Ready4success

Hi everybody! My name is Kim and I am 36 yrs old. I am an ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) and will be starting a RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant) program the day after I get sleeved. Yikes! I was a CST (Certified Surgical Tech) for 4 years before becoming a CNOR (Certified Nurse of the Operating Room) for the last 8 years. I'm a single parent of a special needs daughter, who will be tuning 16 on August 4th. I've been busy planning her surprise Sweet 16 party, so between shopping for pre-op Protein shakes and what not, I've been shopping for the party. I'm excited at the possibility of not being in so much pain everyday, plus no more HTN or DM.

Don't fret. The Cigna requirements changed to 3 months, so you have more than enough to cover for the lapse. If you need the psych eval again, the provider can just do an update stating there were no changes, and that you are cleared. The same can be done with the other appts. There is no need to do full evaluations again. Call Cigna directly and find out exactly what is needed since your 6 months (which is now 3 months) weren't consecutive. They will be able to tell you how to handle it. It happens more often than you think.

Wow....you look like you're a younger sister. Good job!

Lol, too funny. OTR, you're crazy.

You look great!!! That is your color too. Keep smiling because you're doing a great job!

Surgeons prefer not to operate on people who have taken anything that could thin the blood especially in elective surgery, but it also depends on how many days you took it, and what dosage you took. Just be honest, and don't take any more. Good Luck!

I'm on the 28th too.

I'm on the 28th too.

I'm August 28th too. I can't even think about it without getting nauseous.

Has anyone heard of Victory Hospital in Houston or any of the Victory Hospitals? I'm scheduled to have surgery there, and I've never heard of it. It's odd because Houston is home to the world renowned Texas Medical Center, and I'm having surgery at a hospital I've never even heard of. Please tell me someone knows something about this hospital.

In the case of rings that WON'T come off, we are able to tape it to your finger so it doesn't cause a burn. With any jewelry that remains on your body, there is a risk of burn, so it's safer to just remove it. As soon as you are awake enough to put it back in, you can. I've seen patients put piercings back in as soon as they opened their eyes. Plastic spacers are not a risk for burn, but can still be ripped out of the skin by accident, so it's safer for EVERYONE to just remove it.

I don't know if my anxiety is normal, but to me it seems so extreme and I wonder if I'm doing too many things at once. My surgeon's office called to offer me the first available date, August 15th, I said it was too soon. WHAT??? I couldn't believe those words came out of my mouth. She then offered August 28th, and I told her that I would get back to her. I couldn't help it, it was like I lost control of my body or something and couldn't say yes. I have been waiting and wanting an August date, because I got a new job, and I'm only hanging on to my current job because my deductible and OOP were met. I don't know if I'm panicking because I'm starting too many things at once, or if everyone goes through it. I'm starting a post master's program on August 27, I'll maybe have surgery August 28, and I start my very first job as a NP on September 17th. I've always done many things at one time and have been able to handle it, but this time I'm not so sure. What do you guys think? I feel like ALL of my dreams are coming true, but I just want to bury my head under the covers. Thanks for any advice.

Thanks for the advice everybody. I'm going to talk to my manager in the morning to make sure I'll have enough time to apply for FMLA and STD if I take the August 15th date. That means I will have to hurry and buy all my pre-op diet stuff to start it on Wed. Here we go....

The fact that so many people knew about it is NOT surprising to me. I AM surprised that they acted so unprofessionally by letting you know that they knew about it. When something like that happens, it has to be documented, it goes to risk management, and everything gets rehashed numerous times to analyze any wrong doing and address whether anything could have been done differently. In other words, it is a BIG deal. On your next day of surgery, your team will be talking about it again, and they'll probably be freakishly cautious with everything, treat you with kid gloves, and meet your every need. When you get to the floor, the nurses there will know about it too, because it has been documented , they'll get the news in report, and they will have access to your records. This type of behavior by healthcare givers is normal, it's kind of our way of saying that we're going to take extra great care of you because of what happened. If you get annoyed, just tell them to leave you alone, we can be sickenly sweet sometimes. Once again, good luck and you'll wake up with your itty, bitty stomach. I know you'll do fine.

