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.......

Update

So I have had doctor visit #4 with my primary doctor of the 6 visits that my new insurance requires before I can have the gastric bypass surgery.

Since I have started these monthly visits my weight has gone up. I am now at 413 according to my PCP's scale. So I could use the normal excuses....winter, busy.....etc

Let's be honest though, shall we? I just haven't really cared about watching what I eat at this point. So I've been eating whatever I want.

Ice cream, Cadbury mini eggs (my Easter favorite), Girl Scout cookies, etc.

I've got 2 more monthly visits with my primary doctor before I can schedule an appointment with the specialist. So as of right now, it appears that I am on track to have my surgery sometime in July I am guessing.

I can't wait for next summer!

Time away to come to acceptance

So after realizing that I was going to have to postpone my surgery due to lack of funds, it has taken a long time to get over the depression, the hurt, and the anger.

I am still dealing with the disappointment. I had all these "scenes" in my head. Me surprising my uppity aunts at the family reunion in July with my new skinnier self. Having a blast riding the roller coasters I've always wanted to ride but am too big to fit in the seats in at my favorite amusement park.

So the new year has dawned and so now I begin having to deal with the 6 month wait that is required with the new insurance.

After sending a copy of my new insurance card to the insurance specialist at the doctor's office, I discovered that all of the requirements that were required with the previous insurance (psych eval, 5 year history, meeting with the nutritionist) the only thing that I have to get/do is a 6 month doctor monitored weight loss "program" with documentation.

Since that is all I need I have booked the first appointment for Thursday. Hopefully the 6 months will go by as quickly as last year has gone.

My hope is that by July or August at the latest I will have my surgery and will start the fall of 2010 losing most of this weight.

Well, the journey is taking a little longer than I planned, but the journey is back on again.

An unexpected delay

So after getting excited and beginning to eat some of my favorite foods for the last time, on Monday I had a wrench thrown into my plans.

Unexpected and unforeseen events have caused me to delay my surgery until after the new year.

So I now have to start saving up the money to cover the 10% that my new insurance won't cover. It also means that I am looking to having the surgery in June or July of 2010 as from my understanding the new insurance requires a 6 month waiting period.

It is very hard for me not to be disappointed and a little depressed.

It also hard not to turn that disappointment and depression in to a grub fest. But I'm doing better than I thought I would be.

So the new me will have to wait for just a little while longer to appear.