Re: Re: update - very long

[Guest guest]

Oh Carole, you are amazing! I was exhausted just

*reading* about all of the information you gave to

your doctor. It's obvious you've worked very hard.

And I understand why you cried at all of the weight

loss attempts. It looks so different on paper.

That's when the reality hits, I know.

As for the smoking, you are so brave! I haven't

stopped yet. I'm going to smoke what I have in the

house and that is IT. Soon, I will really be able to

commiserate with you. I'm scared! I've never tried

to stop smoking in my entire life. I have two

memories of my parents quitting smoking. My dad, a

lifelong smoker, came home one night with a new truck.

He said he couldn't afford cigs and a truck so he

quit the cigs. And that was it! No crying jags,

searching for an unsmoked butt, nothing! He never

complained at all... Now, my Mom, well... I don't

know how many times she would tell us kids to break up

her cigs and toss them and within a few hours she

would be digging through the trash, yelling at us for

breaking them up too well! She never did quit and now

has emphysema. I'm praying I'll be like my dad but am

afraid I'll be like Mom!

Anyway, good luck and post often - it'll keep your

hands busy!

Take care,

dee

--- MsMystic1@... wrote:

> Well, folks, I am going to my consult with Dr.

> Hess on Monday. Since I

> read so much about having to quit smoking before

> surgery, I bit the bullet

> last Monday and started in with the patch. I am

> also using the gum as a

> back-up for the times I just get such withdrawal

> symptoms I really have to

> talk to myself. (yeah, you're not supposed to use

> both, but its better than

> smoking a cigarette and using the patch) Yesterday

> was the hardest day so far

> and took a lot to get me through it without smoking

> " just one " . I hope I can

> stick with this.

> I also went to see my new PCP yesterday. I

> loved this guy. I found him

> by going on the OSSG list and others and asking if

> anyone knew of a wls

> friendly Dr. close to where I live (east side of

> Cleve, OH area) and some

> wonderful soul told me about him, that she had

> gotten wls and he was very

> supportive. I called him before I even had my

> insurance just to check that

> he did feel ok about wls and he said as long as I

> knew what I was getting

> into and met the criteria, he had no problem with

> giving me a referral. I

> told him I wanted DS (back when I talked to him on

> the phone) and he said he

> hadn't heard of that.

> Well, since this list informed me that I could

> write for my medical

> records from previous Drs, I did and took those with

> me to see him. I made

> up a notebook of DS information - Hull's

> letter, Hess Brochure, Hess

> Medical Study, WebMD interview with Anthone,

> pictures of the DS, the letter

> to fellow Drs. found on one of the surgeon's

> websites (forget his name, he is

> in CA), etc. I took it to my PCP and he was

> impressed, I could tell, with me

> showing up with previous medical records and all the

> info on DS. He asked

> me if I had tried regular dieting - tada! I pulled

> out my diet history

> showing 25 major diets I could come up with. (Made

> me cry the day I finished

> it and even sometimes now when I talk about it, I

> cry - didn't realize how

> obsessed my whole life has been with weight loss or

> how really hard I have

> tried).

> Anyway, he agreed with me that I could benefit

> from wls, since I have

> borderline high blood pressure and he saw in my

> records that I had high

> cholesterol (records included blood test results).

> He said he has about 3

> patients who have had it and it works. Now, I know

> his patients have had

> RNY, since that is all we have locally. Anyway,. he

> took my notebook (which

> I made " for him to keep " ) and said he will read up

> on the DS. He asked why I

> wasn't wanting to go to a local surgeon and I told

> him it was because no

> surgeons in the Cleve area do DS. He was going to

> give me a referral and

> told me to go to the woman by the desk who does

> referrals. Well, when I went

> to her, she said my ins didn't require a referral

> (that is what my ins said,

> but I wanted to cover my bases, still) and refused

> even to do a letter (why

> are the women who work behind Drs desks usually such

> bitches?) but the Dr.

> was still there and he wrote me a referral on his

> prescription pad, so at

> least I have that to show that he was in favor of

> it. I guess I don't need

> one, but I don't want any last minute problems from

> my insurance just to

> stall things, since another woman who had my ins

> said they told her the same

> thing about not needing a referral and then denied

> her until she could get

> one).

> So - this is just an update of my progress so

> far. I am still nervous

> about my ins giving me a hard time. They have a

> pre-existing clause, but

> when I called, I was told it was for a pre-existing

> chronic condition for

> which I received treatment in the previous 6 mos

> before I signed on with

> them. I was on no medication for anything the

> previous 6 mos and did not see

> any Drs except when I had bronchitis in April and

> she said they would cover

> that, since it wasn't chronic. If I had high blood

> pressure and was taking

> meds (which I don't have to) and had diabetis, they

> wouldn't cover that. So

> I am hoping they don't consider MO a chronic

> condition and make me wait a

> year.............

> Oh yeah, you have to weight twice your ideal

> weight to qualify for wls

> and I do know they cover DS, since Dr. Hess has

> gotten patients approved

> through them. I gained 9 lbs since April and I was

> GLAD! For the first

> time, I was GLAD to see that number, cause I figured

> it would help me get

> wls!!

> My PCP said I could benefit from wls because

> even tho I was healthy now,

> I was just starting to suffer from obesity related

> medical disorders. He

> also said he wanted to see me 3 weeks after I had

> this surgery, just to make

> sure I was ok.

> I must REALLY want this, as it is the first

> thing that has given me

> reason to work hard to quit smoking in 20 years!

> Sorry to be so long-winded.

> Carole

>

>

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>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/6/01 9:34:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

MsMystic1@... writes:

I am also using the gum as a

back-up for the times I just get such withdrawal symptoms I really have to

talk to myself. (yeah, you're not supposed to use both, but its better than

smoking a cigarette and using the patch)

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I had to see a " nicotine psychologist "

to quit smoking last january. The greatest help is that she said to use the

patch, AND the gum. She said that's just fine, and for me was a giant key in

my quitting. So don't be concerned about that. Also I thought about this

surgery during my really rough times, and that helped. And we agreed that I

didn't have to stop my whole life, that I could have a cig when I was 70

years old! So soldier on, being thin will be better than smoking. Good luck,

and I'm sending you positive vibes.

Sheryl