3 month update

Jun 05, 2007

Well my fingers are still not completely healed from the nerve damage...other than that im doing fine.  

The 6-8 weeks was hard, Id throw up and food was very difficult to tolerate. I can tolerate any type of food now but pasta fills me up almost instantly.  Other foods i have to eat small portions of is bread, rice, and tortillas.

 Im noticing some hair falling out but i try to ignore it by writing it off as normal every day hair loss. Ive been wearing a size 18/20 and the weight is noticably coming off.  I can wear my rings, any bracelets/watches, and my feet are shrinking! I had a nice compliment when my friend noted how small my wrists are getting. And i am getting more attention from males.  

The weight loss is definately slowing down but i do eat more carbs now.  I know i need to exercise more. Its hard to get yourself to exercise...this has clearly been a problem from the start or i wouldnt have gotten so heavy to begin with.  I feel tired most of the day (not sure if its the drugs they gave me). I also tell myself that as long as i take it easy i may not develop a hernia. Perhaps im just making up excuses.

 I put both legs in one pant leg. Im holding the other pant leg up by my shirt. 2 months post. Very cool.

2 month update

May 13, 2007

I do not plan on updating monthly. I just thought id say that my hand no longer hurts. My two fingers are tingly/more sensitive than my other fingers but since they do not hurt, im not worried about them. It is hard to feel texture (like separating two dollar bills) with those fingers but im sure with time it will correct/heal itself.  

I had a marriage proposal yesterday by a regular that comes into the bank. It was pretty funny. And i turned him down. 

In my photos you will find a picture where i have both of my legs in one pant leg. I fit in one pant leg and no longer need the second. That was a fun picture day.  

I am finally able to eat more variety of foods. Specifically, salads and breads.  Oh! And i also had the pleasure of experiencing the hormone induced acne. Not fun or pretty.  Im working on getting them cleared up.

Progress Report

3/12/07 (1 week):    -30lbs       (I was totally shocked!)
3/31/07 (3 weeks):  -40lbs     (Amazing how some days u lose 
                                              nothing or gain a pound and then 
                                              the next day your down 4lbs)
4/5/07 (1 month):    -44lbs 
4/19/07 (~6 week): -55lbs 
5/5/07 (2 month):    -64lbs   (Was hoping to be at 70 but i think
                                           pain meds for my nerve damage 
                                           stalled me -- 20lb loss for month 2)
6/5/07 (3 month):   -78lbs    (I aimed for 80 but got there 2 days 
                                            after my surgerversary --14lb loss for 
                                            month 3)
                                        


Hospital/1st Month

Mar 31, 2007

Operation supposed to take 4 hours. Operation actually took 8 hours because of complications. The stomach muscle couldnt hold the staples. The doctor had to sew everything back together. My mom was freaked  out b/c no one told her what was going on.  I remember waking u in recovery and my feet were burning! I kept asking the nurse to take the feet pumps off and massage them and she wouldnt. 

When i woke up in my room, my tummy felt fine (no pain).  But I had all these phantom/mystery pains.  Feet along side of the pinky were burning and hurting the moment I woke up. Thumb, pointer, and middle finger are numb and have not woken up yet on right hand.  Right arm swollen and left butt cheek in alot of pain. These  "minor areas" are much worse than my tummy. I was released and I have no nausea but I need to learn to drink smaller amounts of liquid because my stomach gruggles and it becomes very uncomfortable.  Tight  chest, need to burp after everything.

My room was like a garden, filled with flowers and gifts. It was a really nice gesture.

As of today [3/31/07] my hand/fingers are in pain (throbbing, shooting pains, burning). It is very hard to function. Ive tried everything, even acupuncture. Now im on Neurotin (praying it will help) Also, my pinky toe is still numb. Im a little sad from all the pain and being tired. I miss being able to eat too.


My DS Journey

Feb 11, 2007

I first tried to get the Lapband. I was attending university and covered under my father’s health insurance (United Healthcare - UHC).  I was assured by our agent that I would be covered, that UHC is the best insurance to have for getting approved.  I was denied. During that time I was researching the Duodenal Switch and decided to switch surgery types.  I tried for the DS with a LA doctor. I was denied and i tried to appeal but was denied again. Weight loss surgery (WLS) was an exclusion and that is that.  The agent was going to combine my dad’s company with a few other companies in order to get an insurance policy that would cover the wls.  Instead, we lost our health insurance.
          I would NEVER have gastric bypass. After researching, the lapband did not have the success rate that I need.  The DS will give me the closest post operative lifestyle to normalcy that is possible.  The DS has the best success rate and does not have the side effects and restrictions that the bypass has.  For more detailed reasons, visit duodenalswitch.com or obesityhelp.com (the DS forum/message board).

My father said he would get me the money so as I waited, I researched the internet.  I tried to get a loan from Bank One but they basically gave me the run around and declined me at the very last minute. I wont go into anymore detail about it but it was a long stressful waste of time.  I finally realized I would have to save up the money myself.  I decided to go to Brazil and self pay.  This was going to take a long time since I was also attending university.  I thought maybe I could save and my dad could help me out.  Well I finished school and set aside 5 thousand dollars. I decided to get my teaching certification so I put any excess loan money into my savings.  School loans are the best loans to get for the interest rate.  Then I switched jobs and started working for JPMorgan Chase.  I finally got health insurance but they did not cover the DS.  I would not have any other type of surgery.  I have done enough research to know which surgery is right for me.  I was greatful to have health insurance because I was suffering from hives for a good portion of the year.  Before I had insurance, I went to Primacare, which is a facility that does not require insurance. It was still expensive.  So having insurance definitely saved me money.

