My Pre-Op Journal.....
I have been thinking about weight loss surgery for sometime now and after another summer of being fat, hot and very unhappy, I decided to do something about my weight. I found out about the program at my local hospital, Morristown Memorial, in Morristown, NJ. There is an Obesity Center that runs a program and I attended the orientation on September 10, 2001. At the orientation, I saw people of all sizes, some like me, some larger than me, and some a lot smaller than me (many of them were the post-ops). During the presentation, I knew I wanted to have this surgery. I wanted to get control of the one thing in my life that remains unattainable --- my weight!!
The next day, I made the appointment with Dr. Nicholas Bertha for October 10, 2001. In the interim I read the package of materials handed out at the orientation, filled out all the gory details of my past history of gaining - losing - gaining and gaining more...in glorious detail and completed all my appointments that were necessary (blood work, nutritionist appointment, psychological evaluation). So I'm ready!!!!
October 10, 2001
Went to the surgeon's office this morning and I still don't have a date for surgery. Met with Dr. Bertha and was out of the office within a half-hour. The nurse who's normally there to step you through the whole process was on vacation (figures, my luck), so that part of the visit was not to be done today. Dr. Bertha was happy to see that I had all my paperwork in order and the office will submit all that to my insurance company (Aenta USHealthcare). He said I'm a very good candidate for RNY laproscopic procedure (which I was thrilled about). I hope and pray that this will go smoothly and my approval will come quickly. I wish I would have done this YEARS ago....so much wasted time. But I'm glad that this procedure is working so well on everyone I've read about on the WLS website, so I am very psych'd. Joanne, the office insurance person, said to call her next week to find out if I have a date for surgery (she thinks it might be late Nov. or early Dec.). But if someone cancels, I might be able to slip into their slot....let's hope and pray!!!
Oh well, I hope that the time will go quickly and have to be thankful that I am one step closer to going under the knife and being on the "other side".
October 14, 2001
Just left a message at the Obesity Center to have them call me back. Need to find out if they have all my paperwork and if it's already been sent out to the insurance company. Yes, I'm a bit of a pest, but since my office visit was unusual, in that I did not meet with the nursing director, I just need to know that everything is taken care of now, before it's submitted and comes back needing more info. Will update again when I have some info. Keeping *fingers crossed* for an approval and a cancellation!!! (lol)
October 16, 2001
Sheesh, I'm complaining already. The woman at the surgeon's office last week told me to call her today to get my surgery date...and I called this morning and SHE'S OFF TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRrrr I hate when this stuff happens and I have NO control over the situation. I feel helpless. The fact that the nursing coordinator was off last week and that I didn't start this process in the "right" way, is stressing me out!! I had called the woman this morning, emailed her also, asking all the questions I have, yes, I guess I'm being a MAJOR PEST, but this is so important to me and I want everything to go smoothly and nothing to be hung up because someone didn't do their job, so I'm trying to stay on top of things...I'm kinda pissed and I have no tolerance for people not calling me back. I guess I'll have to calm down, take a breath and think positively. I cannot MAKE people do their jobs, I can only do what I can do. So I will write again when something happens, but right now, it's not a good day. :'(
Why is it that when I'm very busy, people never cut me a break, but when others are strung too tight, and I don't get what I want/need, I make excuses for them and say "yeah, but they are so busyyyyyy??" I have to stop doing that!!!!!!
