The thing people need to know about me is this: I'm an over reactor, a true yet unintentional drama queen (a DQ). If you've ever seen the Steve Martin remake of the Father of the Bride, you might remember Steve Martin's character telling his future son-in-law that his fiancee is an over reactor and comes from a long line of over reactors. That's me. And someday, my father will probably have to have that conversation with some guy on my behalf. I don't usually mean to overreact, it just seems to happen. Knowing this, you probably won't be surprised when I tell you this surgical process is stressing me out because everything isn't going perfectly and there have been a few opportunities to flip out.
JAN 19, 2010
The first one came just hours after my last post when my appointment with the cardiologist, the one that's not technically covered by my insurance, was scheduled. I did my due diligence on this one (and everything else that's relates to insurance) and got approval in writing from the insurance company to see this specialist. So the time comes, and I show up exactly 11 minutes before my appointment.
[SIDEBAR: Being 10-13 minutes early for a new patient appointment is the exact right amount of time to be early. You need at least 10 minutes to fill out the paperwork, handle the co-pay and have copies of your ID and insurance cards made. You don't want to be more than 13 minutes early because then you look a little like you WANT to be at this appointment. Even if you do WANT to be at the appointment you don't want to APPEAR like you want to be at this appointment, it gives the doctors & their support staffs too much power over you. Its the same way you never take the first option when scheduling your next appointment. You have to show them you're not a pushover sometimes or they will have you by the balls for the entirety of your professional relationship.]
Anyway, so I'm at this clinic, ready (but not eager) get this appointment over with. I don't know why, but the feeling in my gut is that if I'm going to fail any of these consults, its going to be the heart one. Don't ask why I feel that way, I just do. As I'm checking in, the nice receptionist informs me that there is NO cardiologist at that location on Tuesdays. Oh snap! I feel an overreaction coming on. Not only is there no cardiologist in the building on Tuesdays, the receptionist can't look me up as a patient because they don't do their own scheduling. So I called the main number and was told that my appointment was for FEBRUARY 19, not January 19. Even 10 days later, I'm still feeling myself getting worked up for this. I spoke very sternly with that receptionist. My contention was (and still is) that I was truly planning on being through my consults by Feb 1 in hopes of having surgery scheduled by the end of that month and therefore would not have accepted an appointment in the middle of February. After a few minutes of my raised voice, I had pretty much battered up the receptionist, so she transferred me to her boss. I gave her the same riot act. I admit I was overreacting and she did try to reschedule me for later in the week, but my response was, "If I can't trust your office to handle appointments, how can I trust your office with handling my heart?" Yes, its a DQ moment, but still a valid question. I canceled with them all together and ended up rescheduling with a cardiologist I knew was in my network.
JAN 20, 2010
My heart rate and blood pressure got about a day or so to calm down when I got the memo from my company: "Our Insurance Carrier is Changing Effective 2/1." What?!? Oh, hell no. You're going to inform me of an insurance change 11 days out? I was aware of the possibility of changing carriers, but I never would have imagined that it would happen so quickly. That DQ moment was a pretty private one, but did include some door slamming and a small lake-full of tears. Basically, all the work that I had put into this surgery could have potentially been for nothing. I don't even know if the new carrier covers bariatric surgery. And I won't know until the 2nd or 3rd week in Feb. So again, I'm left waiting for weight loss.
