I looked up my claims from my surgery...

$2712.00 for the anesthesia - contracted insurance rate $1368 - $0 patient liability

$38,378.25 for the surgery - contracted insurance rate $11,786.35 - $250 patient liability - I take offense to them charging $2980 of that (contracted: $934) for "accomodations". I've stayed in crapass hotels that were nicer accomodations. The surgery itself is $10,482.50 (contracted: $3287.75). The same surgery that people have to cross the border to get done because their insurance won't cover it. The contracted is (in this case) being covered in full by my insurance. The contracted amount probably wouldn't even cover the cost of the plane tickets and accomodations. Because this is normally a situation where I would use a lot of profanity, I will just say that it isn't fair and that it makes me sad.

I mean, the differences between the contractual amount and what they actually charge is astronomical. And if people with insurance couldn't get an authorization approved, why can't they be charged the contractual amount to make self pay an actual option?

I am LUCKY that I have good insurance. And I am so happy that I rarely have to use it.

Speaking of my health insurance, I'm even luckier that my employer pays for the bulk of my insurance. My job is monotonous and boring, but it's a hell of a company.

Today, Day 14, was my first day back at that monotonous and boring life suck. Now, since I've had my surgery, I've had puckering at the incision site where the tools were inserted. I don't know what the hell it is (well...was) - it was painful, it was where I thought my port was (that, ironically, doesn't hurt at ALL), and it looked like a doughy bellybuttony (yes, I know that's not a word) abyss.

Today, I was at work and I bent at the waist while sitting down to pick something up (I kinda forgot that I shouldn't do that quite yet) and I felt a popping feeling and then the dent was gone. There's no bleeding, no bruising and less pain than there was before.

I called my surgeon's office and they said that it sounds like I popped a stitch, but since it's not bleeding, bruising or tender/hot to the touch, that it should heal itself.

I ended up leaving my first day back at work two hours early. I was just overwhelmed with all of the change that took place in the two weeks that I was gone, and then the popping feeling - which I could not find JACK about on google - I worried myself sick and went home.

On the way home, I almost trusted a fart that wasn't. I called my friend and told her that. New life rule: never trust a fart.

I went to GNC yesterday and got this SUPER ULTRA MEGA PROTEIN SHAKE (not sure of the exact name and I'm too lazy to go and look). 12oz water + 3 scoops = 160 calories, 60g of protein. The guy working at GNC was shifty looking, though. Kind of like Draco Malfoy.

Yeah, I wasn't sure where I was going with this. I'm doing pureed foods now (sort of - mostly the stuff on the list that's already pureed or can be mashed like whitefish or tuna), tolerating everything. I bought cottage cheese to try again, because the first time I tried it, I thought it was gross and vocalized that to my sister. I will not repeat what I said because it was SO gross, but I figure maybe it's an acquired taste. If not, I'm just confirming that I don't like cottage cheese.

Yeah, I think I need to go to bed.