Category: Blog

I love what the case manager said:

I am updating you and letting you know I am submitting all your medical records and paperwork to your insurance today. I have snail mailed all your info to BCBS-TX. Their fax is down today. I will try again tomorrow but just in case I am mailing your info. Please call your ins. in 1 week to check status of your case.

We should hear something in about 3-4 weeks. It is always possible that your insurance company will request additional information that will delay the approval.  If you happen to hear anything let me know. If you get a letter in the mail, please make sure you send me a copy for your chart. There are times we are not notified and letters are sent to the patient only. Many patients think we will contact them assuming we received a copy also, when in fact we have no idea of your approval or denial.

 If you want to make sure you are on top of your case, you can call 1 week from now and check the status of your Lapband pre-determination. You can tell the insurance this is for lap-band CPT code 43770 for morbid obesity diagnosis code 278.01. Your insurance should be able to keep you posted. We all know how insurance companies can be. They will either lose your paperwork, or else it sits on someone’s desk for weeks. If you are in contact w/ the insurance you should be well informed of all steps involved.

I wish you the best and hope to hear good news soon!!

Current Status:  Waiting on case manager to submit paperwork to insurance company.

I am still working on losing weight, though the storms that have gone thorugh is making that idfifcult.  Knees ache the most but all joints are aching.  Only got 17 minutes in on the treadmill yesterday, we’ll see how the rest goes.

I posted a request for personal trainer referrals and got several, so I am going to look into that.

I’ve got a Magic Bullet blender so getting through the 4 weeks of post op diet is going to be good. 

I’m also trying to do liquid diet as much as possible between now and then, and keeping it as low carb as possible.  I really feel the difference after having lost over 7 pounds in the last month so that helps. Not sure what the surgeon will say but in my presurgery meeting with the TLC Edge Consultant, she said to try to lose as much as possible before the surgery and that the postop is cruicial in preventing slipping.  She also said that dropping the Diet Coke was cruicial too.

Expectations:  The dietician I am seeing drives me a bit nuts.  She was going on about how next year this time I should weight 170 pounds.  I don’t think so, that means a weight loss of around 140 pounds and I really don’t think that is a good idea.

I’d be happy with 250 pounds in one year from now. 

I also don’t want to hear things like off medications, off CPAP, etc.  Though I would LOVE a reduction in gastric reflux, I doubt that will happen for a long time, because I still has reflux with liquid diet only.  I think most of the reflux is the weight I am carrying.

Not Enough Sleep Causes More Eating and Diabetes Risk

This is the last problem I have to fix before surgery and the one that is the hardest, as I am still downstairs and haven’t headed up.  Though I am planning on sleeping in tomorrow.

Quoted from http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/results.php?storyarticle=6675:

Not Enough Sleep Causes More Eating and Diabetes Risk

Bought a Magic Bullet Blender at Walmart after my appointment today.  I wanted to wait until I tried it out before I said something.  I'm going to be on a liquid/mushy diet for about four weeks after the surgery.  My plan is to do Optifast/Slimfast as long as possible and when I get to mushy, smash everything up.  Worked really well with hamburger, and am going to give chicken a try tomorrow.  I was also looking for easy cleanup and it looks like it fits the bill. 

So that is out of the way.

Hit 25 minutes on the treadmill.  We'll see how I feel tomorrow. 

This article is RIGHT on the mark.  As a probable Type 2 diabetic with a probably dead pancreas I know.  And this was well written, and good information.  Good job!

Some of the concerns and comments about how a couple drinks might affect Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and his diabetes are well meaning, which is great.

Daily Herald | Alarm over Cutler’s diabetes way off base

I just completed 6 months of medically supervised diet.  Checked into my dietcian's office at 8:00 am this morning (yes, May 1st), the first possible moment I could. <snicker>   I have now met all the requirements needed for insurance approval.

At least 7 pounds weight loss from last visit and I think I'm close to were I started 6 months ago.  <sigh>

I also met with the surgical consultant.  She went over the whole lap band system again.  Her name is Cynthia and she wrote the book, which I need to go order.

TDD is down to 80 units a day from 150.

Treadmill walking is up to 22 1/2 minutes a day last night and 20 minutes a day consistently the last two weeks.

Best news — dog agility practice is going better!

Now I am waiting for insurance approval and I'm going to keep up with what I am doing with food, as low carb and fat as I can stand and only as much protein as I need to get through the day.

I had to return my first Ping (Animas pump), after my first weekend with it because I managed to scratch a very big area on it.  Looked like it had come in contact with in enemy board, and not for just a few moments.

Being the geek I am, I have sheets of screen protector for PDA devices.  I have to cut the sheet down substantially but I've had one on my pump for several months and it had gotten scratched, dirty, etc, even started a hole in the plastic.

Peeled it off this evening and the screen is as good as new.  I immediately put on a new sheet and I'm good to go.

Wish I didn't have to go to those lengths, never did with the IR1000, the IR1200, the IR1250.  Just the Ping.  Weird.

My last weigh in is Friday morning, less than 3 days.

Good things are happening, finally.  I had the best dog agility practice in a long time and was able to actually run a few of the courses.

I was having problems with Tarsel Tunnel Syndrome but after the chiropractor adjusted my foot and a day in my New Balance walking shoes, I'm fine.

I'm doing 15-20 minutes on the treadmill now, and I am eating protein and Slim-Fast only. 

It's hard to wait now that I am committed to the surgery.

My last weigh in before surgery is on Friday at 8:00 am. 

Still not losing weight.  I am however, working hard on sleep, as I think that is the final problem.  I’ve been getting to bed before 11:30, and I have been waking up at least twice, but I have stayed in bed. 

Today I did real wel, went to bed before 11:30, woke up at my usual time, fed dogs, ate breakfast and went back to bed until 10:00 am.  If I can do that again tonight and tomorrow, and then start getting to bed before 11:00 next week I think I will do a lot better.

Means I got over 6 hours of sleep, and I know I really need right around 8 hours, but am having trouble with the mask.  Hopefully when school is out I can do even better.

We’ve got right around 5 more weeks, one week of that exam week.

May 1st is my last medical weight loss appointment.  I've been doing okay, but I still don't think I losing weight.

I can have been doing Slimfast either shakes or bars during the day, but I'm still either too tired or too thirsty to be completely in control of eating.  I'm working on it though.  I do mostly protein at night, but went a little out of control yesterday.  Felt better after though.

Yesterday was the end of the 5th six weeks, so we have about 6 more weeks to go of school. 

The great news is that my blood sugar has been very smooth and fairly low.

Tuesday I'm literally taking a mental health day  and seeing my psychriatrist hopefully to help me deal with the eating issue.