We dropped our daughter off at the babysitter's house at 8:30. She was so upset at my decision to have the surgery. She had been crying too. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. I answered that I was sure. She hugged me and wished me well and said, "I think you look great just the way you are." I kissed my daughter goodbye and we got back into the car. By this time, I was crying. I just wasn't expecting that sort of reaction from the babysitter. She rattled me, but I quickly calmed down. As I mentioned before, I had total faith in this surgeon. I know that I would be fine.
We got to the hospital and checked in at the surgery floor. I got changed into a hospital gown while AR sat looking very nervous. The nurse could not get an IV into me. She tried twice and then said they would have to get it in the OR. Hope this isn't a sign of things to come. I went to the bathroom about 7 times. Nervous pee I guess.
The anesthesiologist came in and said not to worry about the IV. Dr. Bypass and his assistant came by to see me. Wanted to know if I had any last minute questions. Briefly, the thought crossed my mind to ask if it was too late to change my mind and get the lap band. I knew it was too late, and I also didn't want that surgery, so the fleeting thought passed by quickly. He said it should take about 2.5 hours and then another 1.5 hours in the recovery room.
AR kissed me goodbye and they wheeled me to the OR. Dr. Bypass and his assistant were sitting in the hallway. He said, "They usually make the bariatric patients walk to the OR. You must have some pull because you're getting the royal treatment." It made me laugh. He probably tells all of his patients this joke, but I still thought it was funny.
Once inside the OR, I noticed how cold and white everything was. I slid onto the operating table, which was pretty narrow. The OR nurse instantly got an IV into my wrist. Not the most convenient of places, but it was in. Another nurse was hooking me up to a blood pressure machine, and I started giggling because I'm ticklish, which in turn made the OR nurses laugh.
They put a mask over my face and told me to take a few deep breaths. I had to take more than a few, but the next thing I was aware of was waking up in the OR recovery room. I was cold and asked for a blanket, which they gave me. Before I knew it, I was in my hospital room. I was still kind of drowsy.
AR stayed a few hours and I finally told him to go home. I was in no mood for company. All I wanted to do was sleep, but did I get any sleep??? NO. I was inundated with nurses taking my blood pressure, my temperature, my oxygen levels and my blood sugar all night. No rest for the weary.
Showing posts with label pre-surgery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre-surgery. Show all posts
Monday, November 6, 2006
Sunday, November 5, 2006
Informational Meeting
Every bariatric doctor requires that you attend an informational seminar before you can make an appointment with him/her. About 4 years ago AR and I attended one, well sort of. We went to the meeting. We filled out a TON of information and then we went into this room filled with a hundred people. It was so crowded that we could not even sit together. Before the meeting even began, AR signaled to me that he wanted to leave. We left.
He said he was looking around the room and just did not want to be there with all of those people. That night we went online and ordered food from Nutri-system. We did pretty well with that plan too, but it was very expensive to buy the food. It wouldn't have been so bad if we were just buying the Nutri-system food, but we still had to buy all the fruits and veggies that were needed to supplement the NS food. We stopped buying the food. We got fat again.
Fast forward to July 2006. AR wanted to look into weight loss surgery again. He did all of this research to find the best place and the best doctor. He scheduled an informational meeting for August, and he wanted me to go with him. Okay, I figured I would go to support him and to listen to the info that they would tell us about the surgery. I've been thinking about this anyway for the past year. In my mind, I had figured that I would do the lap band surgery. My recollection was that the death rate & complications were less.
The meeting was held in the waiting room of the doctor. You know, it really isn't a good idea to squeeze 30 fat people needing weight loss surgery into a tiny room. There was barely room to breathe. We were packed in pretty tightly. I wanted to sit in the front row so I could get a good look at whatever it was that we were going to see.
This was the first time I saw Dr. Bypass. He is tall and has blondish/gray hair. He wore a crazy pinstripe suit. The lapels were pretty wide and so was the pinstripe. He looked, I don't know, eccentric. He also had an assistant with him. I have seen the assistant on three separate occasions and this kid has never said a word. He just follows Dr. Bypass around holding a cup of coffee, but says nothing. I am not sure of what he actually does. Anyway, his assistant was there.
Dr. Bypass is very passionate about his work. He started explained how both surgeries worked. He explained that the death rate is the same for both. Both are done laproscopically. They both have risk of complications. People who have the lap band do not lose as much weight as those who have the bypass. It is possible to achieve similar weight loss with the lap band, but that requires a deep determination by the patient to work out vigorously.
While Dr. Bypass was drawing how he re-routes the intestines for the bypass, AR leaned over and said he would be back, and left. I figured he had to go to the bathroom. When he came back, his face was pale. I asked if he was okay, and he said yes.
He went on to describe the benefits of the surgery too. Most diabetics leave the hospital no longer needing any medication. You reduce risk factors for contracting various cancers, as well as reducing chance of heart attacks and strokes.
How well you will fare in your weight loss has been tied to how well you follow doctor's instructions and how often you see him for follow up visits. He does not charge a fee for follow up visits. His studies have shown that patients who do not follow through with office visits, gain weight back. A patient has to commit to seeing him One week after surgery, two weeks, after surgery, three weeks, four weeks, once a month for the first year, every three months for the second year and twice a year for the third year. He will tell you at every visit how well you are doing, if you need to change the path you are on to meet your goals, if you need the lap band adjusted etc...People who do not follow up, do not fare well.
Dr. Bypass requires that you have all of this bloodwork done to see what you pre-surgery levels are of everything that you can imagine. The list of things the lab had to test for was so long, it filled two prescription pad pages. Patients also need to see a nutritionist, have a psychological evaluation by a psychiatrist, get an EKG and a chest x-ray, all before you can make an appointment to see him. After the meeting, the receptionist handed out booklets that had all the information for what we needed to do.
