Robin D.

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Good morning all!  I have a  question for those that have had the EGD done.  Mine is scheduled Wed am.  Is it feasible that I can return to work that afternoon?  I have a staff meeting that afternoon that I really should be at and if I won't be able to be there, I should plan ahead for that.  Also Daves is that same morning and he drives for the post office and we are wondering if that will be an issue as well that day.  Any input would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance and have a great weekend!

Finally!  This time it is for real...the Weight Loss Clinic is acknowleging that we are approved!  Hooray!  My appointment for medical clearance from the PCP is this coming Tuesday, October 16 and the following day is the gall bladder scan and the EGD.  Dave's scan and EGD is at the same time and his medical clearance appointment is the following week.  It is my understanding that after that we meet with the nutritionist and Dr. Wieger (the bariatric specialist) and then we are ready. I find myself thinking at times "gee...I wonder if/when I'll be able to have apple cider (we are in the heart of apple country here) again"....etc.  All of these "what ifs" are constantly on my mind.  I feel the need to memorize the taste of everything in case I can't tolerate it later.  I hope that this doesn't mean that I am not ready.  Perhaps the psych eval that we weren't required to get might have been a good thing.  Hmm...

Still haven't told my parents or many others about the surgery.  Dave has told his parents so this week one evening we stopped by my folks with the intention of telling them.  We figured it would break the ice to tell them about Dave having the surgery and then drop the news that I was as well.  However, we left without me telling them about myself.  Their reaction to Dave's news was hard to read.  It was obvious that they don't know much about the surgery (they are both 83 so I wouldn't expect them to fully understand it) but my dad said nothing while my mother only had two things to say....first was "Are you sure"? and the second was "London (our grandson) won't recognize his Pappy".  Is there anyone that didn't tell their folks until after the fact?  I am so torn about what to do.  My weight has always been a source of contention between my mother and I and I have avoided the subject for so long that it just isn't comfortable to discuss it now.  I don't know what to do.  It is driving me nuts!  (maybe I should say crazy so I can quit associating everything with a food...lol!  It seems with the holidays coming up so quickly the gig is going to be up soon enough come Thanksgiving dinner....not the subject I want to be discussing on Thanksgiving with a house full of people, let me tell you.  If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears.  Thanks!

Oh my...the frustration!  I swear someone needs to hold me back from going to choke someone...anyone at this point!  AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I called the Weight Loss Clinic where the insurance coordinator proceeded to tell me that there were two parts to the approval process (I admit I am ignorant regarding insurance and obviously she never tried to educate me).  She said that Capital Blue Cross has approved the hospital portion for Dave and I (hooray for Dave also!!!!)  but that Blue Shield has not approved the surgery portion for either of us yet.  I was speechless since I thought this was all a done deal.  Anyway, I hang up and call the insurance company to make heads out of this only to find out that the WLC had just submitted it TODAY for approval!!!  Now the writing is on the wall as far as I am concerned.  Obviously the WLC didn't realize until she pulled our paperwork in preparation to return my call that they still hadn't submitted everything and then sent it over before she returned my call.  Ok...mistakes happen...but why in the world didn't she fess up and tell me that it hadn't been submitted until today?  I'll tell you why....because she underestimated my ability to pick up a phone and call the insurance company after hanging up with her!  She is sooooo busted!  I strongly advocate for anyone reading this that you always follow up to ensure that things are being done as they should be.  There was a time when one could trust everyone would do their jobs but it seems those days are long gone.    Hmmm....seems I now have the adrenaline flowing enough to get motivated to start cleaning the house! 

I couldn't take the wait anymore so I called the insurance company late yesterday afternoon to check on the status.  The woman I spoke with said there was no one still there from that department and she would call me today.  Well at 8:25 am the phone rang and sure enough it was her.  I AM APPROVED!!  What a relief!  She said we should have the written notification with in a day or so.  I called the PCP and scheduled the appointment for the medical clearance.  They couldn't get me in before Tuesday, October 16...augh!!!  I know that I seem to be wanting everything right this minute but it is stemming from the fact that we are trying to have three weeks between Dave's surgery and mine and there is a time crunch to get his done before December because he works for the Post Office and that is a very busy time for them.  If it comes down to it, I will postpone my plans until after the first of the year allowing him to meet his goal deadline.  Anyone know how long the medical clearance from the PCP is good for?  I also have a call in to the Weight Loss Clinic to schedule the gall bladder scan and EGD. 

I called the insurance company first thing this morning and am so happy!  My paperwork was received on September 28 (last Friday) and the woman that I spoke with was so nice explaining the process from this point on.  She said....are you ready for this..?...?...!....that I should hear something within two to four DAYS!!!!  I was expecting to hear months or weeks!  Yippee!  Of course I won't be "yippee-ing" if what I hear isn't an approval!  Cross your fingers!  By the end of this week I should know something one way or the other.

