Christi L.
I am with Cigna which is the absolute worse insurance for this surgery. They require 2 90 days diets proving you cant lose weight. I was on Weight Watchers for 8 months but because my doctor didnt recommend it they didnt count it. I have finished one 90 days diet and have 60 days left of the other. I had a sleep apnea test done last week and I am waiting on the results. I am hoping the insurance company will approve me but I will not know anything for at least 2 months... so i am waiting.
July 12th 2004
I have now completed my second 90 day diet. Only lost a total of 13 pounds. I am now gathering all of my information to send to Dr. Naaman's office. Once that is done I am hoping to have an appointment next week. This has been such a long process, I hope and pray that I will get approved on the first try. My sleep apnea test came back positive which the doctor says is a result of being overweight. I will keep everyone posted on my progress. I think the insurance approval is going to be the biggest hurdle to get over.
July 16th 2004
I found out this surgery is listed as an exclusion on my insurance policy, so I have to pay for it myself. This was terrible news and discouraged me a little but the good news is I have a wonderful family that is willing to give me a loan and this means I dont have to wait for insurance approval. My surgery date is for August 9th!!!! I cant believe it is so soon, but at the same time it seems like i have waited forever. I will keep everyone posted on the progress.
July 26th 2004
Well I am 2 weeks away now. I cant sleep at night just thinking about it... I never have been a very good sleeper anyway, but it is worse when I am so anxious. My pre-op is set for August 3rd. I am looking forward to what my best friend and I call my Independance Day. August 9th will forever be thought of as the day i was set free from all this weight! It can really hold a person down. I dont think people without weight problems realize how much of a burden it is on people. And if yall are anything like me, diet after diet after diet with very little results, it make you feel like you are constantly failing, when actually, you make making probably a better effort than most. I am so ready to start my new life! I have so many questions though. My whole lifestyle is going to change. I am a huge sports fan so i spend alot of time in sports bars or restraunts where the games are usually played. I wonder how this will effect me. No more eating out for a while, or having a beer while I watch the game. but I think I am ready. I can still enjoy the things I love without the food and the drink right! Anyone else experiencing this? Well everyone, I will be checking in next week after my pre-op to let you know what that was like. Anyway have any advice on what questions I should ask?
August 5th, 2004
Hey everyone. Well my pre op was Tuesday and it went well. I had heard that you had to wait forever but it didnt take long. My appointment was at 9:30 and I was done with everything, even the hospital visit before noon. Not so bad...... I talked with Dr. Naaman's assistant for a while and my mother was with me. She is still not 100% sure of this surgery but I am so that is all that matters. Most of the time I spent with Julius was him trying to explain to my mom that everything was going to be ok, he seemed to be getting irritated, but maybe that was just me getting irritated. I felt I couldnt ask all of the questions i wanted to because my mother was so nervous, I probably shouldnt have taken her in with me. Then I saw Dr. Naaman for like a minute. that was it.. I was ready. The people in the office there are so nice and very comforting. They were able to calm my mother a bit. Then as we were coming out of Dr. Naaman's office we met two very nice ladies that had the surgery years before. One had hers a year ago and the other over two years. They both looked great and they talked ot my mom which calmed her down alot. I am planning to go to the support group meeting Sunday (the day before surgery) so I can talk to everyone there too. I am not nervous at all about the procedure. I have complete faith in Dr. Naaman ad his staff. All those rumors have to be true, that he IS a terrific surgeon! Everywhere I went on Tuesday people were telling me what a great surgeon I had picked....I said, well that is why I picked him! i researched surgeons for a while! I think no matter what I go through it will be worth it. I am nervous about life afterwards. My lifestyle is going to change so much. I just have to keep telling myself that I had to do this. I am still friends with people I have been friends with since High School. 11 years of hanging out with the same people, doing the same things... We go to bars and sporting events and, concerts, we travel together, we eat out alot and have dinner parties and BBQ's and my whole life with them is about entertaining... I hope that doesnt change. I still want to socialize with them. I hope they dont decide not to invite me places because they dont think I will want to go. I am nervous about missing them. They are my family! They have been a pretty good support so far, but have not implied anything to me that they will still be around. I am afraid of that... this is probably just my nerves talking. I just pray I can handle the changes well and dont get depressed. I need to surround myself with people that know what this is like. Anyway, here i am rambling....i cant believe my surgery is MONDAY! WOW! I will only sleep 4 more nights before my life changes forever!! This is so exciting and frightening all at the same time!!! Well i will keep you all updated. Thanks for all of your support on here!
January 7th 2005
HAppy New Year! Sorry I havent been back in a while to update. Life has been busy! Things are still going dreat! I have lost 75 pounds now. That is over half excess weight so I am pretty happy! No complications at all. I can eat almost anything I want except for meats that are tough or rubbery like steak or shrimp and lobster. I eat alot fo salad. I have actually found alot of recipes for some great salads. I dont feel like i am dieting at all. I am in a size 14 clothes right now and cant believe that I cant shop at the big girl store anymore. It is really strange for me to shop in the misses section or at a store that I havent shoped at since high school, like Lerners or Express or whatever, but i love it anyway! I have experienced the hair loss. My hair is falling out all over the place! Big chunks of it. But I have so much hair there isnt a bald spot or anything. I put highlights in it to give me a lift because it did take away some of the volume. I am walking everyday and actually enjoy it. I also enjoy working out at Curves a few times a week. I have so much more energy. I can be so much more active! Anyone that is thinking about this surgery, if you know you are ready to make life changes then go for it. I only regret I didnt do it sooner. I feel like I am finally alive!
March 29th 2005
Well I it the century mark over Spring Break. I have lost 102 pounds!!! I am in a size 12/14 and am not far from my goal now. Only 40 pounds to go! I will admit though, even though the last 40 pounds is going to be hard, i am much happier to be fighting the same 40 pounds all those other people are fighting than 140! Havent written much I have been so busy!!! But I will try to write more. Right now I am enjoying life like I never have before. I will try to update pictures soon
Photos
 277 This is one of my best friend and I. The last photo is from our annual trip to florida for the 4th of July , maybe next year I wont be hiding behind my skinny friends! |  |  |
OK, new addition! FINALLY!!!! I have not been here in a while. I apologize! It is February 14th 2007. My weight is at 139pounds although sometimes i am 142... I am living a pretty normal life now. Harsh realization about how much people look at you differently when all they notice is your petite body. I am currently in a size 4... who ever would have thought I would go from a 24 to a 4!! I wont sugar coat this process, it is hard work and emotionally exhausting. Peopel that havent gone through it will not understand. They will convince you that you are a bad person because othe rpeole are paying more attention to you and you dont understand how to separate bad attention from good attention. Although this is something that needs to be addressed, it is hard!!! Dont let other people make you feel bad, but DO talk to people that have been through this. Just like your weight has gone up and down, your emotions will after this surgery, but I have not one regret except maybe making it to more support group meetings. I hope all of you are having wonderful year!!!