My Weight Loss Surgery Journal

My Weight Loss Surgery Journal

August 2002

8/20/02 - Created this web site to record my journey to better health and a more normal weight.

Here is a partial list of the reasons I want to have weight loss surgery:

	Improve my health and have my diabetes, hypertension and other medical issues go away or at least be under control (along with this—decrease, and/or discontinue some of the medications I have to take)
	Have a fighting chance to get the weight off once and for all
	Never have the need to learn to inject myself with insulin as my diabetes worsens
	Being a more normal weight will help me advance in my career because I will have increased self-esteem and confidence in my abilities; plus, people will look beyond my size and listen to what I have to say
	Be alive to see my son graduate from college
	Be healthy and able to play with my grandchildren someday
	Still be alive and able to enjoy retirement someday
	Go to regular stores to buy clothes
	Walk to go shopping or even walk for exercise, without my right ankle collapsing inward from my weight, swelling like a balloon and causing me extreme pain
	Do my grocery shopping without my legs going numb from my waist to my toes
	Slide into a booth at a restaurant without thinking twice about it
	Go for bike rides with my husband
	Sit in a movie theater seat without having my hips squished and being miserable from the pain for the duration of the movie
	Walk up a flight of stairs or out to the mailbox to get my mail without being out of breath and red in the face by the time I’ve finished the short walk
	Fit in an airplane seat and be able to buckle the seatbelt without an extension
	Go to a swimming pool or health club in the town where I live and enjoy swimming, something I dearly love, without feeling like everyone is staring and commenting behind my back at the “Fat Cow” or “Whale on the Beach.”
	To ‘fit in’ to the normal world.

Can anyone else relate to these reasons??

8/23/02 - Still adding things to the web site, and surfing the web to find other good links to add to my links page. Trying not to be so impatient while waiting for my September 4 and 5 consult appointments, but dang, now that I've made up my mind about this, I want to get ON with it!

8/26/02 - Finally had a chance to check with my insurance late today. Found out they DO require a psych evaluation before they will approve someone for WLS.

I immediately called my surgeon's office and asked if I should be doing something about that before my consult or what. They said that 'if' the doctor accepts me for surgery, then they would give me some names of people to choose from for the psych evaluation.

So, guess all I can do for now is find out which providers are on my insurance. I also need to call my insurance back and find out if I'll need a referral from my PCP to get this evaluation done or what? So many loose ends still to tie up....and I am such an impatient person! :)

8/02 | 9/02 | 10/02 | 11/02 | 12/02 | 1/03 | 2/03

vmossman2@attbi.com
Last updated on 2/10/03