I went to a Meeting June 06 to see what was involved with getting a lapband at UW Bariatric Center. I got information and immediately made an appt with Dr. Miller for an letter of referral. I went to the next support group and gave Deanne my insurance info and the letter. She contacted me and told me a possibility my insurance would need verification of a medical supervised diet so I started WW.

Went in July to see the psychologit associated with the clinic. A 3 hour appt with a never ending multiple choice questionaire and talked to Gretchen for about an hour.

August went to see Diane the nutritionist. I really didn't learn much I didn't know about nutrition (just wasn't practicing it). I did learn about intuitive eating. She did pick up on alot of old "Dieting" mentality of good and bad behaviors.

Went to see Gretchen (psychologist) again. She gave me the okay to pursue the insurance aspect of the process.

First preauth information sent to Lumenos July 26th. I waited until end of August to contact them as they had said 30 days. They claimed they had never rec'd anything. I called DeAnne (administration asst) at Bariatric Center. She said it had been sent. I got a fax # for her and she sent it out end of September. I called a couple days later to insurance to confirm they had rec'd it. They told me another 30 days. So I waited. I received a letter from them end of October asking for verification and dates of what I had attempted in the last 2 years to lose weight on my own. Luckily I had the WW book to send and a letter from Dr. Miller that I had lost weight during the 3 months interim that he saw me. This was sent to Lumenos. On November 6th I received varification from insurance that they would cover the insurance.

I was so excited I called DeAnne right away and she hadn't gotten the Letter yet so couldn't schedule my surgery. I ran to a place that had a fax and called her right back. We schedule my surgery for 12/12/06. I see the nutritionist 11/14 for a group meeting of what I can and cannot eat and what I need to buy to be ready for surgery. I then have stress test done

November 20th and one week later I meet with the Nurse Practitioner and then the surgeon.

I am excited and scared. I got a living will all done just incase. My knees hurt so very much that it is almost impossible for me to walk. I do whatever I can to not have to walk with one of my co-workers as they leave me in their dust or else slow down to a crawl to stay with me. My husband never leaves me behind and I love him for that. I want so much to be a fun healthy wife, mom, and grandma. I want to wear stylish clothes. I know that at 52 I am never going to look fantastic and I am to old and not financially able to have plastic surgery but I want to be healthy. I want to get off my meds. I have also always had poor posture to try and hide my big boobs, so I want to work on those muscles to stand up straight.