Okay...first visit....

Nov 30, 2010

My appointment is later today and I am super nervous. I am about to go do something mundane like laundry...that should calm me down. I'll make sure to update tonight with what happens.


**So, it's nighttime. Things went very well. First the MA that took my information and vitals was super nice. My BP was a little high, but I WAS super nervous....so whatever. The nurse wasn't awesome. She came in all matter-of-fact and asked, "So, you're interested in bariatric surgery?".....and I said "Yes..."------then she starts going off on things that I am going to have to get done, including three months PCM(PCP) supervised weight loss. Also, that I need to get 'these' labs done, and they should be fasting...and it might be a good idea to stay off the fried and fatty foods for a few days prior to the labs so that they look good. I was like, uh, okay. Then she started to mention that after the procedure I would only  be able to eat a very small amount because you will only have a very small stomach...and, again, I was like, uh, yep, I know that. Then it was like this:
Nurse:  "You won't be able to eat sugar"
Me: "I know"
Nurse: "Because you can have this thing call 'dumping'
Me: "You know, I am not interested in having the RNY, I would like to have the VSG."
Nurse: "Well, dumping can happen with that too."
Me: "Even though I will still have my pyloric valve?"
Nurse: -baffled- "Well, you have the pyloric valve intact with both procedures."

After that I started to not listen. That's when she turned to the computer and said...

Nurse: "You don't have any co-morbidities?"
Me: "Not yet"
Nurse: "Well, I don't know if, based just on your weight if you're insurance will cover you"
Me: "Oh, they will cover me, my BMI is almost a 45. They may reject my request for VSG, but I can win an appeal based on my need for NSAID's"
Nurse: "I don't know, Tricare has been giving us trouble lately on approvals"
Me: "I work at the Naval Hospital and very closely with Tricare representatives, I pretty much  know Tricare's loopholes"
Nurse: "I have had the bypass, and I can take childrens motrin and liquid gel nsaids, but if you want to take on Tricare..."
Me: "Yes, I'll handle Tricare"

Then after more questions she asks me if I spoke to the doctor at the seminar and if I would like to talk to him today. Well, yes, I would love to talk to the doctor...that is why I came in. Then THAT WOMAN left....I don't know if she was actually a nurse....Lord, I hope not.

Then Dr. Sharma came in and the sun came out, yay! He answered some questions for me. Told me that I didn't need to do the three months of supervised weight loss because it wasn't required by my insurance, and that all I needed to do was the NUT and the Pysch evaluation. I talked to him about possibly getting the single incision and he said that wouldn't even be a problem...and to go one step further, they are trying to make the procedure painless (as painless as possible), so with single incisions they can do this thing with called an ultrasonic nerve block. Where they can block the nerve endings near where I am going to be cut, and they stay numb for several hours. We shall see about that one. So, he says that as soon as I get all this other stuff done to come back in for a date. AND, he said that if I know I will need to take nsaids forever, then the VSG or Imbrication would be the best choices, and since no insurances are covering Imbrication yet, VSG is definately the way to go....and that he would write a letter for me if I needed him to. He was SO AWESOME...

The only complaint I have is that awful woman, and let me tell you...it is VERY difficult to get me to say a cross word about anyone.

First appt with the NUT is on the 15th see you then....oh, btw, my weight today was 252.

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