getsemani
That Blasted Sleep Apnea Test!!!
Jul 13, 2007
I think I've hit a road block. I was doing so good with all of my appointments being scheduled for the same week, all, but one. Early this morning I received a call from the pulmonologist's office. The nurse practitioner wanted me to get an ultrasound of my left leg done. When I had my second child, I ended up in the hospital for a week after he was born because I had a blood clot in my left leg. I was bedridden for 6 days and was in pain. I felt my leg was going to fall off. It was swollen and throbbed nonstop. That wasn't fun. Although this happened 13 years ago, the nurse practitioner was concerned that I might have one now. I immediately made the appointment to have it done, and they were able to schedule me for 11:00 a.m. Talk about being fast. I'm trying everything in my power to try to speedy up this process.
Well, today I also received a call from the sleep center where I'm having my sleep apnea test done. The earliest they could schedule me was for August 8, 3 1/2 weeks from now. I'm extremely disappointed. I called the pulmonologist's office to let them know when I'm going for my test and they scheduled me for August 24. Well, I almost cried over the phone. Summer's going to be over and I was hoping to have this surgery done before I went back to school (if they'll have me back). I still don't know what's going to happen with my job.
My surgeon won't schedule the next appointment to see me until he has all the test results and the medical clearance from my PCP. This means that I would have the surgery after school starts. I'm going to call on Monday to see if I can have this test done at another location much sooner. I was aiming for next week or the week after next. In other words, I'm shooting for this month. I would be losing precious time by having to wait until the 8th of August.
Nereida
Nutritionist
Jul 12, 2007
Today I went to my appointment with the nutritionist. It was an interesting appointment. They took my weight and measured my height, my blood pressure and some other stuff. I weigh 234 pounds and I am 5'5'' tall. I've shrunk!!!! I used to be 5'7" tall. My total fat weight is 156 pounds, and I was shocked to learn that 66% of my total weight is all fat. They took my "before" picture and put it in a binder. My blood pressure was 144/98.
The nutritionist talked to me about eating healthy, and things I should start doing now, before surgery. She told me to start walking for at least 10 minutes, and start weaning myself from carbonated drinks. I should also start taking in calcium and proteins so when I have my surgery, I'm already used to it.
I also asked the secretary if they faxed my labwork results to my PCP, and she told me she had faxed him everything, but gave me copies of the results just in case the fax didn't go through. I can't go see him tomorrow, but I'll definitely go next week, God willing.
I also called the pulmonologist and left a message for the person in charge of testing. I still haven't received the phone call to let me know when I can be scheduled for the sleep apnea test. Right now, this is the only test that's holding me up a bit because it takes two weeks after the test to get the results.
Nereida
What Happened?
Jul 11, 2007
Today I was anxiously waiting for 6:30 p.m. to roll around so I could go to the lapband support group, meeting but when I got there at exactly 6:30, no one was there; so signs of activitiy, nothing, zilch so I came back home. What happened? When I went to the gastric bypass support group meeting we were told that the lapband support group meeting was going to be held there on the second Wednesday of July, which would've been today. No matter. I already went to at least one meeting.
Yesterday I went to the pulmonologist and I have to be scheduled for a sleeping test. The doctor told me he was going to fax the script over to the sleeping center, and they would call me to set up an appointment. He told me it usually takes 24 hours for them to call me, but I didn't receive any calls today from the sleep center. I'm anxious to get this done being that it takes around 2 weeks to be seen by the pulmonologist once you have the test done. I also called Dr. O's office and told asked that my labwork results be faxed over to my PCP. I'm calling again tomorrow just to make sure that they were, and if they were I'm making a beeline to his office so he can clear me for this surgery. I have the appointment with the nutritionist tomorrow. I'm almost there, and I can't wait.
Nereida
Almost, But Not Quite
Jul 09, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
Today I went for all of my tests at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, in Atlantic City. My appointment was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and I got there at 8:15 a.m. Registering was a total breeze. I was so happy when I wasn't asked to pay the $200 deductible, I could've jumped for joy.
The first thing they did was take my chest X-rays which was immediately followed by the upper GI test where I had to drink a thick, chalky substance called barium. That was kinda interesting. I felt like a rotisserie chicken being that I was asked to rotate from side to side.
