Just like Hollyrock100 a couple of days ago, I dreamed last night that I had had my surgery and felt great. In my dream I had been released from the hospital and kept telling myself to not get too frisky even though I felt good. And not hungry! I wonder if maybe the metformin I started yesterday had anything to do with that?
Last night I had a long and productive discussion with DH, and he has a greater understanding and is looking forward to meeting my surgeon. I basically spilled everything that I had written in my blog entry yesterday, and joy of joys, he 'gets it'. He even asked about insurance, and I explained about the BMI thing and how I would have to get approval since my BMI is not the 40+ where they give you automatic go-ahead. He actually said that if insurance won't cover it, we will still make it happen. Awesome! My surgeon has a comprehensive program and requires a pre-op program that includes nutritionist, phys-ed and psych, so this won't be an immediate thing. And as a wise sleever here on the boards said, I can call it off any time up until they put me to sleep. DH will have plenty of time to really wrap his head around this, as will I.
So DH asks that while this process is developing if I would please help him get used to the idea. Because he still just really doesn't understand why this will be different from all the previous efforts I've made to lose weight, because he's never struggled with his weight, nor did anyone in his family growing up. I also now have an assignment to share with him all the things I'm learning about weight related diseases (as Vicki suggested -- thank you!), the dangers of yo-yo dieting, and all the pro's and cons of WLS. He is open to learning Yay!
I also apologized to him for being snippy about his lipo question. I did shed some tears when he asked if my love for him and our life together was not enough to help me to be healthier without having surgery....and that is so sad but just illustrates how powerless I feel to my weight struggles at this point. It is because I love him and our life together that I am ready to take this big step so that I can finally start a diet & exercise regime that I will have a real chance of sticking to. I will still need to do the work, but this time, if I do it, it will be effective. I don't want to waste more of my life not living it to the fullest!
Got a call that they've scheduled a consult for a sleep test. Just a consult, don't bring your jammies lol.
K that's it for now.
aloha!
Went to the seminar required by my surgeon this past week. I didn't learn anything I hadn't already heard about in great detail by my own research and by spending a lot of time here on VST The benefit to the seminar, as far as I'm concerned, was taking DH along so he could hear it all. He found it very interesting and informative. Oh! One thing I did learn that I am VERY excited about is that this surgeon does all his sleeves with a single incision through the belly button! That is SO cool!! Wonder if anyone else here on VST has had this?
I also found out that my insurance requires a 6 month medically supervised diet. Ugh. Like I haven't already tried aaaaallllllllll the diets out there, supervised or unsupervised. My big thing about this requirements is this: yep I can do the diet, and I will lose weight. I've done it before -- lots. My problem, however, is that I cannot keep the weight off, hence the need for VSG. So what is a 6 month diet going to do except maybe get my BMI down to where insurance might not cover it? I'm sure as we progress and I can speak with a coordinator from my surgeon's office I will figure out more. Maybe there's a loophole or a work-around that we can do.
I've been reading a lot of people's entries about insurance qualifications, comorbidities (or lack thereof of as far as the insurance approved list), and employer exclusions. What's frustrating is this: quite a few of us are borderline BMI (39) , have been yo-yo-ing for many years if not decades, do not have comorbidities YET, and therefore may not get insurance approval. My mom said I have a serious case of the "Yets" (I thought she was attempting to speak yiddish there for a minute lol). What she was pointing out is that I don't have high bp -- yet. I don't have diabetes -- yet. I don't have any of the other serious problems that the insurance deems worthy -- yet. But I will soon if I don't do something. My knees and ankles and back already hurt, but I don't see that on the insurance's list. . . actually I may have sleep apnea, but I don't think it's "severe". Will find out when I get my sleep test in a couple of weeks.
I just think the insurance companies are being foolish with their requirements in many cases.
ANYways. So 6 months. From when I don't know, waiting to hear from the surgeons office to see if the clock has started ticking yet. I think right now they are getting the ball rolling and hitting up my insurance co. Perhaps we can find a loophole or a work-around. I'd like to have this done like, yesterday.
I've been regaling DH with stories from the message boards here. You guys are really fun I'm talking specifically about a recent thread entitled: "So, really weird inappropriate question" That was awesome (and informative hehe)
Best to all of you out there. Happy holidays!
