TheOneNOnlyQ

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OK, Ive been through surgery and Im still here!  YAY
Surgery went well.  I went in on a Monday morning and went home on a Tuesday afternoon.  I didn't have much pain other than the dreaded left shoulder pain that Ive read comes from the air/gas that is blown into my abdominal cavity so the surgeon can move around in there.  It hurts but moving around helps and it doesn't last too long.  My "port incision" is the only spot that causes me minor discomfort.  The other morning, I got out of bed and MAN did it sting and burn - stopped me in my tracks.  But then it went away and hasn't come back - yet.  Ive read here that it may do that for the first 6 to 8 weeks - but I'm not claiming it.
I got a little ticked off because on day 3, I weighed myself and I had gained a pound from presurgery weight.  I thought this has got to be crazy!  Full liquids and I'm still gaining!!!  But here I am on day 6 and I'm down 9 lbs!!!!!  YAY FOR ME!!!
Now I'm scared.  Will this continue when I go to pureed and soft foods???  I know the liquid just goes right through, but will actual food fill me up so I keep losing?  I THINK I'm on the top of the bandsters hell hill with the hunger issue.  I was sooooo hungry I thought I was gonna lose my mind!  Now I just wanna TASTE something.  I was never a soup kinda person, but thats my daily highlight - creamy chicken soup - woo hoo.  I also think someone should do a study on how many commercials advertising food are on tv every hour.  And they all look soooooooo GOOOOOOD!!!  When those Chili babyback rib commercials or the Pizza Hut pizza and wings commercial or the Winn Dixie Easter ham commercials come on, I just close my eyes and think of something else - watching them makes my mouth water too much.  BUT, its getting better.
Today I'm going over to my daughters for my grandsons birthday celebration.  This is truly going to be torture so I'm taking my newspaper and homework and sudoku book with me to keep my mind off of what I cant have.  I never thought Id be begging for pureed meat, carrots or mashed potatoes.  But I'm holding on.

Ok......I got the $1500 out of pocket thing fixed after a few more calls.  Thennn she says since its going to be inpatient, theres a $250 copay.  But if it were an observational stay - which is what I was told by the surgeons office - there is no copay.  Sooooo, the financial office said its inpatient.  Surgeons office said its not.  We'll see when I get there Monday.  But other than that, Im ready.  I dont have any fear about the surgery.  My only worry is that the anestehiologist doesnt give me too much and I stay groggy for a long time after I wake up.  Im also looking forward to being off of work for 2 wks. 
I was looking at the list of the other people here that are scheduled for surgery the same day.  Its surreal.  Its calming.

Well, I got my OK for surgery.  I went to my pre-op appointment today.  Got my spirometer, signed paperwork and gave blood.  Everythings all set - wellll almost.  I got a call from the hospital asking how I planned to make the $1500 out of pocket cost.  Annnnd another call to the HMO.  Then a call back to the hospital and a call back to the HMO and a call back to the hospital.  HMO says I have no out of pocket cost, just my hospital copay.  Now, Im waiting on the hospital to contact the HMO.  Hopefully it'll be squared away tomorrow and I can "peacefully" await my surgery.
Other than that, my next biggest worry is getting work set so my duties dont cause too much of a problem while Im off for 2 wks.  I havent taken more than 4 days in almost 3 yrs.  So we'll see how things work out there.
Next on the worry list is which protein powder mix to buy.  OK, well Im not really worried about it, but I am in essence frozen into inaction......therefore I continue to ponder.
But, getting clooooooserrrr            yayyy!!!

Alrighty then.  I went to my appointment this morning.  I lost a few pounds since last time I went - yay - and am still within the right BMI for surgery.  Soooooo.........I did my last step "stuff" with my surgeon.  They wrote a letter to my insurance provider and they agreed to relook at the request after they get Dr Morgenthals resubmission with my correct weight and BMI.
As I was leaving, the first nurse said look for a yes or no by Friday.  OK.  I can work with that.  Then I saw the person that does the surgery scheduling.  She said she would fax my info over this morning and should "hopefully" have an answer by this afternoon.  Whyyyy oh whyyy did she tell me that???  Now the minutes are dragging by!!!
Anyway, I think everything should be ok.  Ive prayed over it and have left it up to HIS hands.

OK........so here I am.......my first post on Obesity Help. 
My journey started back in June 2009.  I went to a lapband seminar.  I thought long and hard about it - did some research and decided I wanted to do it.  My HMO covered the surgery.  Unfortunately, the group I went to for the seminar charge $250 administrative fees that arent chargable to my HMO.  Soooooo I looked some more and found another seminar for lapband that didnt charge the out of pocket fees.  I thought some more and figured Id go for it.  I started my 6 mths of required doctor supervised weight loss visits in August.  I got through those without a major blow to my ego that again I couldnt lose the weight.  I saw my surgeon.  I did my tests.  They submitted the paperwork for authorization.  Thats where the problem started. 
To make a long story short - I was told by my surgeons office I was approved for the surgery and my last step of visiting the surgeon before scheduling the surgery was set.  Then I got a denial letter from my HMO in the mail Friday.  After an afternoon of phone calls, I found out that my surgeons office sent my 6 mths of doctors visits notes and their notes from my first visit to the surgeon to the HMO requesting approval.  BUT they put my weight and BMI incorrectly on the paperwork.  They said I weighed 271 with a 37.8 BMI which was totally incorrect. Thats why they actually denied the request.  At my regular doctors appointment that just happened to be the next day, I was 292 with a 40.73 BMI.  I think they put down 271 instead of 291 - 7.......9.......similar numbers.
Sooooooo here I am.  The surgeons office told me to go to the appointment Wednesday and theyd reweigh me.  They spoke with the HMO and they agreed to allow them to resubmit the paperwork and theyd reconsider.
Of course, with my overanalyzation, is this a sign?  Will they really reconsider?  Im gonna go through with it.  If they dont, then it wasnt meant to be.  I keep praying.  No matter what - Ill be OK.............but I WANT THIS!!!
Anxiety, frustration, anticipation and all other feelings are roaming through my head.  Maybe Ill have good news by the end of the week.