WLS or Bust.

The Clash

2009-11-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

So, the surgeon yelled at me on the last visit for not being as close to goal as he would like. I appreciate his honesty and passion and I would LOVE to make him happy. But I straight up told him that the first few months having the problems that I did eating proteins totally knocked me off kilter. I think from here on out things will be much better.

People tend to think surgery is the 'easy way out'. I haven't heard anyone say that to my face yet, but I'm sure it's on some peoples' minds. But you know what? This has been a tough road. Now that I'm pretty much able to eat anything (though in moderation) it's actually now more about food choices and preparation than it ever was before. Because the little you can eat must be the sustenance our body needs. I'm confident I can do it.

Oh, and I need to start exercising more to get this loss moving faster. That's the hardest part.

Going Great...

2009-11-23T18:20:00.001-08:00

Wow, I just remembered this blog existed. I guess it's time for a quick update.

Well, I'm about 120lbs. down since my re-birthday on 4/27/09. It was quite a struggle the first few months as noted in the last post. But I've been happily eating more proteins for the last several weeks. The only thing that really gives me a hard time is dry poultry. It goes okay if it's moist enough but not so much otherwise. I'll probably be steering clear of the turkey on Thanksgiving (in a few days) but am looking forward to a juicy ham.... mmmmm.

Surgery Done!

2009-05-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I had it done (finally) on the 27th and got back home Friday. I've had just a few woes but overall I know I'll trudge through it.

1. I've just had some abdominal pain (on the left side) which I understand is normal.
2. I've had what feels like major gas backup in my chest. It won't come up and it's quite painful when it cramps my chest about every 10 minutes. Not sure what this is about but I'll ask the doc.
3. The puree diet is killing me. Just the thought of shrimp in a blender makes me want to hurl - yes, I tried it and it's not pretty. I'm sticking to soup.
4. Chewable vitamins are RANCID. I actually gagged on them tonight.

But, those obstacles aside, surgery went well... no complications and I'm sure these too I will pass. It's just a test along the way.

Shawn APPROVED!

2009-03-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

Well, I got my approval this week from the insurance. The paperwork went in on Tuesday evening and I received a call Thursday morning of the approval. I was told it may be 2 weeks before we heard back, so this was a shocking surprise. Especially since I was missing some data. Allow me to explain...

My insurance company required (among other things) a 6-month physician supervised diet and 5 CONSECUTIVE years of physician records including weights. Well since I hate going to doctors, I didn't have any reason to go in 2006 and 2007. This left me with a 2-year hole in an otherwise 10 year string of recorded weights. Needless to say, I was worried this would be the one thing to keep me from surgery.

Because of the whole in data, I provided records from Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig to show some kind of data. However, even that only accounted for 2007. But I was hoping it would at least show initiative.

Well, I guess it worked. Because, as mentioned in the title. I am approved.

I know there's still a bunch of steps left including pre-op assessments and tests, but at least that big hurdle is overcome.

I can't wait now to set the date and begin the countdown.

New Job. New Insurance.

2009-02-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I started a new job in January. With that came new insurance. Thankfully, that does not carry the 'we hate fat people' clause.

Additionally, I've gotten my 6-month physician-monitored diet out of the way, recorded and done. That was relatively unsuccessful - like every other diet. But I tried to a realistic degree. By that I mean nothing drastic. In thinking about it I realized that if I try another drastic diet (like I've done countless times before) I'll just be showing unrealistic results. History shows it always comes back and although I probably could have lost a good 15 pounds a week with hardcore dieting - that's just not a sustainable course. Been there. Done that... many times.

So, I'm going to start getting everything together to submit to the insurance and cross my fingers.

I'm Fat. So, Boss Wants To Fire Me.

2008-11-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

I was just recalling an article and tv spot on the owner of the company I currently work for. It was the talk of the town when it arose in 2007 causing a big storm of controversy for quite a while - especially internally.

"Anything we can do that is legal and not discriminatory, we will do," Seigel said. "If you are an alcoholic and we have the right to fire you, we will do so. And if you are obese and there is a way for us not to hire you or to fire you, we will do that, too."

Excerpt from Orlando Sentinel

I'd love a sit-down with this ass. Too bad he signs my paycheck - for the moment.

Essentially, what he's saying is that everyone who works for him should do the same kind of things with their free time as he does and have the same habits. But where does it stop? Does it stop at blond hair and blue eyes? I mean, I think we all know how familiar that sounds. But really, does it stop there or somewhere before genocide... like laying off thousands of people right before the holidays (some even the same week of Christmas). Or maybe scamming people into buying crap real estate they don't need for mortgages they clearly can't afford? Damn, now that I say that aloud, isn't that the main reason we're in this economic crisis right now?

Shame on you, sir.

READ the article

Getting Things in Order

2008-07-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my previous post, the company I work for does not cover bariatric surgery. Yes, you read that right - the company I work for... NOT the insurance company. Some greedy assholes care more about saving a nickle on their premium than being part of saving a life. F-him. Oh and his name is David Seigel (click here for info on the schmuck).

