Worried ... Frustrated ... Angry ...

The past week has been tough. I've been trying to keep a positive attitude and trying to control my anger and anxiety .... but I haven't been doing a very good job at it.

Worried ...
I'm worried because of the "12-month doctor documented diet history" that is a requirement of Blue Cross Blue Shield to pay for the surgery. I know I've done the 12 months of dieting. I know I've talked to my doctor 3 times throughout this past year about my diet and exercise program and he's approved the plan and encouraged me to continue as I was. But I'm worried that he didn't bother recording those conversations and details of the program that I provided to him in my medical records (progress notes).

Frustrated ...
I'm frustrated that when I call BCBS they say 3 doctor appointments within a 12 month period where diet and exercise program was discussed with my doctor fulfills that 12-month requirement. But Hurley staff is saying it needs to be 12-monthly visits throughout the year and they won't submit my paperwork for insurance approval until that documentation is shown.

Angry ...
I'm angry because I just found out that my PCP hasn't even sent the right parts of my medical records. They sent all the test results and lab work reports (which was noted on the request to exclude), but none of the Progress Notes --- which was specifically requested in the original request, but apparently someone can't read.

I talked to Hurley this morning and that's when I discovered that my PCP hadn't sent the right stuff -which is what is holding up everything from moving forward.

So I called my PCP office and of course everybody is too busy to talk to me or take my call. I went round and round with them like this a few weeks ago and the only thing that got the job done was my showing up at their office --- phone calls are never returned. But in order to show up at their office I have to take time off work. Grrr!!! I just feel like I can't trust him or his staff to treat me with respect and courtesy. Oh sure, he's nice enough when I'm at his office for an appointment, but to request anything out of the ordinary (like making a copy of my medical records) they can't seem to handle. Plus, here I am doubting if he even wrote down the information we discussed in an appointment --- if I can't trust my own doctor, why am I staying his patient?

So pray for me. I just need the peace of mind to get through this and keep a positive attitude. I KNOW I've met the requirements for the surgery, but it's proving it that's going to be the hurdle. And if I get denied and have to start over with the 12 month diet, I'm not sure I will handle that very easily. Just thinking about that possibility brings tears to my eyes and makes me angry and frustrated.

~Pam

Psych Eval.... done!

I don't know why I was so nervous about getting this psych eval done. But I was. I think it had to do with the 15-page questionaire I had to complete before the appointment - and there were some really personal questions on that thing! I was afraid I'd have to discuss all those things in depth with the doctor. Whew! So glad that he just brushed on a few things and skipped the rest.

Overall it was a very good appointment. Here's what happened:

• Got lost on the way and was 20 minutes late! Duh! Where's mapquest when you need it? 
• Got into the maze of the medical building and got lost again! I ended up in the wrong office on the opposite side of the building from where I was suppose to be. I asked the receptionist if I was in the right spot, she asked my name and lo and behold... my doctor just happened to be in that office running an errand and wondering where his 9:30 appointment was. So he walked me back to HIS office and I checked in with the correct receptionist. 
• By this time I FEEL pretty incompetent and think the doctor must think I'm already crazy, so this made me even more nervous. 
• I completed some minor paperwork and waited while the doctor reviewed that 15-page questionaire.
• He called me back and asked a few general questions. Making sure I understood the surgery, if I had any mental problems in my history or addictive behaviors (drugs, drinking, etc.). I'm a Little Miss Goodie Two Shoes, so I passed this part just fine. 
• He explained what I'd be doing during the appointment. Video first. Then a short personality test. Then if the personality test came back inconclusive there'd be another computerized test that would take about 90 minutes. 
• He then took me to another room to watch the video. Turned out it was a video of himself talking for about 35 minutes about various aspects of the surgery, what to expect afterward and what I'd be required to know. I assume he made this video because he was tired of giving the same speech over and over again. LOL! But it was fine. 
• Then I was taken to a different room and sat in front of a laptop. I answered about 350 questions on a computerized test. It was a personality test. It seemed to me there were a lot of trick questions. Like "when did you stop beating your wife" type questions. But it went pretty fast and was virtually painless. 
• Then I headed out to the waiting room while that test was scored. 30 minutes later he called me back in. 
• He gave me the results of the personality test and I was amazed!!!! He started reading a few things off the results sheet and it was a bit freakish at how accurate it was. Apparently I have a dominate personality and am a natural leader. I am loyal and well liked by my friends and family. I have a very low tolerance for weak or submissive personality types. For those that know me.... dead on accurate, huh? Wish I would have asked for a copy of that report, would have been interesting to read the rest. 

So after all that... he told me I was approved for the psychological portion of the surgery. He thought I was a good candidate and that I would do well with the changes I was facing post-op. WooHoo!

He also gave me some "homework." I have a short list of books he recommends and some web resources to check out. About half of what he recommended, I had already found on my own. I'm looking forward to checking out the rest. I don't have the list handy right now, but I'll pass it along soon.

More soon...

~Pam

Met with my surgeon today

Whew! It seemed like a forever-long wait for this day to arrive. The past couple weeks have just dragged by and I've grown more and more anxious about this appointment. Not that I was scared, just that I wanted to get things moving along.

