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My Journey

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There always has to be a starting point

Well I have thought I would start this jounal not just for others to read and but for me to reflect back on. I though it would be good for when I get discouraged to be able to look back and see where I started.   In was the first of March, My LabBand journed started with a talk I had with my PCP. (we go to church together, this was over casual conservation) I was visiting with him about going on Medifast. I am 5'2'' and weighed in at a whooping 225 lbs. My BMI was 40.8. He said that Medifast was not a diet, people can and do loose weight with it, but over 90% of them gain all of the weight back plus additional weight. He said that he had recommended a few people for the lab band surgery. I asked him what he though of it. My sister had gastral bypass surgery 3 years ago and had good success with it. I just felt it was so drastric. He felt that the lap band was a very good thing. Well that is what sharted me researching.   I checked with our insurance (Unicare) and WOW they covered lab band. They told me since my insurance was PPO all I had to do was go to a surgen who was in my network and have a BMI over 40 (I should have know that this sounded much to easy). I was very excited, because I at least had the option. I joined the LBT forum on March 7th.   Time to talk to my DH. He has his concerns and fears but over all he is open to the discussion. I don't know why but this talk took a little of the wind out of my sails. I dont know what I expected. But he didnt talk much, just listened to me.   I called and registered for a seminar the first one I could go to was on March 21st. Call the surgen and they said they would not make an appointment with me until I attended the seminar. So I waited. Went to the seminar on 3/21/07, it was very good, learned alot. Visited with the doc. office (I will call DO) and gave them all of my insurance info and filled out the questionare about you history and stuff. I thought it was going to be easy. I received a call from the DO and they told me that I had to have 1) a letter of necessity from my PCP 2) 1 - 3 years of medical history 3) a TSH clearance. I was ticked off. Why did the insurance company tell me this stuff when I called. I called them and got the run around until my head was spinning. The DO said I had it easy, lot of people have to do alot more and wait months or even years to get all of the required stuff completed. So I made an appointment with my PCP on March 27th. The DO also told me that they required that I attend at least one support meeting and have a phsy. reveiw. Not an insurance requirement but theirs. So I attended the support meeting on March 29th. Also had the phsy reveiw that day at 12:00pm. Very excited, looks like thing are falling into place. DH visits with our PCP and now he is 100% supportive YEA!!! I just know that I could not go through this without him being on board.   I make my appointment with the surgen - 4/02/07. All goes good, he seems like a great guy. I have a "tentative" surgery date *May 2, 2007*. Called the DO today, we are waiting on the letter from my PCP. Called PCP, he is waiting for my bloodwork to come back before writing the letter. I called the lab, they faxed it to him. So I will call DO tomorrow and see if they have received the letter. Also waiting on the results from my pshy review to faxed to them. I am doing a follow up with that Doc. today. Will ask her if it has been sent. After she gets these two things the DO can then send off for approval. She said my insurance acts fast. that is why they gave me a "tentative" date. If not I would be waiting on the hospital to get an opening. So I am glad they did that. Also the DO put me on a 4 week Pre-OP diet. The first two week is low carb with a protein shake in the AM. The next 2 weeks is all shakes. I am on day 4 of the first two week part. So far so good. I also have to go by their office every week to weigh in. I also have to attend a "Pre-Op" seminar, this is on April 10th. I have used almost a week of leave just doing the "Pre" surgery stuff. I am now 27 day away from surgery (tentative). Can't wait to take off the tentative.
GREATFUL

GREATFUL

1
 

Another Day Marked Off

I had a tuff night last night. My DH and I have both suffered from some kind of tummy bug. Extreme gas and running to the potty. My stomach is a bit tinder today. I just wonder if the change in diet has anything to do with the gas being so bad. I am doing good so far on the first part of the pre-op diet. Today is the 5th day. I am going to get some new protein shakes today to experiment with. I picked up samples at the DO, they were lemon and cherry. I mixed them with crystal light, they did taste okay, but I know I would get tired of them drinking them day after day. Just trying to get ready for the full 2 weeks liquid. Getting excited, the band is all I can think about. Not very good at work, I even dreamed about it last night.
GREATFUL

