My Weight Loss Surgery Journal

My Weight Loss Surgery Journal

October 2002

10/1/02 - Brief update....the surgeon's insurance person left me a voice mail at work today. She says she spoke to the insurance co. They insist on the nutrition consult before they will process the paperwork. She left the name and phone number of a nutritionist they refer people to. I called and of course, got voice mail (there are obviously no 'real people' left in the world today). I called this morning and left a detailed message. No call back. I called this afternoon and left another message. Still no call back. I have 3 meetings at work tomorrow - 11-12 noon, 1-2, 2:30-5. What do you suppose the odds are that I will hear from the nutritionist between 8-11 so I can get an appt. set up? I'd guess one in a million. So, still another day has passed and I'm no closer to approval or a surgery date. I knew this was all going way too smoothly.

10/3/02 - After 4 phone calls, finally got a return call from the nutritionist. At first, according to the voice mail she left me, the earliest she could get me in was next Friday! When I returned her call, she agreed to see me next Wed. at 5:15. I have to take her the list of diets I've been on, medical history, medications I'm on, and food records for several days. Good grief. Like I haven't done THAT before!

10/9/02 - The visit with the nutritionist went just fine. She is a nice lady. I gave her a lot of the same paperwork I'd given my surgeon, so she didn't actually ask me very many detailed questions. Only drawback is, she said she wouldn't write up the consult until this weekend, but said she would get it to the surgeon's office on Monday. BTW, she will bill my insurance, because they required this, they told me they would pay. She charges $50. She said she has had 10 calls so far this week from patients of my surgeon. She also said she is going to start working with the support group also. That will be nice. She seems very knowledgeable and has worked with the bariatric patients in the hospital after their surgery. So...just a little more waiting. I'm TRYING to be patient, but NOT liking it! I actually came home and was sitting at the kitchen table telling my husband about it and then just started crying. Not sure why, except just stress.

10/11/02 - Called back again this morning to the nutritionist in Denver, Kelly Elliott. I'm signed up to go to the Sunday class this weekend...$150 cash due on arrival. Someone on the Colorado WLS list I'm on is going to be there too, so hopefully we'll get to meet.

10/16/02 - Heard from the insurance case manager this afternoon at work. The insurance has approved the surgery. Now to get a surgery date! Yippee!!!

10/17/02 - I HAVE A SURGERY DATE!! It's scheduled for Friday, November 8, 2002. First one of the day. I'm soo excited!!! Now some pre-op tests, appointment with the surgeon, and I'll soon be on the other side.

10/24/02 - My surgery is just two weeks from tomorrow. Gulp! I'm excited, but I admit I'm a bit nervous also. Tomorrow I go for my lab, EKG, and X-Rays.

10/25/02 - The EKG, lab and chest X-Rays went off without a hitch. Took about an hour or so for all of these tests.

10/28/02 - I had the arterial blood gas and pulmonary function tests this morning at the hospital. I'd heard that the blood gas test can be very painful. I actually found it less painful than most of the periodic blood work to check my A1c (blood sugar levels), cholesterol, etc. The pulmonary function tests weren't difficult, just took a while.

Another hurdle successful completed.

10/31/02 - My pre-op visit with Dr. Johnell was this afternoon. The nurse took the dreaded 'before' front and side view pictures. Aaaaccckk!!! I HATE being in front of the camera! Hopefully that will change in the next year!

After a brief physical exam, Dr. Johnell spent some time telling me once again all the possible complications of the surgery.

I also asked him why he had begun doing this type of surgery. He said he loved doing laparoscopic surgery and after he learned how to do gastric bypass lap, found that it was a life-changing experience for him. He found he absolutely loved doing what he does. He said his clinic is a "happy clinic" because patients come to him and in a while are 100+ lb. lighter and much healthier.

He also asked who would be at the hospital with me for the surgery and said he would come and talk to them afterwards.

We looked at my "before" picture and he told me to "say goodbye to that person." Wow! It was quite an emotional visit, and I am SO pleased Dr. Johnell is my surgeon!

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

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