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  Well, I have leg ulcers really bad on both of my legs, my right leg has it on noth sides of my ankles, and my left, has it on my chin. On 8/22/07, I scrapped my right ankle on my desk, just babrely, and it bleed, and began to get swollen, so I went to the ER. At that time, there3 was no sign of Cellilituis, so I was sent home with Valium and Kepflexen (antibiodic). Was told to follow up with my Dr. the next day, and if it was getting worse, then it probably was Cellilitis, and my Dr would have to admit me... OK so the next day, 8/23/07, I woke up to severe pain, my foot had swollen up to were I did not even have a foot and I called my Dr.'s office, had then page her. I also had a 9 am appt with the Sleep Dr. to scedule my sleep stydy, and was not going to iss that, as I had been waiting a long time for that appt, so Dave and I went to that. I got my sleep study scheduled for Sept. 5th, at 10 pm at the Sleep Logistics Center. Right off the bat, the sleep Dr. ask me if I get sinus infections easy, and I said yes, then he asked if I had any type of sinus surgery, I said no, and that made me suspious, is that normal questioning? Or did he see something? I guess I will find out in the leep study.. In the mean time, I was waiting to hear from my Dr. Went to her office, then was told she is on vacation, she would not be in. OK.. so I took more antibiodics, lortabs, 7.5 x 2, and waited till about 4 pm. I could not stand it anymore. I called my Dr.'s office and said I am going back tothe ER, something is not right. They said go ahead and go, just have ER call them once I was there. So off Dave and I go. Swelling in both my legs at this point, but more severe in my right leg and the pain was similar to how I would imagine a thousand pieces of shredded glass attacking the bottom of my foot and sides of my legs and being pushed in. Plus add the "on fire" feeling, and that is the best way i can descibe it. It hurt to the touch, and and the wait in the ER was the worst, and everyone looked at me as tho I was a burn victim, which I should be used to it, but I do not think I ever will be use to it. .. So we get back to the ER and the same Dr. tht saw me the night before, says'what happened?" I said "look!" I showed my leg, and told him my Dr.'s office told me to come in and have him call as soon as I was there, he said"well I wanted you to follow up with your dr.." and I said "well she is on vacation, and I do not want to bouced around because I was misdiagnosed for my gall bladder diisease for 4 yr, made 72 visits to the ER in 2 different states, seen 6 different Dr's, and no one figured it out til I almost was dead and had to go into emergnacy surgery, and had open gall bladder removal. Now these are my LEGS, and I am iabetic, and I am scared, and am in pain, and do not have time to fight over who should be doing what. I need help now." After that, he worked right away, took my blood, had a nurse come in to start my IV, and she was over worked or something, but as she tied the rubber band around my arm, they called over the intercom, and she pulled back far and then let go and it snapped back on my arm so hard, it left a welt. I told her that was uncalled for, Dave jumped up, she yelled out some profanity, and said "every god dam time I turn around they want me to do this, that and what ever, shit, I can only do one thing at a time." then she apologized to me, and she left the room. Just then, the ultrasound guy came to take me to check if I had any blood clots in my leg, which, thank god I did'nt, but when I returned, the nurse was there, trying to start my IV, and she saw the welt she had made, and tried to play if off by saying, "geez, are you sesitive to the bandaids or something?" I said "No, that is the mark you left when you threw your fit!"  So, she apologized again, and when she went to put in my IV, she fused my veins, not once, but TWICE, to the point where she had the Dr come in and start my IV treatment of antibiotics, and painkillers.. altogether, we wanted from 4:16 till 9:39 pm, to get relief. I know for some that is not a long time, but I counted every single minute I was in that horrible pain, and it felt like a lifetime. All test's cam e back as Cellitis, which is an infection in the skin. Here is the full definition from Wikipedia with a picture, so NO this is not my leg,lol!!  

Infected left shin
ICD-10	L03.
ICD-9	682.9
DiseasesDB	29806
eMedicine	med/310  emerg/88 derm/464
MeSH	D002481

Cellulitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue underlying the skin, that can be caused by a bacterial infection. Cellulitis can be caused by normal skin flora or by exogenous bacteria, and often occurs where the skin has previously been broken: cracks in the skin, cuts, burns, insect bites, surgical wounds, or sites of intravenous catheter insertion. The mainstay of therapy remains treatment with appropriate antibiotics. Skin on the face or lower legs is most commonly affected by this infection, though cellulitis can occur on any part of the body. Cellulitis may be superficial — affecting only the surface of the skin — but cellulitis may also affect the tissues underlying the skin and can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream.

