Bariatric Betty asks a favor...

The other night I heard from one of my dearest friends, and godmother to my oldest son.  Tomorrow she is having a hysterectomy to rid herself of endometrial/ uterine cancer.  She has a great attitude, is physically and emotional a very strong person and has a great support network.  She knows that chances are good that this surgery might be the only treatment that she needs.  And she spent probably half of the conversation telling me what an inspiration reading my progress on this blog has been for her. 

Seriously - she's preparing herself, her husband, and kids for her major surgery to treat cancer, and she wants to make sure that I understand how much my being open about my sharing this journey has meant to her.  That's the type of person she is - always trying to be there for others.

She's asking for nothing.  She's got a sister who is both a doctor and a cancer survivor as her wingman and advocate.  She's found a great oncologist.  She has both health insurance and a family who loves her desperately. 

So I know that she has friends and family saying prayers for her, and would think this was unnecessary, but I'm going to ask all of you.  If you pray - please pray for my friend Janet and her family tonight and tomorrow.  Even if you don't, please keep her in you thoughts.

Now, I know some of you might have friends or family members who are facing their own challenges right now - and some are probably not half as lucky as my friend Janet to have the support network she has right now.  Some of you may need some prayers yourselves. 

So I'm asking a part two to this favor - if you know someone who needs good thoughts, prayers, or anything like that - leave a comment on this blog or on the post in the facebook group where you saw this link today.  Leave a name, or the challenge, or anything thing you feel comfortable sharing.  And let us all support each other and our loved ones.  Let's share our strength.

Yes, Bariatric Betty, there is a Santa Claus...

***If you missed my last post, I found out yesterday that my primary care doctor didn't have a record of my weight in 2008 or 2009 because I had started declining being weighed.  Just because I was too proud to let other people see how much I weighed, I might not be able to satisfy my insurance company's requirements to be approved for the surgery.

First of all I must thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.  They worked, and I got the information I needed today.  My husband had the wonderful idea of my trying to reach my old OB/Gyn to see if they had a weight for me in 2009.  I have been trying to reach them all day.  The nurses have been tied up (there must be a lot of pregnant women in labor today is all I can figure!) because I have been on hold for over 20 minutes twice before hanging up.  Both the medical record persons line and administrator's line went straight to voicemail.  On the latter's voicemail I started begging for them to just call me and tell me if they could just let me know if I had let them weigh me when I came in for my annual pap smear. 

Five minutes ago, the medical record person called me back and said I did indeed get weighed in December of 2009 - and (Thank you, God) my weight put me in at a BMI over 40.  She's faxing the info to Hospital C today.  All of the sudden, I feel like a boulder has been lifted off my shoulders.  I will be saying extra prayers of thanks tonight, and that includes to all of you who have been so supportive in your words, thoughts, and prayers. 

Great lesson learned - being too proud will cost you.  Maybe not now, but eventually.  Be honest with yourself and others, and take what's coming, it's the only way you will keep moving forward.

Day 75 and Bariatric Betty has a bumpy ride

So today I've been on my medically monitored diet for 75 days.  Depending on whose scale you're using, I've lost between 13.5 - 19 pounds.  When I met with Drew, the P.A. supervising my diet, he was pleased to see that I had lost 6 pounds in just the last four weeks.  Plus, he was really excited about my latest test results.  My Hemaglobin A1C has gone from 6.8 (really good for a diabetic) to 6.4 (GREAT for a diabetic) in the last three months and my insulin doses have been cut in half.  Then, he said - the next step is that you're going to go off your Novolog (insulin I take with my meals) altogether ."  I'm already down to 3 units with meals.  The next comment was "6.4, that's barely diabetic."  Ouch.  I said I was lucky that my insurance company wasn't making me diet for 6 months, or I might have a hard time qualifying.  He said "Well, for now you're still on three medications, and still diabetic..."  Whew.  No more labs before my case is submitted to the insurance company, and I will consider my self lucky.

A couple of days ago I got an email from my trainer.  She's left her job, and is no longer working as a trainer, but following her other love - photography.  As much as I'd like to be happy for her, she hasn't written up a summary of our work together, so I'm scrambling to print emails that I hadn't deleted yet and a couple comments she made while following my training on myfitnesspal.com.  My three month diet only satisfies the insurance company requirements if there is documentation of consults (at least three), behavioral modification sessions, nutritionist sessions (at least three), psych eval, and working with a trainer.  It specifically says "work with trainer may not be entirely remote (i.e. - online)".  And what I have proof of is from online.  My PA says that he talked to her before she left and is aware that we met in person once, and that he will write it up.  Just to be sure I'm covered, though, I'm meeting with another trainer this Friday.  He works at the same gym - I asked if he had access to her stuff or if I should bring copies of the program she designed.  He said "Oh, please bring it" - just like I thought, she left nothing....  

Oh, and if for some reason the insurance company doesn't think I've satisfied their requirements, I can continue to diet and have consults for three more months - but at that point I probably won't qualify because my diabetes would probably be diet controlled and have a BMI under 40. 

On a totally different note, I feel very blessed today.  Yesterday my father in law called.  He had gone to his doctor about pain in one leg and was sent to the hospital to get an ultrasound immediately, because the doctor suspected a blood clot.  He's 87 and in marvelous health for his age - very active and health conscious.  We just lost my mother in law this summer, and the thought of the chance of losing him so soon after was just crushing.  I sent a message out to my friends on facebook asking for prayers and was touched by how many responded so quickly.  Two hours later we found out that the ultrasound showed it WASN'T a blood clot after all!  So he still has to find out why it hurts, and we're a little worried about that - but the chance of a stroke has been pushed far down the list and we're so grateful for that. 

I have to remind myself each day; I have great faith in God.  I believe that God will see me through my journey in the best way.  I think that will include weight loss surgery, but maybe God knows something better.  I will keep reminding myself of this while I go through the last couple weeks of my supervised diet and the weeks waiting for the insurance company to make their decision.