Bridget312001

I received a statement from my doc's office last week and was completely unprepared for what I saw. My insurance was billed for a VSG and Haetal Hernia repair to the tune of $120,000! Holy ****! When I had asked how much the procedure was going to cost previous to the surgery I was told it would be around $25,000 in total and "not to worry" insurance would pick up the tab. When I contacted the billing department I asked how they could justify this sort of charge the associate said that this was a major surgery and the charge was normal. She also went on to say that just because $120,000 was charged it didn't mean my insurance would pay that amount. I replied that according to the statement the insurance paid the whole amount!!!! Don't get me wrong. I had an awesome experience from beginning to end with my surgeon and his office staff, but was it all worth that much money? I think not. No wonder our insurance premiums are so much. To add insult to injury the docs office also said I had a balance of $2500 to pay out of pocket (after I was told there would be no out of pocket expense). I flat out told them to pack sand. No way am I paying a damn penny. They have had enough. I appreciate that I am very lucky to have my insurance pay for this procedure. I just cannot believe the gaul of my doctors office to charge SO much! I wasn't even at the facility for 24 hours! To give some perspective my boss had a tumor in his stomach and had the equivalent of a VSG with a FIVE DAY hospital stay. His bill in total came to $60,000. Can you see why I'm upset?

It's been a long year with many ups and downs but I am proud to say today I finally reached my goal weight this morning. I had Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) April 8, 2013 and over the last year I have worked hard to loose 89lbs. I started at 214lbs and am now 125lbs. VSG is not for everyone, but it worked well for me. My only advice to anyone thinking about the sleeve is to really REALLY do you homework and think about the lifelong changes YOU must make to use your sleeve to its best advantage.

I had a Fleur De Lis Tummy Tuck last Tuesday, and I have to say this last week was one of the most difficult of my life. I am no baby when it comes to pain. My discomfort was manageable. It was the fact that I didn't feel in control of my body and had to rely on others, hard to do when you are a hard headed independent woman like me. Oxycodone and morphine suppositories made me feel awful. Between feeling blazing hot then freezing cold to not wanting to eat, move or be able to have a poop, to horrible hallucinogenic dreams I had enough of the narcotics pretty damn fast. i have had surgeries before, but this one really was the hardest. Emotional support was so so important for this one. I am not a clingy person, but good grief, this time around I could not get enough hugs or encouragement. My compression garment will be burnt at the stake as soon as five weeks are up! Today is day number 8 and I am starting to feel like my old self. Today I happened to get on the scale to see if Id lost any of the ten pounds plus of Water weight, and I am pleased to say I weight 125 which is my goal weight. yay me!

I was anemic before the VSG, and still fight it now. You will want to make sure you get plenty of Iron after the surgery so you can heal and also maintain a level that is normal so you can function. Its manageable with an iron supplement and stool softeners as needed. Never did develop a lactose intolerance.

Wow Lorie, you are almost there!! Keep it up! :-)

Thanks CBT, its so good to know I am not alone! Excellent that you can have frank conversations with your PS Surgeon. That is awesome. :-)

1. Use some sort of tool to track your calories and exercise each day. Be honest with it. 1200cals was the norm for me every day. 2. Eat protien. Lots of Protein. 100g of lean protein if you can (its hard). 3. Drink your fluids. At least 60oz a day. I guzzle Mio and herbal tea as I dislike plain Water. 4. Exercise as often as you can. I worked out 3-4 days a week for an hour and a half. Mostly used an elliptical I found cheap on Craigslist in my garage. I did go to the gym, but found the elliptical quicker and easier to get to after work during the week. 5. Never give up. Even when you slip..get right back on track. Phew! Sorry strawberry Blond, thats all I can think of. If you have any specific questions I would be happy to help. You can email if thats better for you. :-)

Oh Mickally you are making me blush. I'm not inspirational material. Just plain simple bulldog me digging my heels in until I get what I want. :-)

Hi Vogue, Dont get me wrong, I am feeling so much better today. Not taking any drugs for pain during the day, and 600mg ibroprofen at night. Its not so much painful as it is tight feeling when I move. Drains came out on Monday, which was day six after surgery. That was the turning point of recovery for me I think. Holy hell those drains were disgusting! LoL.. Swelling is moderate..I can tell its there, but I dont feel like Jabba the Hut anymore. Today was the first day I had the courage to stick my finger into my belly button and omg was it deep and odd. Grossed me out. I've not had any itching on my stitches yet..but itchy is good Vogue! It means you are healing! :-)) I have to laugh at my garment today..its crotchless and i caught myself in the mirror and I look like i have a baboon butt from behind when i didnt have underwear on. Hahaha..this damn stretchy nasty garment isnt going to get the best of me. its a beast..:-P

Bridget312001 happy surgiversary i knew there was something different about you today ups and downs??? been there, done that!!! but you are a survivor and you did it!!!! woo hoo party dance party dance "lifelong changes" you/me/we all have to continue to work very very hard for the rest of our lives we work with the sleeve and "it" will work with/for you so happy for you you are aces!!! keep up the good work for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life (I know you will ) good luck kathy congrats Kathy, YOU are an inspiration too! Thank you so much for the kind words, it really means a lot. X

Thank you PKdvm, having the surgery was the best, hardest, most worthwhile thing i have ever done for myself.

thank you Janet! :-) 125 was my goal. I never paid attention to their goal weight for the year, but I think its based on the percentage of weight you need to loose?