While waiting for the elevator to take us down to the garage, AR asked me what I thought. I was pretty excited by everything I heard. I said I wanted to do it. He said that he didn't want to do it! Two completely different reactions to the same information. When AR left the meeting, he went to throw up. He said he was disturbed by the graphic illustration of the surgery. I said not only did I want to do it, but that I wanted the bypass and not the lap band.
It was ironic. I was really only going to this meeting to support AR and then he decided he wasn't going to do it and I decided that I was. AR is frightened at the thought of surgery. He doesn't handle pain too well. He sees how determined I am now and fully supports me. Now he is talking about maybe doing the lap band surgery. As long as I don't croak, I'm pretty sure he'll do it.
He said he was looking around the room and just did not want to be there with all of those people. That night we went online and ordered food from Nutri-system. We did pretty well with that plan too, but it was very expensive to buy the food. It wouldn't have been so bad if we were just buying the Nutri-system food, but we still had to buy all the fruits and veggies that were needed to supplement the NS food. We stopped buying the food. We got fat again.
Fast forward to July 2006. AR wanted to look into weight loss surgery again. He did all of this research to find the best place and the best doctor. He scheduled an informational meeting for August, and he wanted me to go with him. Okay, I figured I would go to support him and to listen to the info that they would tell us about the surgery. I've been thinking about this anyway for the past year. In my mind, I had figured that I would do the lap band surgery. My recollection was that the death rate & complications were less.
The meeting was held in the waiting room of the doctor. You know, it really isn't a good idea to squeeze 30 fat people needing weight loss surgery into a tiny room. There was barely room to breathe. We were packed in pretty tightly. I wanted to sit in the front row so I could get a good look at whatever it was that we were going to see.
This was the first time I saw Dr. Bypass. He is tall and has blondish/gray hair. He wore a crazy pinstripe suit. The lapels were pretty wide and so was the pinstripe. He looked, I don't know, eccentric. He also had an assistant with him. I have seen the assistant on three separate occasions and this kid has never said a word. He just follows Dr. Bypass around holding a cup of coffee, but says nothing. I am not sure of what he actually does. Anyway, his assistant was there.
Dr. Bypass is very passionate about his work. He started explained how both surgeries worked. He explained that the death rate is the same for both. Both are done laproscopically. They both have risk of complications. People who have the lap band do not lose as much weight as those who have the bypass. It is possible to achieve similar weight loss with the lap band, but that requires a deep determination by the patient to work out vigorously.
While Dr. Bypass was drawing how he re-routes the intestines for the bypass, AR leaned over and said he would be back, and left. I figured he had to go to the bathroom. When he came back, his face was pale. I asked if he was okay, and he said yes.
He went on to describe the benefits of the surgery too. Most diabetics leave the hospital no longer needing any medication. You reduce risk factors for contracting various cancers, as well as reducing chance of heart attacks and strokes.
How well you will fare in your weight loss has been tied to how well you follow doctor's instructions and how often you see him for follow up visits. He does not charge a fee for follow up visits. His studies have shown that patients who do not follow through with office visits, gain weight back. A patient has to commit to seeing him One week after surgery, two weeks, after surgery, three weeks, four weeks, once a month for the first year, every three months for the second year and twice a year for the third year. He will tell you at every visit how well you are doing, if you need to change the path you are on to meet your goals, if you need the lap band adjusted etc...People who do not follow up, do not fare well.
Dr. Bypass requires that you have all of this bloodwork done to see what you pre-surgery levels are of everything that you can imagine. The list of things the lab had to test for was so long, it filled two prescription pad pages. Patients also need to see a nutritionist, have a psychological evaluation by a psychiatrist, get an EKG and a chest x-ray, all before you can make an appointment to see him. After the meeting, the receptionist handed out booklets that had all the information for what we needed to do.
While waiting for the elevator to take us down to the garage, AR asked me what I thought. I was pretty excited by everything I heard. I said I wanted to do it. He said that he didn't want to do it! Two completely different reactions to the same information. When AR left the meeting, he went to throw up. He said he was disturbed by the graphic illustration of the surgery. I said not only did I want to do it, but that I wanted the bypass and not the lap band.
It was ironic. I was really only going to this meeting to support AR and then he decided he wasn't going to do it and I decided that I was. AR is frightened at the thought of surgery. He doesn't handle pain too well. He sees how determined I am now and fully supports me. Now he is talking about maybe doing the lap band surgery. As long as I don't croak, I'm pretty sure he'll do it.
Saturday, November 4, 2006
It's On!
Saw Dr. Bypass yesterday morning. He was NOT wearing that pinstriped suit. Nice to know that he has others. I noticed that the bowl of candy corn was gone from the office too. I thought he was trying to drum up business...I lost 4 pounds from my last weigh in. Woo Hoo!
They actually received all the information that they needed so I am scheduled for surgery on 11/6/2006 at 11 am. I have to be at the hospital at 9 am that morning and no food after midnight on 11/5. I don't know how long I shall be in the hospital. I could be released 11/8 or 11/9 depending upon how well I bounce back. I will be out of work 8 weeks, so my return to work date is January 1st, unless I feel tremendously better and then I can go back sooner/ Don't forget, I'm only getting like $150 a week or something for disability.
I'm going out today to buy some liquids that I will be eating for the next two weeks. More on that later.
They actually received all the information that they needed so I am scheduled for surgery on 11/6/2006 at 11 am. I have to be at the hospital at 9 am that morning and no food after midnight on 11/5. I don't know how long I shall be in the hospital. I could be released 11/8 or 11/9 depending upon how well I bounce back. I will be out of work 8 weeks, so my return to work date is January 1st, unless I feel tremendously better and then I can go back sooner/ Don't forget, I'm only getting like $150 a week or something for disability.
