Misty A.
I am really happy to come across this website. The appreciation and support of everyone by sharing their stories is wonderful encouragement. I finally do not feel like I am the "only one" going through this
10/18/05
This is my journey to WLS. I am 25 years old. I am married with no kids. I decided to begin the long journey to WLS Two years ago. After attending seminars at three hospitals, getting rejected once because it was excluded from my insurance and then changing insurance carriers this year with a job change, I am finally on track. I attended The Seminar at Vanderbilt in May 2005. I have gone through 6 months of tests since then.
As of now, the inability to conceive children has been blamed on my weight. I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when I was 17 years old. It took them 5 years (starting at 12) to figure out that was the cause of my passing out episodes. Recently, I found out that it has now developed to Type 2 Diabetes. I have had two sleep studies and a psychiatric consult. I found out I have Sleep Apnea and will be receiving a CPAP machine soon. I knew that I have been exhausted for several months (8 or more) but never knew why. The only One positive note of being diagnosed with apnea is knowing that it was not just me being tired all the time. There is a reason. It has gotten so bad recently that I dose off at work and yawn over 50 times a day. I even yawn in peoples faces when they are talking to me at work. It is hard to hide how exhausted I am. The lack of good sleep over the past several months is finally catching up to me. Along with Diabetes and Sleep Apnea, I have dealt with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) for several years and have to undergo regular Colonoscopies and have had polyps removed. I also have to deal with Sciatica, GERD, regular UTIs and now knee and ankle pain. I have gotten to the point that I am sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time. I have reached my highest weight and have reached the weight in which my body is finally shutting down. It takes all the strength I have to work a full time work week in constant pain and being exhausted. I just want to know what it is like to feel healthy.
My wonderful husband is very supportive of any decision I make. He married me when I was overweight and he only wants me to be healthy no matter what it takes and what I decide. Although, he does not understand what it is like to be overweight and have these health conditions. I guess if you have never been overweight, you wouldn't understand.
After six months of testing everything is being submitted to my insurance company for approval effective this week (10/21/05). I will keep my fingers crossed and pray. You hear about the disaster stories with insurance approval but you also hear about the good stories too. I hope it will turn out positive the first time. It has been an emotional roller coaster that I am ready to get off.
10/25/05
A week later. I still haven not heard anything back. I have been done with all of the required testing for 4 weeks. My information was finally submitted to my insurance last week - or should have been. The surgery clinic I go through is so extremely busy that it is very difficult to get an update and confirmation of submission. I have emailed and called several times. I am sure that they submitted it. This waiting is torture. I am very impatient. The waiting gives you too much time to think "What If". I am trying to stay positive. But my impatience and thoughts of getting denied are getting the better of me. I will keep my fingers crossed. This has been a long journey. I finally got with this clinic that is covered in my insurance in April - almost 7 months ago. I am just ready to hear Yes or No.
10/25/05 Update - I guess I was wrong. It has not been submitted to my insurance yet. I just called and finally got through to the clinic who said they have not received my PCP letter. I called my PCP and they said they faxed it over a week ago so they are re faxing it. Very IRRATATING! You would think if my WLS clinic was waiting on something for over a week, they would let me or my PCP know. Not just sit back and waste time. I know I am impatient but that is unacceptable for them to not have followed through. If I don’t keep bugging them to follow up, I would never have known that my file was just sitting there. I am lucky that I finally got through this time after a week of trying to confirm it went to my insurance. Maybe this time they will get the letter and submit it this week! I just don’t like to feel like I have to stay on top of them to get anything done. I would like to have the confidence in them to submit my information without me having to keep on top of them. Well that was time wasted. I won’t let that happen again! Ok, I am done venting now.
10/27/05
Nothing much new about the submission to my insurance for surgery approval. I have called and called and called. I have called my PCP to make sure they have faxed the letter again and I have called the lady at my surgeon’s office to make sure she got it. Still no response after several calls back and forth. I will be fine once it is in the Insurance Company’s hand. I just don't seem to be able to get it there.
One positive note today is I received a message that my CPAP machine is being delivered tomorrow. I thought I was going to have to wait until my next appointment on 11/16 to get my machine. They said it will already be adjusted for me. I will just have to learn to use it. I am sure it will not be too difficult. I am so excited. I know I shouldn't be this happy but I am TIRED. I am ready to get a good night sleep for the first time in several months. I want to feel refreshed so I can make it through a day without yawning and feeling exhausted. I guess I know where I will be this weekend - In Bed!
