Thanksgiving Day!

Nov 30, 2006

It is now ten days post–op and I finally feel that I can sit here long enough to put together the story.

The operation seemed to be unremarkable and progressed at a timely pace. They had me up and walking when they wanted but I was fuzzy and sick. Since I was expecting nausea, this was no great surprise. Finally on the third day, right after my pain medication I was assailed with violent sickness and my brain had cleared enough to say, “It’s the medication”. The codeine imitator, Lortab does such a good imitation that it makes me just as sick as codeine does.

The drain kept filling at an alarming rate and the nurse called the doctor and he said to stop the suction and let it fill only from gravity flow.

Dr. Mirande came in that day and cut off my pain killers and my blood thinner as my blood count was still going down. They had me in imaging on and off for 10 hours, over two days, trying to make sure there were no leaks in the newly created stomach. If I never see barium again it will be too soon. It was finally decided that I was bleeding from something of no significance and the blood thinners had acerbated the flow.

I was now cognizant and aware of my condition but was not happy with it. I wasn’t sure I could cope at home with all that needed to be done. The doctor was not pleased with my condition and wanted me to stay another day for observation. I felt so rotten I agreed.

The next day I was not really any better and after the tests Dr. Mirande told me that if I wanted to go home I needed to get the blood count up. How? Transfusion.

So I spent all day getting three pints of blood pumped into me. Sure did the trick.

I came home Thanksgiving Day. Thank you, God!


"Houston, it looks like a go!"

Nov 08, 2006

I’m in. Mary called back and said she had forgotten to give me the date! I have a date! November 20, 2006 will be my rebirthday. I had to have the blood work and the EKG but none of that posed a problem. I was able to get those the next Saturday. Mary called yesterday and said she had not received the EKG results. I called the lab and asked them to FAX that to her and they did it immediately. I called and put down a credit card number for my deposits with Mirande’s office and with the hospital, as I am borrowing the money from our life insurance fund and it will be here shortly but I don’t want to wait until the last minute and have to worry about it. I have finished my last Half/Café and am on straight decaf now. I have called the hospital and received the name of the anesthesiologist, Dr. Eric Swetland. I called to talk to him and left a message telling him about my reaction to morphine so that he will have a heads-up on that issue. All my ducks are in a row.

Michael wants to go to the valley this weekend (it’s a three-day) we will visit his folks on Friday and then Saturday go wine tasting in Valley of the Moon, we will have the camper on and stay at a campground that night and do some more tasting on our way home Sunday. It is the first thing he has planned for us to do together in years. I wanted to go to Chateau Saint Jean and get a bottle of their 2004 Chardonnay but we just haven’t had the time and it is a five hour drive each way. I had a bottle of this wine at a restaurant in Oregon when I spent some time there with my brother Roger and his wife Lucy this summer.

I have told all the friends and relatives that I won’t be around for a while because of the surgery and I have put in my slip for the time off at work. I am ready; the medicos are ready; I sure hope the powers that be are ready because, “Houston, it looks like a go!”


On The Road Again

Oct 30, 2006

            Last Friday I called Dr. Mirande’s office and gave them a number that was on the back of my acceptance letter from BC. The number was to connect them with the review doctors on my policy. I cannot understand why they did not have that number. I would think it would be of more use to them than to me.

            Mary, who is doing her best to understand the policy of my insurance company, was at last satisfied with the answers she got. The doctor was not in but would get the information on Monday when he returned to his office.

            When I came home from work there was a message on my answering machine from Dr. Mirande saying that he was now satisfied with the insurance approval.

I called back immediately and thanked Mary and asked her where I was in the process, and what I still need to do to prepare for the surgery and set the date. I am being scheduled for an EKG and several other tests that Dr. Peters also ordered for me which includes an x-ray of my right hip joint.

            So I’m moving again. I was tempted to push for a date on the phone, but I decided to get the tests out of the way first. I will call the hospital later and see how much time I should schedule for all of these tests. I would like to get them all done on the same day, if that is possible.


Battle of the Titans

Oct 26, 2006

 I have come to the conclusion that I am privileged to be watching such a battle. The old god, doctor is battling the new god, insurance. The old god thinks he can get the new god to commit to a blood oath. The new god says, you and what army? In the end the loser is always the people (patient).

            In its own way it is an interesting change of events. Instead of me trying to get approval, the doctor is trying to find out why I got approval. He has been burnt by insurance companies too many times and is gun shy. But I keep wondering about that old adage, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” But then there is the other adage, “Anything that seems too good to be true, is.”