I'm going out today to buy some liquids that I will be eating for the next two weeks. More on that later.
Why am I doing this?
I've been fat my whole life, well, at least what I can remember of it. I wasn't fat when I was a baby, but I don't remember that. Food has always been my drug of choice. I used it to celebrate the good things that happen and I used it to medicate when I was unhappy. Like many overweight people I have dieted most of my adult life. Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Nutri-System, Medifast, Atkins, Cabbage Soup ad nasuem. My weight has been up and down like the proverbial yo-yo.
Two years ago I walked into my doctor's office and told him I didn't want to have that fat surgery, so what could we do? We talked about following a low carb diet and he gave me Meridia, a prescription weight loss pill. After 2 weeks, I lost 5 pounds and my blood pressure was way up, a side effect of the pill. After another two weeks I lost a total of 7 pounds, which didn't seem like a drop in the bucket and not worth (in my opinion) taking the pills, so I stopped.
My health has been going downhill in the past two years too. High blood sugar medicine I am taking caused me to gain 60 pounds in 18 months, which wasn't exactly the sort of response I was looking for, especially since I was eating less than I ever ate before and was watching the carbs! The added weight just lessened my desire and ability to exercise, which has further compounded the problem.
I have a soon-to-be three-year-old and I want to be able to run around the yard and play with her. I want to be her mother forever if I could, but certainly, I want to see her graduate from college at the very least. I want to be healthy for her. I want to set a good example for her and how can I do that now?
The biggest risk of gastric bypass is death. I am fully aware that some people have died while having this surgery. I had a stress test done to ensure that my heart was healthy and that there were no blockages. Could I still drop dead in the OR? Yes, but I am reasonably sure that I won't. My surgeon has quite a reputation and he wouldn't let that happen, even if only to make himself look good. He is very full of himself, but I think most surgeons are like that.
There could be complications such as infection, hernia and leakage in my future. Here is an explanation of leakage: An anastamosis is a surgical connection, between the stomach and bowel, or between two parts of the bowel. The surgeon attempts to create a water-tight connection, by connecting the two organs with either staples or sutures, either of which actually makes a hole in the bowel wall. The surgeon will rely on the healing power of the body, and its ability to create a seal like a self-sealing tire, to succeed with the surgery. If that seal fails to form, for any reason, fluid from within the gastrointestinal tract can leak into the sterile abdominal cavity, and give rise to infection and abscess formation. Leakage of an anastamosis can occur in about 2% of gastric bypass procedures, usually at the stomach-bowel connection. Sometimes leakage can be treated with antibiotics, and sometimes it will require immediate re-operation.
Are you still reading??? Good for you. That last paragraph nearly put me to sleep. I have had two previous knee surgeries on my left knee and lately it is hurting a lot when I take a short walk. My feet and heels hurt too. I just want to be healthy and this surgery will give me the boost that I need to get there.
Two years ago I walked into my doctor's office and told him I didn't want to have that fat surgery, so what could we do? We talked about following a low carb diet and he gave me Meridia, a prescription weight loss pill. After 2 weeks, I lost 5 pounds and my blood pressure was way up, a side effect of the pill. After another two weeks I lost a total of 7 pounds, which didn't seem like a drop in the bucket and not worth (in my opinion) taking the pills, so I stopped.
My health has been going downhill in the past two years too. High blood sugar medicine I am taking caused me to gain 60 pounds in 18 months, which wasn't exactly the sort of response I was looking for, especially since I was eating less than I ever ate before and was watching the carbs! The added weight just lessened my desire and ability to exercise, which has further compounded the problem.
I have a soon-to-be three-year-old and I want to be able to run around the yard and play with her. I want to be her mother forever if I could, but certainly, I want to see her graduate from college at the very least. I want to be healthy for her. I want to set a good example for her and how can I do that now?
The biggest risk of gastric bypass is death. I am fully aware that some people have died while having this surgery. I had a stress test done to ensure that my heart was healthy and that there were no blockages. Could I still drop dead in the OR? Yes, but I am reasonably sure that I won't. My surgeon has quite a reputation and he wouldn't let that happen, even if only to make himself look good. He is very full of himself, but I think most surgeons are like that.
There could be complications such as infection, hernia and leakage in my future. Here is an explanation of leakage: An anastamosis is a surgical connection, between the stomach and bowel, or between two parts of the bowel. The surgeon attempts to create a water-tight connection, by connecting the two organs with either staples or sutures, either of which actually makes a hole in the bowel wall. The surgeon will rely on the healing power of the body, and its ability to create a seal like a self-sealing tire, to succeed with the surgery. If that seal fails to form, for any reason, fluid from within the gastrointestinal tract can leak into the sterile abdominal cavity, and give rise to infection and abscess formation. Leakage of an anastamosis can occur in about 2% of gastric bypass procedures, usually at the stomach-bowel connection. Sometimes leakage can be treated with antibiotics, and sometimes it will require immediate re-operation.
Are you still reading??? Good for you. That last paragraph nearly put me to sleep. I have had two previous knee surgeries on my left knee and lately it is hurting a lot when I take a short walk. My feet and heels hurt too. I just want to be healthy and this surgery will give me the boost that I need to get there.
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Stress Test Part 1
I had to have the test in two parts. Part one was just the injection of radioactive dye and then x-rays of my heart with the dye pumping through it. Part two was the stress part where I walk on the treadmill, and then more x-rays.
