the official word...He passed his dobutamine stress test and all things are finally a true GO!!! No more hoops!!! Moday, here we come!! June 21, 2006 John had his dobutamine stress test today. He said that it all went well and they see no reason to stop or delay his surgery. So, as long as the final report says this, everything is finally a GO!!! July 3rd, here WE come!!!! June 14, 2006 Today John and I had our pre-op appointments. This is the last time we meet until the day of surgery. It is also the day that we met with the anesthesiologist. Our surgeon gives a little quiz to make sure that we have learned all that we need to and to assure them that we know what we are getting into as well as what is expected of us. We both passed (not that I was worried). We also met with the dietician. We got our last minute questions out of the way and then chatted a bit since we had time. Anethesiology was not as smooth. My part went well. Had some last minute labs drawn and was given the last go ahead needed for surgery. WooooooHooooooo!! John is never easy. The anesthesiologist didn't like the look of his EKG that he had done IN JANUARY. He said that he would not approve surgery until John passed a dobutamine stress test. This was pretty frustrating since several other doctors had looked at the EKG and none of them had a problem with it. Now that time is tight, we have to rush to get the test done in time to have the surgery as planned. We begged and pleaded and they managed to work us in one week from today! John is pretty bummed about the whole thing. To him it is like one more road block. I know he'll do fine so I think this is just a bump in the road. May 20, 2006 Well, things are going along okay. John is still keeping his sugars under control despite great difficulty with this. I have been improving. This week, my shoulder finally started to show some real improvement and we have been able to advance in physical therapy. They really work me good but it is worth it. I will have to go 3 times a week for a minimum of 4 more weeks. Work is chaotic but getting better. I have to do yearly evals this month so that is my biggest task at present. I have 17 employess at the moment and the evals are quite detailed and time consuming to compose. We've been working hard to get all the details worked out for our surgery time. John's dad and stepmom (Pop and Nana) no longer are supportive and have withdrawn their assistance. They were going to watch Alisha so we had to make other arrangements. John's dad thinks that if we just put the fork down and exercise like crazy that surgery would not be necessary. He thinks that we are weak for allowing ourselves to get in the condition. His love has always been conditional so this is not surprising but it still hurts. When they are good, they are very, very good but when you think on your own, you are always wrong. Despite this, the plans are coming together and all should be well. I'm just ready to get the show on the road and be on the other side!! May 8, 2006 I had my EGD done today. I have to say, for all my worry about this, it was a piece of cake. I remember very little from the procedure and I remember nothing unpleasant. Recovery was extremely quick and it didn't take long to be released and going out to eat! (I wasn't allowed to eat after midnight and my procedure wasn't until 2 PM.) By the time we got to the restaurant, it was nearly 4 PM and I was ready to chew on my shoe by that point! On the way home, we got a phone call from Victoria...We have a date!!!! The doctors were very impressed with John's progress in such a short time and feel that as long as he continues to do what he is doing, surgery will be okay. Our date is July 3rd! This is also John's birthday. We are really excited and have so much hope for the future. May 6, 2006 Happy Nurse's Week!!! I am proud to be a nurse and proud of my profession. I think it is an excellent career. I worked all day to make 30 posters to place around my department to celebrate and bring awareness. They look great! I over did it though and my left shoulder is giving me much grief!! May 1, 2006 I went back to work today. It's been 6 weeks and what a mess there was!! I have so much to do that I hardly know where to start! I am still in physical therapy for my left shoulder. It has been very slow going. Alisha was not happy to have me return to work. She liked having momma home all the time. April 29, 2006 Victoria, the WLS's nurse, called to say that John was approved for surgery.......but.....he can't be scheduled yet. The doctor/surgeon needs his A1c/blood sugars to come down first as his are very, very high. He struggles with this so and he feels like it is a failed battle from the start most of the time. After Victoria's call, we had a heart to heart and he is willing to work extra hard (even the simple things are hard when you have a head injury) and get his sugars down. Looks like the earliest his surgery will be, however, will be in July. This sure throws a kink in all of our plans. I think I will delay my surgery a month so that we can still have it the same day since that will work best for us for several different reasons. April 28, 2006 Dr. Tolliver released me to go back to work with restrictions on Monday!!!!!! Wooooo-Hoooooo. I still have to continue therapy and be careful but at least I can do some things. April 24, 2006 I went to see Dr. Tolliver today. I was sure that she would release me back to work with restrictions. Boy was I wrong. She said no. She didn't even consider it. She says that maybe in a week. I sure hope so. I need to go back to work. I have