Primary Care Physian Appointment

Well today I received a good ole talking to that I really needed since I had gained weight. I think it was a mixture of playing the weighting game and worried about getting all the pre-approvals. After leaving the doctors office I became focused on what I wanted. I knew that I definitely wanted to have this surgery, so I got my ass in gear and started preparing to get ready to learn to eat slower and do protein smoothies.

Next appointment with Primary Care Physician!

Well at this visit she has received all the reports from the Dietitian and Psychologist. So after talking to her she has already faxed her letter and other documentation to the Bridges Center. She will compile another report and send it also. About two hours after I left her office I received a call from my patient advocate and telling me she has received all the paperwork and will be submitting it to my insurance once she looks at it all. Wow I thought this is great news.

The Dietitian

So I found a dietitian that was in my PPO. I made the appointment and that she was great to talk to. She gave me some book titles to read. The titles of the two books are: Strong Women Stay Slim and Your Body is Your Own Gym. She also told me of a support group that meets in Prescott Valley.

I came home and researched and found the website of the support group and found a lot of information. I printed off a lot of information to read and reread.

The MMPI testing!

Okay so this was my first visit to a psychologist and I was a bit nervous. Especially knowing that I am a little on the crazy side. So I arrive early and am in the waiting room the psychologist came out and took my insurance cards and told me it would be a few minutes. So she called me back to her office and I walk in and decide to set on the couch and that was my first mistake. She is setting in her chair and had her feet propped up on a little stool. So things are going pretty good, she is asking me questions and taking notes. Then a damn mouse runs over the back of the couch and under her chair and I have mice with a passion. So here I am trying to hold my composure and finally I say a mouse ran under your chair and it would have ran across the top of your foot if they had been on the floor. She looks up at me from taking notes and says “Are you hallucinating?” well I have to admit this was a bit awkward especially knowing where I was at. She finally gets up and starts moving her bags she has sitting beside her chair so the crazy person that I am spouts off maybe you will take it home with you. She just looks at me and says “Do you want me to write a good report for you?” wow what an adventure. So we make it through the mouse incident and now it is time to take the MMPI test.

So the MMPI test is over 500 questions and the questions are asked in various forms that are tricky. So she sends me back out into the waiting room to take this test. Well there is two kids running in and out and playing on the floor and a woman on her cell phone and people trying to talk to me about the computer I am taking the test on.

What a day this was, so now it is a waiting game to see the results.

The beginning steps to Weight Loss Surgery for me!

So my primary care physician which is Dr. Lea Way sent me to Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Loss and I have to admit I was a little nervous, the reason for this is meeting a new doctor. First off I had a friend go with me which helped me tremendously. We set down with a woman from Bridges Center and she was going over everything I would need for my insurance and then watched a movie about the surgery. Also, while watching the movie I talked to a woman who had the surgery and she was just so wonderful to talk to and have now made friends with her on Obesity Help.

So my insurance requires:

·         5 years of medical records

·         6 months of dieting documentation under doctors care

·         Meeting with a dietitian,

·         Psychologist evaluation and MMPI test

·         Pulmonary clearance

·         Cardiologist clearance

·         Classes at the Bridges Center

I then went and meet with my surgeon and he has been doing the surgery for many years and was very amenable to answer all my questions. So now I am okay since I set down and talked with him. He is very nice and I asked when I would need to see him again and he said the day of my surgery. Since I was his last patient we rode the elevator down with him and his nurses and we talked about the how hot it was and on that day it was in the triple digits.

So after I got all the information, I made an appointment with my primary care physician and went over the list of what was needed to begin the journey.

At the visit with my primary care physician we went over the list and we split some of the items of required insurance items and I signed all the paperwork for her to obtain my 5 years of medical records. And my job was to make appointments for a dietitian and get my MMPI testing. So the journey begins.

The beginning!

My whole life I have had a weight problem even at birth I weighed over 10 pounds. So there has never been a time in my life of me being a normal weight. During my teen years I started dieting with losing a few pounds and never being able to keep it off. After turning 40 a few years ago I have tried numerous diets and had some success with Weight Watchers losing 70 pounds and not being able to lose anymore no matter what I tried. So this year I turned 44 and switched to a wonderful doctor who has helped me to the point to have weight loss surgery. So this will begin the best journey of my life and I am so excited to get this surgery.