Jennifer Birch
So close I can taste it!
Sep 25, 2008
Today was my endoscopy, which is nearly the final part of this process for me. My second consultation is on Wednesday and my final pre-surgery clearance is with the nutritionist on Thursday. I should have my surgery date within the next two weeks. I can't believe it's getting so close.. I just can't wait to have my date. I feel like it will finally be real when I have it.
Right now I'm really sleepy and my throat hurts a bit but I feel like leaving a little update.
Right now I'm really sleepy and my throat hurts a bit but I feel like leaving a little update.
Back from my sleep study!
Aug 29, 2008
I went to the cardiologist and the endocrinologist this week, and I'm all done with both of them. My heart is fine, but I did find out that since I was born with a heart defect (a hole between the right and left ventricle) that I should have been going for yearly visits to make sure it doesn't return. The endrocrinologist just took some blood, I won't know the results until next week.
I had to use an at home oxygen level monitor last week and the results came back that my oxygen level went down to 88, so I moved up my sleep study to last night. The amount of stuff they attach to you is ridiculous! I'm just glad it's over. But if I do have sleep apnea that I'll have to go back to another study to calibrate the CPAP machine. Not looking forward to that!
This next week is free of appointments since I'm heading off to Ireland for a tour by myself on the 5th. I'm so excited, but nervous about fitting on the plane and on the tour bus. More concerned about the plane because of the way the airlines are these days I don't want to be forced into buying another seat.. I technically can't anyway since both flights are completely full.
A few days after I come back I have the MCT to check for asthma, and the endoscopy by the surgeon. Then I just have to see the last two (nutritionist and psychologist) and I can make the second appointment with the surgeon. That's the thing I'm most looking forward to right now.. getting a surgery date. It feels so unconfirmed right now, I'm putting all this effort into visiting these doctors (Plus the money, $30 a visit, $95 for the nutritionist, and $130 for the psychologist) and I'm not even sure if this is going to happen. I don't see why it wouldn't, but I'll just feel so much better once I have that surgery date. Then I can really believe that this is happening, and that I have a chance of finally losing the weight and living my life without having to worry about always being the fat girl, at the comments or having to worry about fitting into seats.
I don't really have a weight goal, as in how many pounds that I want to lose. I know that I'd love to lose at least 100, anything below that would just be icing on the cake. Hah.. and of course I make a reference to food. Yesterday at work one of my coworkers wanted to get takeout from Applebee's and wanted me to get something with them.. I refused because I had brought my Weight Watchers frozen meal and a salad. She kept trying and said "It's only one day!" and my response was "Yes, but one day leads to five and then it's down hill from there." I don't think that people understand it's like offering a drink to an alcoholic. It's never just one bad meal for me. I get a taste of it, and then the following day I want more, and the day after that I want something else because I figure I was already bad the past two days.. what's the harm in one more?
But those have all added up, and I can't keep doing this. I have to make a change now, because as everyone says the surgery is just a tool.. it is not a solution. I will still have to make good choices, and no one else can make them but me.
It's going to be a long journey.
I had to use an at home oxygen level monitor last week and the results came back that my oxygen level went down to 88, so I moved up my sleep study to last night. The amount of stuff they attach to you is ridiculous! I'm just glad it's over. But if I do have sleep apnea that I'll have to go back to another study to calibrate the CPAP machine. Not looking forward to that!
This next week is free of appointments since I'm heading off to Ireland for a tour by myself on the 5th. I'm so excited, but nervous about fitting on the plane and on the tour bus. More concerned about the plane because of the way the airlines are these days I don't want to be forced into buying another seat.. I technically can't anyway since both flights are completely full.
A few days after I come back I have the MCT to check for asthma, and the endoscopy by the surgeon. Then I just have to see the last two (nutritionist and psychologist) and I can make the second appointment with the surgeon. That's the thing I'm most looking forward to right now.. getting a surgery date. It feels so unconfirmed right now, I'm putting all this effort into visiting these doctors (Plus the money, $30 a visit, $95 for the nutritionist, and $130 for the psychologist) and I'm not even sure if this is going to happen. I don't see why it wouldn't, but I'll just feel so much better once I have that surgery date. Then I can really believe that this is happening, and that I have a chance of finally losing the weight and living my life without having to worry about always being the fat girl, at the comments or having to worry about fitting into seats.
I don't really have a weight goal, as in how many pounds that I want to lose. I know that I'd love to lose at least 100, anything below that would just be icing on the cake. Hah.. and of course I make a reference to food. Yesterday at work one of my coworkers wanted to get takeout from Applebee's and wanted me to get something with them.. I refused because I had brought my Weight Watchers frozen meal and a salad. She kept trying and said "It's only one day!" and my response was "Yes, but one day leads to five and then it's down hill from there." I don't think that people understand it's like offering a drink to an alcoholic. It's never just one bad meal for me. I get a taste of it, and then the following day I want more, and the day after that I want something else because I figure I was already bad the past two days.. what's the harm in one more?
But those have all added up, and I can't keep doing this. I have to make a change now, because as everyone says the surgery is just a tool.. it is not a solution. I will still have to make good choices, and no one else can make them but me.
It's going to be a long journey.
On my way, little by little..
Aug 23, 2008
It's been ten days since the consultation and I'm on my way little by little. My first appointment was with a psychologist but she was actually a social worker and out of her MIND. I mean it, she was racist and kept talking about herself through out the session. She also just wanted to bleed more money about of me since she said she didn't feel like she could get to know someone in one session. From what I've read usually this is just one session to make sure that I'm not suffering from any mental disorders. Either way, I don't feel comfortable so I have to find another.
