phoenixcolt

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I stayed away from this site after my psych evaluation because I didn't think it went well.  I was afraid of getting even more involved on here if I was just going to be turned down for surgery.

The psych exam was harsh!  It's tough to tell your life story to a complete stranger who sits there making notes about what you say, and never shows an ounce of emotion.  I felt like he wasn't ready to approve me.  He said my life was pretty unstable right now, which it is.  My family is trying to get back to Indy in time for me to go to classes at IUPUI so I don't have to live on campus (which is expensive).  I don't have an acceptance letter from IUPUI yet since I can't get my transcript sent from IWU until I pay an outstanding balance of $800.  I'm working two jobs now, one full time, both of which I'll have to leave when we move.  So would I want surgery right now?  Yes, right now I would.  Right before starting school?  No.  I've got a small window here :)

The psychologist asked if I would be willing to go through some therapy sessions prior to surgery just to make sure I know what I'm getting into, and I told him yes.  Today I got a letter from the center asking me to contact one of their nurse practitioners for an appointment.  This is a step I didn't expect.  I don't think it's standard, but in the letter it said they want everyone to get all the information they can before making a decision about surgery.  So it wasn't a very personal letter...I couldn't tell if they were saying that I specifically needed education on the nutritional and lifestyle changes, or if it was just an explanation of a common step in this whole process.  But Monday I'll be calling the nurse practitioner and I'll get my butt down there to see what they want :D

But it wasn't a rejection letter, and it didn't say they had reservations about my ability to cope with the changes surgery would bring.

So if all else goes well I hope to have the surgery this year.  If finances work out then I will hope to get this started right away.  If not, maybe Christmas break this year.  And if my Mom gets a job with better insurance in Indy, and my Dad gets disability, they might be able to help with my bills.  I am just happy to get over this last hurdle (not THE last hurdle, just the previous...haha).

Hope to have more news and get an appointment with the nurse practitioner this week.

I am heartbroken :(  One of my really good friends from middle school and junior high died on Sunday.  Her husband came home and couldn't get her to wake up.  She wasn't breathing.  An autopsy is scheduled today to determine the cause of death.

I just can't believe she's gone.

So tomorrow morning I will be driving down to Indy for my psych consult with Dr. Stote at 10:30.  My Dad has an appointment with his neurosurgeon at 11:30, and an appointment with his hematologist at 1:30.  I'll be at St. Vincent Carmel campus, but my parents will be at the Indy campus.  So it will be a long day.  Then it's back to work at 11pm!

I hope my news is good, and that I can figure out the financial part of this whole thing!

I can't sleep.  I'm out of Ambien until the 6th, so that sucks.  I now have rebound insomnia.  And PMS.  Not cool!

But later today I get to take a look at my benefits package at work.  I'm hoping that the insurance looks good.  I don't know how much it costs, what coverage it offers, or how soon it will be in effect, but I can't wait to see it.  It may be just what I need to get my surgery covered.

I need to sleep.  Long day tomorrow!

Just a quick note:

I don't know anyone who has had weight loss surgery, and am just trying to find some friends on here :)  So if I added you, I probably don't know you.  I'm not trying to be a creeper or anything, just looking for people in my shoes

Anyway, here's an "about me" post!  My name is Katie, and I'm 22 years old.  I'm a graphic design student who is currently taking the semester off.  I grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis before my family moved to South Bend in July of 2007, so I still see my family doctor in Carmel, IN.  He referred me to my surgeon's office, and here I am.  I babysit for a three year old and a 5 month old little girl part time.  I work at a Speedway/Subway full time.  This keeps me pretty busy.

My first weight loss attempt was at 6 years old.  The most I've ever managed to lose is about 20 pounds.  I've tried Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Sugar Busters, eDiets, Nutrisystem, Alli, hoodia...I haven't quite been able to keep any of them up.

I know I've always been fat, even if was just a bit.  But I never really felt fat (except for when I saw myself in pictures or had to go clothes shopping) until this summer.  I noticed it was harder for me to get up from the couch, and my joints from the waist down were tiring out very easily.  My lower back hurt a lot, and it's only gotten worse.  I am a borderline diabetic, and that's where I draw the line.  Once I become diabetic, I've got that to deal with for the rest of my life.  So I am hoping that gastric bypass will be the right tool to help me turn away from this risk of diabetes.  I also have high blood pressure and acid reflux disease.  So the heavier I get, the harder it is for me to lose weight.

That does it for now,

I got the recommendation from my surgeon...oh my goodness!  Being qualified for the surgery was hurdle #1.  My next step is to figure out how I will finance the operation!  My current insurance may not approve me, but I will have to fight to figure out if that's true.  Bariatric surgery is one of the covered benefits.  Later in the packet it states that "obesity services" are not covered, except when stated in the benefits summary.  So I may only be covered if they have proof that I have been under a physician's supervised weight loss program for 16 consecutive months.  My new job will offer insurance, but I don't know my benefits yet.  It will take a few months for the benefits to start, anyway.

Whether I have insurance or not, I will have this surgery.  Unless of course my financing options with the surgeon's office and hospital are unrealistic.  I may have to make payments I can't afford.  But we will see what happens!

My psychiatric consultation with Dr. Stote is scheduled for April 6th.  I'll be glad to get that out of the way.  I'll be one step closer!

I am so excited to be a part of this site.  It was here that I became convinced that surgery will help me.  When my doctor first recommended I go visit the St. Vincent Bariatric Center of Excellence to see what kind of services they offer (surgical and non-surgical), I had no intention of even considering surgery.  But I found this site and I just started to get this gut feeling that it was something I needed to open my mind to.  From my first consideration for surgery in October until now, a huge amount has changed.

I feel so hopeful.  I am not worried about failing like I do when I diet.  When I go on diets I know, deep down, it won't work.  It might work for a bit, but I'll eventually get bored and relapse.

I also took the hardest step: the consultation.  I got to the Center and checked in.  I waited for a bit and was then called back to get some basic information from a nurse.  They got my weight (247 pounds), my height (5'3.5"), blood pressure (140/88), and my chest, waist, and hip measurements.  That was the longest measuring tape I have ever seen!  I am not sure what my measurements were -- I didn't really want to know in case I was told I wasn't a candidate for the surgery.

Then I waited for the other patients to get processed, and we all went back to the classroom.  I loved the chairs -- they're obviously oversized for those who require such large chairs, but it felt weird sitting in a basic chair with there being room on the seat next to my butt!

We were given clipboards with lots of paper, and free bottled water.  Then a dietician spoke to us about pre-op nutrition and post-op nutrition.  Then we heard from a woman who deals with insurance.  She told us all about what we would need to do to get approved.

Finally, my surgeon, Dr. Brenda Cacucci, came in and gave a 45-minute presentation explaining the procedures.  She told us the risks, the benefits of each type of procedure, the likelihood of success...everything.

And the last step was to meet individually with Dr. Cacucci.  She was so nice and didn't seem in a hurry to get me out of there.  She listened to all I said.

I had thought the Lap-Band would be the best choice for me, but after the presentation I began to realize that good ol' gastric bypass would be the best.  Dr. Cacucci agreed with my decision for roux-en-y gastric bypass, and said she thinks I'll do great.

Lastly I checked out and made an appointment for my psych consult.

The wheels are rollin' and I'm on my way to being HEALTHY!

Be back soon,