With that crushing blow I decided to focus on the silver lining. That, in fact, will be coming next year.

For a number of reasons, I may have to switch my insurance over to my wife's. Unfortunately, that cannot happen until January. So, in the interim, at least now I know the requirements and can be ready with the appropriate items as soon as I get switched over. Primarily that includes a 6-month physician-monitored diet. I might as well get that under way.

Off we go!

On A Roll (Jen)

2008-07-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, ALOT has happened since we last posted. My insurance wanted 5 years of weights, and my doctors letter of approval. Easy cheesy! We got that in and then my nurse rep from the insurance calls and is like we need 6 months diet, and a psychology evaluation (which your doc requires any ways to see if you are ready/mentally stable for surgery). Thank goodness we had been trying Jenny Craig so my doc went off those weights for the 6 month info. I passed the psych eval and met with the surgeon the same day. His office then faxed all the info over. Three days later I get a call... "Your surgery is covered!"

On to the next phase. The surgeons office needs all this crap done which I thought was going to take longer but in one day at the docs office I got my surgery clearance letter, an EKG, and a chest Xray. Two days later I got the blood work done. About 3 days after that my doc faxes all the results over and the surgeons office calls me to set a date. I must say it has gone amazingly smooth so I am very happy.

I have chosen Aug. 6th for my surgery date. Before then I will be seeing the surgeon for a last exam, going to a nutrition class, and then the big day arrives. I am very excited, yet I get freeked out sometimes. This is something I have been wanting though so I am glad it has all been approved and is only a month away. I will be at Flagler hospital in St. Augustine. It's a pretty nice looking room. Like a Disney hotel! And the hotel we get to stay in for the few days we are there too is nice. So, too bad I will be drugged up LOL Anyways if all goes well they should release me on the 8th of August to come home.

Oh, let me also mention the joyful diet I get to do 2 weeks before hand. It's protein shakes and yogurt and fruit and maybe a little chicken or fish for dinner. Joy! But hey it helps shrink your liver for surgery and drop a few pounds before going in, which can only help you in the long run.

Well, I will be shopping for the necessities this month for what I need to take with me and getting my protein powders and what not. So that is what I will be up to until then. Hope that has updated you all!

You Take The Good. You Take The Bad...

2008-05-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

You take them both and there you have... the fact of life. The facts of life.

Okay, so it's obvious I watched way too much tv in my day. For those of you who were actually out 'playing' outside while I was watching Knight Rider and reruns of Gomer Pyle... that was the lyrics to the theme song for The Facts of Life. Sadly, I didn't even have to Google that.

Anyhow, we (as the title suggests) got some good news and bad today. Good for my wife as she was approved through her insurance pretty much full stop. She just has to provide some records and a letter of necessity from her doctor. Done deal.

Me, on the other hand, come bearing a sadder tale. Unfortunately, my insurance outright denied the request. Actually, it wasn't so much the insurance company as the company I work for that designated our policy to not include any and all bariatric-related work. WTF? Out of respect for my employer, I'll keep my comments to myself regarding this topic alone... for now.

Anyhow, I'm hit with a few options here. 1) I move over to my wife's insurance which wouldn't happen until January - 8 months from now and hope they cover me then or 2) self pay.

Obviously, utilizing the insurance would be the most cost effective route. However, there will be about 6 months where I will be holding 2 insurance coverages since my current one I won't be able to cancel until June. So, the question is whether my wife's insurance will even cover me if they see my primary is still active. If not, I will have to wait until June (one year from now) for that to lapse. Then I would be back to square one where I need to re-apply with the new insurance. Given that, I'm worried then about the carrier saying, "Hey now... you just got on and you're already asking for a $25,000 surgery? What's up with that? Is this the reason you jumped over to our service in the first place?" I know how these insurance people can be. Of course, they're job is to get out of paying as much as they can and I don't put this past them. Pardon me for being cynical in this regard. Nevertheless, at this point I could potentially be back to square one again a year and a half later.

So, I'm now at the point where I'm thinking it's worth $500/month to just get it done and not deal with all of that nonsense. But I'm just one of those 'get it done now and get it done right' kind of guys. Trust me, the monthly payment will be no easy task. But I'm at the point now where I feel money is something that comes and goes - my life is not.

Thoughts? Do I hold out for the insurance or go for it?

Obesity Adds to Global Warming - WTF?

2008-05-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, some people have way too much time and money on their hands if they're funding research like this.

This article gets the F#@ktard of the Week award in my book.

Obesity adds to global warming, study finds
Humans getting heavier, requiring more fuel to move us and our food

May. 16, 200 - GENEVA - Obesity contributes to global warming, too.

Obese and overweight people require more fuel to transport them and the food they eat, and the problem will worsen as the population literally swells in size, a team at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine says.

This adds to food shortages and higher energy prices, the school's researchers Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts wrote in the journal Lancet on Friday.
Full Story...