11/1/05
It's November already. How did that happen? This has been a long road. Still no update. As far as I know, it has still not been submitted to my insurance for approval. The nurse at the surgery center has yet to get back in touch with me. They never answer the phone and I email her every other day. Still nothing. I do not know if she ever received the PCP letter in order to submit it to the insurance. Apparently it has been faxed to her a couple of times. I assume it is sitting on someone’s desk somewhere and they will get to it when they get to it. I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow. It is a follow up to my diabetes. I have not been taking my medicine because it made me really Sick to my stomach. I also have to get my annual -- uggghhh. I am going to ask for a copy of my PCP letter when I am there tomorrow so if the surgery center says they still haven’t received it, I can take it there and put it in her hands. This is very frustrating but I am trying to be more patient. If this is meant to be, it will happen. I am keeping the faith. But I will not give up. If I have to contact them every day until they give me confirmation they are submitting it my insurance, I will. I am not that kind of person but they need to know how important this is to us. Especially since I need to know by the end of the year weather it is approved or not. How hard is it to send my file to the insurance company?
It has been weird trying to get adjusted to using the CPAP machine but it is working very well for me. I just have to stick with it. I may be able to make it with it on for an entire night this week. I woke up in the middle of the night last night with the mask sitting on the side of my cheek blowing air on my cheek. haha. Sometime before that, I moved the mask off of my nose and put it on my cheek so I could breath for a minute and feel back asleep without putting it back on my nose and I never turned the machine off. Pretty funny.
11/15/05
I just realized how much I have posted and I have not even had the surgery yet! It is too comfortable to post here and get everything out that you need to feel better. So bear with me. I found out that I was putting the blame on the wrong person. My PCP had never written my PCP letter. That is why my info has not been submitted to my insurance yet. I had my appointment with my PCP two weeks ago and that is when I found out. He did some follow up blood test to check my sugar levels and he assured me that once those results came in, he would write the letter. They called me last week (Thursday) and told me my results and I asked about my letter. She said she was giving him my file to write my letter. I followed back up yesterday, Monday (three working days later), the receptionist checked with the DR. directly and she came back to say he has not had time to do it. They said they will call me when it is done. Breathe, Breathe. So, now it is another waiting game. Am I supposed to wait until they call me to tell me he has found time to write it or do I call and follow up again in a day or two??? I am frustrated with this situation and I know they have to be tired of me calling but I do not have the time to continue to wait. I have waited long enough. All in due time I guess.
11/17/05
FINALLY! The first battle is over. I finally got through to my PCP about the importance of getting the letter immediately and it was written and sent over to my Surgeons office yesterday. I followed up today and the nurse at the surgeon’s office received it and sent my file to my insurance company for approval of the surgery this morning. I am trying not to get my hopes up but after all of this, I can only pray that it happens. I truly believe in what is meant to be, will be. Now is a waiting game to find out the decision.
11/29/05
DENIED! I found out today that I was denied. I am not sure why I am so Shocked but I am. I am very upset about it. I have self insured plan through my company who allows the surgery with only one restriction - have a BMI over 40. This is the most ridiculous thing. I have contacted my surgeons office to see what can be done if anything to get it approved. My insurance would not talk to me much about it because of me having a Managed account or something like that. They are supposed to only talk to the doctor. That’s all I have to say right now until I find out more. Even though I feel like breaking down, I am going to stay strong. I know if it is meant for me, it will happen. I do want to say good luck to everyone else trying. I hope you are very successful at having this surgery.
12/7/05
Well, I am back and calmed down. Sort of! I have to do a 6 month Dr. Supervised weight loss plan. If I would have known that before, I could have been doing that for the past 8 months that I was getting all of my tests done. But that is in the past. I can not change it. I can only move forward. After looking at all options, I am going to go ahead and follow their requirements. I start with my first appointment on Monday (12/12/05). So, hopefully if all goes well, I will be able to have the surgery in July. Maybe this time will go by fast. These past six months have flown by. I can not believe it is already in December. I am going to be doing a low calorie diet and also using a treadmill I have at home. I will keep a weight loss journal and record everything. I want to make sure I do this right so I do not get denied again. I am going to work hard sticking to this diet (except on my birthday and Christmas coming up in the next two weeks). Wish me Luck! I am going to need it! I do not know what my insurance thinks is going to change in the next 6 months. Even if I lose weight, I can not possibly lose enough to get under a BMI of 40 and to help my health conditions and become healthy all of a sudden. Let’s be realistic. It is a major stall method on their part and I am going to do this and call their bluff because I am not going to give up. If I have waited this long, I can wait 6 more months. Hopefully. Of course this 6 month wait puts a delay on my life. It is six more months I am going to have to wait to have kids. Also, I was hoping to be recovered from surgery and losing weight by time I looked for a new job. My job will be ending in about 4 months from being sold. It is just a bad time to be delayed from getting healthy. But I will be fine and I will come through it stronger. I will update how my monthly treaded weigh-ins go.
