Bryn Dawson

I am dismayed, reading through this thread, that so many of you have families who are not supportive of your WLS journeys! It makes me realize how lucky I am that I DO have a supportive family and a wide circle of friends who are okay with it as well. My mom has my '12 things' list printed out and taped to her fridge (she lives in Texas and I'm in Maryland) and she's sending me a present every time I lose another 20 lbs. My dad thinks its a great idea and worries more about my skinny sister's overexercising than my going under the knife. And my husband is so supportive it makes me want to cry sometimes when I think about it. I notice that the OP for this thread has her surgery today, and I hope that all goes well for her. And I hope that all of you who have posted find fulfillment and support where you can.

Oh my god, Myrori, I am SO sorry... these hospital people, they are not good at listening to us when we tell them things... I had a similiar experience once with something that got stuck in my ear (long and very icky story I will spare you all) but I know what you are going through on that front. I am sending you good energy and hoping that everything is okay and you don't get a blockage or require surgery for resolution. Please keep us posted! *hugs*

My process is actually taking slightly more than 6 months - the 6 months is due to insurance requirements, and then once the 6 months was up and I could be scheduled for surgery, I had to wait to be fitted into the surgeon's busy surgical schedule. It is possible to get all your tests and evaluations done within a much shorter time, provided you are willing to run around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Seriously though, the long waiting period is usually due to insurance requirements, not the surgeons themselves. Good luck on your journey!

So I have a surgery date scheduled, July 12th. This morning, my surgeon's office calls me - they were getting ready to submit my file for insurance approval and my insurance told them about some program where I am supposed to call into the insurance and have phone coaching at least 5 times with each call being 2 weeks apart. This was NOT mentioned to ME when I called my insurance way back in January, nor was it mentioned to my insurance coordinator when SHE called in January AND in the months following to make sure we were on track! So now I have to see if my insurance will back down on this requirement (ha! Because they're known to be SOO flexible, those insurance people) or lose my surgery date because they're going to deny me until I complete this stupid requirement. All it apparently is is a bunch of calls to a nutritionist to discuss the importance of following the pre- and post-op diets and exercise plans - which I have ALREADY BEEN DOING for the last 6 months with the surgeon's office! ARGH! I'm so mad and frustrated and upset I could spit! I've already been in tears a couple times today and I'm sure there's more on the way. The insurance is supposed to call me back tonight to see if they have come up with a better next step, so at least they are considering it. I really, really hope my date doesn't get pushed back because of this!

Thank you, Debbie - I appreciate it! *hugs*

Glad to hear it's just a UTI and you've got a course of healing laid out for you.

I will spare you my hematuria (blood in urine) story because it is a. unrelated to the surgery and b. due to a more-rare-than-not cause and I don't want to make you worry. (Kidney stones is the very very simplified explanation.) But know that you have done absolutely the right thing in contacting your doc. S/he will help figure it out, rest assured. As long as you are not having pain, you are probably OK.

I knew it was time when my lower back pain got so bad that I couldn't stand for longer than a couple minutes without pain, or walk for longer than 5 minutes without being in agony. I've always been big but that never stopped me until I started taking a medication that caused me to gain 30 pounds in 2 years. Even before that gain I was dealing with pain but it was tolerable. But after the gain I would try to go to the mall with friends and have to sit out half the time on a bench because I couldn't do the stand-and-browse thing with them... god forbid I try to go to the county fair, one of my favorite things to do, or go to the Renaissance festival... I also used to horseback-ride very frequently, I took lessons for 7 years and at this point no horse could carry me. But the real turning point was when I went to my sister's wedding and realized that I was the fattest person there. Being seen like that amongst my extended family and my sister's college friends was miserable beyond belief. So I started researching and a year later I was in the program. I know this is the right thing for me to do. I know that it will help me to get back to being able to do the things I want to do, and maybe more that I never thought I could. Hope this helps...Good luck to you on your journey!

