moxiecowgirl

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Had my surgery 3 days ago, 1/14/13. I'm feeling AMAZEBALLS!

I have heard so many stories about rough recoveries, regrets, and setbacks...I'm almost embarassed to say how easy this has been for me so far.  I think that's owed in no small part to how much time and dedication I've put into educating myself while going through the pre-op process.  My biggest challenge right now is forcing my new tummy, who has been dubbed Bella, to accept what seems like huge volumes of fluids that I'm being asked to consume.  I'm not perfect at it yet, by a long shot, but it's getting better.

I'm already down 5 lbs!  I would never have expected recovery to be this smooth, or loss to go this quickly!

I'm not fooling myself, though...I know this is the honeymoon phase, and it won't always be so simple.  I'm doing everything I can to build up my strength for those times, but right now, I'm pretty thrilled!

So I saw my surgeon today.  It went well, but totally didn't go the way I expected.  As it turns out, my insurance will not cover VSG, except in very rare circumstances, for comorbidities I don't have, and/or for BMI's significantly higher than mine.  I spent 3 hours on the phone arguing with my insurance provider over this, but in the end, my surgeon and I have agreed to continue with the change of plans and to switch to RNY, as he feels it's the best of the two options we have left, and I'm somewhat inclined to agree with him.

I'm doing ok with this...I feel like I'm a bit taken aback, and I definitely have to adjust to a new way of thinking, but at least I know I can get some form of surgery approved.  I'm not completely wild about the re-routing of my intestines, but I guess I'll get used to the idea.  My surgeon does have a better than excellent track record, and I'm completely comfortable with his advice. 

So onward and upward...next step: the psych eval, and then an EGD...not a fan of that last one, but you do what you gotta do, I guess.  There will also be a nutrition/life-after-surgery class that I'm actually really looking forward to.

Now I'm off to the RNY boards to see how my new group of people looks!  Brace yourself, RNY'ers!!

Still not a whole lot to report.  It seems the name of the game lately is "Hurry Up and Wait".  There will be a huge flurry of activity, and then a bit of coasting for a few weeks while nothing much happens.  Here are the "high" points:

*  I now definitely have a surgeon.  This man is AWESOME!
*  I have an established PCP, and as of today, I am now 38 days into my pre-op diet, and losing at a pace that surprises even me.  At my last weigh-in, I was down 15 lbs.  I know I've lost more this week, but I'm not supposed to tell you how much yet!
*  Being a vegetarian is now pretty much a matter of course for me.  I know it's not for everybody, but it's working for me.
*  Still doing really well with cutting out the "nasties".  I've eliminated caffeinated and carbonated beverages entirely, as well as taking aspartame out of my diet.  I can't tell you how much better this feels!  I wish I'd done it years ago.

So, going forward:

Surgeon appointment June 11.  This is where I'll find out what other fun hoops I'll need to jump to get a surgery date, but I'm not really worried about it.  My surgeon has proved a great advocate so far, and so has his staff.

Second monthly weigh-in June 12.  I cannot WAIT for this appointment!  I'm dying to show off how well this diet is working.
I'm very optimistic about my chances of success, knowing that I can get things under control even now.

So yeah...that's about it!  Happy trails til next time.

But at least I'm moving in the right direction!

Not a whole lot to report, but I want to get in the habit of updating every few weeks so I have something to look back on when I'm further into this. 

I went to my surgeon's seminar on Wednesday of this week, and I was really impressed with the practice and all the office staff.  The surgeon who presented the program was incredibly knowledgeable and reassuring.  I think I've pretty much cemented my decision to go with VSG (gastric sleeve) over my other two options.  It seems the most minimally invasive option without involving foreign objects...not knocking the other options, I just know that this one is the right one for me in my situation.

Now I'm just waiting for the surgeon's office to call back with the date and time of my first appointment.  In the meantime, I have an appointment scheduled with a new PCP, who will hopefully agree to supervise my "6-month" diet.  (I use the quotes because by the time this is all said and done, with PTO considerations from my job and the fact that it takes so gosh darned long to get an appointment with ANYONE around here, and combined with the fact that I actually started dieting 2 weeks ago, 6 months is actually looking more like 8-9, maybe even 10 months!)

I've had my consultation with the Nurse Case Manager from my insurance, and she said if it were up to her, she'd approve me to have surgery tomorrow.  Too bad it's not up to her!

