momof2b1g
I was at my PCP's Office one day with symptoms of the flu. He took my blood pressure and ran some blood work well, everything was off the chart. He looked at me and said" If you don't get your weight down your life is in danger" I have 3 kids and I don't plan on leaving them anytime soon so I decided to research my options. Diets have worked in the past but never anything permanent. Yo-yo dieting was always a problem for me. At that time weight lose surgery scared me to death. I thought a long time about my options, I attended a seminar and started researching on the net. I had made a decision and I wanted the DS. I made an appointment with a local surgeon and was on my way, or so I thought. I have some autoimmune issues, RA, Lupus and fibromyalgia. I have Reynaud's which is a circulatory disorder and a few other things that make me somewhat of a risk. The surgeon took one look at me and said I didn't qualify for the DS. So he looked into the RNY Gastric Bypass, well it turns out that I have a slow moving esophagus so the RNY was out so he suggested the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. This is the first part of the DS so I was happy. I was soooo excited, I started all of my preliminary work ups, found out I have sleep apnea but other that that everything went well. Heart is good, lungs are good, great news right? It took the secretary 7 WEEKS after all of my testing was complete to even submit to my insurance company only to find out that the VSG is NOT covered. 
Well from what I was told it was my ONLY option so I decided to fight it. I appealed, denied again, appeal level 1, denied again appeal level 2 denied AGAIN but this time they had an alternative recommendation. The DS! Well I was so happy again, the only problem is that there was not a surgeon in my state that was qualified so I would have to look into other states. I am originally from Pennsylvania and my parents are still living there so that would be one option. I found a surgeon online gathered all of my testing and paperwork and again I was on my way. I faxed everything to the surgeon 6 weeks prior to my appointment. He wanted a few other tests and various things done so I scrambled to get those done in time. I ordered my plane tickets, made arrangements for my kids and off I went to Pennsylvania to meet the man who was going to change my life. Well that was one more disappointment. He said the my BMI was too low and my Gerd would be a problem and he thought I should have the RNY. Well , I was .....I can't even put into words how angry and upset I was. I traveled all this way for a bait and switch??? He had my records for 6 weeks he couldn't have called me and saved me a trip? I was about to give up it was almost 8 months that I had been fighting this. I was built up and slammed down so many times that I just didn't know how much more I could take.
I decided to fight for my DS!! I went back online and I searched around for another surgeon in that area and I found Dr. Greenbaum. He agreed to a phone consult, he accepted all of my preliminary testing results I was psyched!!!. I prepared a big speech about why I wanted the DS. I was backing it with facts and statistics I was ready!! He calls, I answer and he was the nicest man and he understood everything that I was saying and he agrees to do the DS. Now the insurance company....we submitted and waited....and waited....then I got the call.
You are approved!!!! I was sooooo happy I started to cry. My surgery is scheduled for December 16th 2009. This is going to be a great 2010.
All I can say if you are reading this is don't give up. Make sure you have all your facts and fight for what you want. Don't settle and keep praying...
Miracles can happen!!
Thanks for reading my story..Hugs Tiffany