So after all of that crazy back and forth shit with my PCP, don't you think that there was a problem with the paperwork when I got to the hospital? Of course there was. The paper that I was assured was a prescription and a referral, was indeed not. First, they didn't like the wording of the prescription and hopped on the phone to speak with someone at the doctor's office. It was 12:30, so of course, everyone is out to lunch. The hospital decided that the wording was correct after all.
I was called in to give more paperwork and that was when they decided that the paperwork from the PCP was not a referral. They called the doctor's office again and it was going to take them time to get the referral paperwork together. Meanwhile, I was sitting there waiting...The hospital decided to let them start the test even though they didn't have the referral, confident that the PCP would come through. Great because this was my lunch hour and now I was going to have to use more time to cover my absence from work.
A balding middle-aged man came to bring me into the room. He wasn't much of a talker and had zippo personality. Oh, this was going to be fun. I sat down and he went off to get the radioactive dye. It was the color of yellow/green Gatorade. He started looking for a vein to shoot the dye into. Since he was such a cold fish, I wasn't exactly forthcoming with how difficult it is to find my veins...I don't know why because the only person I was really hurting was myself.
He attempted to stick me in the arm. After digging around for a vein and not getting one, I suggested that he just go for the hand. Yeah, it hurts more, but at least they always find a vein. He tried the arm a second time and then went for the hand. He pushed the dye in and I said, "well, you got it, right?" and he said, "I hope so." That didn't make me feel too warm and fuzzy.
Anyway, I lay down on this narrow table with my arms over my head for 15 minutes while the machine slowly snapped x-rays. I wasn't supposed to move, but you know how that goes, right? Someone tells you not to do something, so of course, you have to do it. It wasn't too bad and then it was over. He said he'd see me tomorrow for part two of the test. I took that to mean that I was stuck with Mr. personality again. See what joys befall me?
I had no time to eat anything for lunch and had to head back to work. I used 1.5 hours of sick time in addition to my lunch. I heated a can of Soup to Go in the microwave and went back to my office to eat it. Just then, my boss walked in and sat down. She was in the mood to talk, so I couldn't really have my soup. The soup was too hot anyway, but by the time she left, it was cold. So much for lunch.
So after all of that crazy back and forth shit with my PCP, don't you think that there was a problem with the paperwork when I got to the hospital? Of course there was. The paper that I was assured was a prescription and a referral, was indeed not. First, they didn't like the wording of the prescription and hopped on the phone to speak with someone at the doctor's office. It was 12:30, so of course, everyone is out to lunch. The hospital decided that the wording was correct after all.
I was called in to give more paperwork and that was when they decided that the paperwork from the PCP was not a referral. They called the doctor's office again and it was going to take them time to get the referral paperwork together. Meanwhile, I was sitting there waiting...The hospital decided to let them start the test even though they didn't have the referral, confident that the PCP would come through. Great because this was my lunch hour and now I was going to have to use more time to cover my absence from work.
A balding middle-aged man came to bring me into the room. He wasn't much of a talker and had zippo personality. Oh, this was going to be fun. I sat down and he went off to get the radioactive dye. It was the color of yellow/green Gatorade. He started looking for a vein to shoot the dye into. Since he was such a cold fish, I wasn't exactly forthcoming with how difficult it is to find my veins...I don't know why because the only person I was really hurting was myself.
He attempted to stick me in the arm. After digging around for a vein and not getting one, I suggested that he just go for the hand. Yeah, it hurts more, but at least they always find a vein. He tried the arm a second time and then went for the hand. He pushed the dye in and I said, "well, you got it, right?" and he said, "I hope so." That didn't make me feel too warm and fuzzy.
Anyway, I lay down on this narrow table with my arms over my head for 15 minutes while the machine slowly snapped x-rays. I wasn't supposed to move, but you know how that goes, right? Someone tells you not to do something, so of course, you have to do it. It wasn't too bad and then it was over. He said he'd see me tomorrow for part two of the test. I took that to mean that I was stuck with Mr. personality again. See what joys befall me?
I had no time to eat anything for lunch and had to head back to work. I used 1.5 hours of sick time in addition to my lunch. I heated a can of Soup to Go in the microwave and went back to my office to eat it. Just then, my boss walked in and sat down. She was in the mood to talk, so I couldn't really have my soup. The soup was too hot anyway, but by the time she left, it was cold. So much for lunch.
Blood Pressure
So last week I met with this new doctor. Dr. Bypass told me that I needed a new PCP to see me with my post surgery issues. When I walked into the building where the office was located, I was impressed. It was well-lit and had marble floors. The security guard let you into the lobby and then I had to be buzzed into the doctor's office.
As I stepped into the office, it looked like circa 1952. The hallway was dimly lit. The rugs were thin and dark and thread-bare. I was suddenly concerned. I figured that this Dr. Fink was going to be old and decrepit. Then I saw his diplomas handing on the wall. Columbia University 1999! I started to feel better about him.
What I liked is that the receptionist was very nice. Not like the ones at Dr. Bypass's office! I had to fill out some paperwork and then was whisked into a room. Dr. Fink came in right away. He was actually very nice. We went through my entire medical history in a flash. All their records were computerized too. No more paper files for this office. I explained why I was there, at least as far as I understood it.
He explained that he was the director of bariatric at the hospital, and did most of the follow up visits with gastric bypass patients so he is very familiar with the issues we face post surgery. He asked me if I knew what sort of complications can be the result of the surgery. Um, Death is a possibility, so is leakage, hernia, blod clot and infections. He was happy that I just reeled them off to him.