GREATFUL

1
 

23 Days and Counting

I had a great Easter weekend. We did'nt do anything special, just knocked around the house. DH is being very supportive of the diet. Spaking of the DIET.... I went by the health food store to get supplies, all determined to stick to this. Had a hard time last week because I just did'nt have the supplies. Had all the bad stuff still in my kitchen, chips, icecream, candy, you know what I'm talking about. Well I wanted to arm my self with the protein shake mixes, two diffrent flavors, and some samples of some others. I like the cherry, mixed with lemonade crystal light, it almost taste like a cherry limeade from Sonic. It is real refreshing. Did real good Saturday, had my monrning shake, made a salad with chicken breast for lunch, DH B-B-Qed chicken that night, had baked beans and asparagas. Feeling all good about the day!! Easter Sunday, had to get up real early for church, had my shake, went to church, friends invited us to lunch, I was starving and tired. I know that when you start a new diet it can make you tired for a few days. Had roast cut in tiney pieces (chew, chew, chew) , greenbeans, carrots and NO ROLLS. I was feeling all good about myself, I have this thing in the bag, Out comes the lemon ice box pie.....:faint: Yep I had a piece. And I loved every bite. I guess this is part of that Last Meal syndrom everyone talks about. Evey bite I savored thinking, this could be the last pie you every eat. How silly is that. I just get me how our minds can convience our mouths to open and our hand to cram food into it. But it is okay if me can have a very good reason for it, RIGHT :tired . Well you know what they say, baby steps, and today is another day. So I sit her sipping my shake and full of determination and shaking my fist in the air saying, TODAY by GOD, I will make it.
GREATFUL

GREATFUL

1
 

21 Days and counting

Well yesterday I had my Pre-Op seminar, that is where you go and be briefed on pre and post surgery diet. It was good, but did'nt hear anything that I had not already heard here on LBT. That made me feel good. I am doing real good so far on the first part of the pre op diet. I am in week two of the four weeks. They weighed us at the meeting lastnight and I have already lost 5 pounds:clap2: . That is wonderful. Makes me more determined to keep faithful to this.   Received a call from the Bariatic Center (BC), she told me all of my paper work looked ready to be sent to the insurance for approval. YEA! Do the Happy Dance!! Then she calls me back and tell me because she had not ever worked with my insurance before (UNICARE) she thought it was best to call them, one more time, just to make sure she was sending in all they needed. And they told her that she would need to check out their web site to get all the requirements for bariatic surgery. She did and it said I need to go to a dietition. :omg: When she call them the first time they did not tell her that. So I call them, after staying on hold for twenty min. and talking to 3 diffrent people, I was told they could not advise me on this until I had a file set up, and they could not set up a file for me until the doc sent the stuff in. I told them that the doc was trying to find out what all to sent in and that is why we were calling. Was their any way they could tell me, and give it to me in writing JUST WAHT DID THEY NEED and she told me I would need to talk to their nurse. I said OKAY let me talk to your nurse. And she said sorry, the nurse was in training and would have to call me back. So I left a message for her and she has yet to call me back.:angry So I told the doc office to go ahead and send in what they had, I would call the insurace company every day until I got some answers.   My worry is, they have given me a tentitive surgery date of May 2nd, and the insurance is moving like a snail. Well if worse come to worse, the date will be changed :think .
GREATFUL

GREATFUL

1
 

19 Days MAYBE

I know that the May 2nd surgery date is tentitive. I know, I know. BUT I want it!!! Insurance company is driving me nuts. I have made it a habit to call them every day, plan to drive them nuts along with me. I call them yesterday and they said "The status of your predetermination is......will you hold for a moment?"..........:notagree "Ms., it showes you received the request from you Doctor on the 11th, and it normaly takes 30 day for us to get a response to you" WHAT???? I called back today and asked what the same question. Guess what, after being on hold again for what seemed like FOREVER, I got a diffrent answer. "We show that your predetermination status is under review, we will have an answer to you within 7 to 10 day." I liked that one better, but it is still cutting it close. I will be calling again Monday. I am in the second week of the pre op diet. I have lost right out 10lbs so far. Excited about that. Doc requires a liquid diet 2 week prior to surgery, supposed to start that next week. I will start it even if I dont have an answer from the insurance company. I have faith that this is all going to work out. Today has been tuff here at work, two co-workers having birthdays, lots of food and cake here in the office. I had my shake this morning, salad with chicken for lunch and staying at my desk drinking water and crystal light. Everyone keeps offering me food. I have told them that my doctor has determined that I am borderline diabetic, so I am watching my diet. That has stoped alot of it. And it is not a lie, my blood surger was high, and my PCP said I was insulin resistence. I have not told anyone here at work about me having the band. I just dont want to deal with them. I told my boss I would need off for a outpatient surgery. He asked if everything was alright, I told him YEA, just a girl thing. That made him stop asking questions. Not totally a lie, I am a girl and the band is a thing, Right. LOL
GREATFUL

GREATFUL

1
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