courtines

On August 15, 2011 I had a consultation with a bariatric surgeon and now my surgery is scheduled for October 10, 2011. In some ways things seemed to move along glacially and in other ways I feel like I just made this decision yesterday. I was blessed with a fairly easy approval process that hit some bumps in the road: 1. The psychologist that was supposed to do my psych evaluation went on vacation and no one bothered to tell me, and 2. My PCP office took 3 weeks in getting my paperwork back to my surgeons office because they lost the papers on 2 separate occasions. I know these are minor things compared to the hoops that other people have to jump through and I am blessed that my insurance coordinator was on the ball with everything. She even got the psychologist to call and apologize to me personally, while he was on vacation. She also managed to put the screws to my PCP's office and managed to get them to fax her the paperwork the same day she sent it. She is a rock star. Today my surgeon's office called me with my date and it was a lot sooner than I expected. I called my boss and she is willing to give me the necessary two weeks off. I am a little worried, because things are so weird at work right now, but hopefully it won't have a negative impact on my job. I am hoping that my mother, who lives 4 hours away will be able to come and babysit me for a week. It would be nice to have her around and I am going to need some help dealing with my three rowdy beagles. My husband and daughter are both going to have school, so it would be tricky for me to handle these things on my own. I did it last winter when I had a broken foot, but I would prefer to have a little help. I am excited, but I have a few fears. I have never had surgery before, so I am very scared that something bad will happen to me during surgery. I am terrified of leaving my daughter without a mom. However, that is also the reason I have decided to have this surgery. I don't want to have a heart attack in 5 years and leave my daughter motherless. She has assured me that my surgery will go great.

I guess I was just shocked that someone I barely know would make their opinions known like that. Luckily, this is a person that I hardly ever have to deal with. Honestly I have been avoiding her since last year when she told me that where I carried my weight was putting me at an increased risk for heart disease. Apparently I can do no right by this person! In the end, I know she doesn't matter. She isn't anyone important in my life and realistically I shouldn't care one way or the other what she thinks of me and what I am doing to my own body. I am doing this for me and because I want to live to see my daughter grow up.

I made the decision to have this surgery six weeks ago. At the time of my initial consultation, I was asked if I wanted to participate in a local tv station's medical series and being the agreeable person that I am, I said "sure, why not?" I honestly thought they wouldn't really be interested in using me and that they would find someone else. I wasn't sure how open I was going to be with my friends about having this procedure, but after thinking about it a little more, I decided that I would let them film my surgery, if they wanted to. After making that decision, it seemed really easy to let people know that this is what I am doing and that I am really happy about my decision. I have not been shy about telling people because other people talking about their surgery was inspiring to me. For the most part, everyone has been really cool and those who are close to me just want me to feel better, both physically and emotionally. The approval process has been quick and the whole thing has been pretty much a dream, minus some lost forms at my PCPs office. Until.... Last week I was working with someone that I don't typically work with. When I mentioned that I was going to have bariatric surgery, she asked if I shouldn't try "the old fashioned way." I said that I can't do it the old fashioned way and that if I could, I would already be in much better health. She then said, "Can't or don't want to?" I told her that I wouldn't put myself through major surgery just because I was lazy. This is a huge change to make and I wouldn't put myself through it if I didn't think it was going to help me. I feel ridiculous, but this one person that I barely know has shaken my confidence about it all a little. The vast majority of people that I have talked to about it have been awesome and I know that I should focus on that, but it seems so easy to let one nasty comment get under my skin. How do you guys deal with people who don't agree? My initial instinct is to set them straight in a less than nice way, but I don't feel like verbally smacking down everyone who disagrees with me.