He asked why I thought I overate. I said I was an emotional eater. He said that of all the times he has asked this question, only once did someone say that they were hungry all of the time. He pointed out that whatever issues I had would still be there post surgery and so I had to work through them, which I acknowledged. I'd have 12-18 months of a honeymoon period of weight loss and then after that, I'd know how to beat the system so to speak and while the surgery would make my stomach full, it wouldn't change what was in my head. Yes, there is going to be a shrink in my future and not just in pants size.
The nurse took my blood pressure when I came inand it was crazy high. 150 over 100. WHAT! Yeah, so he took it again and it was still high like 145 over 100. As I gain weight, my BP goes up. If I lose weight it goes down to normal. He said I was hypertensive and wanted to see me next Monday. If my BP was still high, he would prescribe a BP medication to get me through the surgery.
All and all, I liked Dr. Fink. He seemed nice, not jerky like some docs are. He also had a sense of humor, which I happen to like in a doctor. I told him I was having the stress test. He said that as long as the test was okay, he'd approve me to have surgery.
As I stepped into the office, it looked like circa 1952. The hallway was dimly lit. The rugs were thin and dark and thread-bare. I was suddenly concerned. I figured that this Dr. Fink was going to be old and decrepit. Then I saw his diplomas handing on the wall. Columbia University 1999! I started to feel better about him.
What I liked is that the receptionist was very nice. Not like the ones at Dr. Bypass's office! I had to fill out some paperwork and then was whisked into a room. Dr. Fink came in right away. He was actually very nice. We went through my entire medical history in a flash. All their records were computerized too. No more paper files for this office. I explained why I was there, at least as far as I understood it.
He explained that he was the director of bariatric at the hospital, and did most of the follow up visits with gastric bypass patients so he is very familiar with the issues we face post surgery. He asked me if I knew what sort of complications can be the result of the surgery. Um, Death is a possibility, so is leakage, hernia, blod clot and infections. He was happy that I just reeled them off to him.
He asked why I thought I overate. I said I was an emotional eater. He said that of all the times he has asked this question, only once did someone say that they were hungry all of the time. He pointed out that whatever issues I had would still be there post surgery and so I had to work through them, which I acknowledged. I'd have 12-18 months of a honeymoon period of weight loss and then after that, I'd know how to beat the system so to speak and while the surgery would make my stomach full, it wouldn't change what was in my head. Yes, there is going to be a shrink in my future and not just in pants size.
The nurse took my blood pressure when I came inand it was crazy high. 150 over 100. WHAT! Yeah, so he took it again and it was still high like 145 over 100. As I gain weight, my BP goes up. If I lose weight it goes down to normal. He said I was hypertensive and wanted to see me next Monday. If my BP was still high, he would prescribe a BP medication to get me through the surgery.
All and all, I liked Dr. Fink. He seemed nice, not jerky like some docs are. He also had a sense of humor, which I happen to like in a doctor. I told him I was having the stress test. He said that as long as the test was okay, he'd approve me to have surgery.
Stress Test Part 2
Part two of the test was scheduled for 8:30 am on October 31. Yes, that meant Halloween. It is also my wedding anniversary. Silly me, but I thought that if I arrived early, they might take me early and that would mean less time away from work. I was there at 7:45. No, they didn't take me early.
I was called in at 8:35. Zippo personality was nowhere in sight. I was lead into a different room and the nurse had me sit down so that they could put an IV in me. I started to explain that I was hard to get a needle into, and she said, " Oh, we know all about you." Uh, oh. Sounded rather ominous. She said that they were bringing in their top gun to get the IV in me as Zippo personality cued them in as to how difficult it was to get my veins!
Teeka came in and she slapped my arms and tied two tourniquets on me to find my veins. I told her to go for the hand and she did--twice, with no luck. The vein on my hand was popping, so she was putting a lot of pressure on it to prevent bruising. She did not want to try a third time. They called for reinforcements. A former IV nurse came in and did a thorough examination of my arms. Slapping my veins and tying the tourniquets while she yapped on and on. She kept saying that she wouldn't stick me unless she was sure that she could find a vein. I was beginning to think that it was never going to happen and then she did it. Right in my poor hand that had already been jabbed twice. Ouch! It really hurt, but she got it in.
Next, the cardiologist was called. It seemed to take him forever to show up. They couldn't start the test without him. The EKG things were all over my chest and side and back and I was just waiting. He finally showed up sp the test could start. I started walking on the treadmill at a nice pace. Nurse took my BP and it was 144 over 88. After 3 minutes, they speeded me up and took my BP again and it was 160 over 89. He kept asking if I had any pain, if I was tired or if I had trouble breathing - no to all. Then they had me going super fast. I wasn't running, it was more of a fast jog. My BP was 180 over 89.
The treadmill stopped and the dye was injected. The cardiologist said I did fine, but had to wait for the x-rays to give me a passing grade. He said that I was hypertensive, yep, I already knew that and thought I should be prescribed a BP medication temporarily. I explained that I saw his colleague last night and he did prescribe me medication that I was to take right after this test was over. He seemed pleased. I waited in the waiting room for 20 minutes while the dye worked its way into my heart.
Zippo personality came back to get me. He took me into his lair and did the x-rays all over again. When he was done, he removed the IV and the EKG thingies. I decided to stop by Dr. Bypass's office because it was in the same building. As soon as I got there, and told them whom I was, they said they already had the results of the stress test and I was a go for surgery on November 6th.
All I needed now was my medical clearance. I asked which doctor I had to get it from, thinking it would be my new PCP. I was told Dr. R., my former PCP. Great, now I had to get an appt. with him!
Went to work and called my husband. Explained I had to have an appt. with Dr. R tonight! Reason? It is the only late night for Dr. R and Dr. Bypass needed the medical clearance in their office two days before surgery. He called me back in a huff. They told him it wasn't enough time to get the clearance and Dr. R was booked so I couldn't see him. They told him could come in at 1 pm to see a doctor I had never seen before. First off, I didn’t know this dr. and second of all, I just got into work at 11 am. I couldn't very well tell my boss that I had to leave at 12:30 for another dr. appt.