The Catch-22 of Insurance

2008-05-16T19:35:00.001-07:00

I forgot about one thing that really irked me about the seminar.

We were given a sheet that listed standard prerequisites that each insurance carrier required before approving WLS. Some, of course, much longer than others. Although an annoyance, most of it I can understand but one:

Almost all said you have to be greater than 40 BMI (body mass index - which basically means how fat you are). If not, you had to have 2 of a long list of what they call 'co-morbidities'. That is basically a nice, medical term for 'shit that will kill you'.

Now, WHY in the world would you required someone to ALREADY have a fatal disease before approving a surgery that would most likely prevent said fatal disease from happening in the first place. Based on this rule, many people will have to wait around until they have a heart attack before they can get approved for a surgery that would most likely prevent a heart attack from even happening. That's some F-d up logic right there.

What? I'm Normal? Nah...

2008-05-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Out of all the information that was presented in the seminar last night, one statistic keeps popping up in my head...

0.5%

That's the percentage of people who actually lose their goal weight and manage to keep it off long term (without surgery).

So, when Joe Blow tells you to just 'eat good and exercise and you'll lose the weight' tell him, that the odds are really not in our favor. Contrary to popular belief we just happen to be 'normal'. Go figure.

On a side note: I've been called a lot of things in life, but 'normal' has never been one of them.

Went to Seminar - 1st Step Down

2008-05-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

So, my wife and I made it to the seminar on WLS this evening at Celebration Health Hospital in Celebration, FL. Man, there was a lot more people there than I thought might be. It really put things into perspective for me. Considering they hold this seminar once a week, every week, for what seemed to be almost 100 people to be in attendance really made me understand that I am not alone. Many, many people share the same issues I do. I mean, I knew that previously, but to see this really brought the picture in much more clearly.

Firstly, I learned a lot about the types of surgery and the pros and cons of each. Sure there's lots to think about, but I think the permanent solution, RNY is the one for me. Of course, I'd need to discuss/confirm that with a doctor, but I'm a 'get it done right the first time' kind of guy. My wife, however, while thinking of the future possibilities of having children is considering the band. Makes sense but, again, need to discuss with a doc.

The doctor speaking, Dr. Keith Kim MD, seemed highly knowledgeable on the subject, seemed very caring and had a good sense of humor too.

So, we filled out some paperwork to get the ball rolling at least in finding out what the insurance would cover (if at all) with both of us. Now starts the waiting game.

Going to a Seminar

2008-05-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

In doing some research (which my wife is great at), we found a seminar that is held once a week locally at Celebration Hospital, Celebration, FL. We're planning on going next week to soak up whatever info we can.

Why?

2008-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

I'm 439lbs. I have been greatly overweight for as long as I can remember, and even further. Just about everyone in my family going up the line is heavy. As I mentioned, I've tried everything including nutritionists, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig to the standard 'eat right and exercise'. I even had a personally trainer for close to a year. That produced great results - I lost almost 100 pounds that way. But alas, it came back when attempting to get back to 'normal life'. There's only so much dry chicken breasts and steamed broccoli one can take. So, I've hovered around 400lbs for the last several years.

As I mentioned, I've always been of the mindset that surgery was the 'easy way out'. My mother decided (against my advisement no less) to go for WLS (weight loss surgery). 4 years later, her life has taken a dramatic turn for the better in numerous aspects. I was relatively skeptical of the option and still remain mildly so.

But now I look at it this way, something has to be done. I want to live - for myself, my wife, my family and (maybe someday) my children. Time for a change - and it's becoming obvious that I can't do it on my own.

Starting the Journey...

2008-05-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we started a journey this week - my wife and I. We've made the decision to seek out weight loss surgery options. It's, of course, exciting yet scary at the same time.

So, I want to preface this with a few things...

Both my wife and I have been overweight all our lives. Personally, I'm not going to sit here and blame 'social issues' or 'psychological mishap' as the cause of my obesity. Some things in life just seem so hard to reach no matter how hard you try. Given that, I'm sure some of you reading this might be saying to yourself, "well, damn, if they would just get off their ass, eat right and exercise, they wouldn't need surgery." To that, I can only say one thing... you right. To an extent. To this point, I've thought the same thing. But after years and years of trying everything under the sun with minimal to moderate results but then seeing those results go out the window, it's kind of a kick in the balls, really. By the way, I should also state I'm going to be terribly open on this blog (whether you like it or not :))

I'm not going to go into details now as to what we've tried - maybe later. I'd probably be preaching to the choir anyway, right? Suffice, for now, to say that I've been through it all as many have.

Which brings another point. I can't count the number of times I've heard from people, "it's just a matter of eating right and exercising." Holy crap, you're a friggin' genius! Why didn't I think of that? What planet do you think I just came from? While you're at it, why don't you go tell Ray Charles that there' a stripper standing right in front of him...

Anyhow, as I said, we're beginning the journey to find a solution. Stay tuned...