yearly evals to do. My staff is falling apart and struggling. And, it won't be long and I will be off work once again. Boy will they not be happy. I feel stressed in all aspects of life. My worry is overwhelming at times. April 21, 2006 Well, the D and C didn't work. I have been bleeding heavily since February. Nothing seems to be working. I still want to hold off on the hysterectomy because I want to have the WLS. Thankfully, my OB-GYN understands. So, today, I had an endometrial ablation. It went okay but I'm feeling pretty rough (thankfully, he said that this will only last 24-48 hours at the very most). I feel like I am falling apart, health wise. April 19, 2006 I had my first therapy session today. The first half is divine (cold packs, ultrasound/deep heat and massage). The second half is PT...pure torture!!! It is the exercise and range of motion routine. I am in misery!!! I will be doing this 3 times a week for at least 4 weeks. My WLS's nurse calls me today to tell me that I have a positive H. Pylori test (bacteria that causes ulcers). I have a pretty intensive medication regime now to take for this and then I have to have an EGD to make sure things are okay to go ahead with surgery as planned. Oh, joy! I go for the EGD on May 8th. April 18, 2006 John has his appointment with Dr. Trahan (WLS). It seems like all is a go!! His tentative date is also June 5th (pending final approval)!! This will work out best for us. I will need less time off than if we were to stagger it. The family that is coming to care for me can care for both of us (I'm planning to not need much care though!) Alisha is going to spend a month with Nana and Paw-Paw so she'll be well cared for! It seems like things are finally coming together!! April 14, 2006 It is Good Friday and I mean GOOD FRIDAY!!!! My WLS's nurse just called me. I am approved and my date will be June 5th. Wooo-Hooooo!!! Not quite sure how I'm going to swing the finances since my plans were all messed up by being off work for so long with the car accident but I'm going to go ahead with it anyway. I despise being fat. At times, I don't feel as if I can go another day. April 13, 2006 Dr. Austin-Tolliver's (my PCP) nurse just called. I have no tears in my shoulder but at 4 weeks since my accident, I have "severe" inflammation in my shoulder. I have tendonitis of the rotator cuff and fluid in the bursa of the joint (bursitis). The bursitis and tendonitis can develop into a chronic problem. She says I need to have physical therapy and I will have to go to the office on Monday to pick up the order and get it set up. I'm relieved that there are no tears but the injuries are still pretty significant. April 11, 2006 I had an appointment to get an MRI of my shoulder this morning. It was a regular closed MRI and I would not fit. Oh for the day when this is never an issue again. We got it worked out for this evening at an "open MRI' place. I got it done. Even in the open MRI, I just barely fit. I feel so ashamed of myself and embarrassed even though everyone was so nice. Now to wait for the results... April 7, 2006 (3 weeks since the accident) I still have significant pain in my forearm and wrist (specifically the distal ulna) and in my shoulder. I often have difficulty sleeping due to the pain. I have limited range of motion—not sure if it is due to the pain or due to an injury to the tendons at this point. I have not been able to drive and I have not been able to return to work since the accident. I was looking forward to having my arm evaluated further for injuries not visible on a plain X-ray. I just want to get better and return to my life in full. I go to my appointment with the Orthopaedic specialist. In walks, Dr. Rosen. He said hello. He then asked me why I was there and I started to tell him the events that led up to this visit and the problems that I am still having. He cut me off and said “so your here for your arm”. I said yes. He did not want to hear of the details of the accident—the mechanism of injury or the events that led me to him. He asked me my height and I told him “5’2” and then he asked me my weight. I responded “325.’ He made a gasp and promptly told me that I was “200 pounds overweight.” I told him that I was aware of this and that I was working on that. I told him that I was having Gastric Bypass surgery soon. He said “when?” At this point, I felt that he had strayed past the collection of pertinent information and told him June. I could feel the disdain for my body size in his voice and in his body language. He told me that I needed to get into a gown in order to do my exam. He handed me a gown that clearly was too small but I put it on as best I could. He came back into the room and tells me that I have no fractures of my arm and shoulder. I told him that I was aware of that. He said, “so what do you want me to do?” He then proceeded to do my “exam”. He had me perform range of motion of my neck and advised me that I had no significant neck injury that would indicate nerve injury causing my arm to hurt. He lifted my left arm to shoulder height rapidly and I cried out in pain. He told me to lift it higher. He roughly told me that I couldn’t do it because I refused to do it and that “there was a big difference in can’t do it and hurting to do it”. I told him that I was doing the best that I could and that he was causing me significant pain. That was the end of my exam. He left the room and had me get dressed again. When he returned he said that his diagnosis was bruises and contusions. I asked him if he thought that my rotator cuff could be injured. He said that car accidents are not how rotator