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I have been talking a lot about my plans for Bariatric Surgery.  This is something I need to help my health, it's not purely cosmetic.  Several of my doctors have recommended it and even went to my 1st evaluation but I can't make it here in PR.  I was looking several options and I receive answer from West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.  Medicare covers the surgery and my secondary insurance covers Medicare's deductible.  But for transportation, stay and special diet I will need around $2000.  From those I need $500 at the end of August for the 1st evaluation (ticket, stay and food).

Before I start reading comments about diet, supplement and miracle cures, let me just say this.  I have Lupus and actually is active.  I have been visiting professional nutritionists for years and though I loose some pounds, I regain them again because of some medicines I take.  I can't take natural supplements that boost the immune system because that's exactly the problem with Lupus.  My immune system is over reactive and things like that make it worst.  And to end, there's no miracle food, ,diet or nothing that will cure you or make you loose all the weight miraculously.  In my case the last resort is surgery after a lot of alternative that my own doctors have tried with me.  This is not only surgery, but a total change in my lifestyle, thus I have a medical team of 8 doctors, including surgeon, hematologist, nutritionists, psychiatrist, physical therapist, etc.  Even a spiritual counselor.

I really don't like to keep asking people for money.  But because I can't work in a regular job, all I can do is tat and see if people buy some of my work.

Can you help me?  Prayers and donations are greatly accepted!



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 At last, after almost a month of trying to talk to the coordinator of the bariatric center where I made my initial evaluation I was able to talk with her.  I told her about my nasty phone call with the dr's secretary that told me that the Hospital do accept Medicare but the dr not yet and there's not a definitive date for it.  I have been waiting for an appointment for over 1 1/2 years.  I can't stay any more in this limbo.  My husband is in Egypt and though he supports me 100%, he's starting to be anxious of when I'll be traveling back to Egypt.

So, the coordinator told me that yes, the hospital part of the surgery is covered by Medicare but not the surgeon's fee.  I asked if my secondary insurance can pay for the dr and she tld me that she doesn't know.  So now I have to try to get an appointment with the dr to talk about this.  *sigh*  All this have left me broken.

Now, I found several drs online and I will be calling a dr in SC.  I will be traveling to Columbia, SC in August 25 for a Lace Convention, so I thought that I can travel a few days before or stay a few days more and go to a seminar.  I will try to call tomorrow to be sure about the seminar dates.

Now I feel like the song that says "Should I stay or Should I go".    Here or there?  There are a few details like extra money for the extra stay if I decide to do it on SC, or the eternal waiting here in PR until I get an answer.

I hate to make this kind of decisions!  

 My support team is composed by mom, dad and hubby.  Each of them in a different place.  Well, I'm living with mom now.  My hubby is in Egypt where we normally live.  Egypt are making really difficult for their professionals to go out of the country so that's why he is there and I'm here.

Anyway...  My alternatives right now is going out of Puerto Rico if I want to have the surgery.  I could have it done in Egypt but then I have to pay the whole surgery...  The other option is to move to USA and do it there.  I have been looking online for information of hospitals that accept Medicare and found 2 that I like their programs: Miami HOPE Center and West Penn Hospital.  So now I'm looking for places to live.  All with a budget of $800 monthly that is my disability pension.

Mom has her reservations about me moving to USA alone, dad says "Go ahead" and hubby is kinda like me, unsure of what should I do.  I will try to call PA and FL hospitals tomorrow to see how long is the waiting period for the surgery.  I spent already 1.5 years here in PR and still the doctor is not affiliated to Medicare, so they don't know when are they going to be able to do it.  All this time away from hubby is really hard.  We have a very good communication but anyway is hard.

So depending what information I receive from FL and PA I'll take a decision that either way will cost me $2000 upfront for moving/traveling.  *sigh*  Each day that pass I see my dream far, far away.  

 I'm a person that blog a lot, but usually don't blog about my weight.  It's kinda embarrassing for me talk about weight.  I feel people get tire of listening to my ramblings about Lupus that to add weight issues will make me loose some friends.  

But here I feel free.  Most of the people here, if not all are dealing with the same problems like me.  So I will try keep blogging often about my weight issues here.

One of the tools I love here is the health tracker, but it's difficult to get the nutrition part accurate because of the ethnic food I eat.  Probably when I move to USA for the surgery it'll be easier to manage that tool with an "American" diet.