A good news update from pre-op Pookah!

It is pre-op Pookah with a bit of an update for you all.  The following is a very long read but if you slog through it, I will be thrilled.

As some of you may remember, I started seeing a bariatric clinic in January 2013, this year.  I have been pretty much ready to go since June with only my psych eval holding me back.  

A bit of explanation here....  I have Major Depression and a dissociative disorder - Dissociative Identity Disorder, which used to be known as Multiple Personality Disorder.  I went into treatment for it in college and finished therapy but decided against integrating all into one personality and have been relatively stable for years.

Now, when I did my initial psych eval with the therapist at the bariatric clinic I was very open and honest about my past and where I am now.  The therapist said she did not have any experience with dissociative disorders and that I would need to get my psych eval from someone else, however she was not able to give me any referrals.

After that, I spent a good chunk of time with my insurance directory cold calling.  I did get in to see another therapist, a psychiatrist, in June, who wrote a clearance but my original therapist at the bariatric clinic did not think it was thorough enough.  So, I went back in to see the psychiatrist.  At the time of my appointment, she was in an emergency session with a client so I saw the nurse practitioner, who ended up much more knowledgeable about dissociation.

I was impressed with the questions she asked me, she followed up with my old therapist of 11 years prior, and we decided on six months of supervision of my dissociative symptoms.  What she was mainly concerned about from my case history was potential issues with dissociation with chronic pain, and she was worried about how the pain of surgery would affect this.

Well, in the six months since I first saw her, I have been going to PT, seen pain specialists, upped my healthy coping mechanisms with dealing with pain, and written out a plan for each stage of my new lifestyle in regards to pain and dissociation.  

And.....   I got my psych clearance!  Tomorrow, my lovely partner is faxing it in to the bariatric clinic.

I am officially out of the 320s, where I have been bouncing around for months.  Now my scale said 316, but I will take the 318 since I was wearing clothes and tennis shoes!  We did talk about what it took to get down this far, and lose nine pounds in a month and a half.  They key to my success was going down to a 1300 calorie diet.  Now I look back on all my past diets and say no wonder I was not losing.  Even my dietician thought I should have been losing in the 1500s but nope!

After my appointment, I talked to the bariatric office manager and let them know that it was highly probable I would have my psych clearance today, and I asked if I need anything else before my goes to insurance.   I’m glad I asked because for some reason they never got a copy of my endoscopy and biopsy results I did this spring, and I need to get my blood labs redone, as I had those done back in Feb.  

I should have all that done by next Wednesday.  I am not sure if I see the surgeon before or after it goes to insurance, but I was told I shouldn’t have a problem being approved.  My starting BMI of 48.5 was key.  For reference, when I started going to the clinic I was 341 pounds and 5’ 10.  (And I was 360! in Jan 2012, when I freaked and started Atkins).

I know that was practically a novel, but I felt some explanation was necessary for my very long psych clear period.  If anyone has questions about dissociation or dissociative identity disorder, don’t be shy and you can PM me.  I am excited that as the first patient to be out about my dissociative status, that my future success may make it easier for people after me.  :D
Thanks for listening!
 

Your story may help someone else.So it was good you posted it.

Agreed!

And best wishes to you for a very successful WL journey!

Good luck to you!

This is so awesome that you are open with this. I have severe bipolar disorder and was very open as well with my psych. I also laid it out for him all the changes I had already made and how excited for my future that I was and he cleared me but also let me know that anytime I had a troubled spot in my Journey to pick the phone up and we would work through it. You are making a difference to someone out there Congrats to you!!