The whole thing was exasperating. I couldn't get the medical clearance until the stress test was done anyway. I didn't make an appt. with Dr. R because I thought my new PCP was going to do the clearance. I decided to call Dr. Bypass's office. Can Dr. Fink do my clearance instead of Dr. R? Sure, they said. Why didn't they tell me this earlier??? Okay great. Fax everything to him. I called Dr. Fink's office to let them know the paperwork was coming. I called my husband and told him to forget Dr. R. He said he made me an appt. with Dr. R at 4:45 on Thursday. Forget it! That was too late anyway and I already have Dr. Fink doing it and I don't have to go back to his office as I just saw him last night.
ARGH!!! Doctors and insurance companies. What a combination!
I see Dr. Bypass tomorrow morning at 8:30 for my pre surgery weigh in. If they tell me that they do not have my medical clearance, you will be able to hear my screaming from the comfort of your own house.
I was called in at 8:35. Zippo personality was nowhere in sight. I was lead into a different room and the nurse had me sit down so that they could put an IV in me. I started to explain that I was hard to get a needle into, and she said, " Oh, we know all about you." Uh, oh. Sounded rather ominous. She said that they were bringing in their top gun to get the IV in me as Zippo personality cued them in as to how difficult it was to get my veins!
Teeka came in and she slapped my arms and tied two tourniquets on me to find my veins. I told her to go for the hand and she did--twice, with no luck. The vein on my hand was popping, so she was putting a lot of pressure on it to prevent bruising. She did not want to try a third time. They called for reinforcements. A former IV nurse came in and did a thorough examination of my arms. Slapping my veins and tying the tourniquets while she yapped on and on. She kept saying that she wouldn't stick me unless she was sure that she could find a vein. I was beginning to think that it was never going to happen and then she did it. Right in my poor hand that had already been jabbed twice. Ouch! It really hurt, but she got it in.
Next, the cardiologist was called. It seemed to take him forever to show up. They couldn't start the test without him. The EKG things were all over my chest and side and back and I was just waiting. He finally showed up sp the test could start. I started walking on the treadmill at a nice pace. Nurse took my BP and it was 144 over 88. After 3 minutes, they speeded me up and took my BP again and it was 160 over 89. He kept asking if I had any pain, if I was tired or if I had trouble breathing - no to all. Then they had me going super fast. I wasn't running, it was more of a fast jog. My BP was 180 over 89.
The treadmill stopped and the dye was injected. The cardiologist said I did fine, but had to wait for the x-rays to give me a passing grade. He said that I was hypertensive, yep, I already knew that and thought I should be prescribed a BP medication temporarily. I explained that I saw his colleague last night and he did prescribe me medication that I was to take right after this test was over. He seemed pleased. I waited in the waiting room for 20 minutes while the dye worked its way into my heart.
Zippo personality came back to get me. He took me into his lair and did the x-rays all over again. When he was done, he removed the IV and the EKG thingies. I decided to stop by Dr. Bypass's office because it was in the same building. As soon as I got there, and told them whom I was, they said they already had the results of the stress test and I was a go for surgery on November 6th.
All I needed now was my medical clearance. I asked which doctor I had to get it from, thinking it would be my new PCP. I was told Dr. R., my former PCP. Great, now I had to get an appt. with him!
Went to work and called my husband. Explained I had to have an appt. with Dr. R tonight! Reason? It is the only late night for Dr. R and Dr. Bypass needed the medical clearance in their office two days before surgery. He called me back in a huff. They told him it wasn't enough time to get the clearance and Dr. R was booked so I couldn't see him. They told him could come in at 1 pm to see a doctor I had never seen before. First off, I didn’t know this dr. and second of all, I just got into work at 11 am. I couldn't very well tell my boss that I had to leave at 12:30 for another dr. appt.
The whole thing was exasperating. I couldn't get the medical clearance until the stress test was done anyway. I didn't make an appt. with Dr. R because I thought my new PCP was going to do the clearance. I decided to call Dr. Bypass's office. Can Dr. Fink do my clearance instead of Dr. R? Sure, they said. Why didn't they tell me this earlier??? Okay great. Fax everything to him. I called Dr. Fink's office to let them know the paperwork was coming. I called my husband and told him to forget Dr. R. He said he made me an appt. with Dr. R at 4:45 on Thursday. Forget it! That was too late anyway and I already have Dr. Fink doing it and I don't have to go back to his office as I just saw him last night.
ARGH!!! Doctors and insurance companies. What a combination!
I see Dr. Bypass tomorrow morning at 8:30 for my pre surgery weigh in. If they tell me that they do not have my medical clearance, you will be able to hear my screaming from the comfort of your own house.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
More Stress
So I think my stress test is scheduled and then the hospital calls me and tells me that I have to bring the referral from the doctor, pre-certification and a prescription from the doctor. She left the message on my voicemail at work so nothing was explained. What precertification??? She said that she called Dr. Bypass and he said that they don't do the pre-certification.
I call her right back and get her voicemail and I leave a message for her and wait....and wait...I don't like waiting so I decide to call my new doctor that I saw Monday night. I'll get to that later, but I ask if the pre-certification is the same as the medical clearance, which we had discussed Monday night. Nope. They don't do pre-certifications. Dr. Bypass does that. ARGH!!! No one knows WTF is going on and I just want to cry. I hang up and wait.
