Thank God for Small Favors...

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
- Mark 11:22-24

After writing yesterday, I logged on to my insurance company's website and started looking through all of the claims that have been filed on our behalf by the different doctor's offices. I was really praying as I looked through the claims that I would be able to see back far enough, because they only archive the last 150 claims online. After that I would have to call the insurance company and ask them to look into it. I would be at their mercy as to when I would get the information that I needed.

Thankfully, on the very last page I found what I was looking for. I don't think I've been that excited over a doctor appointment in a long time. I knew that printing out the claim from online would do me no good, because the insurance company does not record anything other than the diagnosis and itemized billing, so I called the doctor's office. The nurse that answered the phone was great. I told her that I needed to place a request for a copy of my medical records dating back to 2005, and she initially told me that there would be a 24-48 hour turn around before I could pick them up. That was fine with me- it's better than waiting on the insurance company to get the records. However, as she was looking me up in the system, she surprised me by saying that she would just print them out while she had me on the phone.

I silently rejoiced, and quickly got ready to go and get my medical records. When I got to the office, they were waiting on me at the front desk. The nurse was so sweet that she even offered to make another copy of the records if I need them for another doctor. I thanked her and left, resisting the urge to speed all the way home so that I could look at the records and verify that my weights had been recorded by my doctor. I saw my weights and put them in to the BMI calculator to make sure that my BMI was high enough in 2005 to classify me as morbidly obese. As per my insurance company's guidelines, I have to be able to prove with medical documents that I have been morbidly obese for at least the last three years. When the calculator was done, I said a final prayer and then scrolled down to look at the calculation. I barely made it. My BMI from 2005 was 40.1 - a far cry from what I am at now. I've gained over 50 pounds in the last three years.

I was rather certain that I was morbidly obese in 2005, but I was also very concerned that I wouldn't be able to prove it with medical documentation as required. It just reaffirms my belief that if God brings you to it, God will see you through it. Thank God for small favors- he gives them to us each and every day. Sometimes I get so caught up worrying about every little detail that I can't see the forest for the trees. I just need to stop and realize each of the miracles and favors that he gives me and those around me each day.

Next on the agenda- quitting smoking. I know that I have quite some time (at least seven months) before I'll be having surgery, but I want to quit as soon as possible. The sooner I quit , the healthier I'll be. Also, quitting now as opposed to the required two months before the surgery will reduce my chance of complications even more than if I were to quit two months before the surgery. My quit date is Sunday, April 20th, 2008