It is unrelated to cellulite, a cosmetic condition featuring dimpling of the skin.

Contents [hide] 1 Forms of cellulitis 2 Symptoms 3 Causes 4 Risk factors 5 Diagnosis 6 Incubation 7 Duration 8 Treatment 9 Prevention 10 References

My legs look worse then this. I will be adding pictures of my legs shortly. It really sucks. This is another slap of reality to me, that this disease is a KILLER.  So if you have any wounds, ulcers, foot sores, do not be ignorent, as small as it may seem, go get it checked out, because you are at risk for Cellilitis. It is serious. And left un treated can lead to gangerne..                          So on Monday, I have to follow up with my Dr. I have been on bed rest for the last few days, and lots of pain meds/antibiodics. They seem to help as far as the sweeling goes. I can see my foot again. They are worried about two major things that would send my back to the ER: Fever, and Low BP. My BP was abnormally low since I went to the ER on 8/22/07, it was 91/55. And when I went back on 8/23/07, it was 90/54, 92/50. For me, this has never been an issue, I have always maintained a 120/80, always, until last week, with a high reading of 149/93, and now a consistant low reading. So, if it goes under 89/49, it is back to the ER, and a fever over 105, they said, I will be visiting the ER. Thank god so far, no fever. This is the first time I have felt good enough to sit in front of my computer to write. Now that I have posted an undate, I will be catching up on my e mails. Today is also my oldest son D.J.'s 15th Birthday!! Yesterday, we were supposed to have his party, but because "mom was not well" we had to cancel. It made me depressed, because it was another thing on the list that had to wait on me and my health. But on a good note, it was a pool party, and we had a thunderstorm and hale, so things happen and don't happen for a reason, so had it happened, it would have been ruined. So maybe a small silverlining. We will be celebrating next weekend, provided I am feeling good. So now that I am all caught up, and got some energy, I will be answering e mail. Thank you all for your kindness and support to Dave and I , we love you all, and appreciate you more then words!!  

 At-Um.. Let me clear  my throat.. Ladies and Gentlemen of this fine support establishment, it brings me great pleasure, (and laughter) to say, that not only is my insurance whom I will refrain to mention in this post, but the letter spell out        B-C-B-S-I-L, (ppo) lol.. completely off thier A game entirely, but they DON'T even know if they are denying me, approving me, or reviewing me. Look in my history to see how many rounds this makes it.. I am thinking more like umm 6 since this started.. And you want to hear something funny? IF it were ME who was wrong, this would have been done and over with weeks ago.. So now, I have requested my file be reviewed by a bariatric surgeon.I am in the SSR status, yet once again. I talked to a Sealth.         I finally received my letter from Ashlee, as she sent it on the 14th of ths month, and it was, the way she had prepardit, vagued, and now obsolite. But, it is still documentation from then, just the same. I will keep it in my records, and wait for the next letter, that was sent out 2 days ago, telling me, I did not lose enough weight, which, is not obsolite too, but again, I will be putting it in my records, and waiting for my next letter. I do hope this will bring my favorable result. I do not, as of late, ever see possible, how they can come to a conclussion of no. My file has not been properly reviewed, plain and simple. If that was not the case, I would have be approved already, and this BS crap shoot game would never had begun. But they like grasping at straws, and wasting time, to further delay the enevitable, well, so be it. But I know they know, I am not backing down. And so, with every little mynute thing they come back to say, I respond right away, and adviod appeal process some how.. Geez, How does one do that? Hmmmm, just think about it... Chow babes, Shirl

