Kelly L.
Still waiting...
May 31, 2008
Well, in a nutshell: surgeon decided to have me see an endocrinologist to be checked out for the possible Cushing's Disease - better safe than sorry; even though my serum cortisol test came back normal, it was on the high end of normal and he just wanted to be sure. Took me about 3.5 months to find an endocrinologist available w/in network to see that had an available slot before late October. I finally found one, but it was in FL, so I drove to Jacksonville to see this doc. He had me do a 24-hr. urine to look at the cortisol levels, and his office called me back yesterday to tell me they came back normal, but asked if they did a blood draw when I turned the test in, which they didn't. I guess usually they look at that serum cortisol and compare it to what they found w/the 24 hr urine test. So I may have to repeat the test. I sure hope not, it took the lab nearly two weeks to get the result from this one back! I'm becoming very frustrating, as this has just been dragging out for months now, and I'm trying really hard to stay positive and be thankful that my tests are all coming back okay so far. I hope I have a date to report soon. I was hoping to be well on my way to being much thinner by the time my husband came home for his EML (R&R) leave, but it looks like if anything, I'll just barely be out of surgery by the time that happens this summer. So glad he loves me any shape I'm in; I just hope if nothing else, I'll be well on my way to being much thinner by the time he returns home from being deployed. If any of you reading this out there are so inclined, a good word to The Big Guy Upstairs to get this moving again would sure be appreciated. Thanks. :)
PS: Forgot to add - my insurance has already signed off on the surgery, so I don't have to wait for insurance approval, I've already got that. :) Just waiting to see what the surgeon thinks re: these cortisol results...
PS: Forgot to add - my insurance has already signed off on the surgery, so I don't have to wait for insurance approval, I've already got that. :) Just waiting to see what the surgeon thinks re: these cortisol results...
Waiting for a date...
Mar 05, 2008
Still waiting for a date here. After the upper GI test, my doc decided to check me for Cushing's Disease, which is where your body makes too much cortisol and causes you to gain weight due to a tumor that is in your adrenal glands. But that test came back okay; my levels were found to be w/in the normal ranges. Yay for that! For once, I was glad to just be fat! I'm hoping to hear back soon and have a surgery date. Yesterday was my 40th birthday, and having a surgery date would have been a great b-day present, but I'll take a belated one. :) I'm very grateful that my surgeon is being cautious and checking things over from head to toe. I appreciate that and I have every confidence that I picked the right one. :)
Is this EVER going to happen?!?
Dec 28, 2007
It's hard not to get frustrated and disappointed during this whole process, isn't it? I had to have yet another test done; this time it was an upper GI. Found out I have a small hiatal hernia. I haven't seen the surgeon since I've had the procedure done, so I'm not sure if this will require repair before surgery, or if it's something they can repair during the surgery, or if they'll even worry about it. I'm just so ready to be on the other side of this. But I know it'll happen; I just have to get it out of my head that it has to happen according to MY timeframe. So I'm working hard to just 'let it ride' and go with the flow, and wait to hear what happens next.
I'm required to do at least 3-4 weeks of Atkins prior to surgery. Since I knew nothing was going to happen surgery-wise until after the 1st of the year, I decided to wait until after the holidays were said and done before starting the low-carb plan. So come the 1st, I'm off and running w/that. I'm hoping that by the end of January I should know something more about my surgery status and be down a few pounds to boot.
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Take care!
I'm required to do at least 3-4 weeks of Atkins prior to surgery. Since I knew nothing was going to happen surgery-wise until after the 1st of the year, I decided to wait until after the holidays were said and done before starting the low-carb plan. So come the 1st, I'm off and running w/that. I'm hoping that by the end of January I should know something more about my surgery status and be down a few pounds to boot.
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Take care!
I'm still kickin'!
