Well, yesterday we received some great news here in Drosche Land. Amy found out that her gastric bypass surgery could be scheduled for next Tuesday, July 6th! This is the moment we have been waiting for since December! The long journey is almost over, and another is just ready to begin.
In early December Amy began researching the Lap-Band procedure as a way to lose weight. This is something she has struggled with her entire life and nothing has seemed to work or bring lasting results. As with anything she is passionate about she began extensive research and we discussed it at length. We decided this seemed like something she should explore so she went to a seminar here at Memorial Hermann - Memorial City. This seminar would be given by Dr. Robert Davis of the Davis Clinic here in Houston. He is actually one of the best bariatric surgeons in the nation and it actually featured on the TLC show Big Medicine.
After the meeting Amy came home with some conflicts. Dr. Davis actually recommended gastric bypass surgery over th Lap-Band system. So now we were confused as we had previously ruled this procedure out because it seemed too extreme. However, upon lots more discussion, prayer, research, and thinking about it we decided that the gastric bypass option was the best one for Amy. She moved onto the next step - insurance. The good news was that it was covered, 100%, by our insurance (with surgery costs of course)! The bad news was that our insurance required 6 months of nutritionist appointments and dieting rather than the typical 3 months. Beggars can't be choosers though so Amy proceeded with the process. It actually worked out better for us this way anyway since the 6 months would be up over the summer - the perfect time to schedule the surgery and subsequent time off.
Flash forward to June. Amy has her last nutritionist appointment and her paperwork is sent off to insurance for approval. Then that ugly "w" word (waiting) began. It was hard to be patient, especially for Amy, but we did. The worst part about the waiting was the fact that the longer we had to wait, the further into July the surgery would be pushed - too close to the start of the new school year for our comfort! But once again, beggars can't be choosers. Then finally, after over a week of waiting, Amy got her insurance approval on Monday! Now the waiting game shifted to that of a scheduled surgery date. We were well aware that we would most likely have to schedule for the last week in July or the first in August due to the fact that we are in Dallas twice in July - once for a conference and once for Lady Gaga! Again, not the ideal situation but there was little we could do about it. Then totally by surprise Amy receives her call from the Davis Clinic yesterday with amazing news - there had been a cancellation for July 6th! They checked with Dr. Davis and she was approved for that date! It means only one week of the liquid diet to prep rather than the initial 2-week period we thought she would have to take, but that is not a problem at all because she has lost some weight in preparation for the surgery. The funny thing is that July 6th was actually the exact date we had been hoping for since her final nutritionist appointment. It was the "perfect" date because it gave her time for recovery before the Dallas trips and time to take off while still returning to work well before the start of the new school year. Crazy huh?! You've gotta laugh at God's plans sometimes, he truly does know what is best for us despite out interventions to get done what we feel is best for us. He taught us a lot of patience during the waiting period and we were able to talk, think, and pray a lot about what is in store for our family over the next 12-18 months post-surgery. Guess he really does work in mysterious, and often comical, ways!
So, we (namely Amy) are ready to embark on a life (mainly Amy's) changing adventure here in Drosche Land! It won't be easy, we are well aware of that, but we are very excited about everything that is yet to come. Amy, and I firmly support her, has made this decision both for herself and for her family. She is putting her health first and foremost and in doing so is ensuring that her family will enjoy the wonder that is Amy for many more years to come. We truly believe that the positive health benefits far outweigh the potential risks of the surgery. This doesn't mean that we (I) aren't worried and nervous about the surgery. Amy is also very excited, although admittedly nervous, and has already begun purging her closet (2 bags full) of clothing she will NEVER need again! She is, of course, most excited about the end result of the surgery, even if that is still a while away! There are risks, as there are with any surgery, elective or not. But we go forth with confidence and prayer as we have done thus far throughout this entire adventure. Now that the news has been confirmed and we have officially put it out there publicly with family and friends I will continue to blog about it as we experience the next adventure!
All is well, both excited & nervous about the surgery, here in Drosche Land.
No comments:
Post a Comment