BCBSIL SAID "You have not lost enough weight", non was specified. Not in the policy, not on the phone, not in a letter, NEVER MENTION before.. But mind you, in over 4 yrs, I have lost 95lbs. Most recently, 10 lbs in 8 days from stress, and add some High Blood pressure, for the first time in my life.  I want to share something with anyone who reads my blog, it goes BEYOND the whelm of playing by the rules, I got this next bit of information from Walt Linstorm, and Attorny, Advocate in California, his web address is www.obesitylaw.com I have learned so much about the laws in just a short amount of time. I wanted any one going through this to arm yourself with knowledge, if you have a Group plan, from employers, LOOK at why you do not have the same rights as if you had self funded insurance and why we get treated like SHIT.. Read what the E.R.I.S.A. act of '74 is: In the United States, employee benefit plans are exclusively controlled by a massive, often incomprehensible, federal statute called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) (29 U.S.C. '' 1001'1461). In 1987, the United States Supreme Court rendered a decision called Pilot Life Ins. Co. v. Dedeaux (1987) 481 U.S. 41. In that decision, one of the most broadly sweeping and anti-consumer opinions in the history of the high court, it was determined that ERISA "preempts" all state laws with respect to employee benefit programs, which includes group health policies. What does that mean? Many of you are familiar with the term "bad faith" with respect to insurance companies denying claims. If they act unreasonably, they can be held liable for damages, possibly even punitive damages if their conduct is reprehensible enough in the handling of a given claim. However, since Pilot Life, policyholders no longer have a "bad faith hammer" to hit an insurance company over the head. That decision states that ERISA governs all rights and remedies in the group health context. Those remedies do not include damages for bad faith or punitive damages. In short, under ERISA, the only thing you can get are the benefits due to you. Sometimes you can get your attorneys' fees. That's it.     RETURN TO TOP

    How does this impact you everyday? Most of your patients have obtained their insurance as a benefit of their employment. That means their rights against the insurance company are strictly limited. Insurers know this and therefore act much more unreasonably in claims handling, knowing that the most that they can be held accountable for are the benefits themselves. They face little other exposure. Insurers know many patients won't contest a denial of benefits. They just go away. Insurers also know that attorneys are less likely to become involved in ERISA cases because there isn't the specter of large damage awards to making handling the case on a contingent fee basis worthwhile to either the patient/client or the lawyer. So insurers become tenacious in denying valid claims, knowing that they can't be held accountable. That's the primary reason why we have the difficulties we do in getting these procedures approved........((( Now))) That is on Walt's website to help Doctors learn how to help patients fight the good fight! I want everyone who has had to battle, JUST LIKE ME, to understand alittle more of WHY we have to, it helps when we write our APPEAL letters, it helps us to figure out WHY they treat us like they do. Before I knew all of this, I just thought my insurance COMPANY hated me!!! Come to learn, they HATE everyone EQUALLY!! It is political, it is about control, they have the money, the power, and NOTHING is STOPPING then, and THE LEGAL SYSTEM SET IT UP THAT WAY!!! Arm your self with knowledge, so that way you can plan your attack, we don't always win, but we don't aways have to run away either!!! GOD BLESS US ALL AND GIVE US THE COURAGE AND KNOWLEDGE TO STAY STRONG AND FIGHT THESE BASTARDS, AS THEY TRY TO STRIP US OF OUR DIGINITY, ROB US OF MONEY, AND PREVENT US FROM LIVING!                                                                  Hugs, stay strong my family!!! Shirl

 

OK, I would love to get off this ride now, please make it stop!! That is all I can say. As of yesterday, the Tech found that the lame letter they tried to send me, "YOUR medical document's show do not show your 6 month diet history was supervised by Dr." < (hey i'm with  stupid), lol Anyway, same case as before, they did not revfeiw my fie, and this time Laurie ext 1231  found it and sent it back up to the reveiw unit, so now we have to wait til the VERDICT comes back on Wednesday. I, ey, eye.... I am SO tired of this PONY RIDE, MY ASS HURTS FROM ALL THE BOUNCING.. I much rather have the surgery instead, THANKS,