While I'm waiting...happy news...I'm already down a few pounds, and learning a whole lot about nutrition and exercise, so I guess I can't complain much about that!  I'm now totally off of all carbonated beverages...figured a little prep work wouldn't hurt...and eating fully vegetarian all the time.

So yeah...lots of positive changes.  I guess there was more to report than I thought!

Last night, I had a wonderful dream. 

In my dream, I was getting ready for work, just like every day.  I brushed my hair, just like always, and then stood up to get dressed.  But when I looked in the mirror,  the woman looking back at me wasn't what I'm used to seeing.  There was no trace of the damage done by time and extra pounds, save for the stretch marks (hey, what can I say?  I'm a realist even in my dreams!).  Only the gentlest, tiniest curve of a "belly" remained, one which tucked easily into my jeans.

Needless to say, I woke up smiling.

Please, please, God, let this dream FINALLY come true for me!

I finally had to call the Bariatric Services department back myself, after being told they would call me in 3-5 business days.  Ummmm, yeah...that was before Easter weekend, which was over a week ago.  So on the phone with me.

The good news is, there was a quick response, once I rattled their cage a little bit.  I now have the names of 2 surgeons who work from the same medical group.  Turns out they're the only ones even remotely close to me.  The other in-network surgeons are 2-3 hours away.  Not gonna work for me.

I was also informed that my insurance plan has a condition they didn't tell me about during the original intake process:  a 6-month doctor-supervised diet AND a psychology consult.

Hmmmm...

Well, I guess I shouldn't complain.  I know that I'm actually pretty fortunate, compared to a lot of people who have to jump through much bigger hoops.  I also know the supervised diet will do me some good.  It just would have been nice to have known this ahead of time.  I'm on a bit of a schedule, here, being as the company I work for gets really busy in November and December, and therefore, I can't take any time off at all during those months.  Fortunately, I have a very understanding  boss, who is willing to perhaps stretch those limits a bit for me.  Have I mentioned I seriously love my boss?  First, she buys me a new office chair so I can be comfortable at work, and now this...she completely rocks my socks!

Basking in the glow of newfound approval,  I grabbed the phone and called the surgeon's office, only to be met with voicemail.  Poop.  I'm so freaking impatient to get things MOVING, already!

*insert huge dramatic sigh here*

Ah, well...I guess we'll have to stay tuned til tomorrow, when the Patient Coordinator is supposed to call me back.  Wish me luck!  Or, more accurately, wish HER luck, because I know I'll be blowing up her phone if she doesn't get back with me at the earliest possible second!

So...what to say in my first blog post? 

Well, to be honest with you, there's not much I can say here that I have said before, so I'll spare you the flowery retoric and give you this, in a nutshell:  I love my life.  No really.  I love everything about my life, except this one thing: my weight.  It's getting in my way.  I'm sick of the vibrant, goofy, energetic girl on the inside being obscured by the limitations of my exterior.  So it's time to do something about it.

I've never had the insurance coverage before to even consider weight loss surgery, but now that I've started a new job, all available insurance plans at the company where I work provide coverage for any type of surgery, provided the enrollee goes through a "Comprehensive Bariatric Management" program along with it.   You can't do so much as schedule an initial consultation with a surgeon before enrolling in this program.  Well, ok...*sigh*  whatever it takes.

Fast forward a few days:  I've just finished lunch, generously catered by the sales rep our office supports.  Ironically, I had just swallowed the last bite of an amazing vanilla bean gelato when the program intake specialist called.  I can't even begin to accurately describe this man's voice, except to say that he sounded like a bad porno from the 70s, but he's my new best friend anyway, because he got me pre-qualified.  Now, the next step is to interview with a case manager, who will provide the non-medical support and encouragement my insurance has determined to be helpful throughout all the steps of this adventure, up til 6 months post-surgery.  I have to say, I like the idea of having someone impartial I can talk to about any questions I might have, so I'm all for it.  After that,  I'll be referred to a nurse practitioner, who will make up the medical half of my "Care Team".  I'm cool with that idea, too.  I just wish they'd hurry up and CALL ALREADY, so I can get this show on the road!

You might have noticed, I'm not exactly the kind of girl who lets grass grow under my feet.  I have so many things to do, and a real life to start really living!  I'm anxious to get started!