It’s snowing again. I love the snow at the beginning of the winter and all through the Christmas season. It’s the end of February and I’ve had enough snow. I am ready for daffodils, tulip, longer days and warm weather. I want to see what the flower gardens around my new house come back to life. I can’t wait to see what blossoms and how it all looks. I’m even looking forward to weeding and mowing lawns. I love the smell of spring.
Today I will have to dream about spring as we watch the snow come down at a pretty good rate. I will be driving home from work in just a few minutes and I’m not looking forward to the 50 minute drive.
I got some great news today about my upcoming weight loss surgery. I called the insurance company to see if they received all the paper work from the surgeon’s office. I was told that they did have it all and I’m all approved in the system. They told me that the Dr.’s office will get the approval in the mail in the next day or two. It looks like this is finally going to happen.
I will write more tomorrow, time for me to head home for the evening.
Daily Inspirational Message
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Meeting the Surgeon
Yesterday was my appointment with the surgeon who will perform the gastric bypass. He was very nice and informative. He is young! I don’t feel all that old but at 47 I guess I’m on the other side of young. It’s not easy getting used to your doctor being “younger” then you.
The appointment went much better than I expected. He was pleased with my weight loss so far and I will keep plugging away at it until the surgery. He says that I am all done with tests, all the paperwork will be submitted to my insurance company for prior authorization. They have 30 days to approve or deny. He tells me that surgery will most likely be scheduled about 3 weeks after the approval date. I am still hopeful to have the surgery end of March or beginning of April. After that it gets trickier getting the time off from work that I will need.
So back to the waiting game. The doctor tells me that I will get a letter in the mail from the insurance company with the approval. I hope it comes soon.
The appointment went much better than I expected. He was pleased with my weight loss so far and I will keep plugging away at it until the surgery. He says that I am all done with tests, all the paperwork will be submitted to my insurance company for prior authorization. They have 30 days to approve or deny. He tells me that surgery will most likely be scheduled about 3 weeks after the approval date. I am still hopeful to have the surgery end of March or beginning of April. After that it gets trickier getting the time off from work that I will need.
So back to the waiting game. The doctor tells me that I will get a letter in the mail from the insurance company with the approval. I hope it comes soon.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Over Due update
I have looked at my blog everyday and thought “I should be adding something to this today, maybe I will later”. Then I can’t think of anything to write. Today is February 19th; my appointment with the surgeon for my gastric by pass surgery is tomorrow. I have been doing pretty good with the dieting and exercising and I’m really ready to get this surgery behind me.
I have been in a funk for a couple of weeks because this process is taking so long and there seems to be no end in sight. A friend I met while going through this process, Ann-Marie, is actually a couple weeks ahead of me in the process. We were in all the classes together and seemed to be moving along at the same pace until the Weight Center told me that I had to get clearance from my cardiologist. That set me back about 2 weeks. Anne met with the surgeon and she was sent for a couple of tests. Now the surgeon is sending her back to the weight center for one more weight check before he sets the date for surgery. It doesn’t sound like a bog deal but waiting for an appointment at the weight center sometimes takes as much as a month. So every test or appointment drags this out even further.
I was so hoping that I would meet with the surgeon and ask my questions (I don’t have too many) get the details from him and get a date for the surgery. He only does surgery on Tuesdays and I don’t imagine that he does more than 2 or 3.
When I first started this it was June ’07, we were told at the meeting that it would about 6 months before we would have the surgery. At the end of the pre-surgical skills classes they give you the impression that you are in the home stretch. Anne and I finished those classes on December 20th. Now its two months later and I’m finally going to meet the surgeon. Who knows what kinds of tests and other appointments he will send me off to? Today I am just frustrated. I have let my employers know that I am going to have surgery and that I will need some time off. We have some busy times around here in the late spring that I hope to be back for. I am still hoping for surgery in March sometime and to be back working for May. If it looks like the surgery is going to happen later and I wouldn’t be able to be back to work by May I might have to put it off until fall. I really don’t want to do that. Summer is a real hard to get a long stretch of time off where I work because of everyone’s vacation time and having enough coverage in the office.