cuff injuries happen. I tried to tell him that the urgent care doctor felt that that was my problem and that I needed an MRI. Dr. Rosen appeared to be upset. He told me “My diagnosis is bruises and contusions.” I tried to explain to him that I have not been able to return to work since the car accident and I needed to tell my employer something. He asked me who my primary care doctor was and then told me that the work issues “were her problems not mine”. I asked him how long the contusions would take to heal since it has already been 3 weeks without much improvement. He told me that he didn’t know and that he “doesn’t have a crystal ball”. He gave me no treatment plan. The doctor then asked me “I’m feeling that you are angry. Why are you angry with me?” I told him that I was not angry with him but that I was very frustrated. He asked me why I was frustrated and I tried to briefly recap the events that brought me to him, the pain and the disability that I had. He then asked “if that’s the problem then why am I angry at him for things that have nothing to do with him”. I was nearly in tears. I was trying to explain that I was not angry with him. I was in pain. He asked me why I was in pain. I told him that that is why I came to him was for those answers. He said that I was causing my own pain because I was holding my arm so still and tight against my body all the time. I told him that I was not doing this all the time at home but that I had had a long 3 days with traveling in the car and going to doctors appointment and that my arm was just overtaxed and hurting badly. He told me that I was too guarding my arm and this was why I was hurting. I again told him that this was not how I had been over the past 3 weeks and he told me that he could only go by what he saw and not what I was telling him. In the end, he ordered an MRI “even though it is going to be negative” and that he would see me back in the office “after the MRI was done to tell me that it was negative”. I left the office and, as if in auto-drive, I made the MRI appointment and the follow-up appointment and then left. I then promptly decided that I did not deserve that treatment and that I would not give that man another chance to belittle and demean me. He obviously was not willing to help me. I called my primary care doctor and went to see her. My husband drove me from Galveston directly to her office in Angleton where I received a far more extensive examination and will be receiving more appropriate care despite her initial desire for me to see an Orthopod. She is going to help me find another Orthopaedic surgeon who will better suit my needs and treat the injuries that I do have. I will cancel the appointments that I made and I will NOT be returning to UTMB for Dr. Rosen’s kind of medicine. I could hardly believe this man treated me so badly. I have never experienced anything like this. As a nurse, I could have done far better. My doctor wants me to file a complaint and I told her that I was already planning on doing this!! April 6, 2006 John takes me to the urgent care shortly after they open. I was tearful, frustrated, in pain and tired. I was so on edge and desperate for help. They were wonderful!! They re-x-rayed everything and confirmed that I had no fractures. They also feel that I have significant soft tissue and connective tissue injury. They work some magic and get me an appointment with an ortho guy the very next day!!!! I am exhausted but hope renewed. April 5, 2006 This day was filled with appointments for John (dear hubby) and I for our WLS journey. I meet with the surgeon for the first time and see the internal medicine doc and the dietician for follow-up. UTMB Galveston Center for Weight Management is an all inclusive program and the people there are just phenomenal! John will see the psych again, as well as the internal medicine doc and the dietician. He was hoping to get the go ahead to meet with the surgeon. It was a long and full day. Appointments from 9 to 5!! I have a tentative date for surgery and John has a date to meet with the surgeon!!! While meeting with the surgeon, he asked me about my arm (in sling) and I unloaded the problems on him! He said that he would refer me to an Orthopaedic physician but he didn't know how long that would take for me to be seen. He suggested going to the urgent care instead of the ER. We both felt that this would get the same results and not abuse the system as much. John and I get a motel room for the night. By now, I am in such severe pain in my left shoulder that I can't even enjoy it. I load up on pain meds and pray for relief. It didn't come until just before dawn and then it was time to go again. April 3, 2006 Went for a recheck with my surgeon. States he is very concerned about my shoulder and forearm/wrist and that I need to see an Orthopaedic specialist. I burst into tears. I tell him that I have called all the ortho guys in the county and none of them see anyone whose injuries came from a motor vehicle crash (MVC). It has something to do with liability, having to go to court and getting paid. They wouldn't even accept my regular health insurance. Dr. Maguire can hardly believe it so he has his office staff make some calls and, as I expected, he got the same result. He told me to go to Galveston and go to the ER there and get into the system (very large hospital system) so that someone would see me. When I got home, I called my auto insurance and they said the same thing as my doctor! Having been an ER nurse for 13 years, this goes against everything I stand for. It is an abuse of the ER and I can't believe I have to do