Amelie722
Not sure how this part is different from the introduction part so will take a wild guess that you have already read that part so will continue here with my story about getting ready for the surgery. For years, I didn't have insurance that would cover WLS. I also didn't have the funds to self pay although I looked into financing it etc. Just wasn't in the financial plan. I guess I gave up and resigned myself to remaining "fat" and let the world be damned! Well in the fall of 2007, my employer decided to offer a different insurance provider as our other one was going to be outrageously high. When I began researching what that meant to me, I found out that WLS surgery was a covered benefit. OH how Wonderful!! Then came the head stuff, "really, you are really going to have surgery to lose weight" I kept hearing that over and over in my head. I made an appointment with my PCP, insurance requires referrals for everything now (that's a real pain in the butt) for January. We talked about it in December so I knew she was supportive. I got the packet from the local Center of Excellence program in February and had my first all day appointment at the end of March. I started to see the Nutritionist, also an Amy, monthly. It amazed me at how very little I actually knew about what my body needed and what I was putting into it. I got a calorie book, The Calorie King, and started a food diary. When I started eating just below what my basal metabolic rate required, I lost 13 pounds in the first month. That amazed me. I was exercising by the recommendations of the Physical Therapist, insurance required. Anyhow, I practiced the post-op lifestyle like not drinking 15 minutes before, with or an hour after meals. I ate my protein first then other items if I was not full etc. It was eye-opening to say the least. I also started taking vitamins so my body would have the best opportunity to be prepared for a surgical intervention. The next thing I knew it was June and I was done with the three months of supervised multidisciplinary program follow-up. I began hearing rumblings on a web board for my program that surgeries were taking 4-6 weeks to schedule after 2-3 weeks of waiting for the second all day appointment with the surgeon. Another local hospital was just starting to offer surgery with the same surgeons so I checked into that. I ended up being the fourth RNY ever at Central Baptist hospital in Lexington. My dear friend and co-worker in the same program as me was the first. It was so hard to leave the program I started. The Central Baptist program is very new, but the support has been tremendous. I'm actually going to be a patient representative at the next informational seminar due to the wonderful care I received. I am now pretty much on my own as far as nutritionist information goes. The one at the other program can't/won't see me because I'm a defector. The one at the new program while nice and caring does not have as much experience as my previous one with WLS patients. It's a struggle in ways that I didn't expect. I am glad that I decided to change hospitals. I would probably still be pre-op waiting if I had stayed with the other program, but I do miss the experience that came with a program established 5 years ago. Now as a post-op, I found living a WLS lifestyle is a bit more of a struggle than I thought. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. There are just things, emotions, physical pain and thinking that go along with being post-op that you cannot prepare for truly pre-op. I am working to be patient with myself as I learn more and more daily. OH and the family here have been so wonderful. I can always find understanding in a struggle, joy in the WOWs and a kick in the pants when it's required. I am not as computer savvy as many others so the way this page looks, will probably stay that way. I'm not brave enough yet to post pictures and don't have that many that I would post anyhow. I hope my journey will inspire others. If I can answer any questions, please feel free to let me know.
Amy
