The Middle.

I began wait #1, the chance to change to the other insurance option. I found Lap Band Talk (LBT). I started reading posts/comments from people. While doing this, I saw one poster listed a blog. That was Catherine (http://chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com/). I figured what the heck and went to read her story. Read from beginning to end. On her site I saw the list of blogs she followed. That is how I found Amy (http://cheeseandsunkist.blogspot.com/). Again, read from beginning to end. Both of these women are awesome! I started checking out all the blogs they followed. I read a good majority of them…all as a lurker. My very first post was on Amy’s blog the other night. I am going to hang up my lurker boots and will actually start following them and commenting! I will create my own list of blogs I follow soon!

Anyhoozle, I continued my wait. Come December, I availed myself of open enrollment at work and changed my insurance! I knew from all the reading, that most insurance companies would cover the surgery if your BMI was over 40 (35 with co-morbidities). I also knew that a lot of the insurance companies required this to have been the case for more than 5 years. I contacted my doctor’s office and requested a copy of my records. Took a week…I got them on Dec 19. Now came wait #2. Come on 2010!!!

Tadpole was off with Daddy until Jan 2, so I totally enjoyed my holidays with my family and friends…no one to worry about but me! Tadpole returned home and we went back to work/school on Jan 4.

I was sitting at my desk doing my usual reading of blogs and LBT. It occurred to me that it was now after Jan 1. I was on the appropriate insurance program. I finally opened the records from the doctor’s office. I had records going back 10 years! In 1999 my BMI was 39.5. I went up from there…it hit 43.6 in 2001. It went down briefly but never below 36. In 2003 (after Tadpole was born) it was 40 and on the rise. It has never gone back down. I can’t believe I waited this long to open the file!!

I put together a spreadsheet of dates, weights and BMIs. I then looked for a surgeon…both in my area and that insurance would pay for (if surgery was deemed medically necessary). Mission accomplished. I then remembered something I read on LBT. Most people had to go to an information seminar with their choice of surgeon before anything else happened. I immediately began looking around my doctor’s site and found a seminar on Jan 6. HOLY CRAP…two days away.

I called a friend of mine, D, and talked her into going with me. I needed someone to help me with Tadpole while at the seminar. D kept me company on the hour long drive (each way). She then listened to the seminar while simultaneously taking care of Tadpole, so I could focus 100% on what was being said.

The End will follow soon.

-Frog