I had an appointment with the nutritionist but then when I called my insurance they said they did not cover that. I found out from Human Resources that they DO cover it but I have to pay for the session and file a claim to receive $50 back. I'll do this when I get back from my trip to Ireland in two weeks since I'm saving the extra money for the trip.
I did go to the pulmonologist and he thinks it's possible that I have sleep apnea, so I wore this at home monitor and had to return it to the office the next day. Regardless of those results (which I will find out probably on Monday) I still have to go for an overnight sleep study. Oh yeah, I have to go for an MCT to make sure I don't have asthma as well. So once I come back from Ireland (on the 13th) I have the sleep study on the 19th, the MCT on the 23rd and the endoscopy by the surgeon on the 25th.
My appointment with the cardiologist is this coming Monday, I know he's doing a stress test since I was told to bring my sneakers. Hopefully no other tests other than those in the office right then and there that I have to schedule. The endocrinologist appointment is on Thursday.
I finally told my boss about it on Thursday since I have to make arrangements to leave early/come in late or in the case of the endoscopy I have to take the entire day off. I didn't want to say anything but it was getting hard to cover up because of all the tests. She was fine with it, and happy for me. I'm blessed that she was very understanding and is allowing me the time that I need to get all this done.
It's weird, I feel sort of like I'm in a hurry up and wait mode right now just because I'm trying to get as much done as I can before I leave for vacation, but then all the other stuff I have to do I can't finish for a few weeks. I guess I won't really be able to schedule my second appointment with the surgeon until the first week of October. Maybe I'll have my surgery date by my birthday which is the 13th!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
I had an appointment with the nutritionist but then when I called my insurance they said they did not cover that. I found out from Human Resources that they DO cover it but I have to pay for the session and file a claim to receive $50 back. I'll do this when I get back from my trip to Ireland in two weeks since I'm saving the extra money for the trip.
I did go to the pulmonologist and he thinks it's possible that I have sleep apnea, so I wore this at home monitor and had to return it to the office the next day. Regardless of those results (which I will find out probably on Monday) I still have to go for an overnight sleep study. Oh yeah, I have to go for an MCT to make sure I don't have asthma as well. So once I come back from Ireland (on the 13th) I have the sleep study on the 19th, the MCT on the 23rd and the endoscopy by the surgeon on the 25th.
My appointment with the cardiologist is this coming Monday, I know he's doing a stress test since I was told to bring my sneakers. Hopefully no other tests other than those in the office right then and there that I have to schedule. The endocrinologist appointment is on Thursday.
I finally told my boss about it on Thursday since I have to make arrangements to leave early/come in late or in the case of the endoscopy I have to take the entire day off. I didn't want to say anything but it was getting hard to cover up because of all the tests. She was fine with it, and happy for me. I'm blessed that she was very understanding and is allowing me the time that I need to get all this done.
It's weird, I feel sort of like I'm in a hurry up and wait mode right now just because I'm trying to get as much done as I can before I leave for vacation, but then all the other stuff I have to do I can't finish for a few weeks. I guess I won't really be able to schedule my second appointment with the surgeon until the first week of October. Maybe I'll have my surgery date by my birthday which is the 13th!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
I had my initial consultation today!
Aug 13, 2008
I've been waiting to do this for so long. I joined this website over a year ago when I first decided that I wanted to have bariatric surgery. I had made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon last year but then realized that since I was so miserable at my job it didn't pay to go through with all of the appointments since I knew I would be switching jobs and changing health insurance.
Now, I've been settled at at new job for 8 months and know that I will be staying for a long time so I found a surgeon on here that took my insurance and made the appointment. I read so many good things about this practice and their doctor and meeting him today was exactly how I thought it would be.
I have to see a cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, nutritionist and have an endoscopy done before I can make the second appointment to see him and schedule the surgery date. I made appointments for three of those so far, one tomorrow, one Friday and one on Tuesday. The other two I will schedule tomorrow. I just can't believe how quickly I got the appointments with these doctors, I thought it would take weeks not days.
My appointment for the endoscopy is at the end of September, but if everything gets done really quick I might move it up.
The only thing I'm scared about is getting my hopes up, I'm scared to really believe that this can be happening and then if I doesn't I won't have any hope left at all. I really don't know what I will do if this doesn't happen. I just kind of feel like this is my only real hope to being able to lose the weight. I've tried so many other things that I'm just so discouraged.
I'll be praying that my insurance decides to cover it.
Now, I've been settled at at new job for 8 months and know that I will be staying for a long time so I found a surgeon on here that took my insurance and made the appointment. I read so many good things about this practice and their doctor and meeting him today was exactly how I thought it would be.
I have to see a cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, nutritionist and have an endoscopy done before I can make the second appointment to see him and schedule the surgery date. I made appointments for three of those so far, one tomorrow, one Friday and one on Tuesday. The other two I will schedule tomorrow. I just can't believe how quickly I got the appointments with these doctors, I thought it would take weeks not days.
My appointment for the endoscopy is at the end of September, but if everything gets done really quick I might move it up.
The only thing I'm scared about is getting my hopes up, I'm scared to really believe that this can be happening and then if I doesn't I won't have any hope left at all. I really don't know what I will do if this doesn't happen. I just kind of feel like this is my only real hope to being able to lose the weight. I've tried so many other things that I'm just so discouraged.
I'll be praying that my insurance decides to cover it.