 I have gained so much weight during the years because I did not see myself as fat.  It is as if I had a veil over my eyes.  Every once in a while the veil would lift and I caught a glimpse of myself as others must see me.  It would be very upsetting but temporary.  It was only the last year or two that the glimpses of my true self became more permanent.  This combined with the stress of life (family dying, nursing school heartache, losing insurance, friends moving away, loan decline, career insecurities, school insecurities, wrecking my car, credit card debt, parent divorce, etc.) made me eat more and more.  I use food as a comfort, as a reward, something to do when I’m bored, and as a habit. 

Back to my story, so here I am at JPMorgan Chase with Aetna as my health insurance.  So one day I have this feeling that I should go back to Aetna’s website.  As of 9/8/06 they changed their policy. I met all the criteria except a 3 month supervised diet and exercise program. I started the diet on Oct 3, 2006.  I posted on my support group (Obesityhelp.com) about my insurance change.  There were only 2 doctors who perform the DS in Texas and both were 5 hours away from where I live.  Well Christine saw my post and informed me that Dr. Stewart in Denton (15-20 minutes from where I live) performs the DS. Dr. Stewart is new to the DS but not to bariactric surgery.  
         Dr. Stewart is very nice and I felt comfortable with having him as my surgeon.  His staff is lacking in personal skills and organization.  First the coordinator tells me i cant talk to her until i submit my insurance information through the website.  I annoyingly do this, I didn’t realize that I needed to submit insurance information to ask general questions. Scheduling has been an issue from day one.  I scheduled a consult with Dr. Stewart under the assumption that I would also be starting my diet the same day.  When I confirmed this, I was told I that I would see his seminar and not the consultation. I do not have a lot of time and availability because I am working full time and attending school full time.  She calls me back the same day and schedules me in for my consult before the seminar on the same day.  She also mentions to me that Dr. Stewart does not perform lap DS and that my BMI (body mass index – calculates excess fat according to weight and height) is not “high enough to make the type of surgery that I want appropriate.”  I am not surprised by this response because the office is so new to the DS.   I informed her that you only have to have a BMI of 40 to be appropriate for ANY type of weight loss surgery.  She told me I would have to take it up with the doctor. Lets just say that at this point I was less than happy.   
             I informed the coordinator of Aetna’s change in policy on the phone but she did not listen to me.  When I arrived at my consultation, I was told how Aetna does not cover the DS.  I found this annoying because I told her on the phone and she had plenty of time to look this information up before my consultation.  I went to the consultation fully ready to fight my case.  Dr Stewart immediately asked me why I wanted the DS over the RNY (Gastric Bypass).  I gave him an ear full, which actually excited him.  The next thing I know, we are talking about everything from the history of the DS to some of his college experiences.  He was impressed that I have made a binder of information to prepare myself for this surgery.  My BMI was not an issue and neither was having the DS lap. 

            After completetion of my diet (1/5/2007), the papers were faxed to Aetna.  I was denied because 

1.
     
my medical records did not show that my BMI was 
       over 40 for 5 consecutive years

2.      my diet did not fulfill the 3 month requirement

 

 

 

The coordinator tells me that she made a mistake in sending the information for the diet.  The medical records, however, was more complicated.  It seems that on 11/10/2005 a nurse from my pcp (primary care physician) wrote down my weight incorrectly.  It appears that she made a transposition when recording my weight (for example, instead of writing 21 she wrote 12). This is a problem because the weight she has recorded suggests that i lost 77lbs that year. Even though my history shows that I have consistently gained weight, the insurance needs a medical document as proof.  Luckily, I remembered that when I was having hives and did not have insurance, I went to Primacare.  I was not sure of the date that I went or whether my weight was recorded but it was my only hope.  It took a long time to retrieve my medical history.  When I received my medical history from Primacare it did have my weight recorded on 12/28/2006.  With this document, we sent my appeal letter (explaining to the insurance company that I did not lose 77lbs and then 48 days later GAIN an additional 97lbs).  There was a discrepancy as to where my appeal was to be sent.  Aetna was telling me one thing and my coordinator was telling me the opposite (coordinator sent it to the doctor who was assigned my case by Aetna and Aetna said that was wrong).  The only thing that both agreed on was that I had to wait ANOTHER 45 days.  Waiting another 45 days seemed to be the answer for everything. It has not been the smoothest experience with the coordinator but now that I am approved, I am going to let the past go and look forward to my new journey. 

I felt so drained and tired of waiting (this whole time I keep pushing back my vacation time at work because I keep getting delayed).  Fighting with insurance is so draining, this is why I was going to self pay.  I did not want to deal with the insurance games again.  The next day I dropped my cat off at the vet and went to WalMart.  Walmart parking lots are horrific but I actually got the very first parking place without waiting.  And as I parked, the vet called and said my cat didn’t need surgery after all.  I felt like this was a sign, things were going to turn around for me.  The next morning I was woken up by the phone; it was the coordinator who gave me the good news. My appeal was approved!  My date is March 5, 2007 with Dr. Stewart in Denton.  It has been 6 years of frustration and waiting.  It is finally my turn to have the DS and I am very relieved.  

 

 

 


10/01/04

Denied, Denied, Denied... =P 
I want the DS. Ive been trying to get wls for 3 years. 

About Me
DS
Surgery
03/05/2007
Surgery Date
Feb 13, 2004
Member Since

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