Immediately after that, I had my EKG followed by the ECHOcardiogram. I was just zip zipping along.
I had a urinalysis done for nicotine, and had blood work done, what fun!!!!!
The pulmonary studies were the ones that took the longest to do. First, blood was drawn from my artery to check for the oxygen level. Then I had a breathing test done which I didn't care too much for. They pinched my nose closed, and I had to breathe through a mouthpiece and my breath was measured. Since I'm asthmatic, that didn't go too well, and I was given a breathing therapy on the nebulizer. After that, the test results were a little bit better. I was out by 11:30 a.m.
Being that my PCP is also in Atlantic City, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone and go to his office to get a medical clearance from him. The thing I love about this doctor is that you don't have to schedule an appointment, it's a walk-in office, and I just love it. Well, I waited for about an hour before I was called in to see him. I told him what I needed and he told me he can't write a clearance letter until he sees all the labwork results. He told me that once my surgeon has the results to have his office fax the results over to him so he can look at them and decide if I'm okay for clearance. If I would've know that I would have not wasted time sitting in his office. No matter, I have an appointment with the nutritionist this coming Thursday, and I'll ask the office to fax the results to my doctor. Hopefully, my PCP will give me a clearance.
I'm almost done with all of my tests. Tomorrow I go to the pulmonologist, Wednesday I go to the lap band support group meeting, and Thursday, I have the appointment with the nutritionist. I'm almost there, but not quite.
Nereida
Kinda Down Today
Jul 06, 2007
I feel depressed today. My teaching contract wasn't renewed for the upcoming '07-'08 school year which has left me in the unemployment line. Our finances are a complete disaster, and I have checks bouncing like a rubber ball. I won't receive my first unemployment check until the 18th of July, and in the meantime, we're subsisting on my husband's miserly salary.
I think I'm more depressed at the fact that I'm no longer covered under my employer's medical insurance, BC/BS. I received a call today from AtlantiCare to verify all the information I had given them when I first called to make the appointment for all of my tests. I'm using my husband's insurance and we haven't made the $200 deductible. I was told that I have to bring in $200 on Monday for my appointment. Then, on Tuesday I have to pay $25 copay for the pulmonologist, and on Thursday I need to pay $250 for the nutritionist, money that I definitely don't have now.
I know that my teaching contract is going to be renewed. We're just waiting for the State to grant me my standard teaching certification, and I'm in, but, in the meantime, we have bills to pay, a mortgage that I pay, car payments, groceries to buy, and the list goes on and on.
My Lord has never forsaken us, and I know He's our provider, but that doesn't take away the fact that I do worry.
Nereida
Moving Along
Jul 04, 2007
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Well, things are sorta moving along, but not fast enough for me. I went to the gastric bypass support group on Monday, July 2, and it was interesting. It's amazing on how people have lost sooo much weight after this surgery.
Yesterday I went for my psychiatric evaluation and took my husband with me. He was under the impression that I was having the lapband surgery, and became upset when he found out that I'm considering the gastric bypass. He kept insisting that I should have the lapband, but I've made up my mind. I've done my research, and I'm sticking to my guns.
The psychiatrist asked me some questions pertaining to my eating habits, intents of losing weight on my own, health issues I have, and other things. He asked me how committed I was in losing weight from a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest. Of course I said 10, after all, having this surgery is drastic, and if I'm not committed 100% all of this will be for naught. He told me the surgeon will have the report by Friday, the latest.
I have all my testings scheduled for Monday, July 9, and I go to the pulmonologist on the 10th. On the 11th I'm going to the lapband support meeting, and to the nutritionist on the 12th. Although I go to the pulmonologist on the 10th, I'm pretty sure he's going to give me another appointment for the sleep apnea test. I doubt it will be done during my initial consultation. I know that this test is done at night.
I was told that the paperwork to the insurance company won't be submitted until the doctor has all of my test results. After all of that's done, they set up another appointment for me and a date for my surgery. I can't wait. I'm hoping the surgery is scheduled for next month, right before I return to work.
I'll keep you posted.