(The next posts are on my psych consult, my chest xray and pulmonology appt, and my cardiology appt that I actually got into see. Can anybody say McDreamy?)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Beginning Part 2
JAN 8, 2010
During the 3 weeks between the first informational meeting and my consultation, I found out that my insurance company covers bariatric surgery (Round 1: I win). Shortly after that, I found out the company I work for would be getting a different insurance carrier in 4 weeks (Round 2: I lose). I'll be honest and say that I've never really had to use my insurance for anything major like this, so this 'game' is all new to me (more on insurance later). Despite all the insurance worry, the time had finally come for my consultation. I was weighed and measured and of course found that I was heavier and shorter than I had expected. Nothing like finding out you're an inch and a half shorter than you thought you were. I spoke with the doctor regarding history and options, but mostly we talked about which surgical option would be the best for me. I never really understood complaints about the bureaucratic system that gets between patients and doctors until that day. Basically the answer to the insurance game in this case is to throw a bunch of stuff at a wall and see what sticks. Or in a less imagery-riddled version, my surgeon was going to petition for 2 different kinds of weight loss surgery and my insurance company gets to decide which one is right for me. (The temptation to delve into the current health care debate right now is almost too much to resist. Almost.) In the mean time, while I'm waiting for my insurance friends to decide my surgical fate, I was given the task of getting clearance for surgery by a cardiologist (heart), a pulmonologist (lungs), and a psychologist (mind). Oh, I could tell, this all was going to be good. (And right there would be an excellent use of a 'sarcasm' font. Microsoft, I'm a PC but Windows 7 wasn't my idea. This is my idea. Can you get on that please?)
JAN 11, 2010
It was Monday morning and I was PUMPED. Lets get in to see these doctors. Poke me, prod me, psychoanalyze me. Just clear me for surgery. First up, calling the psychologist. The references I was given included 4 names. Only 2 of which were within an hours drive. Of the 2 remaining, only 1 was covered by my insurance. Ding, Ding, Ding!!! We have our winner. So I called, not fully understanding what exactly I needed to ask for, other than "clearance for bariatric surgery." And I may not have been exactly forthcoming with that information. As the woman answered the phone at this psychologists office, she asked me if I was calling for myself or someone I care about. (Technically, I think I do care about myself, so is the answer both? Just saying). Then I was asked about the urgency of my call and if I needed immediate assistance she could call 911 on another line for me. What?!? Oh right, this doctor must handle some pretty serious cases. Sometimes its easy to forget that my elective bariatric surgery is not as important as say a suicidal psych patient. But after that, I learned that surgical clearance is a 2 day process that includes a 2-3 hour handwritten exam and a 1 hour session with a psychologist. Hi, I know we haven't met, but I'm fat, not crazy. I can tell instantly, I better keep my sarcasm under control or this surgery thing will be no more than a dream. OK, so being serious, I scheduled myself for both appointments and luckily they are only 10 days out, so not too bad.
My next call is to the pulmonogists office. There were about 6 six references, but I could only pronounce 2 of the last names. I know, I know, I'm sure Drs. Jaripati, Gaddihar, and Sankari are all excellent physicians, but I'd rather go with an old Hebrew name like Cohen. And BONUS, the good Jewish doctor is covered by my insurance. (I realize how xenophobic I sound, but I'm really not. Ask my Jewish or Pakistani cousins. They'll tell you the truth.) Anyway, I call and get an appointment for 2 weeks later- again, faster than I expected. The only thing I have to remember is, I need a chest X-Ray to bring to the appointment because apparently the one I had taken a little over a year ago after inhaling stomach acid was no good. OK self, remember GET A CHEST X-Ray. And the great receptionist at the pulmonologists office even called in the orders for me, so all I have to do is walk into the hospital M-F from 8-6 and tell them my name. Most excellent.
Finally, I call the cardiologist. The list of names that I was referred to includes no one that is specifically covered by my insurance. Fan-frickin-tastic. But I learned, if I see a cardiologist at a clinic within the hospital network, they're all covered. Ok, I'm starting to see a pattern in the red tape. So I made an appointment for the 19th. That was 1 week and 1 day away and that means I got ALL 3 consultations scheduled in the first 2 weeks. Is this really the American health care system at work? I'll admit I'm thoroughly impressed.
So now, all appointments and consultations are scheduled. I even got signed up for my first support group meeting through my surgeons office that is about 3 weeks away! At the end of that day, I was feeling pretty good about it all.
