Ring in 2010 with a plan...

That's me i have a plan. I realize things might not go exactly how i have planned and there will certainly be bumps in the road, but it'll be worth it to be so very much healthier this time next year. Happy New Year!

More appointments scheduled...

Wow there is so much to do.
I now have my sleep study scheduled for Jan. 13th at Lowville hospital. Much better than traveling to Lake Placid to sleep overnight. I also scheduled my mental health eval, that outta be interesting LMAO! And of course i go monday for my "big" appointment. That's the "bundle" where i get labs, xrays, gallbladder u/s, physical therapy eval, pulmonary function test and a visit with the nurse to weigh in. The worst part about that one i think will be the drive up there on a totally empty stomach, no coffee even :(

Next appointment Jan 4th...

I'm a little concerned because i am supposed to try and "diet". The program would like you to lose something each appointment, they do not specify any amount or anything but they would like to see a loss. Well my next appointment being Jan 4th i'm concerned because of the holiday this week. I mean i'm trying not to over indulge but it's so hard. I think my plan is after Christmas is over to go to whole grain, low fat and lots of water and just hope for the best.

Sleep Study

Found out i can do the sleep study at Lowville hospital instead of Lake Placid, PHEW! Hopefully that will get scheduled within the next couple weeks, they should be calling me tomorrow.

First appointment

Okay so the appointment went GREAT! I was thrilled with the staff, they are so courteous, caring and just have nothing negative to say at all.
I was weighed in at 378....EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! But hey it's good to put it out there, to be honest, up front and say it "outloud". So my BMI was 57 I think she said, horrid! Morbidly obese is a phrase noone wants to say or think but there it is...
SO.....now what you might think...
Well for my insurance i have to have 6 months of follow ups with the dr's office and of course lots of tests and consults.
So first up at my January appointment i will do the "bundle" of testing. This includes labs, chest xray, ultrasound of gallbladder, pulmonary function test and physical therapy eval. I also see the nurse that day for a weight check.
Then in Febuary, i go to the sleep lab in Lake Placid for a lovely nights sleeping have a sleep study to see if i have sleep apnea. I really don't think i do, i think i just dont' sleep well, but i wasn't surprised when they asked if i'd be evaluated, after all i get very little good sleep, so it's a natural to think sleep apnea in someone my size. Anyway the next morning i go for my Feb appt, this one will be the with the doctor to discuss the surgery risks, etc.
Then in March i go to see the nurse pracitioner again and have the nutrition consults.
I also have to find somewhere to get my psych eval, may look into getting it done at Carthage. They send them a template of what they are looking for, so i dont' think they can screw it up, that will remain to be seen. I figure i might as well use my hospital discount since i am doubting insurance will cover it, we'll see.
So that's where we stand, i have 3 months worth of visits lined up and will be praying for good weather for those dates so i don't have to reschedule.

Tomorrow is my first "big" appointment

I'm nervous but excited to get the process "officially" started.
I see a nurse pracitioner tomorrow. From what the office told me it will be a 45 minute to 1 hour appointment and after we will schedule several more appointments. EEK.
One thing i'm nervous about is the driving to Saranac Lake in the winter months. But i'll make it work, it's not like i don't know how to drive in crappy weather and it's route 3 all the way there, so not like it's a bunch of back rounds that aren't maintained or something.
I'll have a lot more to share tomorrow!

Last supper?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the changes i need to make in my life, in specific my eating habits. Since portion control is the issue at hand when speaking of what my eating will mostly focus on post surgery, i've specifically thought about it like the "last supper". Today for instance, Thanksgiving. Stuffing oneself with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and desserts. Next year it just won't be an option. You'd think i'd be sad about that, but truthfully i'm actually looking forward to it. When it's no longer an option to overeat i've totally taken charge, i can't fall back, i can't choose to be indulgent, it just isn't an option. I have been thinking of it like other things, for instance right now running a marathon is just not an option, however you never know a couple years from now.....Overeating will no longer be an option for me, but there will be so many other options that open up because of it, isn't that fabulous!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Interesting article...

Fat Fighting Foods

Line up of events...

Okay so i found out some details on what is going to be required for my surgery to be approved. I have to have 6 months of physician follow ups, which is apparently very comman with insurance companies now. I also have to have lots and lots of test and some evaluations. SO.....
Here's the first few steps -
Monday 11/16 - go to primary care dr. for eval and official referral to program. I've never really had a "primary care dr" i always just saw Niki, and i hadn't worked out what i was going to do yet so, Harrisville clinic (part of the hospital) was kind enough to see me and help me out.
December 4th - I go back to Saranac Lake to meet with the nurse pracitioner to start the checklist of labs/xrays and other tests that will need to be done. As well as figure out what other evalutions i will need.

So here we go.....

First meeting...

John and I trucked ourselves up to Saranac Lake last night to Adirondack Medical Center, to hear about their program and meet with Dr. Hill. He was fantastic. Very down to earth, very patient oriented. Their program is about "you" not about about what they want to do. They do all three "major" types of gastric bypass.

The facility is very clean and modern, but very homey feeling. When you walk in the lobby it's large, comfortable and heck there's even a canoe. Seriously i know it sounds weird but for me the way a facility looks is a huge reflection of how they will treat you. The floors were gleaming. When you used the bathroom, no dirt in the corners & cracks. I realize i work for Carthage Hospital and i had my daughter there and all but i see the difference in other facilities in their cleanliness, we'll leave it at that.

Dr. Hill appears to be about 40ish, very laid back attitude, funny, personable. When he answers a question he looks you in the face, he really makes you comfortable, makes you feel he totally understands and cares.

There was every sort of "kind" of person there, older, younger, pretty large, not so big, etc. I got a lot of my questions answers and now i have to start working on steps to see if i can get my insurance to cover this surgery. The staff is pretty confident that most insurance will cover surgery, but it's a matter of what requirements your specific plan might have. So that's my mission today, i have to call them, get some specifics then call the office back and work out some details. I hope to go back soon to get the medical parts of what i need to do started.