Nereida
My Consultation Was Today
Jun 22, 2007
| Friday, June 22, 2007 I'm sooo excited! After waiting two months, I was able to go for my initial consult today. I went to Dr. Opochenko's office today, and had to wait a very long time before everything was done. I was taken to the back where a nurse did the routine stuff, asking what my age, birthday, height was. She took my blood pressure, which was a tad high, and asked me to step on a scale. I weigh 238.5 with a 39 BMI. I was then taken to another room where I waited for Dr. O. He looked over my diet history, which is glim, at best, and asked me why I hadn't tried dieting recently. I told him that it's very difficult for me and he told me that it wasn't going to get any easier with the surgery. He told me he wasn't sure if I would be eligible given the fact that my BMI isn't 40, but after checking my blood pressure and knowing that I'm on hypertension medication, he said that I was a good candidate for the surgery. I still don't know if I should go with the lapband or the bypass. He explained to me what the pros and cons are for both procedures and requested I go to one of each support group meetings so I can get a better understanding of what each one entails. I'm supposed to get some tests done, but I have to make the appointments myself. That's all fine, except that I won't be here for a whole week, and I feel I'll be losing so much in that week. I would love to get everything done tomorrow, but it's Saturday, and everything's closed. I also have to make an appointment with the nutritionist and that's a whopping $500 out of pocket expense. That hurts!! I think I'm going to stick with the bypass, only because it's going to help me not to eat certain foods. I understand that with the lapband I can still eat the foods I want, and not lose any weight. Now I have to wait for the insurance to approve it, and I'll be on my way to a slimmer, and healthier me. I'm hoping that with my weight loss I'll also stop snoring. That really bothers my husband, and my children make merciless jokes about my snoring. Nereida |
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Waiting Inpatiently
May 27, 2007
I called Dr. O's office in hopes that there might have been a cancellation and I could push my appointment up, but had no luck. He's booked solid throughout the entire summer, and him being out for a week didn't help any. I have to keep my initial consultation of June 22. I asked if I could schedule an appointment with the nutritionist and I was told that I should really wait until Dr. O sees me. The wait is killing me.
In the mean time, I went to a gyn and had a pap smear done, and I'm already scheduled for a mammogram and a pelvic ultrasound. I want these days to just fly by.
Psychiatric Evaluation
May 15, 2007
I've had people who've done the WLS give me different advices, and I'm going nuts. Some will say something, others will say something else, and I'm at my wit's end. For example, a coworker, who recently had the lap band, told me that I should schedule the psychiatric evaluation right away because it takes forever for them to schedule you. I called the surgeon's office and they told me that they could schedule the appointment, but I would have to be seen by the psychiatrist after my consultation with the surgeon. They want to be sure that I qualify before doing anything else.
One person told me that I should get all the testing done, but the doctor's office told me not to do a thing. All I have to do is go to the consultation, and they will take it from there. I was hoping to have this surgery before the next school year. I'm a high school teacher and I'll be returning to work in September, so, I would have the summer to do this.
I went to my personal doctor today for my lab results and I have high cholesterol; it's 229. My blood pressure was 133/80 (I've been taking my blood pressure pills), and I have low iron in my blood. He didn't mention anything about my sugar, so I'm assuming that came back normal.
I haven't seen a gynecologist since I had my youngest child almost 12 years ago. I know, I know, shame on me!!! I haven't had a pap smear since 1995. I had my third child and had a tubal ligation, and I didn't even return for my 6 week checkup. I already scheduled an appointment with a gyn, and I'm really not looking forward to having a pap smear, but I have to. Apart from the fact that it's for my own benefit, the surgeon requires his patients having these records up to date, which I don't.
My sister is discouraging me...
May 13, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
I wish everybody I talk to about my plans of having WLS were as excited for me as I am. My youngest sister isn't too thrilled about me having this surgery. She says that I'm not too obese, and that I can lose weight by not eating so much and doing excercise. She's in the army reserve and is very physically active. She does push ups, runs for miles without any problems. She's very active, and I'm happy for her, but she's never been overweight, either. She doesn't understand what I feel. She keeps telling me that the surgery is the easy way out, and I'm trying to explain to her that if anything, having this surgery is the hardest thing to do. It's something drastic, and my eating habits will drastically change.
If, for any reason, the surgeon says that I'm not eligible, I know there are other options for me. He's got a nutritionist and dietitian on board who could help me plan a regime for me to follow. I would prefer having the surgery done, though. Let's see what happens.
