I realize that eventually I'm going to need to do a part three, so I
retract my previous statement that this is a two part post, and no claim
that it is going to be a three part post, as I will have to write about
my post-surgical experiences as well.
Anyway, so part two. The Journey from Consult to Surgery.
When
I got the job teaching at Stony Brook, and the accompanying amazing
health insurance, I decided to give things a shot. I had, once before,
had a consult for a reduction, but my insurance at the time wouldn't
have covered it. So I figured I'd try again.
When my
mom worked at North Shore Hematology/Oncology, they would send their
breast cancer patients to Dr. Letourneau for any reconstructive
surgery. My mom's close friend also had a breast reduction done there.
Everyone in the area who knows of Dr. Letourneau says the same thing:
she's the best, she's a perfectionist, etc.
So back in
March, I call to make an appointment for a consult with her and the
soonest they can get me in is May 31st. So I take it. The day comes
(which also happened to be the day that Chris got his new car!), and we
get to where I think the office is. Turns out, they moved since the last
time I had been there. So we go to the new place, which is a beautiful
brick building, and I fill out the paperwork, and wait. When doctor
comes in, she marks up my boobs, and we talk about the procedure a bit.
She
is fantastic. She's a very quirky, funny person, who obviously knows
and loves what she does. Her nurse practitioner, Denise, used to work
with my mom, and is also wonderful (I've been calling her almost once a
day, and she's been amazingly helpful). So here's what we work out at
the appointment.
Surgery scheduled for the 27th, I have
to go in for "markings" on the 25th, which is where they draw on me
with marker. Woo hoo. In the meantime, I need a note from my OB-GYN, my
primary care doctor, and the chiropractor that they've recommended for
me. I also need an ultrasound of my breasts, and to schedule
pre-surgical testing at the hospital.
So I start
calling and scheduling. My OB-GYN calls me back and basically asks what I
want the letter to say, so I tell her and she sends it off. Check. My
GP won't write me a letter until I see her. So I make that appointment.
When I get there, she realizes that she wrote the same letter for me
years ago (which I said when I left a message with her secretaries),
which just super-frustrated me because I had to come home early from
visiting my parents and pay the copay for the damned appointment. But
she says she'll write the letter. Check.
Ultrasound the
next day. I've had one on my gall bladder before, but having one on
your boobs is...weird to say the least. Anyway, check. The next day is
the chiropractor. She is awesome. She looked and felt and said that my
whole upper body is out of whack and that she'd not only be happy to
write the letter, but would also like to help me re-learn to stand
properly when I'm all healed up. Hooray! Check. But she also wants me to
have an x-ray done so she can establish a baseline. So I go back to
the same place where I'd had the ultrasound the day before and get an
x-ray. Check.
Breathe.
The next week,
the phone calls start again. Denise calls from Dr. L's office saying she
hasn't gotten ANYTHING from my GP or the chiropractor. She calls the
chiropractor and gets the letter, and I call my GP. THE SECRETARIES IN
MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE ARE NASTY BITCHES. They won't call me back, they told
me the letter was sent when it wasn't, and they WERE NASTY TO MY OTHER
DOCTOR'S OFFICE when Denise called to actually get the letter. BLAH!
But, check and check.
Then I go for pre-surgical
testing, which includes: blood tests, urine tests, blood pressure stuff,
etc. The NP here looked at my chart and said "Oh! Breast reduction! I
had mine in March!" She then puffs out her chest and starts raving about
how much I'm going to love the way I look and feel and how the back
pain is better the moment you wake up from surgery. It was awesome to
get that sort of encouragement. So that's done. Check.
So
yeah, now's just the waiting game. We're still waiting on final
approval from the insurance company, but I looked on their website at
the policy regarding this procedure, and I have MORE than enough to
prove what I need to prove.
Oh! Almost forgot. In prep
for the surgery, I cannot eat the following: garlic, celery, ginger,
capsicum (hot peppers), and many many more things. Some of this is fine,
but GARLIC!? I can't live without garlic. It's becoming problematic.
I'm DATING AN ITALIAN . But I'm coping with a smile.
I don't know if it's healthy to be this excited for surgery.
<3B
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