I was banded in June of 2010. Before the 2 week liquid diet i was 284 - day of surgery I was 267. Today, over a year later I teeter between 297 and 300. I have had 2 fills. I was banded through missouri health net (medicaid) because I was on SSI (i am disabled, but have never had a job- so ssi not actual ss disability). I am bipolar with mixed symptoms of schizophrenia, and have a connective tissue disorder. At the time of surgery I was on medication for bipolar, fibromyalgia, chronic pain (not fibro pain- but joint pain due to my connective tissue dis), insomnia and schizophrenia symptoms. A few months after I was banded, my husband started to receive actual SS Disability, and I lost my medicaid due to the federal income limits. No more psych meds, no more pain meds, no more band visits.
Our income dramatically decreased, and though I had been on medicaid for *years*, I was suddenly stranded with no medical coverage at all. Off my meds, and no longer able to afford Protein drinks, Vitamins, I started to gain... alot.
My last fill was incredibly painful (there was so much scar tissue around the port it took the nurse 3 sticks and lots of 'digging' and internal 'clicking' to find the port (they don't use any kind of numb-er either.. it was horrible- it's a year later and i'm still cringe thinking about my last fill!) and I know the scar tissue has just continued to build up (I can feel a huge knot at the port site- keloid scarring is a thing w/my disorder) ... I am miserable
Almost every time I eat anything I throw up, same with drinking- it feels like I'm swallowing my own throat sometimes, but when i can eat- I can 'eat the house' my stomach is often hard and bloated, again, I was only 267 day of surgery and am now teetering 300- I can't sleep- I can feel the knot in my port side, and my left side is often extremely sore... and I won't even get started on my mental status without my pills. I can't afford to have someone drive me the 3 hours to my surgeons office- and even If i could, I have no more medical coverage, and couldn't afford a self pay visit anyway... I have called fill centers, and 400 for an unfill visit is literally impossible for me... (we live check to check- under 1300 a month - and even with food stamps - we struggle to get by after paying our bills and setting aside for taxes) I try to only eat once a day so my husband and daughter have more to go around- but I'm always gaining... I think I should do liquids - but buying something separate for myself is out of the question... our income situation is not going to change- I can't drive, I can barely walk because of my disorder, even if I could drive, I'm over 30 with literally no job experience, I use a cane and wear ankle and wrist braces (and on occasion am in a wheelchair due to my hip)
I feel like I'm going to die because of this surgery, I feel they never should have let me have the surgery being on medicaid since there is always the chance of loosing it, I feel like they never should have agreed to it because of my mental state and my connective tissue disorder (they did not anticipate my scarring)... After canceling my appointments after I lost my medicaid, that was it, no calls from the clinic wondering if i was going to come in, no letters reminding me of annual l appointments ... they got their money from the state and I feel that's all they really wanted in the first place...
Has anyone else landed in my situation? low income, No insurance, no more doctors and just gaining gaining gaining? I just don't know what to do...