Wait a minute... there are BONES in here? Wow... I don't remember the last time I could see or feel bones... aside from the obvious, elbows and stuff....

Thanks for your support, mnbsleeve and everyone else.

Update: It now looks like I am going to hopefully be able to keep my July 12th surgery date after all. They said that as long as I am enrolled in the phone coaching program, that non completion won't have an impact on whether I am approved or denied. So now I am back to where I was - still awaiting approval but on-track and with no known hurdles in the path. Yay!

Wow, congrats! I think you look fabulous! I hope for as much successful loss when it's my turn!

I'm sending good energy and thoughts your way, Tamz. I am sure that it is nothing to worry about. You have done totally the right thing by notifying the surgeon and PCP. Rest this burden in their capable hands and focus on getting your fluids and resting. Getting worked up will only make you feel worse. And remind me of this when my time comes, because I am EXACTLY the same way and will make myself into a hypocrite.

I don't know myself yet since I'm pre surgery, but I believe the mantra for right now is sip, walk, rest. I'v ebeen following your posts and I want to say how proud of you I am. You've done good! Congratulations! Welcome to the beginning of your new life!

Update: The insurance office was supposed to call me back yesterday night, but didn't. When I called them, they refused to give me to the person I had been working with and told me that it had only been a few hours and I needed to wait longer to be contacted back. *sigh* My pre-op is scheduled for Monday. I guess I'll keep the appointment just in case, but at this point I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to go through the preop stuff all over again. Which means another chest x-ray, another history and physical, MORE bloodwork... I'm praying that they don't have to push my surgery date back. But this waiting and waiting is really frustrating.

I need to do this too... so here goes with my list. In no particular order... 1. Being able to buy clothes off the rack. 2. Not having to mail-order bras anymore. 3. Being able to walk for more than 10 minutes without major pain in my back and ankles. 4. Being able to stand still or walk and stop to browse when shopping without breaking into a sweat and feeling like I'm going to fall down. 5. Fitting into small chairs and being able to get out of chairs without having to 'push off'. 6. Being able to fit in an airplane seat without having to ask for a seat belt extender. 7. Not having to rely on contortion or pedicure ladies to take care of my toenails. 8. Being able to shave my legs without folding myself into fat-person origami or missing lots of spots. 9. Being satisfied with SMALL portions instead of HUGE ones. 10. Being able to go horseback riding again. 11. Not being the fattest person in my family, immediate or extended. 12. Only having one chin (I hate hate HATEHATEHATE my double chin.)

Congratulations on getting your surgery date! It is a big deal, I know.

Sending positive thoughts and energy your way. I am sure you will do great! Keep us posted when you are feeling up to it.

@Wheetsin - What's an SPD? I've called the Member Services group several times and mentioned that I'm having bariatric surgery, and I've logged into the website several times, AND my insurance coordinator at the surgeon's office has called them also but neither of us found this requirement in January, so I am guessing it was newly-entered. However, the policy SAYS it's been in place since January of 2007. Grr.

My coworkers and boss are all pretty supportive too. I don't have any naysayers that I know of and if I do, let them nay, I don't care. That being said, maybe say you're having a hiatal hernia repair? That may even be true, sometimes they're not found until surgery time. Also, they can recur so if it DOES happen later then you are still clear saying that's what it is. And the surgery is in the same area so would explain wounds if you have pain when you return to work, or want to show them off. I mean, people may not know what a hiatal hernia is, but it's better than being judged for having weight loss surgery. Good luck!

I have a tentative July 12th date pending insurance approval as well. Can I be a firecracker too?

HealthPartners insurance.

Good luck and best wishes for your surgery tomorrow. I am sure you will do great!

Wow! Congrats on the luck of moving up to a sooner date! That's terrific!

Another journey update - I have a surgery date! July 12th -- sooner than I had hoped for! I'm thrilled that it's so soon. Now to jump through a few more testing hoops before the surgery...