My Pre-Op Journal.....
CAUTION, *whining* here....Ok, I called yesterday, then hung up when voice mail picked up and then sent an email. I am a little pesty, but this is very important to me...No return emails, no return calls, so of course, I call again this morning. First I called, and it was too early, answering service was answering only, said they'd be in at 9:15 a.m. I called, finally got Joanne, now she says that I have to call to schedule my surgery with the office in Morristown (I guess she only does Lap-band appointments)....(yes, this is very frustrating!!!!). So I hang up, call Morristown, get put on hold, the girl comes back from the hold and says, "Can I call you back?"..."Will you be at this number for a half-hour". Of course, I say YESSSSSSSSSSSSS. 2 hours later, no call, so I call back. The girl puts me on HOLD AGAIN!!! Comes back and says, we don't have to see you again, until pre-admission visit. All you need to do is get a surgery date and you'll be set. I then ask, "when will that happen?"..I now find out that the girl is really nice on the other end of the phone, so I'm a bit calmed. She said, I will probably hear from them again concerning my actual surgery date either tonight or tomorrow. SOOOO maybe tomorrow I'll be able to change my counter to an ACTUAL DATE!!!! I am sooooo psych'd. I cannot wait to hear from them.
I know I'm a big baby and I shouldn't complain so much, but this is very important to me and I want things to go smoothly. I have been very organized in this whole process, getting all my paperwork together, scheduling and completing all my appointments and don't want to get lost in the shuffle. I have read so much on the WLS website of people waiting a YEAR to get scheduled for surgery because the office staff at the surgeon is too busy, incompetent or just "mistakes" happen. I just want to get involved every step of the way so that my paperwork is processed as quickly as possilble. I hope I can just relax once I get my surgery date and then get myself ready for the surgery, taking my vitamins, begin walking a bit, to get my circulation moving, etc. Thinking good thoughts and hoping for the best. I have to remember I cannot control everyone!!!
October 22, 2001 (Monday)
OMG, I HAVE A DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! December 11th is IT!!! With the opportunity to go earlier if someone cancels. WOW, this means that I won't have to bother Mary with endless calls to her office!!!! WOOO HOOOO!!!! I also have an appointment to see Mary and the Dr. one time before the surgery date on November 28th at 9:00 a.m. at Morristown Memorial Hospital. I have to admit, they are very nice, once you get ahold of them, but they do not call you back, and I really have a problem accepting that.....all I was asking for is what's my date and is my paperwork being processed??? Sheeeesh......well, all is good now :)
I am soo happy, you cannot believe (well, I'm sure you do, because I'm such a pain, see above posts!!). LOL.. Oh well, I will write again later, but just wanted to re-set my "Countdown to surgery date".
October 25, 2001 (Thursday)
Nothing new to report, just sitting and waiting until I hear from someone on my approval for surgery. I will be a bit patient on this end and won't call the surgeon's office until next week to check on that. They said it could take a week to three weeks for approval. So I sit and wait....Oh well..
I have to take a "before pic" to put up on the site. I hide all the time from the camera, I really hate having my picture taken. However, I know how amazed I've been looking at everyone's before/after snaps, that I must have one too. I guess I never want to see myself as I look right now -- it's so depressing to realize that I've let myself go sooooooooo far. I feel horrible, look horrible, and am literally counting the days till my "new" life begins. So, I will be a *big* girl, no pun intended (lol), have my picture taken, and post it here on the site. I plan on taking it in a location in the house that I will repeatedly take my picture through my transformation after surgery (now that is something to look forward to!!). I feel disappointed everytime I look at someone's site or WLS entry that doesn't have a picture.. Now, don't get me wrong, I love reading all the stories of the before, during and afters, and that's beneficial, but "seeing is believing". Maybe "seeing" me big, fat and whale-like, and opening myself up to the internet, will help ME more than anything else. I have a distorted view of just HOW BIG I am...posting pictures in living color will leave NO doubt, how big I am and face that fact, months down the road, that I was HUGE and never want to be here in this position again. By documenting forever, on the website, how I looked before 12/11/01 will be so beneficial to me in the long-run. Sooooo, this weekend, my number one thing to do, is TAKE A PRE-OP picture and post it here on the website for the whole frickin' world to see....lucky me...
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