One Journey Completed

I have been researching gastric bypass surgery for years. I've talked to many people who've had it and I wonder why I never thought I was a candidate. Perhaps deep down I knew I was healthy and had no other reason to have the surgery other than to simply loose weight. In a way I felt like a failure at weight loss and it was my fault and this was my consequence.

Fast forward to 2009 when I made the decision to seriously look into it. One night, before I fell asleep, I remember telling my husband that I would pursue weight loss surgery until I'd exhausted all possibilities and was told, "no, this won't work for you." That day never came. Even though I was turned down, had insurance issues and distance issues, I continued to keep at it and I encourage you to do the same.

When I couldn't find kayak equipment to fit my body and have to have 3 grown men lift me out of a kayak, I knew it was time. That was in May of 2009. I was SO done being overweight and feeling like I couldn't participate in life and really live.

I started by meeting with my primary physician. Before I went, I wrote down successful and failed weight loss attempts for as far back as I could remember. I took the list to her and it was rather extensive dating back to when I was 13. She barely looked at it when she said, "Erin, I have had many patients who have sought bariatric surgery and I feel that you would be a perfect candidate." I couldn't believe it. Then again, why would I think anything else?

She sent my referral to the local surgical weight loss clinic and they immediately.... turned me down. It turned out that they did surgery at a hospital in town not covered under my insurance plan.

Back to square...2. I found out that UC Davis in Sacramento was the next closest facility, the next closest being San Francisco. I live in Redding, 2.5 hours from Sacramento, even more than SF. I got through all of the tests including over $2000 worth of blood work, chest xrays, an EKG, lost the 20% weight they required, took nutrition classes, documented my food intake for 4 weeks. Around January 5, 2010, I was ready to go. I called UC Davis with this great news and they informed me that sorry, but Blue Cross and UC Davis did not renew their agreement on January 1, 2010, so I would need to find a new facility.

Back to square 2. Again. I called my insurance company and gave them the rundown in early January and it turned out that I needed to meet requirements set by my employer. What more did I have to do?? I had to participate in an 8 week coaching session with a dietitian, but it took months to be referred and to finally get rolling. I was able to start that in April 2010 and finished in June.

Back to square 2. At that time, I was able to call UC Davis and have my paperwork sent over to my prospective new surgeon, which ended up being in Chico -- just a little over an hour from my house! It was July 2010 when UC Davis processed my request and another month until Chico received my paperwork and set up an appointment. It's actually been a piece of cake since then.

Today I was finally able to schedule my surgery date and it is 26 days from today on November 1. I am both excited and nervous, but here we go. As one journey to surgery ends, the next begins. it's time to rock and roll and get this weight off!