sassyatty

I am in Kansas City and was sleeved on the 12th by Dr. Hoehn. Today I am 3 weeks out and have lost 23 lbs.!!!

Hi All- I need some input from anyone who has felt something similar. I am 15 days out from getting sleeved and have had little to no problems recovering. I have lost 18 lbs. and am really happy with my decision to get "sleeved." The only bump in the road has been this intense burning sensation that appeared around 10 days after my surgery and just seems to be getting worse. It is about 2 inches to the left of my belly button and not at the site of any of my incisions. It is not a constant pain but when I turn certain ways or get into my car, sit on the floor with my daughter, cough, sneeze, etc. it feels as if someone is poking me in the stomach with a lit match. It is very uncomfortable and pain meds (liquid hydrocodone) does not help take the edge off at all. I called and spoke to the nurse at my surgeon's office and she said if it is a burning sensation then it is most likely the nerves coming back after the swelling has subsided and it should subside as time goes on, and to take it easy. I have a 14 month old daughter and it is a bit tricky "taking it easy"...so I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this same burning, and how long it took for it to go away and if you did anything special to help ease the pain. Thanks much!

Connie...thanks so much! The nurse at my surgeon's office did tell me that if it was a burning sensation then it was most likely nerves that were irritated and inflamed. But to have a real answer as to what nerve and how it most likely happened is very helpful and eases my mind. It started about a week and a half ago...so I am hoping it will get less and less intense as the days go by. It is not easy chasing and picking up after a 14 month old with this pain in my belly!!! Thanks much!

I have the exact same thing. I called my doctor and they said if it is a burning sensation then it is the nerves that are coming back to life after the swelling has gone down. Mine is in the exact same place...just left of my belly button. Not a constant pain but when I sit a certain way or bend over...it really hurts. And don't even talk about sneezing...I almost started crying when I did! I think it is just our body healing and I can't really take it easy as I have a 14 month old to chase around all day. I think it will get better with time but I have read other posts on this board about this and some people have said it took up to 8 weeks to go away. Ouch!

I was sleeved on the 12th too!!! I am recovering pretty well but I am ready to be back to my normal self soon. It is hard not picking up my 1 year old as she doesn't understand why Mommy can't pick her up 20 times a day like I normally do. I am finding it very difficult to get in 64 oz. of liquid and 60 grams of protein as well. I am so scared to take any more than a small sip as I have read several stories about people experiencing pain when they drank/swallowed too much of the clear liquids. I know I will get the hang of it and know what my limits are, but this is a learning curve for sure. Good luck with the upcoming months and hopefully we will be thrilled with the results very soon!!!

Hello Everyone - I am new here but have been reading posts on this board for months now. I just got denied from United Health Care EPO Choice Plus today. I am extremely upset and am looking for some appeal success stories. I was not approved due to the fact that my BMI is 38.2 and I did not have evidence of any co-morbidities. My policy covers those individuals with a BMI of 35+ if there are one or more co-morbidities present. I am planning an appealing as I do have a family history of heart disease and diabetes, and I also have knee, back, hip and foot pain. I have not seen an orthopedist for the joint health issues but plan to do so if the medical diagnosis would help the insurance company approve my sleeve surgery. Has anyone here been successful with a UHC appeal? If so, coul you tell me a bit about how you did it and what information you submitted? Thanks in advance!

I just wanted to update everyone who was kind enough to respond to my initial post. I just got the news from UHC that my appeal was granted and my surgery has been approved!!! I feel like 1,000 lbs. has been lifted off of my shoulders and am just so thankful that I did not throw in the towel!!! I was remeasured and reweighed at the Dr.'s office I was visiting for an evaluation for sleep apnea, and those numbers put me over the BMI of 40 threshold that UHC required for approval. WooHoo...no I just need to get my surgery scheduled and I will be on my way. Thanks again for your help and advice...it all worked out in the end!!!

Thanks everyone. Mommy2girls...first off CONGRATS!!! That is wonderful news. I was not assigned a case manager through UHC as my policy does not have the bariatric resource services as a benefit. Only persons with this benefit are given the case manager through UHC. I am trying to do everything I can to establish enough supporting evidence for an appeal...but it is discouraging to say the least. But I will just do what I can do and leave the rest up to God. We'll see what happens. Thanks again for the information.

Hello Everyone - I am new here but have been reading posts on this board for months now. I just got denied from United Health Care EPO Choice Plus today. I am extremely upset and am looking for some appeal success stories. I was not approved due to the fact that my BMI is 38.2 and I did not have evidence of any co-morbidities. My policy covers those individuals with a BMI of 35+ if there are one or more co-morbidities present. I am planning an appealing as I do have a family history of heart disease and diabetes, and I also have knee, back, hip and foot pain. I have not seen an orthopedist for the joint health issues but plan to do so if the medical diagnosis would help the insurance company approve my sleeve surgery. Has anyone here been successful with a UHC appeal? If so, coul you tell me a bit about how you did it and what information you submitted? Thanks in advance!