            The battle began when my doctor looked at the acceptance and said that he could find only one co-morbidity listed. He had his nurse call my case worker at BCBS and ask for verification of the acceptance and something showing the reasons for the acceptance. From what his nurse, Mary, said, on the phone, yesterday the case worker was rude and insulting. Now I ask you if someone calls you and questions your decision and insists you do extra work, just to make them happy, are you going to be all sweetness and light? Mary said the doctor would be calling, himself, to talk to the case worker. If there might have been a borderline decision being made by this caseworker I can see her jumping back over the line at this point. If the doctor questions her decision might her superior?

            So now the battle, inside, is going on. “I don’t deserve this so it won’t happen”, and “I have done everything to comply and should be approved.”

            I am seriously considering changing doctors. It may be easier for a doctor in my state to work with my insurance carrier. I have given this doctor till the end of the week to satisfy himself as to my coverage. At that point I will contact my case worker for BCBS and ask how much trouble it will be to change doctors and if she thinks I will be able to meet the deadline for my age if I do.

            At first I was mad at my doctor, but now I just feel sorry for him. No one, not even doctors should have to be so paranoid. Where will this battle of the gods lead us? I don’t know, but I am sure of one thing, it is a loose, loose proposition for me.


Construction Zone, Expect Delays!

Oct 18, 2006

I was angry earlier but now I am just pushed out of shape.

The hospital where I was to go and do my pre-op information today is under major reconstruction. They are trying, but working under these circumstances is very disorienting. They have transportation carts wandering the lot picking up people and transporting them through the construction. When you don’t know where anything is to begin with and you need to find places without the standard sign system it becomes a real Leprechaun Hunt. I was there in plenty of time for my appointment but by the time I was registered and redirected I was a little late but it didn’t seem to bother anyone. The nurse that was doing the orientation was not real familiar with the procedure so we kind of muddled through together on a few of the points. Her scales said I weighed 213 lbs. I asked for directions to Dr. Mirande’s office from the hospital staff and was given good directions which made it easy to locate.

Dr. Mirande went through an extensive and comprehensive breakdown of the surgery and the possible operative complications that could be encountered. If I had not left the house at 8:00 AM to be at my first appointment at pre-op, and if the presentation had not taken till 2:30 PM, I might have been in a better mood, but I doubt it. I can go for a while without food, but I get a headache. I can go most of the day without my other pills but when you ask me to do without any of this and lock me in a room for three hours with a lecture that is meant to be a review….well? When we went to the examining room and he looked at my packet and said he was concerned with the fact that he did not see the second co-morbidity that the insurance needed to give me the acceptance, which they have done, I lost my cool. I told them I had a 3:00 PM appointment, gave them the phone number of my insurance caseworker and left. Now I have taken a day off work for nothing. I missed a lunch date with my son to be told he wasn’t sure if I am really accepted. Isn’t that something he should have checked before I had to take time off work and drive three hours? His nurse, Mary was very apologetic and tried to phone the caseworker before I had to leave, but Marilyn (the caseworker) was out of her office until Monday and the person taking her calls was unavailable at that time.

So I went and got my hair cut, visited the local GNC store and had dinner with my son and future-dil. We talked wedding plans and by the time I had driven home I had cooled to a simmer. But now I have to stew till next Tuesday and I’m not sure why? What does a person have to do to be sure they are approved? They have called me and given me a case worker. The insurance has sent the doctor the approval forms? Does he want it in blood? I think I am justified in being piqued. I would be a lot madder if I had the surgery and insurance refused to pay because of some silly technicality. So Now I’m not sure who I am mad at; my doctor for not taking the insurance companies word; or my insurance for making my doctor so super cautious that they won’t take a simple acceptance.


Not Quite Yet......

Oct 15, 2006

October 13, 2006

 

I received a call from Mary at Dr. Mirande's office regarding an available surgery date. When I finally straightened out the confusion about the phone number, I returned the call and she said there was a November 7th date available and was I interested? I told her that I appreciated the call but that I needed the date closer to the end of November to work out my time off at school. I don't really like doing all of this through the snow and ice going to Klamath Falls but I want the most recovery time I can put together after the surgery. If I can get the surgery the week before Thanksgiving or the week after I will be able to put together 5 or 6 weeks of recovery time and only lose a weeks pay, if that. I went to see my Arthritis specialist yesterday. He is real happy with the lab results from my last screenings in March. He has some others he wants done but I am wondering if I can get some of them done when they do the pre-op scans at Merle West. It's worth a shot since they will be taking blood anyway. I got my shipment from Susan Maria's today. I think I am going to start making lists. I have been collecting things I will need after the surgery and I really don't know what I have or what more I need. I figure if I can have the operation when I want it, it is only 7 weeks away.