Vogue, Today is going to go fine. Before you know it you will be out of surgery with your new tummy and on your way home. I will be thinking about you at 10am. I must admit I can completely relate to being more nervous about this surgery than the VSG. Just know you are not alone.

Vogue, good luck with your Panni on Monday! Im having a fleur de lis TT on Tuesday. I know what you mean about nervous. House was scrubbed clean this morning and Im cooking two dinners on the stove..and its only now just after 10am.

One week from today I will be having a fleur de lis tummy tuck. I have waited so long for this to happen..but now its getting close and panic is setting in. My worst worst fear is to wake up in complete agony and feel out of control. I know this is the right thing to do..I know ive earned this..but good god i need some reassurance right now!

A lower body lift..wow…thats huge! I will be thinking of you on St. Paddy's Day. Best of luck

Got it Scamp…eye on the prize..I will be repeating that as I get shuffled onto the operating table.. thank you x Always loved Scotland, although being from Southern England It was always a bit cold for this Sassenach

I think you'll be so pleased with the outcome! I'm excited for you. Nerves are normal. The anesthesiologist will juice you up Pain was completely managed after the first hour. In that first hour, you're actually so out of it that it's not really the kind of pain you're imagining. They're just trying to get a handle on it. So they're pushing narcotics at the same time they're getting you to wake up and breathe on your own, so it's a delicate balance. If information helps you, ask the anesthesiologist about that first hour and how they will make you comfortable. I was walking an hour post op. The first 72 hours are kind of a blur for me. I walked a couple times within 12 hours. I think this next week you want to hydrate, eat really well (high protein) and get healthy doses of exercise. Maybe prepare easy post op food. Focus your nervous energy there. Eeeeeaaaak! Yay! Seriously, walking an hour post op? Wow, lol..that amazing..I am fine with narcotics..bring em on..infact bring me a six pack of them Im good with that! I just dont want to feel out of control..doped up I can handle My doc already wants me eating 100g protien a day to give me a boost preop. Between that and the Iron three times a day (anemia) im taking double stool softners. Oh the things we do to ourselves. Crazy! Thanks for your post CBT..I feels better now. :-)

Thank you both for your words of encouragement. Lisa, I appreciate you sharing the story of your cousin. :-)

Mine too Kristina. I combined the panniculectomy my insurance will pay for with a fleur de lis tummy tuck to help reduce the overall cost. Having the procedure done March 18. Nervous, excited and most of all ready. It would be great to negotiate plastic surgery into the cost of any bariatric procedure that insurance would cover. The fact is people who choose to have excess skin removed are more likely to keep the weight off. The clinic that did my VSG will also be doing my tummy tuck. I negotiated a reduction in the cost of my tummy tuck for being a "repeat customer". It did feel a bit like buying a car and negotiating the price..but hey..we got there in the end.

I will try them if it "delivers" as you said. Thanks for the tip!

It seems to be a common (but bizarre) side effects of the surgery. The smell of dry dog food or overly scented candles actually made me vomit in the early months. Rest assured this will slowly pass. Chalk it up to experience and enjoy the ride!

Fiddleman, I am very impressed that your insurance will cover cosmetic procedures. How fantastic is that?!? I have had to jump through hoops for Blue Cross to approve a Panniculectomy (which will be part of the fleur de lis tummy tuck) that works out to only take a couple of thousand off the cost.Oh well, I will take what I can get. :-)

Thank you so much for posting this information. I was also a patient at PSSC for my weight loss surgery and will be using Dr. Harris to perform my tummy tuck and arm lift. Yesterday I had my pre-surgery appointment with Dr. Harris, and he threw a curve ball in the mix by suggesting a fleur de lis tummy tuck v's regular tummy tuck. After doing some research (and stomach squelching in front of the mirror) I am inclined to go with the fleur de lis as the results will be significantly tighter and defining for me. The arm lift cannot be performed at the same time as the fleur de lis tummy tuck as there wont be enough time in his day to get it all done (his words, not mine). Honestly thinking about forgoing the arm lift anyway as my upper arm skin laxity seems to be improving with exercise and time since loosing weight. He wanted to make an incision at my armpit only and pull the skin up and sew it at my armpit so that I wouldnt have a long scar to my elbow. After seeing some before and after pics of this procedure im honestly not that impressed. I don't see dramatic results and I find the idea of having a bumpy rumpled scar under my arm a bit unnerving. Sorry to go on and on..this is such a big step and Im really trying hard to make sure I get it right. :-)

I was told by my NUT that this common problem was due to the anesthesia, but I didn't believe her until I had a second procedure done and had hair loss again about four months after the surgery. Please don't buy any products that claim to help hair loss. They will not help. Ride it out. It wont last long.