Hello! Welcome back. So, a lot has happened since I last posted…
It’s been 2 mos since i started this journey. i started at 291 pounds. today, i’m 269. Goodbye 22pounds, may i never see you again. I’ve completely overhauled my diet. i’m trying to stick to about 1500 calories, at least 60g protein, 50carbs or less and at least 64oz water. i have my first dietician appt later this month. SO EXCITED!!!
I did my stress test last month. I was approved for exercise (I still need to work on this) and my cardiologist approved me for surgery. yay!
I met with my surgeon for the first time yesterday. He is pretty cool. I like his staff too. I think this is a good fit. He does 3 procedures: Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), Sleeve Gastrectomy, and the Duodenal Switch with a loop variation. I’m leaning heavily into the DS because it seems better for my situation. It has a high longevity, high weight loss and better rates of remission for comorbidalities. I’ve found facebook support groups to be extremely helpful. Please for any surgery, do your research and talk with your surgeon about the best option for you.
For informational purposes, here are my requirements that i know of so far:
Insurance: 6 consecutive months of dietary visits, psychological evaluation. I am paying a specialist copay for my dietary visits. i’ve met my deductible so my out of pocket for my psychological evaluation may not be as much as if i hadn’t. This is not a copay amount. You may want to discuss pricing with them when you set up your appointment to know what to expect.
Surgeon: i need to get an upper GI scan. urg, i have to drink the barium. i’m not looking forward to this one. My insurance is covering this. i do not have a copay. I will also need to get an endoscopy. i will need to take a day off of work for this procedure and have someone drive me and bring me home. my insurance is covering this as well with no copay.
I don’t want to be shocked when I get to my appointments, so i’ve asked the cost of what the visit/procedure might be. in most cases, it’s taken just a couple of minutes for them to tell me. Everyone has been super nice about it. Just something to keep in mind as you’re planning your journey.
I, also, called my insurance about an unrelated issue. I was able to ask for their detailed requirements and expectations for surgery. This is a nice thing to have on hand. When i was filling out my new patient paperwork, it was clear that they wanted me to know as much about my insurance as they do…if not more. I cannot stress this enough…GATHER ALL YOUR DOCUMENTATION! Be an advocate for yourself. You will be seeing at least a few different doctors in this process. Be ready to fill out new patient forms. if you take meds, get a med list together. you should have one in your wallet just in case something happens, make sure you have plenty of copies to go around. ASK QUESTIONS!!! They are there to help you and guide you through this process. This is your life, not theirs. know what is happening to you. know the process.
Thanks for reading. I will update as my journey continues. Until next time….
Megan
Meg's Journey 