Another Step Closer

Oct 15, 2006

October 9, 2006

 Today there was a message on the machine to call Sara at Dr. Mirande's office. The message said I needed to make a pre-op appointment at the hospital and I might want to try to get it for the 18th since I would be up there (Klamath Falls) already. Sara is so sharp. I really appreciate the intelligent, conscientious, thought that goes into her job. That just saved me another day off work and three hours worth of driving. I called and was able to get a 10:00 AM at the clinic which they said would get me out in plenty of time for my 11:30 with Dr. Mirande. It was too late in the day to catch Sara but I left a message on her machine telling her what I had done. I will try to get a hold of her tomorrow. Now if I can get an appointment with the hairdresser the same day I will be in heaven. I must get an appointment to have my studded snow tires put on the first week in November and get the rotors turned. Then I will be ready to drive in any weather. I also need to make a list of questions for the doctor, hospital and anesthesiologist. Things are starting to pile up. Note to self, "Do more things in one day!"


Surprise!

Oct 15, 2006

October 5, 2006


I emailed Sara at Dr. Mirande's office on Saturday the 30th of September. I had just realized, that although I had gotten the date and the time of their support group meeting, I had neglected to get the location. Well, lo and behold there, on Monday morning, was a reply from Sara giving me the location. I have been so impressed with their efficiency! So when I received a message from the school office, Wednesday morning to call Sara Dr. Mirande's, I assumed it was regarding the meeting, which was that evening. I assumed that something had happened to cause the meeting to be cancelled and that this was a call to tell me not to drive the hour and a half each way to the meeting. That was very considerate of them, right? Not! Not! Not! My husband dropped by my intervention classroom after lunch to tell me about the message at home on the machine. I told him what I thought it was and he said, "No, Go home and listen to the message!" So I went home before leaving for my support group meeting. It was Sara calling to say I had been approved for surgery and that I needed to come to an appointment with Dr. Mirande on the 18th at 11:30 AM! Well, I sailed up to that support group meeting. The hour and a half drive flew by, going and coming home. I had dinner at the restaurant where my son works and then went to the support group meeting. I am always impressed with the way things connected to Dr. Mirande’s office are organized. They seem so efficient. It gives me a real feeling of confidence being way up here in the wild, wild, west. The support group meeting had five post-ops to relate experiences and answer questions. Two post-ops brought samples from the places they get their supplies. One of the post-ops had a print out from Susan Maria’s site and I passed out cards to her site. The post-ops said that Dr. Mirande likes his patients to go on a liquids diet three weeks pre-op. He has had very few open surgeries when the patient followed this diet. My life style change is imminent! Now I can really get nervous.

I was Pinkified!

Oct 15, 2006

September 16, 2006

 

This is board talk for receiving a shipment from the Susan Maria Store. I ordered the sampler pack. So far I have tried two of the protein drinks and am 50/50 on taste tests. I like the Elite Mocha Chocloate but did not find the IDS Belgium Chocolate to my taste, though I could drink it with a glug of DiVinci SF chocolate syrup added.

If I stay only 50/50 that will still leave me plenty of ways to get my protein which should make it easier to stay in compliance with my plan.

This waiting is so hard. I want to get started but I don't want to jump the gun and in some way jeopardize my chance of surgery. Tough! Tough! Tough!

Saw My Nutritionist and Psychologist Today

Oct 15, 2006

September 13, 2006

 I was nervous but well prepared for my appointments today. I have read almost everything on the web pertaining to bariatric. I have followed the bariatriceating.com board and the OH board for months now and felt I was ready.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Dr. Mirande's Clinical Staff was equally well prepared. The information from them was a complete review of everything I have read on the bariatriceating.com and OH sites. It was complete and well presented. I don't think, if I had not read all of the items previously, I would have been able to absorb it all at these meetings. But the Binder of Information covers it all again, in writing, for when we need reminded. It is step by step and very clear. Noncompliance will not be because you were ill informed.

Now it is a waiting game as the director said today, "Now, we play the insurance game, we'll let you know as soon as we know anything."


About Me
Dunsmuir, CA
Location
38.3
BMI
Aug 02, 2006
Member Since

Friends 21

Latest Blog 20
Thanksgiving Day!
"Houston, it looks like a go!"
On The Road Again
Battle of the Titans
Construction Zone, Expect Delays!
Not Quite Yet......
Another Step Closer
Surprise!
I was Pinkified!
Saw My Nutritionist and Psychologist Today

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