& Surgery

[Guest guest]

Dear Folks,

Never ask this group a question unless you want their honest

opinion.......First the good news (at least we think so)....State

Employees Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC has just APPROVED LAURA for

surgery between now and 10/99!!!

Once they figured out the request wasn't a duplication of mine it took

about two weeks for approval from Dr. R's filing date.....Gotta love

this insurance company!!!! There's no way I would switch to any of

the HMO or Managed Care plans the state has even if I did get a

" prescription card " out of the deal. I'll pay for my meds up front

(even if I have to rent out the poodles for stud service) to get to

keep the kind of benefits and coverage I have.

I said good news first, now here's the not so good news: If I thought

I caught (^#%$ & ) for my " rabid " defense of Dr. R, it pales in

comparison to the vitriolic responses is getting from several

people......although most of the less than tactful ones seem to be

with the OSSG bunch who must be monitoring our list too....The half

who know me and Dr. R and his surgery are at least taking the approach

that if is mature enough to do the research, write her own

letters, do the contacting etc....in other words jump through all the

hoops on her own, then she's old enough for the procedure.....

As for the nay-sayers, they are vehement in their diatribes about " no

matter how smart she thinks she is, she has no idea what this surgery

is really all about, the possible consequences, she's young enough she

could exercise and stick to a diet and get the weight off that

way " ....DUH!!!

How can someone who knows how many years most of us struggle with

weight loss products, diets, yada, yada, yada....with little permanent

success actually suggest the very thing that they get mad about if

someone suggests it to them?

If we truly accept the premise that obesity is a genetic

pre-disposition instead of a character flaw what difference does age

have to do with the " diet and exercise " being successful?

I am not pushing to have this surgery. This is her idea. She

does know the pros and cons and actual daily life changes following

this surgery......she lives with an " example " . She's kept up with all

the e-mails from the MGB bunch too.....She's not having this surgery

just so she can attract " guys " , there are health issues involved.

Anyway, now that Mama Lion has defended her cub........please do feel

free to share your views, after all she did ask your opinions, but if

you have a negative opinion please at least try to be tactful about

it.

The way I look at it: If Dr. R thinks she is a suitable candidate

after meeting and talking with her; her counselor/psychologist and

family doctor both strongly support the procedure for , and her

father and I are behind her...then that ought to be a fair indication

that the individuals who know her best are neither pushing nor

hindering her in her desire and that she is indeed mature enough to

handle this.

Heaven knows, her young age ought to speed the recovery process. I

know there are no guarantees that everything will go perfectly...there

could be complications and if that happens I will feel guilty because

no parent wants their child to suffer or risk their lives for

anything.....but I have to trust that Dr. R and the Good Lord will

take care of that end of things....and if having this surgery saves

her years of health problems and unhappiness....then I will be her

biggest supporter in this endeavor.