My two main vices! I felt a chill go down my back when I read this. It's like crack, that's why I'm afraid to take a sip. One will never be enough for me, that's why I'm diabetic, but oh the memories of a Dr. Pepper (in the can) on the way to work, and a Big Red (in the bottle) during my lunch. Yummmmmm. (As I take a sip of my G2 Fruit Punch)

I was told the same thing and my approval letter came in the mail 3 days later.

First off, I am not a doctor, but I am an OR nurse and I've seen this happen once in 12 years. In my experience, we turned off the gas (CO2), and did chest compressions until the pt was resuscitated, then we started the gas at the lowest rate possible to see if he would tolerate it, and he did. We slowly went up on the gas until we got adequate insufflation until we were able to see, and we were able to successfully finish the surgery. This was a surgeon with decades of experience, and we were operating on another surgeon, so that maybe why we proceeded with the surgery. I agree that your surgeon needs a plan in case it happens again, and you should know the plan. I'm sorry that this happened, but glad you're okay. I wish you the best of luck!

One of the anesthesiologists at my job had wls, but he told everyone he started a low carb diet and running, and we believed him. He drank his low carb shakes at work, and dropped over 100 pounds in no time. We all admired his dedication to a low carb diet, and never knew any different. It wasn't until much later that he told me personally that he had the sleeve. Do you think he was trying to give me a hint, lol?

My paperwork was sent by my surgeon last Tuesday, and was accepted by Cigna on Thursday. I called on Friday just to make sure, and was told a decision would be made no later than today...and yep, I got the call saying I was approved. Not sure how I feel, overwhelmed that this for real now. The surgery scheduler is supposed to call with a surgery date. Good Luck to everyone with Cigna, sometimes they can surprise you.

First off, I'm sorry that you're having such a hard time. It does seem that only the good stories get told here, doesn't it? I hope with the help of your new doctor, you can get on the road to being mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy. I am still pre-op, so I don't have anything to add to your post about regrets, but I was just wondering about your reasons for having the surgery. The reason I ask this is because it seems that no one mentioned the risks versus the benefits of the surgery and how it applies to your PERSONAL situation. Take me for instance, I'm 36 years old and I have diabetes, hypertension, arthritis in both hips, and in my right knee. When I consider sticking myself four times a day for the rest of my life because of the diabetes, I'll risk the surgery. When I consider taking 2 medications twice a day everyday for the rest of my life and insulin to lower my blood sugars versus keeping candy in my purse in case my blood sugar gets too low, I'll risk that too. When I consider losing a foot or a leg from diabetes, it's a real no brainer for me, I'll risk a complication in surgery. When I consider taking 2 b/p meds everyday in an effort to prevent stroke, I'll take the risks of surgery. I am in physical pain from the time that I wake up until I go to bed, and it doesn't help that I have a very physical job (nurse), so just the thought of maybe going an entire day without pain is enough to make me risk a surgery that may cause a leak, a clot, or future surgery. This is why I AM choosing the surgery. My heart goes out to you, and I hope you start to feel better really soon. I wish someone had real discussions with you about this surgery and how it would affect YOUR life, but it's not too late to discuss this with your psych. I think you can still feel positive about the decision you made, because your reasons for making that decision are still there. I hope once you start to feel better physically and mentally, the reasons for the surgery will outweigh the complications you're having. Good Luck and Feel Better Soon! (hugs)

Thanks everybody!!!! Here is what I did: 1. April 27-Initial surgical consult (visit #1) 2. May 24-Met with dietician (visit #2) -Lab work & EGD done -Psych eval done 3. June 27-PCP (medical necessity/clearance) -Met with dietician (visit #3) -Final Nutrition consultation 5. July 24- Got approval You only need 3 visits, and the first visit counts. I tried to streamline the process as much as possible by using the surgeon's dietician on staff just to save time with fewer delays. I did use the psych through my insurance, since their psych was cash only. I paid my $25 co-pay instead of their $215 cash fee. I lost 8 pounds and gained back 3, so I don't think it matters. I expect to lose at least 10 pounds on the pre-op diet. It was very frustrating at times, but it was worth it. My surgery, hospital stay, and all associated fees are covered at 100%. Woohoo!!!!

I'm here, OR nurse, at work. Eating hummus on my lunch break.

Well, I called Cigna today, and found out that my bariatric's office actually submitted my info on Tuesday and it was accepted yesterday. The rep said my 5 days for review started yesterday, so I should know if I was approved or not by Wednesday of next week. Excited, but skeptical.