it in order to get regular care. I work for a living, pay my bills and have insurance and I have to beg for care. Something is very wrong here. However, I am hurting and I can't return to work until something is done for my shoulder so I have no choice, it seems. Many tears of frustration shed today. I struggle with controlling my fears and worry. I have to go to Galveston on the Wednesday (the 5th) for my WLS appointments so I will just stay the night there and go to the ER on Thursday (the 6th). March 23, 2006 Went to my follow-up appointment with the surgeon (for the injuries from my car accident) today. I feel like I should feel better and I am not. I can hardly stand the pain sometimes and I am not sleeping. My left shoulder and arm are just not right. He told me that it would just take time and that I had to be patient. I'm not a very patient patient!! I hate missing all this work. I had saved this time for my WLS. March 17, 2006 (written later) Today I was in a pretty bad car accident. I was going 60 mph one way and the other guy was going 60 mph the opposite direction. All of a sudden the other guy decided he wanted to turn left and went directly into my driver's door. I didn't have time to get out of his way. God sure was looking out for me since I really should have had some critical injuries or been killed. Instead, I ended up with several injuries that I will recover from given rest and time--sprains, strains, contusions, abrasions, etc... They had to use the Jaws of Life to get me out of my vehicle. That was very scary. I had a tremendous amount of glass all over me and imbedded in my face, left arm and other places. I had to go to surgery to have all of this removed. There wasn't anything that they could sew up so I will just have to heal. Pain!!! I had pain in my left ankle, left hip, coccyx, left pelvis, left abdomen, left ribs (anterior and posterior), left upper and lower arm, left shoulder, left scapula (shoulder blade), left side of my neck, left ear, left face...Yikes! I was in ICU for 2 days. March 8, 2006 Today, John and I had our psychiatrist evals. All went well and we both were cleared (from her stand point) to proceed with the surgery. She is even going to help improve my husband's head injury related medication regime!! This was an added blessing and an answer to prayers! Full speed ahead!!! Our next round of appointments is on April 5th. I think we have 8 appointments that day! Good thing they are all near each other. They are so good to work with us since I have to take a day off work and find childcare just to make the appointment. They really try to make the trip worth it! Let's see...we each have appointments with the internal medicine/weight management doctor, the dieticians, the surgeon and the physical therapist. John has another one with the psychiatrist. It will be a very busy day!! BUT...We'll likely come away from those appointments with exact surgery dates!! WooooHoooo! I am so ready!! February 2006 I had a big audit at work this month so I didn't schedule any WLS appointments for February. No rush since I'm not having it until June. Had an appointment to see the surgeon on March 1st but since I couldn't get in to see the psychiatrist until March 8th, we postponed the surgeon's appointment to April 5th. The activities at work this month are quite stressful and overwhelming so that is enough for one month. January 25, 2006 I feel just about normal today. Definitely won't be doing Meridia again!! January 24, 2006 What a difference a day makes!! I feel 75% better in just 24 hours. What a relief!! January 23, 2006 Oh My!! I think I have the starts of Serotonin Syndrome from the combination of Meridia and Zoloft. If not caught early, this can be life threatening. I have severe pain in my entire torso...easily the worst pain I have ever experienced! Mixed with everything else that I have been feeling, I am one sick girl! No more Meridia for me. If the Meridia is the problem, I should feel dramatically better within 24 hours (according to the literature and my doctor). January 22, 2006 After another sleepless and sweaty night, I have figured out what is going on. Since I couldn't sleep at 2 AM, I was surfing the net. On the Meridia site, I see that increased sweating and insomnia are side effects of this medication. Now it all makes sense. I have been sweating day and night in hot and cold temperatures (which is not like me). I haven't slept more than 2-3 hours at a time for almost a month now. I am really tired! Even so, it is working and I am losing weight so I hate to ruin a good thing. I will try taking Benadryl to help me sleep and see if I can't get a little more rest. January 13, 2006 Had a D and C today for vaginal bleeding that was out of control. Actually, I have been nearly hemorrhaging since last September but since I hate the OB-GYN scene, I kept putting things off and thought that maybe something would happen and fix itself. When I finally went to the doctor, he put me on high dose birth control but that only helped a little. He then wanted me to have a hysterectomy but I said no because I didn't want to waste my surgery leave time for the hysterectomy when I desperately want the RNY in June. (I had all the tests...no cancer or any of the really bad stuff so it was an okay decision.) So, we're trying the D and C and if that doesn't work, we'll try an endometrial ablation. Both of those things are outpatient...have them on Friday and return to work on Monday. Anyway, the procedure today went exceptionally well and I feel really good! January 12, 2006 I forgot to add a few things. I now weigh 312.6!!! I