emotional support

[Guest guest]

Please let me just take a feel-sorry-for-myself moment. I'm coming

here to group because I know that you all are the only ones that will

be able to understand. I am a preop, BMI 58, obese since toddler, 39

yo registered nurse and am in the process of getting my package

together for Dr. Rutledge. Since the beginning of the Vivi

Renovation Project (the name I have given the surgery and aftermath)

I have managed to hop over one hurdle and obstacle after another from

changing jobs to changing internet providers (I too was one of those

AOL rejects - every time I signed on and started Dr. Rutledge's form

AOL said Goodbye!) Anyway, I have repeatedly (since Oct. 2) regular

mail and certified mailed Dr. Rutledge's insurance letter and have

even faxed it to the insurance company and they keep saying

they " haven't received it " , meanwhile I keep getting the runaround

from dept. to dept. If I'm getting this kind of runaround already I

can only imagine what approval is going to be like. Am having alot

of problems with finding a PCP on my insurance plan. My PCP has been

my personal doctor for yrs. and is more than willing to support the

surgery and provide Dr. Rutledge with whatever he needs but he isn't

on my plan and am wondering whether my insurance will deny me because

of that. In addition, the only person that I trusted in my family to

even tell about the surgery was my sister and I asked her to write a

letter which she did and I received it 2 days ago and even though she

says she loves me very much she also spends 2 full pgs. talking about

how she believes that I am obese (and everyone else) because I have

no willpower and that she doesn't understand why someone would choose

to be so self-destructive. In addition, she says that if I have no

willpower to deal with my obesity then where will I find the

willpower to deal with the surgery and its aftermath. Needless to

say, it's been a very weepy upsetting frustrating week for me and I

thank you all very much everyone for just listening. I know that

everyone of you can understand how I am feeling.

Continued success for all of you,

Vivi, RN

[Guest guest]

Vivi,

I read your email and just shook my head. When people have/do not know what a

problem obesity is it is very hard to explain it to them. I thought for years

is was just a matter of will power and had a very hard time even liking myself.

Keep your chin up and remember anything worth having is worth working for and

the will power to do the homework for MGB certainly is something! As I tell my

kids, " Just for today a little kindness please. "

I wish you the best with your effort and hope tomorrow is a better day!

Vicki Pittman