I try not to let myself get too upset at my husband’s comments and misconceptions, because I know that he doesn’t understand, having never been where I’m at. He takes it for granted that he can go up a flight of steps at a quick pace, or run down the road, or fit into a roller coaster seat.

She also wanted to know why I want to have the lap band surgery: what is the single most important reason for having it. I answered honestly: my health. Ranking in second place is wanting to look good and feel good, but first and foremost is my health. Obesity runs in my family, and it complicated my grandmother’s health and contributed to her death when she was only 67 years old. At this point I broke down and cried. She had tissues handy.

Anyway, my paperwork documenting my psych eval and the fact that I’m not some crazy bitch will be ready for me to pick up in about two weeks. That’s perfect, since my blood work is this Thursday (and the results won’t be ready until next week), my exercise evaluation is on the 31st, and my second appointment with the nutritionist and dietician isn’t until the 27th of August.

Everyone at the center assured me that my health insurance, Capitol Blue Cross, ALWAYS approves the surgeries so long as all requirements are met. No hemming and hawing, no sudden road blocks or outright denials, nothing. Whoo hoo!

It was all very hurtful to deal with, and has taught me a valuable lesson: my husband just doesn’t get it. And rather than risk being hurt by his attitude again, I won’t confide in him. I’ll just handle the support aspect myself with support groups, surgery and then recovery.

So, the appointment. I was weighed (321 lbs., eek!), had my height measured (5′7”), went over some basics of the surgery, and was given a patient handbook and several to-do’s.

The to-do’s:

1. Meet with an exercise physiologist to go over fitness abilities and eventual goals
2. Have my PCP do some blood work
3. Have a psychological evaluation done

Along with my patient handbook I was given instructions to keep a daily food log, to not skip meals (I have a tendency to skip breakfast), to cut down on fried food, breads and starches, and to try to stick to a 2200/day calorie plan.

Things have definitely picked up in speed since yesterday morning! I made an appointment with the surgical weight loss center’s exercise program center for tomorrow at 6am. I know, that is a brutal hour to have to arrive at a center that is an hour’s drive from my house, but it was either that or wait until September, since everyonee lse passed up the 6am appointment in favor of more tolerable times.

I called my PCP this afternoon, and my blood work appointment is set for July 24th at 9:40am.

I also made an appointment with a local psychologist, and my evaluation will be on July 21st at 7pm.

I’m then in the clear until August 27th, which is my next (second!) session. Until then I just need to take care of the exercise eval, blood work and psych eval, do some reading, fill out a homework sheet, and log my daily food intake.

Yay!

My appointment is… today! In seven hours!

I’ll definitely update when I get back!

I last left off with the seminar, I believe, so I’ll continue with what has happened since then (it isn’t much).

On April 22nd, 2008, I had an appointment with my mother’s family doctor, Dr. R. I decided to have him do my medical evaluation, because he knows my mother’s medical history (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, risk of heart attack, etc.) inside and out, and subsequently knows my maternal grandmother’s and maternal grandfather’s medical histories. He approved her choice for lapband surgery with no questions asked, so I hoped he would do the same for me.

And he did. I spoke with him for all of fifteen minutes, had my weight done (315.8, ergh), did a quick BMI check (”Oh yes, you more than qualify!”), and I showed him a thorough and detailed list I had created, which showed all of the health problems that are on both sides of the family, starting with my mother and father and working on up to my great-grandparents (all four sets of them). Time and time again, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke. He made a copy of my list, listened to me recite all of my research to him and reasons for choosing the surgery, as well as my failed attempts at weight loss going back to 2002.

At the end of the fifteen minutes, he gathered up the paperwork I brought in and the medical history/letter/approval form, and promised to have it and my mother’s form completed and sent in to the weight loss center within two weeks time.

On April 9th, 2008, I called the weight loss center to check on the status of my form, and that of my mother’s. So far part of my mother’s form had been processed, and mine hadn’t yet been processed. They requested that I give them until June 1st, and if I hadn’t heard from them by then, to call back.

So, I’m counting down the days until June 1st. I feel like I’ve been stagnant for far too long. I want to get moving!