was pretty excited. So far, my meds have not caused me any problems either...another blessing! Also, Dr. LaForte said that my insurance is great. He said that basically, after the consults are done, if the team tells my insurance I need the surgery, it is approved...as easy as that!! Awesome!! My husband finds out that he has to jump through a few more hoops (so to speak) before being recommended for surgery due to some complicating medical issues. They (the doctors) haven't said no to the surgery but more caution and a slower pace is warranted. He is really bummed but I still feel that in the end, it will be approved. My next round of appointments is with one of the surgeons, Dr. Trahan, and the physical therapist. I will have a second visit with the dieticians too. John will have a second appointment with Dr, LaForte and the dieticians. I met Dr. Trahan at the info session so I am pretty excited that he will be my surgeon. I was impressed with him almost immediately. If all is a go with Dr. Trahan, I will come out of that appointment with a surgery date. I still have a psychiatric consultation to complete but it hasn't been scheduled for me yet. January 12, 2006 Appointment day!! I meet with Dr. LaForte. He is an internal medicine specialist who has a special interest in weight management. He is kind, understanding and encouraging. He feels that I am an "almost ideal candidate for surgical intervention" (proximal Roux-en-Y). He talks about labs and an EKG that need to be done, various consultations and setting up an appointment to meet with the surgeon. Later that day, I meet with the 2 dieticians at the center. They are wonderful educators and speak to me on my level. They give me hope and support. For the first time ever, I went to a health care facility and didn't feel embarrassed, stressed, or very self-conscious about my weight. Funny, since the entire day was focused on weight and weight loss. I definitely feel as if I am in the right place! I have my labs drawn and have my EKG done before leaving for the day. My next round of appointments were also scheduled for March 2006 (couldn't do February since I have too much going on then at work). December 2005 I see my primary care physician. She told me my annual labs look really good. I take this opportunity to ask her to put me on Meridia (reducing my BMI, even a little, before surgery will be better for me I learned at the info session). Since my liver enzymes are okay, she agrees to put me on it. I start in the last week of December. I will have to be cautious with it because Meridia and Zoloft (another one of my medications) can cause a serious condition called "Serotonin syndrome." I decide to take it anyway but will be on the look out for symptoms of problems just in case. I am now 325 pounds. November 2005 We send in our completed packets and wait. It wasn't too long and they called us to arrange appointment times. The holidays were busy for us so we set it up for January 2006. October 27, 2005 John and I go to the information session. WOW! We definitely feel like this is the right program for us and we feel hope and excitement. We fill out the required paperwork to continue in the process and get our packet of forms to complete at home and mail in. Once the center receives our completed forms, the entire committee (internal medicine specialist, surgeons, dieticians, physical therapists, etc.) will review the information and determine if they can help us. If we qualify then they will call us to set up an appointment to meet with the Internal Medicine physician and the dietician. September 2005 My husband and I pick out the UTMB Center for Weight Management program because it appears to be well rounded and all inclusive. Plus, we like to drive to Galveston far more that we like to drive to Houston. We schedule ourselves to go to the mandatory information session but Hurricane Rita has other plans and we can't go. Summer 2005 Continue my investigation and research about weight loss surgery. Discuss at length with my husband, John, and we decide to proceed with the process and BOTH pursue weight loss surgery as a team. Have to wait till I have been at this job for at least one year so that I can take a medical leave up to 12 weeks and the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) will protect my job. I also need time to build up vacation and sick time. Decide that we need to have the surgery in about June of 2006 so that our daughter would be out of school for the year. Have family and friends that can better help us out at that time too. April 2005 Found out that 2 of my employees have had weight loss surgery without any insurance coverage problems. I like the sounds of this! March 2005 Accepted the new job. Picked the insurance that covers the surgery. February 2005 Looking at a possible job change. All their benefit information is on the internet in complete detail. Hmmm...2 choices to pick from...one has an exclusion policy and the other clearly covers weight loss surgery--and it appears it covers it without a lot of hoops to jump through. June 2002 Found out that the insurance that I had had an exclusion policy for weight loss surgery and there was no getting around it. Gave up but was keeping my eyes and ears open. May 2002 Had my 1st appointment at NeWeigh. Met with several people and the surgeon, Dr. Alanis. It was determined that I was a good candidate for the proximal Roux-en-Y laparoscopic surgery. I weighed 279 pounds and am 5'2". April 2002 Called NeWeigh in Houston, TX to pursue Bariatric surgery. It sounds like the right thing for me but I am afraid to get excited.
