And so it begins...

I got the call today.  “Hi Deedra, this is insurance person, from bariatric center.  I was wondering when we could set your first appointment.”

This is GREAT news!  That means my insurance company acknowledges that I do have the coverage for the surgery and am eligible.  Insurance person proceeds to tell me a little more about the next steps in the treatment plan:

• I need to contact my Primary Care Physician (PCP) and get 2 years of medical history from her.  (Call has been made, just need to get the two talking.) 
• I have the option of meeting once or twice per month – with a minimum of 6 required visits.   (My impatient brain tells me 2x per month means I can do this sooner…hmmm)
• The visits will be with both the dietitian and the physician.
• In addition I will meet with a social worker / counselor and must attend at least 2 behavior modification classes.
• I must engage in an exercise plan prior to the surgery.  (I did learn an interesting fact from my own dietitian friend.  Why does the doc want you to lose weight before the surgery?  To shrink the size of your liver to help with the surgery being done laparoscopically.)

 Due at the first visit is that ugly fee that will cover part of these:

• Psych evaluation (that should be interesting!)
• Pre-Op and Post-Op meetings with the social worker
• Pre-Op and Post-Op meetings with the dietitian
• Exercise evaluation

The question looms though if the above will be approved to be reimbursed from my Flexible Spending Account.  It’s not billed to insurance so I’m not certain if it will be covered or if this will be the first true “out of pocket” expense that we are going to encounter.  I know this is just the start of the expenses.  Just a small portion.  My insurance is paying for the majority, but like I said on my initial paperwork, the financial impact is going to be felt.  It is going to be (and has already begun to be) the biggest stressor – for me…for CME…for us.  It’s the part that is actually causing a lot of guilt right now.  I’m not the one who works the extra hours to help with financial burdens.  I’m NOT good at spending money on me for what I would consider “big-ticket” items.  THIS is a big-ticket item!!

I talked to CME and coming off of Christmas is not a practical time to try to do anything expensive.  Yet, if I wait…well, I don’t want to wait.  Waiting scares me.  Waiting will make it where we’ll “hope” things are done and finalized by the end of the year so it doesn’t effect NEXT year…. So I’ve scheduled my (3-hour) appointment with the dietitian and social worker for Monday, January 16.  I’ll know more after that appointment. 

And since the appointments have started, I had to discuss it with my boss today.  Not the thing a fat girl wants to do...to talk to her male boss about having fat girl surgery!  But, I must say that it went very well.  He was very supportive and even talked about his brother-in-law who had the surgery 8 years ago and has kept the weight off.  He told me that he was excited for me and that he would definitely work with me on the appointments and surgery.  That is one relief for sure.

Since this is my blog I’m just going to say it.  My emotions are all over the board today.  I’m excited that it’s still moving forward, but I am stressed and feeling guilty.  Lots of embarrassment accompanied my talk with my boss.  I feel as if I could cry at any moment (though I am a crier by nature, this is different).  They say music soothes the soul, so I think I’m going to retreat to a quiet place tonight, listen to some of my favorite artist and read.  

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14