The hospital called me and I asked her what the pre-certification was for. She said it was for the stress test. Okay, that helps a bit. I thought it had to do with the surgery. She told me to call my primary doctor to get the pre-cert and reminded me to get the referral and the prescription. I told her that the hospital should have the referral already, but of course, she said they didn't.
I shut my office door and call the referral people. They told me that I had to call a toll free number and make the appointment for the stress test. I already had the appointment for the stress test, but I play along. She gives me the authorization number which she says is the pre-certification. I call the 1-800 number and it was easy. I gave them my name and the authorization number and I told them where I was going for the test.
Then I sent my husband to my primary doctor to get the copy of the referral and the prescription for the stress test. They didn't understand why a prescription was needed because the referral was sent. AR came home with a piece of paper that he was told was the referral. Oh, it was a referral all right, but not the right one. It was a referral for me to see Dr. Bypass, which isn't going to help me get the stress test at the hospital. ARGH!!
We waited one day and then AR went back to the office. He was able to get the referral and the prescription. They knew he was going to come back because they realized they had given him the wrong referral. Would have been nice if they'd called us though, right?
It think it will be a friggin miracle if I actually have the surgery done on November 6th.
I call her right back and get her voicemail and I leave a message for her and wait....and wait...I don't like waiting so I decide to call my new doctor that I saw Monday night. I'll get to that later, but I ask if the pre-certification is the same as the medical clearance, which we had discussed Monday night. Nope. They don't do pre-certifications. Dr. Bypass does that. ARGH!!! No one knows WTF is going on and I just want to cry. I hang up and wait.
The hospital called me and I asked her what the pre-certification was for. She said it was for the stress test. Okay, that helps a bit. I thought it had to do with the surgery. She told me to call my primary doctor to get the pre-cert and reminded me to get the referral and the prescription. I told her that the hospital should have the referral already, but of course, she said they didn't.
I shut my office door and call the referral people. They told me that I had to call a toll free number and make the appointment for the stress test. I already had the appointment for the stress test, but I play along. She gives me the authorization number which she says is the pre-certification. I call the 1-800 number and it was easy. I gave them my name and the authorization number and I told them where I was going for the test.
Then I sent my husband to my primary doctor to get the copy of the referral and the prescription for the stress test. They didn't understand why a prescription was needed because the referral was sent. AR came home with a piece of paper that he was told was the referral. Oh, it was a referral all right, but not the right one. It was a referral for me to see Dr. Bypass, which isn't going to help me get the stress test at the hospital. ARGH!!
We waited one day and then AR went back to the office. He was able to get the referral and the prescription. They knew he was going to come back because they realized they had given him the wrong referral. Would have been nice if they'd called us though, right?
It think it will be a friggin miracle if I actually have the surgery done on November 6th.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Test Scheduled
My stress test has been scheduled; or rather I should say my tests have been scheduled. I have to have two done over a two-day period, which makes this all incredibly inconvenient. The first test as 12:30 on October 30th and the second is 8:30 am on October 31st.
The problem? I don’t really have any time I can use to take off from work. I won’t be at my job 1 year until November 14th. My surgery is November 6th. The little time I have must be used to get me from Nov 6th through November 14th, so that I can start FMLA from November 15th on.
I’ll have to go into work on the 30th and leave at 12:15. I’ll take my lunch from 12:15 until 1:15. They said I should plan on being there 1.5 hours each day. Hopefully I can be back at work by 2:30. The following day I will just have to go into work late and I am guessing that I shall be in work by 11 am if not sooner.
10/24/2006
The problem? I don’t really have any time I can use to take off from work. I won’t be at my job 1 year until November 14th. My surgery is November 6th. The little time I have must be used to get me from Nov 6th through November 14th, so that I can start FMLA from November 15th on.
I’ll have to go into work on the 30th and leave at 12:15. I’ll take my lunch from 12:15 until 1:15. They said I should plan on being there 1.5 hours each day. Hopefully I can be back at work by 2:30. The following day I will just have to go into work late and I am guessing that I shall be in work by 11 am if not sooner.
10/24/2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Stressed Out
So it is October 23rd and I still don’t have an appointment to have my stress test done. I am so stressed over this (no pun intended, I swear!) like you cannot imagine. Why is this just so goddamned hard to get done? I’ve gone back and forth with my primary doctor’s office since October 13th. I foolishly believed them when they said someone would call me and leave me a message, which never happened. Precious time has been lost. It is difficult to make these types of phone calls from work too. I do not want the people I work with to know what is going on right now. Not their business.
Anyway, the way it was left off last Friday was that they sent the referral to Dr. Bypass. WHAT??? Why on earth would they send it to him? He isn’t doing the stress test. This has just become one confusing mess that I just can’t deal with it. I am to the point where I am going to say Fuck It and just forget the whole thing. I am that frustrated. I am so thankful that my wonderful husband has stepped in to get this done for me. Hopefully he will have good news to give me when we speak later today.
Anyway, the way it was left off last Friday was that they sent the referral to Dr. Bypass. WHAT??? Why on earth would they send it to him? He isn’t doing the stress test. This has just become one confusing mess that I just can’t deal with it. I am to the point where I am going to say Fuck It and just forget the whole thing. I am that frustrated. I am so thankful that my wonderful husband has stepped in to get this done for me. Hopefully he will have good news to give me when we speak later today.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Yet another doctor
Dr. Bypass's office called me to inform me that I will need a new primary physician that is affiliated with the hospital. This is so that the doctor will be able to keep tabs on me while I am at the hospital and for any post surgical issues I may have.
I am not thrilled with this news because: 1. I like my current PHP and 2. Now I have to squeeze in time to meet this doctor before the surgery so "he'll know me." Yeah, after meeting me once for 10 minutes, he's really going to know me. I'm starting to think that this is just a scam to get hospital affiliated doctors more patients. His name? Get this, Dr. Fink! Yep, that is his real name. Funny, huh? My appointment is Oct 23rd at 5:30. At least I don't have to take off from work for this.
