AJ/ Taking control of my situation

[Guest guest]

Oh AJ, GOOD for you!!!

It is so uplifting to see how just THE HOPE of a new life resulting

from this surgery has such an empowering effect on us!

I cannot tell you how my entire *outlook* on life has changed since I

discovered the BPD/DS and made the decision that I would go for it.

Nothing about me has physically changed since then, I'm still a pre-

op; haven't lost any weight, in fact, I'm sure I have gained. I

don't even know for sure if I will get insurance coverage; but I know

I WILL have this surgery. And I feel SO GOOD about myself!!!

YES, we are worth it! You just keep on being your own best advocate

and YOU WILL get the better medical care, and surgery, that YOU

DESERVE!! It *does* feel great, doesn't it?

Terri Hassiak

BMI 60

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=H980366398

5/9/01 surgery date CANCELLED due to " Out-of-Network " Ins. Denial

email(no spaces): bunsofluff @ hotmail.com

> I decided to stay as you can see mostly because so many nice people

privately emailed me and I decided I didn't want to lose the support

that I can find here as well as the information.

>

> I was thinking bout something someone wrote regarding taking

control of your life and that people who speak up get better medical

care. I thought I'd been doing that but realized I hadnt. So today

(I'm so proud of myself) I called my old PCP and explained that I

was very unsatisfied with the letter she wrote and how it was

delivered. The letter was two sentences. It said, My patient

requests her desire for weight loss surgery. She suffers with

hypertension, joint...etc. That was it. It did say my medical records

were attached. They were not. The letter was never mailed to the

insurance. They mailed it to me 3 weeks after I was in to get it and

said they didn't know where to mail it. HELLO...they know where to

mail the bill...why not the letter? Anyhow...I since have switched

to Dr Banjanin here in Bellingham and love him. I got my LOMN

yesterday. It was an entire page. It was written in the view that I

have life threatening morbid obesity and many problems making !

> me hard to treat. IT stated that he felt I was a good candidate

and appear to be able to comply as needed for the trade off of doing

the surgery and having other issues to watch over the years. I was

very impressed.

>

> So...I informed my old dr I was going to someone that I felt was

going to treat me as if they cared what happened to me and that I'd

be over on Monday at 12pm to pick up my medical records. I also told

her I felt she was partially to blame for me having to do the

appeal. If she had written the letter explaining why it was

necessary instead of making it sound like I wanted to have it for no

reason, it would have made a difference. I'm sure she's not impressed

with me, but I don't care. I think she's just happy I left because

she obviously did not feel it necessary to treat my high blood

pressure or recheck my cellulitous...

>

> This situation I've been avoiding for almost a month and today I

just decided no more. I'm not going to let her beat me down. I

deserve this surgery, I need it and I have a family that loves me so

why should I let her stop me just because I felt the call would be so

unpleasant. It wasn't and I'm done now and feel great!

>

> AJ