KKSUNSHINE

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I finally heard from the Drs office last Tuesday. She said that I didn't have sleep apnea, but had a few episodes during REM sleep, but not enough to warrant treatment. I found that good news.

I will have my next followup with my PCP on 2/23, then only 3 more to go after that. I am really counting down the months.

I have started drinking protein shakes for breakfast. Also increasing my protein & trying to limit carbs. Haven't had any sweets like cookies, cakes or anything like that since January 1st. That is a miracle for me. Now that I am beginning to limit carbs I believe that my cravings will decrease.

It has been over a week since I had the sleep study done & I still don't have the results. I called the Dr's office on Thursday. The nurse called me back & said that the Dr had the results but had not told her what the next step would be. She said she would find out & call me back on Friday. I never heard anything so I called the office at 4:00 pm, they were closed. I was frustrated. I was looking forward to hearing something about the results. I will call her back on Monday.
I just don't know if no news is good news. Surely the would have called to set up another test if that was the case. The surgeons office said that the sleep study part is what can be lengthy. I am just praying that she had good findings & will sign off for me to have the band surgery.

I also found out that my neighbor works for a bariatric office as their coordinator. So I went to talk to her & she said that the insurance I have is not hard to work with, they just have 2 primary requirements & as long as they are met you are as good as approved. I meet those 2 requirements so I felt better after talking to her since she works with this stuff everyday.

I had my 3rd followup visit with my PCP on Wednesday so I only have 4 more to go. I will finish up on May 19th, then insurance submission.

I have been reading alot about weight loss surgery just trying to find out as much info as I can about the different things I will experience after wards. I know that everyone is different but I know that there are some things that are common among WLS patients. I just want to be as prepared as I can be. I don't want to go into this thinking all my problems will be solved & that my life will be all roses once its done because I know that isn't true.

Well on Monday I went for my sleep evaluation. They called me the next day & scheduled me for the overnight sleep study on 2/22. On Thursday they called & said they had a cancellation & wanted me to go in that night. I said, sure. I was so glad b/c the Dr's office said that is the part that can take forever. I had the sleep study done & didn't have to wear the mask b/c I apparently didn't have an apnea episode. If they do say I have it I am sure it will be VERY mild b/c of not having to wear the mask. I don't know what else they may have found but the Dr is to call me next week with the results. I hope its on Monday.

This morning I went to the support group meeting. It was interesting. I recd my certificate so that is another thing I have done. All that is left is my 4 other visits to my PCP & then I will be ready to submit the paper work to the insurance company.
I have a feeling that these next several months will go by fast, I'm keeping myself busy so that makes it go by even faster. I'm thinking that the surgery will be mid to late June. : ))

I went for my sleep evaluation today. Its not "exactly" what I wanted to hear but could have been worse, I'm sure.
She said that my neck was normal size but I did have an elongated pallet & the fact that I fall asleep quickly would make me a candidate for sleep apnea. She wanted to do a sleep study on me where I have to go spend the night. They will call me with the next week to schedule for me to have that done. I was hoping she would say things were great & that she would approve me for surgery.
I'm not going to let it get me down though. I don't feel like I have sleep apnea b/c my husband says I hardly ever snore & I don't ever snore when I sleep on my back, only my side. The study requires me to sleep on my back, so I guess that's a good thing. : )
On Saturday I am attending the support group & will receive my certificate for that. I then have my monthly check up with my PCP on Wed 1/20. That will be 3 down & 4 more to go.
I have been off of sugar for about 5 days now & the cravings are over. I am so glad, I hate those. I will keep it up & after my next PCP visit I will begin to eliminate simple carbs as well. I don't eat white bread, only double fiber wheat but I need to work on eliminating breads, pastas & the such from my diet also. I do not want to go into this surgery unprepared in anyway, especially with my food.
I am also working on my mindset. I am trying to find more things to do that occupy my time rather than eat.
It has been a family tradition for birthdays for us to get together & have dinner or lunch on the Sunday prior to the b'day. This next year I am going to suggest that we go bowling or have a family outing like that instead of eating.
I want to find ways to socialize without food always being what its centered around. I know this will be a lifestyle change for me & I am ready to do what I need to do to get prepared for it.
I will succeed & be a 'REALIZE BAND' success story. I'm not saying it will be easy or pie in the sky, but I am saying I will do what I need to do, while all the while asking God for the strength to help me do it.
I know I can do it. I believe in myself & know that I can accomplish what I put my mind to with God's grace.

Well today was my psych visit. I was at the Dr's office from 8:30-1:30....a long day but glad that another hoop has been jumped through. I did find out that I am a perfect candidate for the surgery. She said that I was as mentally prepared as one could be to go through the surgery......that was good to hear.  She said that she sees 2 things that are common among those that gain their weight back. The first was sodas, since I don't drink them at all I won't have that to deal with. The second is sugar; for me that will be the challenge, but I know I can do it. I have done it before & I realize that this is a lifestyle change. I will begin to slowly come off of sugar with in the next 6 months so that I won't have to deal with that prior to surgery.  

I have my next regular dr visit on the 21st, that will be my 2nd visit of the 7 that I have to complete before submitting for approval. I think this is the part that is going to be what seems like its taking forever. I will have them all in by the middle of May so I pray for approval no later than the end of June. I would really like to have surgery before the fall. 



 

Well tomorrow is my birthday. Each year I say I am going to be smaller next year & some years it has happened, others it hasn't. However the times when I have been larger have been more than the times I was smaller. I am praying that this year will change all that.
I know what to do in order to lose weight, it just doesn't seem to be as easy as it use to be. That is why I am being banded. I know that with Gods help &  the knowledge I have that this tool, the band, will be the missing piece that I need to reach my goals & maintain my goal weight for good.
I believe that next year at this time I will be at least 50 lb lighter, if not more.

This week I will go in for my psych evaluation. I am interested to see what all I have to go through, they said it would take about 4 hours. Although I am a bit nervous, I think I will do fine. It will be 1 more thing that I will l have done to move closer to being able to submit to insurance.
My insurance will change from United to BCBS as of January 1 so I will be able to get in touch with them for more clarification on the process. The surgeons office has been great about answering my questions but BCBS is the one that has to approve me so I want to make sure to jump through every hoop that they want me to.

When I first decided to go forward with having surgery I was eaitng like crazy. I think I gained about 5 lb but since then, which has been about 2 weeks, my appetite has been almost nonexistent. I just feel so much better when I eat right. : ))

Well today I scheduled 2 of my required visits. I will have my psych evaluation done on Dec 10th. And then my sleep study will be done on January 11. I am going to the required support group meeting on Dec 19th to get that out of the way also. Once these 3 things are completed all I have left is the remaining 6 visits with my PCP. I also have to make an appt with a nutritionist, that is going to be easy because we have one on staff where I work, so that will not be a problem. And she is free to the employees of the company. Which is really nice.  
I pray that everything flows this smoothly. Lord give me favor with the insurance company.

I am working on the things that I know I will need to do after surgery, like chewing alot, sipping water (not gulping it). I only drink water & crystal light so I won't have to work on giving up diet drinks.  I don't normally drink with my meals, but I do drink when I am done so I guess I need to work on waiting longer to do that.
I really want to be prepared for this, especially mentally.