The other obstacle still to get by is the insurance company. After the meeting with the surgeon all my paper work will be sent to the insurance company for approval. I am really hoping that we don’t have to fight with them for coverage.
I’ll fill you in with details from the meeting tomorrow as soon as I can.
I have been in a funk for a couple of weeks because this process is taking so long and there seems to be no end in sight. A friend I met while going through this process, Ann-Marie, is actually a couple weeks ahead of me in the process. We were in all the classes together and seemed to be moving along at the same pace until the Weight Center told me that I had to get clearance from my cardiologist. That set me back about 2 weeks. Anne met with the surgeon and she was sent for a couple of tests. Now the surgeon is sending her back to the weight center for one more weight check before he sets the date for surgery. It doesn’t sound like a bog deal but waiting for an appointment at the weight center sometimes takes as much as a month. So every test or appointment drags this out even further.
I was so hoping that I would meet with the surgeon and ask my questions (I don’t have too many) get the details from him and get a date for the surgery. He only does surgery on Tuesdays and I don’t imagine that he does more than 2 or 3.
When I first started this it was June ’07, we were told at the meeting that it would about 6 months before we would have the surgery. At the end of the pre-surgical skills classes they give you the impression that you are in the home stretch. Anne and I finished those classes on December 20th. Now its two months later and I’m finally going to meet the surgeon. Who knows what kinds of tests and other appointments he will send me off to? Today I am just frustrated. I have let my employers know that I am going to have surgery and that I will need some time off. We have some busy times around here in the late spring that I hope to be back for. I am still hoping for surgery in March sometime and to be back working for May. If it looks like the surgery is going to happen later and I wouldn’t be able to be back to work by May I might have to put it off until fall. I really don’t want to do that. Summer is a real hard to get a long stretch of time off where I work because of everyone’s vacation time and having enough coverage in the office.
The other obstacle still to get by is the insurance company. After the meeting with the surgeon all my paper work will be sent to the insurance company for approval. I am really hoping that we don’t have to fight with them for coverage.
I’ll fill you in with details from the meeting tomorrow as soon as I can.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Surgery consultation date
I finally have a date to meet with the surgeon! I was begining to think that this day would never come. February 20 at 1:45 I will have the consultation with the surgeon. Hopefully the surgery will be about a month after that.
I am very excited to be doing this. For a real long time (2 or 3 years) I have thought about this surgery and have been afraid to give up eating all of the things I love. Eating has been a large part of my social network and my life in general so I worried about what would replace eating and how I would handle that.
Over the past 6 months or so I have discovered that I can still be social, have parties, go out with friends and not have it all revolve around food. They can still eat, drink and do all that and I can focus more on other things and it’s actually OK. Now our parties are more focused on the poker game or bowling with the Wii. I think about our family camping trips coming up this summer and not having to focus so much on the meals is actually liberating. I am thinking about goals like climbing a mountain near the campground where we stay. I haven’t been able to climb it with everyone else for years because of my weight. This year I AM GOING TO DO IT. Hopefully by the end of the summer I might be able to give water skiing another try. My focus has changed from the food to the activities I will be able to do again. Isn't that cool?
I am very excited to be doing this. For a real long time (2 or 3 years) I have thought about this surgery and have been afraid to give up eating all of the things I love. Eating has been a large part of my social network and my life in general so I worried about what would replace eating and how I would handle that.
Over the past 6 months or so I have discovered that I can still be social, have parties, go out with friends and not have it all revolve around food. They can still eat, drink and do all that and I can focus more on other things and it’s actually OK. Now our parties are more focused on the poker game or bowling with the Wii. I think about our family camping trips coming up this summer and not having to focus so much on the meals is actually liberating. I am thinking about goals like climbing a mountain near the campground where we stay. I haven’t been able to climb it with everyone else for years because of my weight. This year I AM GOING TO DO IT. Hopefully by the end of the summer I might be able to give water skiing another try. My focus has changed from the food to the activities I will be able to do again. Isn't that cool?
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