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GREAT NEWS!!!
I went to see my PCP today. I was anxiously waiting for him to come in...well, I sat and waited...and waited...and waited some more. I kept thinking "Did they forget about me?" I got there at 10:15 and it was now 12:15. Come to find out, they did indeed forget about me! :) I found it hilarious! (and a little aggravating)
Ok...that was not the great news, Here it is...
My Doc gave me the Letter of clearance from him
as well as...
ALL 4 of my referrals for the Psych Eval, Nutritional Eval, Cardiac Clearance, and Pulmonary Clearance!!!
I came home ALL EXCITED!!
I was able to find a few doctors to try to get appointments scheduled with.
Out of the five appointments I need to schedule, three of them sent me to a voicemail to leave a message requesting an appointment.
I successfully got my Cardiac Appointment scheduled for Monday, March 1st @ 2:15 p.m, I got my Psych Appointment scheduled for tomorrow, February 17th @ 2:00 p.m, and I got my Sleep Test scheduled for Tuesday, February 23rd @ 8:00 p.m.
IT'S A START!
I am trying my hardest to drink the water I am supposed to drink. ONLY water. But I was told that I am allowed to have Crystal Light if I need some flavor.
I am also VERY conscious of the foods I am eating. Remember, I wasn't given an amount of weight I have to lose only told to "Be aggressive!! And come back to your next appointment with as much weight lost as possible. DO NOT GAIN ANY WEIGHT!!!" So...I am on a mission!!
Will write more after my Psych Appointment tomorrow...

Well...I have been on standby lately waiting on my 1st appointment. So, sorry for not posting lately but there hasn't been much going on at all. BUT...as of yesterday...I have NEWS!!!
I went to my Dr. appointment yesterday 2/15/10

My list of things to do:

1) LOSE weight...I have to lose as much as I can by 4/5/10 (my next appointment)
2) Psych Evaluation
3) Nutritional Evaluation
4) Letter from PCP
5) Cardiac Clearance
6) Pulmonary Clearance
7) Sleep Study

If I can get these things done in the next 7 weeks, by my next appointment, then I will be having my surgery the 2nd week of April. What an amazing birthday present to myself!  Thank you guys for supporting me along the way...and I am going to be one busy lady in the next few weeks!!! I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!

Hey yall!! So...I have been sooo excited about even the possibility of this all happening. I have been unsure about whether who I wanted to do my surgery. After all, it is a lot of trust that goes into one person to help change the rest of my life. Well, I made all arrangements to attend a seminar with one doctor but I had already faxed off paperwork to another office. Ok, so...the seminar is on 2/11 but I got the call today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Khan on 2/15. So now I question do I go through the seminar and the even longer process with that doctors office or do I go the route that already gets me in a doctors office chair? Right now, I am going back and forth about what to do...but I am leaning towards going with Dr. Khan and seeing the doctor sooner than later. Thank yall for your support already and I am even more excited knowing now that I am on my way to the first steps!!!!! Dr. Appointment....HERE I COME!!!!!!!

Well...not too much has changed in the past week. I am enjoying this site because it allows me to meet and talk with different people about all kinds of thoughts, questions, and concerns. I appreciate all of you that take the time to answer my many, MANY questions.     

On to other things concerning my progress. I am supposed to go to my seminar on 2/11. That has not changed. But, in the meantime...I found one other doctor that I would like to research and meet with before I make a definite decision. I faxed the paperwork off today and I will let you know what happens as soon as I find out. Welp...that is about it for now...

Good Night Yall!

This is actually a rough draft of some goals I have come up with so far. (This list will probably change a million times between now and surgery...but here are some goals I have come up with so far)

