And it begins...

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking on this board and reading and reading and reading

anything I could find here and on the web about WLS for a couple

weeks now.

Before I introduce myself, I want to say THANK YOU! to all of you who

have gone before. Firstly, for blazing the trail for those of us who

are following behind you, and secondly for sharing your experiences

here on this board or at the DS website or on your personal webpages.

The wealth of information you have all provided is both mind-boggling

and very comforting.

After all my reading, I came to the decision that the DS is the

surgery for me. I just called a few minutes ago and started the ball

rolling with Dr. J Scholten here in Grand Rapids. Deciding on

him was the result of searching the Surgeons lists and running every

single one that's within a day's drive of me through my insurance

carrier's provider directory (UHC Options PPO), and he's the only one

that popped up as participating that I felt was within a reasonable

driving distance, and he's right in my back yard! He also has

credentials a mile long, belongs to all the important surgical

organizations, has taught and lectured, and has gotten glowing

reviews from patients who posted about him at the AMOS site:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/home.phtml.

So I'm hoping that it turns out I can work with him; as a general

rule, doctors and I don't get along. But my experience with his

office staff is so far good. Anne was very pleasant on the phone,

thorough in explaining scheduling, etc. and took all the information

she needs to send me their Patient's Kit (for lack of a better term)

that will take me from now through the insurance process to surgery

(I hope and pray) and post-op care. BTW, they are currently

scheduling surgeries in December for folks who attended the July

orientation! Since I figured at least six months from first inquiry

to surgery date, that didn't throw me. Anne said she loves it when

she gets informed patients who don't freak at having to wait six

months for the surgery.

Oh geez, I've babbled on I'm so excited to have started the process

that I didn't tell you about me yet! My name is , and I'm a 42-

year-old divorced mother of two: a girl 13 (let's just call her

Hormone Hannah) and a boy who just turned 4 aka Cool Dude (or Brat if

you ask his sister). My biggest worry is that the insurance company

will turn me down flat. Anne said that with a BMI of 44 and two

current co-morbidities and diabetes isn't too far off (last glucose

tolerance test I failed two of the readings) that unless WLS for any

reason is specifically excluded, I shouldn't have a problem. Famous

last words...

So, I'm out of the closet now. I want to thank this list again.

I've spent many hours here the last couple weeks, and you are truly a

wonderful group of people.

Grand Rapids, MI

5'1 " 237 lbs BMI 44

Just starting the journey...