NEVER HAVE I EVER BEEN SO PING PONGED BEFORE IN MY LIFE..I have to say, my insurance company has been really bad in this whole thing. Now I am denied, when yesterday, I wasn't, and I so I had to go ERISA ACT of '74 on thier butt's and preach the NEVADA COMMISSION LAW on them as well in my appeal letter. Today I will see Dr. Teng, as now I am informed that a Surgeon's letter will be of benefit to me. Had to cut it from 60 pages, down to 18 pages. Just to cut through to the nitty gritty of things that are legally more important. Note, they are not planing on even giving mye the Dr.'s name who supposidly reveiw my file, so that went into the letter, and no denial letter has been sent, so that is against them, and a whole lotta other things that they are not doing by the book. Also the main important law I have found in this state is that thew insurance companies can not make you re summit paperwork they have already with out just cause, and well, that is another strike against them.. We will have to see how it all play's out in the end. I have the internal appeal, and then the external appeal. They can make thier choice which way they want to go. I am in this til the end, I got all of my battle gear on, and I know I have all of you with me. I want to say a very special thanks to Gary Viscio, for giving me a simple, but powerful point, that put me on the right track in my moment of CONFUSSION, as most of us do not hold a law degree, and I did not wake up this morning thinking I wanted one!!lol.. SO thank's GARY!!! And thank you ALL here on OH, because this is what support is all about, I am so proud to be here!! Much love to all. I am going to bed, and preparing for the fight that awaits. XOXOX

 My horoscope says this:

Friday, August 10th, 2007 PST

Click here if today is your birthday.

[Change]

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)

You are running into a stone wall and there doesn't seem to be much you can do about it. You aren't going to climb over it as a Mountain Goat might try. This obstacle is substantial, yet certainly not significant enough to change your life. Accepting the limitations that are now imposed upon you can be a great place to start. You will find a way through this, but probably not for another few days.....             Thursday, August 9th, 2007 PST

Click here if today is your birthday.

[Change]

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)

Someone may need your help today, but there's really nothing you have to do other than listen. The greatest gift you can give another now is to accept him or her as is, without any further demands. Ultimately, your support of others can turn into a spiritual gift that is given back to you as you learn something special about yourself.

'Superfoods' Everyone Needs

Experts say dozens of easy-to-find 'superfoods' can help ward off heart disease, cancer, cholesterol, and more. By Susan Seliger
WebMD Feature Reviewed by Charlotte Grayson Mathis, MD

Imagine a superfood -- not a drug -- powerful enough to help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and, for an added bonus, put you in a better mood.  Did we mention that there are no side effects?  You’d surely stock up on a lifetime supply.  Guess what? These life-altering superfoods are available right now in your local supermarket. 

“The effect that diet can have on how you feel today and in the future is astounding,” says nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, author of Nutrition for aHealthy Pregnancy, Food & Mood, and The Essential Guide to Vitamins and Minerals.

“Even people who are healthy can make a few tweaks and the impact will be amazing,” Somer says.  “I’d say that 50% to 70% of suffering could be eliminated by what people eat and how they move:  heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension can all be impacted.” 

You don’t need specific foods for specific ailments.  A healthy diet incorporating a variety of the following superfoods will help you maintain your weight, fight disease, and live longer.  One thing they all have in common:  “Every superfood is going to be a ‘real’ (unprocessed) food,” Somer points out.  “You don’t find fortified potato chips in the superfood category.” 

Top Superfoods Offering Super Health Protection

 

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• Tea (green or black)
• Tomatoes
• Turkey
• Walnuts
• Yogurt

Blueberries -- Antioxidant Superfood

Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists.  Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory.

“Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of benefits,” says Ann Kulze, MD, of Charleston, S.C., author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet, A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss & Lifelong Vitality.  When selecting berries, note that the darker they are, the more anti-oxidants they have.  “I tell everyone to have a serving (about 1/2 cup) every day,” Dr. Kulze says.  “Frozen are just as good as fresh.”   Be sure to include lots of other fruits and vegetables in your diet as well.  Remember too that, in general, the more color they have, the more antioxidants.

Omega 3-Rich Fish -- Superfoods for the Heart, Joints, and Memory

“We know that the omega 3s you get in fish lower heart disease risk, help arthritis, and may possibly help with memory loss and Alzheimer’s,” Somer says.  “There is some evidence to show that it reduces depression as well.”  

Omega-3s are most prevalent in fatty, cold-water fish: Look for wild (not farmed) salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel.   Aim for two-to-three servings a week.  Other forms of omega 3s are available in fortified eggs, flax seed, and walnuts. These superfoods have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.

Soy -- Superfood to Lower Cholesterol

A study reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association (2003) showed that a diet of soy fiber, protein from oats and barley, almonds, and margarine from plant sterols lowered cholesterol as much as statins, the most widely prescribed cholesterol medicine. “Look for tofu, soy milk, or edamame -- not soy powder,” says Somer.  In other words, soy sauce won’t do the trick.  One caveat: If you have a family history of breast cancer it is not recommended that you eat extra soy.