12/16/05 - Happy Birthday to me! 26 Years old. Hopefully I will be much healthier by my next birthday.
1/16/06
Happy New Year! Month 1 down and gone. FIVE (5 - I say) more months to go before I can have the surgery. I went for my "weigh-in" today at my doctors office. I had lost 4 pounds in the past month. WHAT!!! I know 4 pounds is not a lot but I was shocked I lost anything. The past month included the holidays and my birthday and I was eating out a lot. But I have been walking quite a bit for exercise. I am going to buckle down this month and see if I can lose more this month than 4 pounds. My doctor was happy with my progress. So, overall, I am happy with my 4 pound loss for the month. I am just ready to get these next five months over with so I can have surgery and start my "New life".
2/16/06 - Monthly check in with the Dr. I gained two punds back. Discouraging but I know I could have done better. FOUR more months to go!
4/25/06 - I have my FINAL weigh in to complete my 6 month diet next week on 5/2/06. Only ONE week away. Time went by sort of quickly at first but these past two months have taken forever. I just can not wait for next week to be here. I have not lost a lot of weight. I went in March and had gained 10 pounds. I was not sure what happened. It was really discouraging to me and I almost started crying. The Dr and I finally figured out what happened. I started new medicine for my diabetes and started swelling like crazy in my legs. I knew I was swelling but I had no idea how much. He checked me and said it was a lot. So, I got put on water pills to reduce the swelling. When I went in this month, I had lost 15 pounds. Whoo Hooo. I felt better. I had lost all of the 10 I gained plus an additional 5. So, apparently I was swollen! I do not expect to lose much on my final weigh in next week. I think when all is said and done, I will have lost about 10 pounds for the entire six months. Hopefully I can get in a total of 12 pounds. I am now worried that they will not approve me because I did not lose enough during my 6 month diet. So that is weighing heavily on my mind. I was very frustrated with having to do this 6 month time delayed diet to begin with. And I did not want to lose "too much" weight so that they would say I could lose weight without the surgery. So, I stuck with about 12 pounds averaging 2 pounds a month and about 5% of my weight. I hope that is good with my insurance company. I guess we will be finding out soon. I am having it all resubmitted to my insurance company next week. I can not wait! I have written a personal note to my insurance company to be submitted with my paperwork. I want them to know how dedicated I am to this surgery. I am ready for this. I found a site online with a draft of a letter to write. If anyone wants a copy so they can follow along to write a letter to their insurance, email me. My job will be ending at the end of May due to a merger. If I am approved, I hope to have surgery the first part of June. Then I will have plenty of time to recuperate before trying to find another job. One week and counting until my final weigh in and everything gets resubmitted to my insurance.
5/3/06
I had my final weigh in yesterday. I only lost a total of 8 pounds for the entire 6 month diet. Very disappointing but I know I was not as dedicated as I should have been. I was upset about having to do the 6 month diet and I think that mind frame put me off to losing weight. I am happy that I at least did not gain any weight. I hope that they approve me although I did not lose much weight. My Dr made me a little upset when he asked why I was being lazy and a slacker with my diet and exercise. Although he was right, I felt he could have worded it differently! Anyways, it is out of my hands now. Out of my control. My Dr is faxing my last six months records to the hospital this Thursday. I will follow up with them on Friday to make sure they received it and to see when they will submit it to my insurance company for approval (agian). I hope it all goes smoothly this time. I have invested over a year of my life to getting approved for this surgery and have done every possible test, seen every Dr, nutritionist and psychologist possible. I have done everything Cigna has asked. Hopefully, I will know something in the next couple of weeks if I am going to get approved for this surgery or not! These two weeks will probably seem longer than the entire past year!!! We shall see! I am praying and keeping my fingers crossed.
5/31/06
I am APPROVED! I found out today that I have been approved. I can not believe it. It is very unrealistic. I am waiting to hear from Vanderbilt on a surgery date and the upcoming appointments. I am very happy and going through all kind of emotions today!!! It was a long time coming. It goes to show that patience does win out in the end and that when it is your time, it will happen. God is GOOD!!! Thanks for everyone support!
6/7/06
I got a date. It is Thursday June 22nd. Only TWO weeks away. I feel like I have so much to do. I am soo excited.
6/21/06
Tomorrow is the BIG day. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am and surgery starts at 7:30 am. My excitement has turned to nervousness now. But I am trying to stay positive. The hospital I use requires an 8 day pre surgery only liquid diet. So, I have not eaten in 8 days. That was one of the hardest things I have done but it will be well worth it tomorrow. I have received my sample package of the protein powders to try after surgery (the website baratriceating.com is wonderful). I have my vitamins and Magic Bullet Blender that everyone raves about. I think I am finally ready (knowing me, I am forgetting something!). I will update after surgery. I will be on the losing side!
