If we are friends on Facebook (and if we’re not, why aren’t we friends yet?) then you know that I’ve been alluding to a “surgery” that I’m having. Not many people are stoked when insurance companies approve them for surgery, but I had been waiting for a year to receive the phone call that I got on Monday with the good news. I’m having lap band surgery on February 24th to lose weight, lower my cholesterol (total cholesterol: 317!!), and high blood pressure (regularly 140/100). I’ve decided to chronicle my process through the surgery to let my friends and family know: 1) I haven’t completely lost my mind and 2) maybe encourage some people along the way to take measures to take care of their health.
First, let me start with the naysayers. Yeah, you over there. And you. And the person that I’m related to that I will not name in this blog. You all have expressed concern that I’m “taking the easy way out” and even before I’ve started the process, have tried to convince me that I’m going to fail. The conversation that I have with them goes something along these lines:
Naysayer: “Have you even TRIED to lose weight?” (like the thought hadn’t occurred to me yet)
Me: “I’ve tried everything I can think of. In order to medically qualify for gastric surgery on insurance you have to demonstrate obesity for over two years. Some insurance companies require a weight history going back five years."
Naysayer: “I get that you haven’t been successful at losing weight, but why give up now? Losing weight is hard! Think of how much pride you’ll have in yourself when you lose weight through diet and exercise”
Me: “...I plan to lose weight through diet and exercise”
Naysayer: “No, you plan to have an invasive surgery that has potentially long-term side effects that haven’t been fully studied so you can fit into society’s image of ‘thin’”
Me: “The surgery is an out-patient procedure done laproscopically. Lap bands can be removed at any time, for any reason. I don’t want to be skinny. I just want to fit into the medical profession’s idea of “healthy” and it’s pretty obvious that I can’t change your mind about surgery, so I’m just going to step out of this conversation now. M’kay?”
If I don’t end the conversation, it can go on for hours. I never really realized what a red-hot issue bariatric surgery was before I started down the path. For those of you that might think that surgery is the “easy” way to become skinny, let’s just review what I had to do to get my insurance company to approve the surgery, shall we? I started in December 2009, with a visit to my PCP. She referred me to a bariatric surgeon because of my weight and persistent co-morbidities. After that, I:
1) Attend eda three-hour educational seminar about the impacts of gastric bypass surgery and the pre-and-post surgery requirements
2) Talked to my shrink and therapist about what impacts, both positive and negative, the surgery could have on me.
3) Met with the bariatric surgeon for the first time to discuss the kind of surgery that would be most appropriate for me (lap band).
4) Went through a two-hour psychological test of endurance that included a 350-question personality test and hour long interview with a psychologist to assess suitability of the surgery for me. Was told that I have to get a note from previously mentioned shrink and therapist.
5) Went back to shrink and therapist. Asked them for letter of approval from. Felt like I was in the sixth grade. Called them three weeks later and asked, “No really. I’m serious this time. Can you pleeeease write the letter?”
6) Went to six months of nutritional counseling where my nutrition guru convinced me that if I didn’t lose SOME weight that I wouldn’t be approved for surgery because I couldn’t demonstrate the ability for short-term behavioral change. Considered finding a new nutritionist. Kept a food journal for six months and try to follow the American Diabetic Association diet which involves limiting carbs, fats, and meat. Contemplated just giving up food all together. Lost four pounds, then gained nine. Then gained some more when I found a new job.
7) Was informed that my surgeon switched hospitals. Went through a painful process of getting my records, individually, transferred one-by-one to the new hospital. Hit my head on my desk several times a day each time the new hospital either didn’t receive my record or lost it
8) Made an appointment with a new PCP to get a formal letter of medical necessity. Had my cholesterol and blood pressure checked to confirm co-morbidities. Found out that my cholesterol could take now a small ox.
9) Called the new hospital almost every day for a month, trying to get all my records in one place for submission to my insurance company.
10) Waited for two weeks for my insurance company to approve the surgery
AND…I finally got the good news on January 24, 2011. I’m tired from just writing about it. For anyone who says to me, “Couldn’t you just have spent all the energy losing weight?” I’d like to point to #6 on the list and tell you to suck it.
On deck for tomorrow, more procedures, tests, and protein shakes…
Not how I expected my morning to go
6 days ago
4 comments:
I'm excited for you, and please don't think I'm a naysayer . . . but MAN things like this make me nervous.
Anyone who thinks it's the easy way out has no idea what they're talking about. The stuff after the surgery is way harder than the stuff before the surgery even. It's not about short term behavioural change, it's about long term behavioural change, with a little bit of help but it all comes down to sticking to the new lifestyle. And hopefully fixing the problems that cause having a bad relationship with food in the first place, if that's what your issue is. (I know it's not for everyone, but my mom was considering doing this as well but decided against it because it doesn't fix her underlying problem, which is comfort eating).
Good luck! I look forward to hearing about what it's like and I hope you get the results you're looking for.
Erika - who doesn't love a good laproscopic surgery? :) I'll be in and out in under two/three hours. I'm less worried about the actual procedure and more worried about the pre-and-post regimen.
Tahlia - I'm a food addict as well (as I confessed on today's blog)and I've thought about how this surgery is going to affect my addiction (and you've been reading long enough to know that I've been in more therapy than you can shake a stick at). I haven't come to any conclusions, yet, but I think it's powerful to know that I physically won't be able to eat as much. I may keep trying to comfort myself with food, but it won't work. Like a rat that gets an electric shock, eventually you stop pushing the button. That's what I'm hoping at least.
I'm glad that you got approved. It is not the route I would personally take, but I'm certainly not against it if it will help you become healthier. I'll be following along as you post about your progress. Good luck, girl!
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