Fiber -- Superfood Aids Weight Loss and Checks Cholesterol

A diet high in fiber will help you maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. As a bonus, because fiber helps you feel full longer, it’s a great tool in weight management. Whole grains, beans, fruit, and vegetables are all good sources. Try throwing some beans in your salad, recommends Kulze. “Fresh, frozen, or dried are the best.  You can use canned, but they tend to be higher in sodium,” Kulze warns...

Tea -- Superfood for Lowering Cholesterol and Inhibiting Cancer

“The overall antioxidant power of black tea is the same as green tea,” says Kulze, “but green tea does have ECGC, a powerful antioxidant that we really do think is quite special.”  A recent Japanese study on green tea found that men who drank green tea regularly had lower cholesterol than those who didn’t.   Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom have also shown that ECGC can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.  For a double health whammy, replace sugary sodas with tea.

Calcium

OK, OK, you know the drill: Calcium helps build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis.  Look for it in dairy products or supplements.  Added bonus: Some studies show that calcium helps with weight loss. Here are the calcium levels recommended for adults by the USDA:

• Age 9 to 18 -- 1,300 mg
• Age 19 to 50 -- 1,000 mg
• Age 51 and over -- 1,200 mg

And Finally, the Yummiest Superfood Yet ... Dark Chocolate

New research has shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower blood pressure. Kulze recommends that you look for chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content; the darker, the better. In addition, the darker it is, the lower the fat and sugar content. Now that’s our kind of health food!

YEP! You heard me, I had to, My friend Gina, I love you girl!! So told me Oprah is having a show on on Insurance Companies in America, and the battles we go through, and I said "PERFECT!!" . Here is What I have put in the Appilcation: Oprah, My name is Shirley Lockley, I am a married 30 yr. Obese female of 3 boys. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illonois(ppo) I have been fighting with them to cover my gastric bypass surgery for over 6 wks, as of today. They have a critria list of requirements, that I have fufilled, and yet, the stupidty of thier system fails me. I was told after my predetermination file was sent, that the nurse in the Medical Reveiw dept. could not even look down on my progress notes to see where my weight/date/vitals were, so she responded "lack of 5 yr. History", as a cheap shot not to access my benefits, after that was cleared up, my my Advocate, my Angel,I call her, Ashlee @ the call center for BCBSIL, then it went to the MD dept. for final approval.Then, they wrote, after I sent in 73 weeks of supervised diet/behavioral/rx/exercise/food journals, "lack of patient participation", now my surgery had been scheduled for 8/8, that was yesterday, after I Fed X them 180 more pages of doc's, the MD unit, replied "no, medical doc. failed to show patient on very low cal (<1000) diet a day diet, behavioral modification" I am a diabetic, my dr. would never put me on such a diet. My proof was Medifast,exercise, Medical supervision, rx drug topimax, and phentermine... I am now inappeals, I have had it with trying to crack the devinci code with this BCBSIL, my surgery was cancelled, and it is a covered benefit, what do I have to do to access my health? I have to sit here, yet another day DYING from the effect of obesity, because some crack pot doctor,did not take the time to reveiw my file, and pass a verdict down on my life. Oprah, HELP! I am in a online support group and here is my link if you want to know my whole story!! I want to go on your show, to talk about the brake down in the INSURANCE in America, I am not the only one!! Hundreds of obese people face this everyday. Here is my site: www.obesityhelp.com/member/shirextc  Thank you!! We love you!!!!

