Kevin Hodges
I graduated from High School in 1982. I was 168 lbs at that time. I joined the Navy because I was "In Love". Big Mistake. Being in Love, Not he Navy. She Left me when I was in Boot Camp.
While in the Navy, I got into Body Building. That seemed to mess up my metabolism, because from that point on, I have had trouble maintaining my weight.The 90s were really bad for my weight. I ballooned to 270 by 1996 and 305 by 2000. My High point in weight was 349 in 2004. Thats when I began walking, weight watchers, and more walking. I worked it down to about 320, and have been plus or minus 10 pounds ever since. I developed diabetes in 2005, (after all the walking). Kinda turned me off of exercise for a while.
I asked my Dr. about having the surgery on May 29th, 2007. She told me that she believed that diet and exercise were the way for me to lose weight. She said she didn't consider surgery a real good way to go because "Most people gain all the weight back!" I told her that I insisted, and if she wasn't going to help me, I would find a Dr. that would. Reluctantly, she gave in and said she would go with the recommendation of my Endochronologist. When I went to see him, he thought it was a wonderful idea, and he would do whatever it took to help me.
I went back to see my PCP,and she gave me a referral to the Hurley Bariatric center, and set up a consult for me. The ball was rolling!
When I went for my consult, I was extremely impressed with the staff there. The facility itself was very comfortable. When Dr. Farhan came in he went over everything about all the different procedures. He was very friendly, and I felt very comfortable with him.
They told me that I needed to see a psychologist, and attend a nutrition and nurses class, and submit everything to the insrance.
My original Psych appt was set for the end of July. About a 4 week wait. Then the Psych offic called and said they had a cancellation on July 3rd, and if I could make it. I said Hell Yeah! (maybe not in those words,)
The bariatric center called me within a week , and said they had the letter from my PCP and the Psych. , But she didn't think I would get approved because I didn't have any diet documentation. I was dumbfounded, until we figured out that my Endochronolist hadn't sen them any of my medical records, or the recommedation letter. I called them, and she said they were mailed out 10 days earlier.
She said she would immediataly fax over another copy asap. An hour later the Bariatric center called me and said they received the fax, and would submit everything to the insurance company. it is around july 10th at this point.
around the 20th, i went to see the Michael Moore movie "Sicko". Its about how crappy our American insurance industry is. When I left the theatre, I was thouroghly depressed. I thought that there was absolutely no way I was going to get approved.
So, I went home and stopped at the mailbox. There was a letter from BCN. I thought , here it is. a rejection. I tentitively opened it, and to my surprise, it was an approval letter for August 27 / 28. I was shocked! When i got up I called the Hurley Bariatric center to ask them if that was my date. They said it wasn't, and they would call me in a few days to give me my date.
Sure enough, 2 or 3 days later they called and said my date was August 28, 2007, and gave me appointment dates for my nutritionist / nurse, and pre admission appointments. A week or so after that they called me to move everything up a week,, so now my surgery is in the 21st.