I am probably certifiable since I do not have an approval yet from the insurance company but with the changing of the seasons, I purged my closet of most of my current size (22-24) summer clothes.  Now when I say purged, I don't mean just packed  away...I mean purged as in gone, out of the house, given away, etc.  My reasoning is that providing everything goes as I am hoping, those clothes should not fit come next summer.   Right?  Right?  Right?  Oh well...it is a done thing at this point so I will quit worrying about what I have done and instead start to dream about what size I will be down to...lol!  Btw, if you aren't familiar with Freecycle.org in your area, check it out.  It is a great way to exchange things with one another for free while helping reduce the amount going into our landfills.  Guess you know now where my clothes went, eh?  Hmmm...DH just left to go out of town overnight...I wonder if he would miss a few things disappearing from his closet since he should be having his surgery this year as well.  LOL!  I somehow think my surgery will be a mute subject if I touch anything of his! 

I couldn't take the suspense anymore wondering if the insurance company had my paperwork yet so yesterday I called the insurance company to just verify that they received the paperwork from the Weight Loss Clinic.  Nope...nada...zip...nothing!  What a let down!  Majorly bummed I am but I guess I will sit tight until the beginning of next week and then call again.  If they still don't have it then I guess I will have to call the WLC and see what the hold up is.  Sigh*

Somebody died today of DENIAL
Because they would not see that their weight was out of control.
Somebody died today of EMBARRASSMENT
Because they did not want to be weighed at the doctors office.
Somebody died today of SHAME
Because they believed they lacked willpower.
Somebody died today of LONELINESS
Because they could not reach out and ask for help.
Somebody died today of FEAR
Because they thought they could never live without their favorite foods.
Somebody died today of GUILT
Because they felt they disappointed their loved ones.
Somebody died today of REGRET
Because they did not live a full and active life.
Somebody died today of DESPAIR
Because they thought there was no hope.
Somebody died today of OBESITY.
Pray for them. Pray for us.

Believe. You have the power to change your life. --Trish Foley

This morning I had my consultation with Dr. Davidson.  We had to wait because he was running about an hour behind schedule but it was worth it because he was so thorough.  As usual I had to get on the scales to be weighed.  After I got on the scales I looked and saw it fluxuating erratically around 325 pounds!  I was having heart palpitations because I knew this wasn't right!  While a genuine state of panic set in while I quickly prepared to try my best to explain to the girl that there was no way it was right (yea, right...like she was going to believe that!) I looked at her and saw her chuckling.  I looked back behind me on the other side and there stood my husband looking guilty as all get out!  Gig was up!  I had been had!  He had apparently put his foot on the scale behind me causing a near heart attack on my behalf!  I knew there was no way that I had gone from 287 last Friday to over 325 in just five days!  All I can say is that I hope he chooses for his sake to sleep with one eye open tonight!  I calmly informed him that I was going to ensure that he was going to need surgery but it wouldn't be for weight loss when I got done with him!  Grrr!!!!  Anyhoo....I met Dr. Davidson and was very impressed with him.  He thoroughly explained everything and took his time answering any questions.  I never felt as though he was rushing and one would never know that he has this same conversation over and over again with all of his patients.  I felt good when he told me that I was an ideal patient having never had any abdominal surgery previously.  Dave felt so comfortable with him that when checking out, he changed his surgeon selection from Dr. Currie to Dr. Davidson as well.  I have to admit that I feel better also knowing we will have the same surgeon.  I wasn't real comfortable with us having different surgeons although I had never told this to Dave as I felt he needed to make the decision he was the most comfortable with.  It was explained that now the next step would be for the insurance request to be submitted for approval.  They said that Dr. Davidson's notes from the visit would be dictated and then everything would go to the insurance company in about a week.  They are estimating that it will be a month before I hear something.  Dr. Davidson reinterated how fortunate we were to have Federal Blue insurance that had no pre-requisites before the surgery.  (Dave and I are still clicking our heels over that one!)  So now the wait begins....have I ever mentioned that I am not a good "waiter"?  I guess the whole instant gratification thing is what got me to this weight to begin with so I will try to look at this waiting period as practice in changing my ways of thinking in preparation for post-op....if approved, I should say!  Finally I want to add that while we were in the waiting room originally, there was a "skinny-mini" who came in and took a seat.  Of course I was dying to know the scoop on her and after a bit she started talking and telling us of her experience with WLS.  She was so bubbly and exuberant!  She explained that she had her surgery last December.  She has lost 130 pounds since and let me tell ya...did she look great!  She was so informative and adamant that if she had it to do all over again, she would do it in a heart beat!  Now I have read that over and over again here on OH but to have someone actually sitting across from me and sharing this same view was mighty powerful!  I mean this woman was the poster child for WLS!  It was awesome!  (not to mention that it sure helped pass that hour that the doctor was running behind!  So.....fingers are crossed, prayers are being said and all I can do now is wait, wait, and then wait some more.  Would it not bite if Dave ends up approved and I don't?  I can't even begin to wrap my mind around that possibility!  BTW, I want to thank everyone for their words of encouragement thus far and just go on record as saying that without this OH community, I would be so clueless.  You all are wonderful!  Thank you!

I learned today that a "Sonic" restaurant is opening in this area soon.  Sigh*
This is one of the fast food places that I have missed greatly since moving from Texas to PA several years ago.  Gee...it will be opening just in time for me to have my surgery.  How wonderful is that?!?!??