I have to write this. I have been through so much stress trying to get this file sent over to BCBSIL. I had one hellava time yesterday, the fax just did not want to work. Angel, Ashley comfirmed that BCBSIL fax was jammed, I am more so thankful for my Ashley over there at the insurance company, for being proactive in my case to make sure things are going smoothly, because without her, I just know my life would be messed up. I just want to offer some helpful advice to those who are dealing with thier insurance companies. Make sure you know what thier policy is on Gastric Bypass. In my case, I have memorized all of it, and even checked with then again yesterday to make sure nothing has changed from the month prior, just to be safe. After that, DOCUMENT! DOCUMENT! DOCUMENT! I cannot stress how important it is to do this. I thought I had all that it was going to take, 73weeks of supervised diet, with RX, but they want the dirty details of how you have changed and stuck with making life style changes.Meaning, if you exercise, document it, how many times per week, have dr. signed it, food journal, what are you eating? have dr. sign it. Behavioral Modifications: Are you eating out of stress? Or are you able to handle things differently now? How is your support system? Your envirment makes all the difference. Have your dr. make all of the notes, and sign it.                             I have learned, what they are looking for, is if you can COMMIT to these changes, even if you don't lose any specific amount of weight, because this is not what they are worried about,per say, they want to know if they pay for this life changing surgery, Are you going to make good on it, or are you thinking you will be able to "eat the cookie" and do the same thing you did as before that got you there to where you were prior to surgery. The reason why this is so important from the insurance point of view is, after a gastric bypass, you are in a different league of medical. You have to be treated differently when issues arise, which are more costly to them. Although no one can tell what my specific outcome will be after surgery, such as complications, issues after bypass, that there are chances of happening after all major surgeries, the insurance companies want to make sure YOU are not the one to blame for putting yourself in danger by not fully committing to a lifestyle change. As far as with the 6th month diet is concerned, or however long an insurance company wants you to participate in, DOCUMENT every little dirty small detail. It may seem intrusive, BUT when going for approval, and they say they need this info, there is not much you can do to fight that. No only that but, more times then not, it is just easier to give them what they want anyway, then to try and fight them on it, as that will only lead to delays, and then denials, then appeals.Besides that, I am proof that you do learn new habits and ways to live healthy, and that only hepls YOU in the long run, so really, is it that bad? After I have learned all of this, I hope that as I pay it forward, someone else can benefit from my information I post. Bottom line is, this JOURNEY, is not for the faint of heart. You must be willing to put your battle gear on and fight the great battle! It is not easy, no one said it would be. Living with obesity is definately not easy either, so we have been fighting all of our lives. So now, we see a glimmer of hope to make our lifes so much better, and you bet your A$$ it is worth all the BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS and crap that we go through! Even when it seems so unfair, and people are not understanding, and stupidity of it all, and paperwork lost, expect that these things to happen, the more people involved, the more chances of breakdown of communication can happen, and it sucks, and the list goes on..Remember, no one advocate's you better then YOU! Take charge of every little detail,every paperwork, names, dates, visits, line your little duckies in a row! It will pay off! My approval will be coming, I have no doubt about it.I know how frustating it is, I have been so stressed for awhile now, but I cry, I kick, I pick myself up and I carry on to the next step that is productive in my journey. Thank GOD for OH!! lol  I offer this, as simple as it sounds, and as often as it is said, and as hard as it seems at times, NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

Well my battle still contunues, the insurance M.D., who is the final step to approval, is being more anal about being more detail in my 73 week supervised diet. He literally had sent a message to my Angel Advocate, Ashley, saying, "lack of patient participation!" I could not believe it. But then again, this is me we are talking about, so anything is possible. My surgeon had to cancel my August 8 surgery, because they needed approval at least 2 weeks before surgery, they waited as long as they could. Now I have more ammo, I have 63 more pages to fax on Monday, in addition to the 73 I already have sent to them, just on my diet alone, mind you. My Dr.'s and surgeon are so blowed away by this, they don't even know what to say to me, as they ahve never seen a case like mine. A person, who has every shred of documented detail that an insurance would ever need, and yet, because I feel they are thinking, they will lose more money off of me in the long run, they are making this so hard. I read through my surgeon's request that he faxed over to them, and he told them that "I expect Shirley's medical condition's to near 100% after this surgery. It will greatly inprove her quality and lenth of life." I just cried. I have know for a long time I needed this, just like all of us who goes through this. It is not an easy way to go. I do not concider rearranging my insides my idea of a good time. But I have tried everything eles, Lord knows, I have Curves and Medifast left to fax to him on Monday, and then after that, I have nothing left. That is it. I would have given them 136 pages just on diet alone. Plus, I am adding a personal letter. I have been fighting since 03. This is all I know. All the other times, the insurance companies got away, cause hubby's employers' change them. But I know this year, they are not going any way til Oct. So there is some fighting time left, and they have to give up some time, but it won't be me. For everything thay want to fuss about, I have documents, and more documents. I will choke them with documents till they don't ask for anymore. They do not scare me. And I know I will win. I have already, they just have to give it up, and accept it, and pay it. I am not taking "NO" for an answer!