Decisions Made and Date is Set

So last Thursday morning I called my doctor to let them know that I would be doing the duodenal switch instead. (Guess I need to change the name of the blog, huh?) A few days delay to get the insurance approval for the new procedure and Monday I got the call. See the doctor at 10:30 on Wednesday.

So yesterday I went in. Stepped on the scale and I had lost 1 lb since the visit the previous week. I spent some time waiting for the doctor. Just as he was coming in, he got a page for a consultation in the OR. Wait a little longer. Finally he comes in and we talk. I just had a few questions for him:

1. Not that I plan on it anytime soon, but later on down the line, what if I want to have a child? I should not have any problems as long as I talk all the necessary vitamins.

2. Will my tastes change. To some extent yes.

He made sure that I knew all the risks and some side effects. He looked at my stomach as he talked of the procedure. I told him that I had several co-workers who said they would go on the pre-op diet with me. He laughed and said that they probably wouldn't make it. He told me to go on the 2 week diet instead of the 3 week. He left and in came in the dietian.

We talked about the pre-op and post-op diet. Since I'm having the DW instead of the bypass it means a quicker time to eating normal food. Yipee.

After talking to her, in came the assistant to schedule the surgery. August 23rd. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am. Surgery will be around 7:30 am and should take about 3 hours. I'll spend roughly 4 days in the hospital.

August 9th is the day I start the pre-op diet. August 11th I go in for pre-admission testing, including having to drink that nasty chalky shit so they can get pictures of my upper GI. Couldn't get through it before, doubt I will be able to again, but we'll see.

So that's it for now. I need to start stocking up on my protein shakes and Lean Cuisine's. Thank God for the sugar-free Popsicles!

Dr visit requires some thinking

I yesterday I met with my surgeon. I was November 2009 since I last saw him. As I had mentioned, I have gained a few pounds since I last saw him. Like 30 pounds. When we sat down and talked he asked what surgery I was considering. I said Gastric Bypass. I also mentioned that I wanted to get down to 200 pounds.

That's where things came to a halt. He asked if I had considered the duodenal switch procedure. He told me that if I had the gastric bypass that I would probably lose about 130 pounds and the rest would be up to me alone.

If I had the duodenal switch, I would be able to lose the weight that I want to lose and be able to maintain the loss.

My other choice would to have the gastric sleeve procedure, then a year and a half to 2 years when I level off, and if the insurance would approve it, I could then have the bypass to get me the rest of the way.

We spent 25 minutes in office talking about options. We checked with the insurance specialist and my new insurance would cover both the switch or the sleeve.

I kept saying that "I want to get down to 200 pounds". At the end of the visit he told me that since I had said that I wanted to get to 200 pounds 3 times since we were talking, that I had probably already decided, but he wanted me to take some time to think things over. He gave me an online class about the sleeve and switch procedures. Last night I watched them. In talking with friends and family, I pretty much decided in telling them about it, but I still took the time to think about it.

Once I made up my mind, I was told to call the office to let then know my decision and we would proceed from there.

I called this morning to tell them that I want to do the switch procedure. The insurance specialist told me that they would let the insurance company know and get approval for the change. Once they get the okay from the insurance company, they would schedule 1 more appointment with the surgeon to go over the specific surgery and then schedule the actual surgery. So I am now back in waiting mode.

I am hoping that since it only took a week for the insurance company to approve the initial surgery, that it won't take long for them to approve the change.

Then the other kicker is that the doctor said he might put me on a 3 week liquid diet instead of a 2 week one because I had gained the additional 30 pounds. Oh goody. So right now I am looking at the middle to end of August for my surgery, all depending on when the change gets approved and how quickly I can see the doctor for that last pre-surgery appointment.

and so the waiting continues.......

Yahoo!

So today I got the good news. The insurance has approved my surgery. It's not that I doubted that I would get approved, it was a matter of when.

I talked with the insurance person at the specialists office the day after may appointment with my primary. It was then that I found out that the specialist was out for the majority of July and that the insurance company has 30 days to approve or deny the surgery.

Last Tuesday, July 6th I had gotten an email from the insurance specialist telling me that they had gotten the notes from the primary about the mandatory 6 months visits and that they would submit it to the insurance company.

This morning I sent an email asking if they had heard anything yet. She said it was on her list to call the insurance company and she would keep me posted.

At 9:30 am I had gotten another email from her telling me that my case was still under review and hopefully it wouldn't be much longer but she would let me know when she heard.

At 10:30 am my phone at work rang and it was her telling me that she had gotten the okay from the insurance company and to schedule the appointment with the specialist. I had a choice of 7/21 or 7/28 for the appointment. Uh, I've been waiting since September of last year, do you really think I want to wait until the 28th? Hell no! So next Wednesday I see the specialist.

That should mean all I have is the 2 week liquid diet and then the surgery.

As I told my friends at work, I kept getting the same question, Are you nervous? Hell no! I'm more in "Oh Shit" mode. Oh Shit, there is a lot I need to get done at work so my coworkers aren't left with a mess while I'm gone. Oh shit, I really haven't started buying the necessary stuff to get ready for the 2 week liquid diet and the post surgery diet.

But as far as the actual surgery, BRING IT ON! I am so ready to find the skinny person inside.

So soon I will take the pre-surgery pictures, but I'm going to enjoy taking the post-surgery plateau point pictures more. ;o)

Now the Waiting Begins

I have had my last visit with my PCP. Now the waiting begins. Waiting for my PCP to send his notes to the specialist. Waiting for the specialist's office to call to schedule an appointment. Waiting for the surgery to be scheduled.

On my last visit, my PCP and I were talking about the surgery and my reasons for having it. My knee pain, my newly diagnosed foot pain, the heart disease that runs in the family, the cancer that runs in the family.

I knew that those were all good reasons to have the surgery. All reasons to improve my health.

Today I found out a co-worker died yesterday. He was 46 years old. To my knowledge he wasn't on any medicine. He wasn't overweight. He didn't smoke. He didn't drink to excess. He did leave behind a wife and 2 young daughters under the age of 6. Gone in an instant.

If that doesn't provide me with yet another reason to have the surgery to improve my health, I don't know what does. But his death does prove that when it is your time to go, there is nothing that can be done to stop it.

God bless him and his family and may he rest in peace.