I also have to have a stress test done, which none of my doctors do in the office. I will have to go into the hospital to have this done. Which of my myriad doctors will be coordinating this??? I don't know and I am so confused right now. Why does everything have to be so complicated? Now I have to scramble to have that done as well. Oh, joy!
I am not thrilled with this news because: 1. I like my current PHP and 2. Now I have to squeeze in time to meet this doctor before the surgery so "he'll know me." Yeah, after meeting me once for 10 minutes, he's really going to know me. I'm starting to think that this is just a scam to get hospital affiliated doctors more patients. His name? Get this, Dr. Fink! Yep, that is his real name. Funny, huh? My appointment is Oct 23rd at 5:30. At least I don't have to take off from work for this.
I also have to have a stress test done, which none of my doctors do in the office. I will have to go into the hospital to have this done. Which of my myriad doctors will be coordinating this??? I don't know and I am so confused right now. Why does everything have to be so complicated? Now I have to scramble to have that done as well. Oh, joy!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Dr. Bypass
Had my consultation with Dr. Bypass on Friday October 13th. Kind of an ominous date, so I was a bit nervous. I initially planned on going to work after the consult, but the sore throat I had the other day developed into a full blown cold, so I felt like shit. Called in sick.
Dr. Bypass was LATE. I was his first appointment of the day and he wasn't on time. I really hate that, but he was doing rounds at the hospital, so it wasn't like he slept late or anything. He wore a blue pinstripe suit. The pinstripes were kind of wide. Seemed like a strange choice in a suit. Weird thing is that the first time I saw him (in a group meeting) he had on the same pinstripe suit. Maybe all he owns is pinstripe? Anyway, I digress.
Got on the scale and it was the kind that tells you your weight and fat content. Great. I mean, I already know I am FAT, now I get to learn the percentage of fat I am. Oh, and they took a polaroid photo of me too. I'm sure I looked smashing in my sweatpants. I'm 52% fat. More fat than not.
Prior to the consult I had a battery of bloodwork done and an ekg and a chest x-ray which I had sent to him. I had a psych evaluation by a shrink (more on that later) & a visit to a nutritionist. I also had to fill out a stack of paperwork. I had to list my weight loss history. Yeah, that was depressing. I lost 300 pounds over the years, but of course gained it all back.
The upshot of it all was that he needs all this documentation to get the insurance company to authorize the surgery. "Not going to be a problem," he said. Wonderful, I am just so fat that they have to pay for it. Anyway, I'm supposed to weigh 145 pounds. I think I weighed that in 9th grade. Seriously, I am never going to weigh 145. Not ever. I will be happy to weigh anything in the 100s. If I follow his instructions and I choose the right foods and I exercise, one year after surgery I should weigh 190.
Before I left, I had to pick a date for my surgery. The first available date they had was November 6th. That seems awfully soon, but I said okay. Of course, my first thought was, what will I be eating for Thanksgiving? No, the surgery will not fix the way my brain works. Only I can change that and will be working on it. I can just see myself sitting there eating my two ounces of jell-o while everyone else is stuffing themselves with pepperoni, turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie! Well, I guess the holidays are as good a time as any to do this
I haven't told anyone about the surgery yet, except AR and my best friend. Guess I'll have to tell my family and my job soon. I mean, three weeks will come pretty quickly. Don't know how long I will be out of work. I'd like it to be as long as possible though :)
Dr. Bypass was LATE. I was his first appointment of the day and he wasn't on time. I really hate that, but he was doing rounds at the hospital, so it wasn't like he slept late or anything. He wore a blue pinstripe suit. The pinstripes were kind of wide. Seemed like a strange choice in a suit. Weird thing is that the first time I saw him (in a group meeting) he had on the same pinstripe suit. Maybe all he owns is pinstripe? Anyway, I digress.
Got on the scale and it was the kind that tells you your weight and fat content. Great. I mean, I already know I am FAT, now I get to learn the percentage of fat I am. Oh, and they took a polaroid photo of me too. I'm sure I looked smashing in my sweatpants. I'm 52% fat. More fat than not.
Prior to the consult I had a battery of bloodwork done and an ekg and a chest x-ray which I had sent to him. I had a psych evaluation by a shrink (more on that later) & a visit to a nutritionist. I also had to fill out a stack of paperwork. I had to list my weight loss history. Yeah, that was depressing. I lost 300 pounds over the years, but of course gained it all back.
The upshot of it all was that he needs all this documentation to get the insurance company to authorize the surgery. "Not going to be a problem," he said. Wonderful, I am just so fat that they have to pay for it. Anyway, I'm supposed to weigh 145 pounds. I think I weighed that in 9th grade. Seriously, I am never going to weigh 145. Not ever. I will be happy to weigh anything in the 100s. If I follow his instructions and I choose the right foods and I exercise, one year after surgery I should weigh 190.
Before I left, I had to pick a date for my surgery. The first available date they had was November 6th. That seems awfully soon, but I said okay. Of course, my first thought was, what will I be eating for Thanksgiving? No, the surgery will not fix the way my brain works. Only I can change that and will be working on it. I can just see myself sitting there eating my two ounces of jell-o while everyone else is stuffing themselves with pepperoni, turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie! Well, I guess the holidays are as good a time as any to do this
I haven't told anyone about the surgery yet, except AR and my best friend. Guess I'll have to tell my family and my job soon. I mean, three weeks will come pretty quickly. Don't know how long I will be out of work. I'd like it to be as long as possible though :)
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