During the 3 weeks between the first informational meeting and my consultation, I found out that my insurance company covers bariatric surgery (Round 1: I win). Shortly after that, I found out the company I work for would be getting a different insurance carrier in 4 weeks (Round 2: I lose). I'll be honest and say that I've never really had to use my insurance for anything major like this, so this 'game' is all new to me (more on insurance later). Despite all the insurance worry, the time had finally come for my consultation. I was weighed and measured and of course found that I was heavier and shorter than I had expected. Nothing like finding out you're an inch and a half shorter than you thought you were. I spoke with the doctor regarding history and options, but mostly we talked about which surgical option would be the best for me. I never really understood complaints about the bureaucratic system that gets between patients and doctors until that day. Basically the answer to the insurance game in this case is to throw a bunch of stuff at a wall and see what sticks. Or in a less imagery-riddled version, my surgeon was going to petition for 2 different kinds of weight loss surgery and my insurance company gets to decide which one is right for me. (The temptation to delve into the current health care debate right now is almost too much to resist. Almost.) In the mean time, while I'm waiting for my insurance friends to decide my surgical fate, I was given the task of getting clearance for surgery by a cardiologist (heart), a pulmonologist (lungs), and a psychologist (mind). Oh, I could tell, this all was going to be good. (And right there would be an excellent use of a 'sarcasm' font. Microsoft, I'm a PC but Windows 7 wasn't my idea. This is my idea. Can you get on that please?)
JAN 11, 2010
It was Monday morning and I was PUMPED. Lets get in to see these doctors. Poke me, prod me, psychoanalyze me. Just clear me for surgery. First up, calling the psychologist. The references I was given included 4 names. Only 2 of which were within an hours drive. Of the 2 remaining, only 1 was covered by my insurance. Ding, Ding, Ding!!! We have our winner. So I called, not fully understanding what exactly I needed to ask for, other than "clearance for bariatric surgery." And I may not have been exactly forthcoming with that information. As the woman answered the phone at this psychologists office, she asked me if I was calling for myself or someone I care about. (Technically, I think I do care about myself, so is the answer both? Just saying). Then I was asked about the urgency of my call and if I needed immediate assistance she could call 911 on another line for me. What?!? Oh right, this doctor must handle some pretty serious cases. Sometimes its easy to forget that my elective bariatric surgery is not as important as say a suicidal psych patient. But after that, I learned that surgical clearance is a 2 day process that includes a 2-3 hour handwritten exam and a 1 hour session with a psychologist. Hi, I know we haven't met, but I'm fat, not crazy. I can tell instantly, I better keep my sarcasm under control or this surgery thing will be no more than a dream. OK, so being serious, I scheduled myself for both appointments and luckily they are only 10 days out, so not too bad.
My next call is to the pulmonogists office. There were about 6 six references, but I could only pronounce 2 of the last names. I know, I know, I'm sure Drs. Jaripati, Gaddihar, and Sankari are all excellent physicians, but I'd rather go with an old Hebrew name like Cohen. And BONUS, the good Jewish doctor is covered by my insurance. (I realize how xenophobic I sound, but I'm really not. Ask my Jewish or Pakistani cousins. They'll tell you the truth.) Anyway, I call and get an appointment for 2 weeks later- again, faster than I expected. The only thing I have to remember is, I need a chest X-Ray to bring to the appointment because apparently the one I had taken a little over a year ago after inhaling stomach acid was no good. OK self, remember GET A CHEST X-Ray. And the great receptionist at the pulmonologists office even called in the orders for me, so all I have to do is walk into the hospital M-F from 8-6 and tell them my name. Most excellent.
Finally, I call the cardiologist. The list of names that I was referred to includes no one that is specifically covered by my insurance. Fan-frickin-tastic. But I learned, if I see a cardiologist at a clinic within the hospital network, they're all covered. Ok, I'm starting to see a pattern in the red tape. So I made an appointment for the 19th. That was 1 week and 1 day away and that means I got ALL 3 consultations scheduled in the first 2 weeks. Is this really the American health care system at work? I'll admit I'm thoroughly impressed.
So now, all appointments and consultations are scheduled. I even got signed up for my first support group meeting through my surgeons office that is about 3 weeks away! At the end of that day, I was feeling pretty good about it all.
