So anyway, Today I had my big meeting with my surgeon and the nurse practitioner at St. Elizabeth's hospital.
The first news is good news. I surpassed my weight loss goal by 6 pounds. That made the doctor happy, and the Nurse practitioner happy, and heck officially it made me happy. Heree is a shot in the arm for you blog watchers. My surgeon came up with the idea of doing a monthly ask the Surgeon Q and A piece in my blog. Bascially once i month i will take questions from people and he will pick one and I will print his response. I am very excited about this.
So no taste test today but I do have a short video for you. I hope you enjoy it.
That's the new food pyramid for my post surgical life. Well at least a while of it anyway.
Here's the rest of the story, because I have some issues regarding an upcoming probable change in benefits, we are in a time constraint regarding the surgery. My surgeon knows this and is working with me to move fast. We still had to do all the tests and everything, but me losing the weight as fast as I have has given us some leverage.
His team that deals with the insurance, (great people by the way) asked me to see if I could get the office notes from my primary care physician (PCP) for the past two years and a letter saying there was no reason he could think of medically why I shouldn't be a good candidate for Bariatric surgery.
Well I've had my PCP for nigh on 20 years. I knew I would have no problems with this request. So on the way home from the surgeon, I drove to the doctors office to see what I could do. Sure they gave me the office notes but then there was a problem.
My PCP who had been pretty much a friend for years, refused to write the letter. Not for any medical reason, but because his practice is affiliated with a different hospital than the one i'm having my surgery in. The hospital he is affiliated with couldn't get me in to their program for 9 months at a minimum and I would have to have had all my tests done in Boston, a good distance from my home, and expensive to park and more expensive in general. Also the surgeon I chose has done over 100 sleeves, and theirs is not as experienced.
So we have to go on without his letter and now it is all in the hands of the insurance company. As soon as we hear from them, the date will be set and two weeks before the surgery I will meet the anesthesia team at St Elizabeths and then we have liftoff.
All in all it was a good day. One day closer to the next chapter in my life. I often thank people here, today I would like to thank my coworkers. Especially those who work directly with me. They have never once complained about me taking time here or there, today actually was an even swap since i covered other hours for another member of my team so it's great how we all even it out. I have to thank them however for being who they are and being supportive of me. Thank you.
I think since it is such a good day I will end this with a cartoon.
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