OK, so lets rewind to January 2009......... (this is going to be a little long...sorry)
In January, my friend Wendy and I started to tinker with the idea of weight loss surgery. We wanted this to be something we did together from start to finish if it was possible. I had started this process back in 2004 and as fast as I came up with the idea...I lost it. I obviously wasn't ready for this type of change in my life yet. Anyway, I knew what we needed to do first....change our insurance to the insurance company that would cover the surgery!! During the transition, we decided to take it upon ourselves to research doctors, make appointments and set goals along the way. We had chosen Dr. Eddie Gomez of Mercy Hospital as our surgeon. The list of Doctors and Hospitals that could perform this surgery under our plan was a very short list. The only doctors that they would cover would need to have the Center of Excellence criteria. We also knew we needed to be assertive, well organized and have our act together...or at least appear as though we did!!
On March 1st, 2009, our new insurance had gone into effect. On March 3rd at 9 a.m., we had our very first appointment with Dr. Gomez. We were excited to continue this journey. We left his office with a list of doctors and procedures that needed to be done before submitting everything to the insurance company.
By the middle of April we submitted and received our decision from the insurance company. I was approved, but unfortunately my friend was not. We were both sad for her, but she refused to give up!!
I was ecstatic about what was about to happen in my life!! A change for the better!! It was going to be amazing. Once I was approved, the surgeons office scheduled me for my surgery on June 15th!! (that would've been yesterday!!!) I went to see Dr. Gomez, as well as the Cardiologist, Pulmonologist and Gastrologist....all on the same day. Dr. Gomez informed me that I would need to reschedule my surgery because he would be going out of town during my recovery period. I agreed...but was a bit disappointed. I was told to call the office the following week to reschedule. I called Monday, left a message.....called Tuesday, and was told to call back Wednesday.....called Wednesday, and was told that the office WAS MOVING!!!!!!!! My heart sunk to my feet!!! I was then told that I would have to call back the following week because they didn't have the new schedule for the new hospital.........Jackson South Hospital. I did not feel 100% comfortable with this decision....but I was going to live with it.....if I had to. So.......the following week......I called again and again...and again (I was stalking them!!).....their answering service decided to tell me they were moving and would not be taking calls till the next week!! UGGHHH!! Just my luck. During this time, I had a thought.....a dreadful thought. The surgeon changed hospitals....and my insurance company was very strict on the hospitals the surgery could be performed at.......and Jackson South was not one of them!!!! Once again...I was devastated!! I decided to get clarification from the insurance company before I decided to drive off the deep end!! Sure enough, after contacting my case coordinator.....I was right. I would need to find another surgeon!!! So...I kept my head high...and did exactly that!! Wendy had done research on the new surgeon, Dr. Nestor De La Cruz-Munoz and always felt like Dr. Gomez was not the right one for her. (she tends to be a little more realistic then me lol) During this time, she contacted the new surgeon and found out lots of information for the both of us. There was an informational session that we needed to attend the following week before seeing the Doctor. I was BLOWN AWAY by Dr. De la Cruz - Munoz!!! He was so informative and did not hold anything back from his session!! Immediately, I felt at ease and knew this was for the better and realized that God truly does have a plan for all of us.
I saw Dr. De la Cruz-Munoz on Friday, May 29, 2009. The office was amazing and had it all together. Because I already had the authorization from the insurance company, they scheduled my surgery that day!!! July 13th at Hialeah Hospital!! There were a few more things I needed to do before my surgery date that the other Dr. did not require. I need to see a bariatric nutritionist, which I see on June 26th and start the Optifast diet 2 weeks before the surgery (June 27th is my start date). The whole purpose of this is to shrink my liver and loose 15-20 lbs before surgery. It makes the surgeons job a lot easier, and my recovery time a lot shorter!! I plan to do this 100% by the book. This is a life change...not a quick fix. Having this surgery is not a miracle cure...but a miracle tool. If I don't do my part, it wont do its part.
So here I am today, Tuesday, June 16th. I just received a phone call from my care coordinator, informing me that my authorization has been OFFICIALLY transferred over to Dr. De la Cruz - Munoz's office!!! YAY!!! Im SUPER excited and will keep this blog going. I hope that my journey will be an inspiration to many people and make a difference in at least one persons life!! I will post pictures throughout my journey as well as the ups and downs.