And things definitely moved today! Here are some of the highlights:

• Do all doctor offices over-book their schedules? My appointment today was scheduled for noon, but I didn't even get called in until 2:00. 
• After seeing the doctor, dietian and program coordinator, I had to wait for the rest of today's RNY patients to go through their appointments (back to the waiting room). Then the surgeon gathered everyone together for a "class" where he explained in detail the surgery and answered all our questions. It was good that he did it this way, I think, rather than trying to explain it 20 times throughout the day to everyone individually. Although I wonder if there were some people who had questions that went unasked because they didn't want to do it in a group setting. 
• I found out that I only need 4 things to complete the pre-insurance-approval process: 1) medical records (2/3 done), 2) psych eval (scheduled for 9/20), 3) medical clearance from my doctor and 4) 12 month diet history documentation. No additional testing besides the standard pre-op evaluation. 
• My primary care physcian (PCP) has a really bad assistant. When I found out they had not sent my medical records that I requested over a month ago (in writing) I called the office today. After being on hold twice for over 8 minutes each, I finally left a message to have her call me back. When I was done with my appointment at the surgeon's office and I still hadn't heard back from her, I decided to go to the office directly - an hour+ drive. I arrived there at 4:45 and asked to see her. A message was passed along and I was told to wait. 25 minutes later I went back to the window and asked if she was available again. She'd left already! Grrrrr!!! So I was put in touch with the office manager (I assume that's who she was) and she was kissing my butt by the time I left there. I expect to hear from her tomorrow as soon as the Dr. comes in. That should take care of both #1 and #3 on the list above.
• I'm still a bit concerned about the 12 month doctor-supervised diet documentation. I met with my PCP last September and again in January - both time we discussed my current diet and my progress. So technically I DO have 12 months worth, I just hope those discussions are in his notes. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

So once I get the above criteria met, the staff at Hurley will then submit my information to insurance for approval. After I get the insurance approval the surgery is schedule within 2 to 3 weeks. Wow! During those last 2-3 weeks I will have an appointment with the primary physician at the Hurley Bariatric Center for my "pre-op" testing which will include a physical, chest xrays, EKG, blood work and a bunch of other fun stuff.

Then I will get a date!

Something else I learned today is that I will be on a liquid diet for the two weeks prior to surgery. As fun as that sounds, it gets even better. Apparently it is some special diet that I have to purchase from the surgeon's office and it costs $130. I'm a bit leary of this little bit of information, but we'll see how it goes.

I'm happy with Dr. Obeid and his staff. He is a jovial man who has a strong faith in God. His track record for complications and deaths is outstanding (only 4 leakage issues during his first 300 surgeries - none in the past 1500 surgeries and only 1 death which was caused by a blood clot in a high-risk patient several weeks after surgery when he was at home). He's a highly respected surgeon in the state and across the nation. The staff at Hurley is highly skilled, very caring and so pleasant and kind. I am confident I made the right decision in choosing this doctor and facility.

So there's the rundown of how my day went. It was exhausting due to all the waiting and worrying, but it was also exciting because things are finally moving along.

And tomorrow is my second support group meeting. Looking forward to that - my mom and sister will be tagging along.

Talk to you soon!
~Pam

I've been tagged!

Four jobs I have had in my life
1. The Donut Shop Girl
2. Telemarketer
3. Environmental Education Manager
4. Executive Secretary

Four movies I would watch over and over
1. Pretty in Pink
2. Anne of Green Gables (and the sequels)
3. Roadhouse
4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Four places I have lived
1. Standish, Michigan
2. Bay City, Michigan
3. Ankeny, Iowa
4. Saginaw, Michigan

Four TV shows I like to watch
1. Grey’s Anatomy
2. Project Runway
3. House
4. Anything on HGTV, Food Network or TLC

Four places I have been on vacation
1. Seattle, Washington
2. Baltimore, Massachusetts
3. Orlando, Florida
4. Camping all over Michigan

Four of my favorite foods
1. Pizza (double pepperoni and mushrooms)
2. Oriental Chicken Salad from Applebees
3. Dad’s homemade noodles
4. Chocolate Volcano from Don Pablos

Four places I would rather be right now (I’m at work right now)
1. Home in my Scrapbook Studio
2. Lounging on a beach with sunshine on my face and my toes in the sand
3. Hanging with my buddy M
4. See the answer about places I’ve been on vacation – any one of those would be good.

Four friends I want to tag
I won’t tag anyone specifically, but if you want to play along go for it! Post your "Four Things" in the comments section or on your own blog and post a link. C'mon... it'll be fun!

~Pam

Healthier by my birthday?

I remember my 36th birthday last February ... right in the midst of my diet and exercise plan and wondering if I would be lighter, healthier and have more energy by my 37th. Obviously with the change of plans and my desire to have WLS, this vision has changed. No, not changed in the way I want to feel (lighter, healthier, more energetic) but changed in the way I'll get there.

I'll know more next week after the consultation with my surgeon, but I'm anticipating that I'll have surgery by mid-November (hopefully earlier). So if that's the case I'll be 3 or 4 months out from surgery by my birthday on February 14th. Which means I could be 30-50 pounds lighter. Wow! Just the thought of it makes me excited. (Although realizing that I'll be 37th is a bit sobering... wasn't I just in high school a minute ago?)

More soon...

~Pam