1.   Attend Seminar - February 11th
2.   Successfully complete 6 month diet
3.   Get Insurance Approval
4.   Get Surgery Date
5.   Have RNY
6.   Improve my health
7.   Fit into every ride at an amusement park
8.   Be able to wrap a towel around me
9.   Shop in "regular" clothes
10. Be able to play and run with my children
11. Weigh under 300 pounds
12. Weigh under 250 pounds
13. Weigh under 200 pounds
14. Get out of my house
15. Wear a cute bathing suit with confidence
16. No more wheelchairs, walking canes, etc
17. Be able to and enjoy working out
18. Be able to take care of myself (hygiene, cooking, shopping) again
19. Be in the "normal" weight/BMI range
20. Fit in a seatbelt
21. Be able to cross my legs
22. No more pain every single day
23. Feel confident and sexy when in the bedroom
24. No more being the "fattest" everywhere I go
25. Take professional family pictures
26. Go on family vacation anywhere without physical limitations
27. Get back into Church
28. Start a charity for families and children less fortunate
29. No more double chin
30. Be known for more than just a pretty face or beautiful eyes
31. Eat to live, instead of living to eat
32. Complete my WLS process before I turn 30
33. Be helpful, considerate, and positive to others in this process
34. Do not let fear stand in the way of the goals I have set for myself
35. Show my kids that anything IS possible -- dreams do come true!!

OMG!! Seriously I spent soooo much time today on the phone with the runaround...

BUT......

Are you even ready to hear this????

Ok...so I am soooo excited!!! Medicaid (Wellcare) WILL cover my RNY!
First things first though...
#1) Call Emory Healthcare-Emory Bariatric Clinic
             Dr. Edward Lin
             Dr. Scott Davis
             Dr. John Sweeney
             (404)778-5673
             (Great news!! They accept Wellcare!!!)

#2) Attend Emory Bariatric Seminar
             Scheduled-Thursday, February 11th
*They are sending all of the information to me in the mail so that I can be  prepared for the seminar.

#3) After the seminar, schedule 1st appointment with Doctor

#4) Mandatory 6 month preop diet

These are the first steps in my process as of now....I am sooooooo excited!!!! I cannot believe this is really an option for me now....WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!

Today I spent soooo much time researching and reading all about the different surgeries...I even spent some time in the OH Chatroom talking to other people. I know that for the first time in a LONG time...this feels right, this feels like HOPE...I just PRAY that all of this works out. I want this more than ANYONE knows.

5:05 p.m.
I get a call from Dr. Champion's office. (OMG!!!) Apparently they got my paperwork and unfortunatly because I have Medicaid they can not accept me and even if I wanted to be a self-pay patient I COULDN'T. BUT....there is a doctor that used to work with Dr. Champion, named Dr. Williams, who accepts Medicaid patients and she gave me his information. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, that I have talked to has let me know that Medicaid WILL NOT pay for any kind of Bariatric Surgery. So...I had to ask her again (twice) if she was sure that he took MEDICAID insurance, and she assured me that he does and that all medicaid patients are referred to him. :) YAY! Now, I hesitantly ask if she knows how all of that works. She laughs and says it is all pretty similiar and that I would be excited to know that should I decide to go through with everything, I would only have to pay $3.00 (THREE DOLLARS!!!!) WOW! Where do I sign up???

www.bariatricsmd.com

So...I went to the website...printed the required questionnaire...and I will mail everything tomorrow. Please, PLEASE, PLEASE pray that all of this works out!!! PLEASE PRAY FOR ME! If this is all true, I will be sooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!!

and now..........we wait to find out............

Welcome to a new me, a motivated to become a better me...

This morning I filled out the five or six pages of paperwork to mail off to Dr. Champion's office. I am just going to mail these off before I worry about all other questions I may have. The way I look at it, I need to get my name in someone's office and see what this whole process is like. So, in the mail goes all of my personal information and...

Now we wait...

Happy New Year (and hopefully Happy New ME!)

Today was a so-so day...I spent most of the day in a bad mood. Not really bad, just not good. I am not the same happy, bubbly person anymore...I miss ME! Tonight my husband looked at me and basically asked me "What's wrong?" I broke down and cried harder than I had in a long time...I hate the body I have to carry! THIS IS MISERABLE! I love who I am inside, I just wish my outside matched the way I feel about the me inside. Anyway, after a LONG, LONG talk my husband (the greatest man in the world) looked at me and said "We will do whatever we have to do, I just want you to be happy." I looked in his eyes and saw sincerity...I know that is all he wants...hell, that's all I want! I reached for the laptop and now begins the research process.
HOW?
WHEN?
WHAT KIND OF SURGERY?
WHERE?
HOW MUCH?
ETC.

While everything may be a little unsure right now, one thing I KNOW FOR SURE...I am NOT GIVING UP!!! This may be a long journey, but I know in the end...this is what I need to do so I can live longer and healthier and spend as many days as possible with my husband and three beautiful children!

Happiness here I come...