Nov 28, 2007
I'm sorry I haven't posted in the last few months. I'm still pursuing the surgery actively, I just really haven't had much to report. My doctor finally got on board with me though, but before clearing me for surgery decided to have me have both a colonoscopy and a cardiac stress test done. I've recently completed both those, and the results of both were good. So now it's up to my main doc to clear me for surgery. I've also decided to change surgeons. The 1st surgeon I went to wanted quite a bit of $ for out-of-pocket program fees, $ I was having a heckuva time coming up with. A rep from my insurance company told me of another surgeon who's out-of-pocket program fee was not as much, so I decided to check them out. I'm very glad I did. As a result, I've elected to go with Drs. Tribble and Pickett in Columbia, SC. Their practice, Palmetto Health Baptist Weight Management Center, has received the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence seal of approval, and they've done many, many surgeries. I feel confident in my choice to go with them, and their staff has just been wonderful. They're all very warm, accepting, and supportive, and they are very accomodating as well, as I am driving from GA to SC to see them. (About 210 miles each way each time I go.) I have another appt with them on the 6th of December. I meet with both the psychologist and the nutritionist, and hopefully by then my PCM will have given them my surgical clearance. I'll post again after that appointment and let you know how it goes and where I stand. But it's getting close, I can feel it 
Yahoo! I'm on my way!
Jun 09, 2007
Well it took a while, but I finally heard from Tricare - they've authorized me to have a surgical consult! Just received it in the mail today, I'm so jazzed! I'll letcha know how it goes! 
Hello again!
May 09, 2007
So much for blogging on a regular basis! Life got pretty hectic not too long after that last post. Long story short, I found out I was pregnant, then subsequently went through a miscarriage. It's been the roughest thing I've ever gone through, and it's taken me quite a while to get back on my feet again. But I do have an appt to attend an informational seminar on May 23rd re: lap band and Open/Lap RNY surgery. I know this surgeon is covered by my insurance. Hopefully I'll find out at the seminar what requirements my insurer has such as psych evals, nutritional counseling, etc.
I'll do my best to be better about posting. Hopefully as more things start to happen, I'll have more to post about! Hope you're all well, God bless!
I'll do my best to be better about posting. Hopefully as more things start to happen, I'll have more to post about! Hope you're all well, God bless!
The 1st time's always the toughest :)
Oct 21, 2006
Hey everyone :)
Well, I decided that if I'm going to pursue this WLS properly, I need to use all the available resources and help that's out there. So here I am, journaling things from the very beginning. I do have a blog out on Yahoo! 360 as well, but as many of you can probably relate, talking about being obese and having weight loss surgery is a personal and difficult thing sometimes. So I decided to keep my weight loss and weight loss surgery details in a forum where others can relate, understand, and support, and where I can do the same for them, hopefully.
As far as starting this process, I'm a bit closer since we got here. We've enrolled in Tricare Prime, and I can set up an initial exam appt. for anytime after Nov. 1st when it becomes effective. So that's Monday on my 'to do' list.
In the meantime, I'm trying to get back on track with some healthier eating habits and a bit of exercise. Both went out the door when we moved, and I've had a hard time getting back on track since.
I guess that's about it for now. Looking forward to getting to know some folks through this forum. Goodnight for now!
Well, I decided that if I'm going to pursue this WLS properly, I need to use all the available resources and help that's out there. So here I am, journaling things from the very beginning. I do have a blog out on Yahoo! 360 as well, but as many of you can probably relate, talking about being obese and having weight loss surgery is a personal and difficult thing sometimes. So I decided to keep my weight loss and weight loss surgery details in a forum where others can relate, understand, and support, and where I can do the same for them, hopefully.
As far as starting this process, I'm a bit closer since we got here. We've enrolled in Tricare Prime, and I can set up an initial exam appt. for anytime after Nov. 1st when it becomes effective. So that's Monday on my 'to do' list.
In the meantime, I'm trying to get back on track with some healthier eating habits and a bit of exercise. Both went out the door when we moved, and I've had a hard time getting back on track since.
I guess that's about it for now. Looking forward to getting to know some folks through this forum. Goodnight for now!
About Me
55.7
BMI
Surgery
06/30/2008
Surgery Date
Sep 16, 2006
Member Since