The Beginning
I am 26 years old and I think I'm pretty typical for my age. I have a job that pays the bills. I'm single and looking for a man that . . . well, thats a different topic all together. I have a great family and amazing friends. Typical in most ways, but I would say most is the operative word. The one area that I would consider my self atypical about myself is my weight. Yes, all women have parts of themselves they dislike, but this is not that kind of issue. I am not considered overweight, or obese even. I believe the words used for me are 'morbidly obese.' I'm sure there are all sorts of questions about how do you let yourself get so far overweight. My answer is, its really not that hard. A small problem gradually becomes a bigger problem until it takes some event for you to realize its not a small problem anymore.
NOV 2, 2009
For me it was a simple question asked to me from a gate agent when I was going on vacation. "Can you sit comfortably in a seat with both arm rests down?" An innocent enough question thats probably standard for airlines, but that question changed my life. I, of course, lied to that nice lady and was uncomfortable on both my outbound and return flights, but the foundation had been laid.
I spent the better part of the following month obsessing over how a want to lose weight had become a need to lose weight. I thought about how I would go about this incredibly daunting task. Should I join a gym? Buy a diet book? Try to develop an eating disorder? (As some of my closest friends say, I've got the binge part down, but I'm still working on the purge part). How do I get through the holidays without gaining more weight? I began thinking about my most likely options and I have tried Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, and a few of the fad diets (maybe the taco bell diet this year???), but I wanted a more permanent solution. Through the magic of the internet and having the world at my fingertips, I started to do some research on bariatric surgery, in the beginning specifically on banding systems (lapband, realize, etc). And this, I came to understand, was the beginning of the end of my weight battle.
DEC 16, 2009
So on a very cold, snowy Chicago night, I went to an informational meeting regarding weight loss surgery. The surgeon spoke for about an hour on benefits, risks, eligibility, prerequisites, insurance & costs, and on his personal abilities and successes with surgery. As I sat there, I found myself thinking that it was kind of like sitting in a sales pitch for something I already knew I wanted to buy. Later that night, in discussing it with my family, a decision was made that surgery would be a feasible option for me. I scheduled a consulation and was left to wait for weightloss.
There is more to this story, but my inherent loquaciousness limits how much I can cover in one post! Stay tuned, because this post will be the most boring of all.
NOV 2, 2009
For me it was a simple question asked to me from a gate agent when I was going on vacation. "Can you sit comfortably in a seat with both arm rests down?" An innocent enough question thats probably standard for airlines, but that question changed my life. I, of course, lied to that nice lady and was uncomfortable on both my outbound and return flights, but the foundation had been laid.
I spent the better part of the following month obsessing over how a want to lose weight had become a need to lose weight. I thought about how I would go about this incredibly daunting task. Should I join a gym? Buy a diet book? Try to develop an eating disorder? (As some of my closest friends say, I've got the binge part down, but I'm still working on the purge part). How do I get through the holidays without gaining more weight? I began thinking about my most likely options and I have tried Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, and a few of the fad diets (maybe the taco bell diet this year???), but I wanted a more permanent solution. Through the magic of the internet and having the world at my fingertips, I started to do some research on bariatric surgery, in the beginning specifically on banding systems (lapband, realize, etc). And this, I came to understand, was the beginning of the end of my weight battle.
DEC 16, 2009
So on a very cold, snowy Chicago night, I went to an informational meeting regarding weight loss surgery. The surgeon spoke for about an hour on benefits, risks, eligibility, prerequisites, insurance & costs, and on his personal abilities and successes with surgery. As I sat there, I found myself thinking that it was kind of like sitting in a sales pitch for something I already knew I wanted to buy. Later that night, in discussing it with my family, a decision was made that surgery would be a feasible option for me. I scheduled a consulation and was left to wait for weightloss.
There is more to this story, but my inherent loquaciousness limits how much I can cover in one post! Stay tuned, because this post will be the most boring of all.
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