sizeabledifference
I guess I would have to say that my journey started one dreary November evening in 2002. My husband came home from his doctor's appointment AND was very upset because his doctor recommended that he have gastric bypass and that he should attend a local support group meeting at the hospital. How could anyone suggest that of him. Being a supportative wife, I said let's go see what this is all about. I had an idea of what weight loss surgery was about because I have a sister who had weight loss surgery done in 1983. She did wonderfully. Her surgery was the gastric staples that they did in the 80's. She went from 326 lbs. to 164 lbs. Here we are in 2007, and in all those years, she has never gained it back. God bless her.
At the meeting, I met the surgeon and heard his presentation. Of course at the end of the meeting, I made my husband give the manager his card and insurance information. The next day she called and said that our insurance would indeed pay for the surgery for him. Well, I went and told my husband what she said. He said that he decided not to have the surgery. I figured that if the insurance company would pay for his surgery, then they should pay for me. I called the coordinator back and told her that my husband decided not to have the surgery. But, would she call and see if they would pay for me. This process now started in the end of November of 2002. In December of 2002, I received notification that our insurance was changing. My heart went in my throat, because now I figured we will start playing the waiting game. Sure enough, I called Aethna and they said they received the paperwork but it was lost. In the mean time, the manager at the hospital called and said that I would have a large out of pocket expense.
I than called the other local hospital and was informed that I would not have any cost to me. The surgeon worked at both hospitals and we have used both facilities in the past. Therefore, I switched hospitals. This was on Monday, January 2, 2003. On Wednesday of the same week, the coordinator called me and said that I was approved, On Thursday I saw the psych. person. On Friday, I saw the nutristionist. On the following Monday, I saw the surgeon and I am happy to say that my surgery was scheduled for March 10, 2003. I really did not have a problem except that I do believe that the first insurance comany did not want to put the approval through so that the second one would have to pay for it. Some how somewhere, United Healthcare found my papers and I was approved very quickly.
I am not going to go through the whole four years since I was not able to post before this time. My daughter is good enough to do this for me.
The night before surgery you are told not to eat anything heavy. How many people listen to that. I am Irish and a cajun, as I was passing up Jane Seafood, I had to decide 5 lbs. of crawfish or 2 lbs. of cornbeef and potatoes. Both of my favorite foods. THINKING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE MY LAST MEAL EVER, and that I would never be able to have either one of these again, I was totally perplexed. What should I do? Needless to say, my daughter drove past Jane Seafood and I could feel my heart palpatating. She does not eat seafood. When I got home, there was no cornbeef either. I did not buy it yet. The only thing that was left for me to do was drink that citrate of magnesiam. What a last meal.
I have had many dissappointments during my journey because I am short and I feel that I did not loose as quickly as many of the others in my group. My losing was steady but very slowly. I did however, go from a BMI of 64 to a BMI of 32. That in itself is a great accomplishment. Also, depending on what belief you are holding, don't worry about the scale, but do worry about the waist. I did do well, since I went from a size of 26-28 to a size of 8-6. I love every moment.
Last year I made my 50th birthday. Therefore, my husband and my children gave me a three week vacation in celebrating this event. I just returned home from two weeks in New York and a week on a cruise to the Mexican Reveria.. I had a wonderful time. I was really afraid of being around all of the food and being tempted so much. Well, I am loving to be able to report that it was fine. I had made a sound decision before I left that I was not going to let the food tempt me into a feeding frenzy. I am happy to report that I got up everyday at 6am and went to the gym and walked on the treadmill for two hours while waiting for the rest of my qroup to awake. The others ate all day long. I did not. Actually the presence of so much food in front of me actually made me sick. Therefore, when I returned home, I was actually 8lbs. lighter.
