knt4ever

THE BILL ARRIVED Sooooooo, I received my medical bill for the surgery, lab tests, and everything else. WOW. Luckily we have very good insurance!! I have Mutual Heath Services in Ohio. I strategically had the surgery before the calendar year ended because I knew most my deductible and co-pays had been paid already. I was seeing my PCP almost every month for some sort of medical issue from the morbid obesity. Last year I went to the doctor more than the last 10 years combined. That was one of the factors that led me to the WLS, I was physically falling apart FAST. Back to the BILL, here is how it broke down of who paid how much: TOTAL CHARGE: $51,847.27 PPO DISCOUNT: $30,015.01 BENEFITS PAID: $21,519.83 AMOUNT I OWE: $312.43!!!! I don't feel I could put a price on how much this WLS has helped improve my health but if I had to pay $51,000 it would be worth it!! I am down over 50lbs and 9 inches off belly. I don't have any more liver issues or sleep apnea. Blood pressure is perfect. Heart rate is normal. I just wanted to share the bill because I was wondering Pre-Op about this. If anyone is interested and wants to see what I have been through I have updated my journey in a thread called, "Operation Operation". Here is link: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/290947-operation-operation/

I measure most everything! I am very bad at guessing portion sizes!! I have small weight watchers food scale that cost around $25. I believe it is crucial to my journey.

My surgery total bill was $51,000 but the insurance "discount" brought it down to $26,000 and I had to pay only $300. Isn't it great the insurance company gets 50% discount but self pay gets no discount?!

Great information! Thanks for sharing!

So you can't eat any type of meat? Like even Turkey Deli style or chicken?

Hello and welcome to "Operation Operation" for me. I have read quite a few stories over the past 8 months prepping up for the day I would be lucky enough to get a date for surgery. I have found them useful so I decided I will attempt it and try to use it as a sounding board and future reflection for myself. Someone I respect highly said that EVERYONE should write their own autobiography. That has always stuck in my mind and maybe one day I will but until then I will use this blog. My date to change the rest of my life is day after Christmas, 26 Dec 2013. Here are some reasons I am happy: I am happy for monetary reasons because my out of pocket expenses have been this year and now I won’t pay anything or surgery!!! Also my deductibles and out of pocket expense amounts are all raising to over 2.5 times what they are this year (thanks Obamacare!!). So if I had it in January it would be a lot more!! I am of course ecstatic because this is what I needed for a while and wouldn't allow it because I figured I could lose the inches without it but I have proved that false. I would lose a lot of pounds just to see them come back faster than it took to take them off and of course with some extra weight to add. I am glad because my twin 8 yr. old girls will have Daddy in their lives for many more years. I am delighted that my wonderful Wiff will get to have me around for the rest of her days on this planet. Not sure she is glad about this but I am (Just kidding of course.) I am joyful that I will not have so many physical problems with this body. So I will be updating "Operation Operation" here.

UPDATE 2 Months & 2 Weeks: CLOTHES FIT? I just can't believe but I am already down 60 lbs!!! I am now under 35 BMI so that makes me officially ineligible to have the WLS!!! LOL I am finally trying on clothes that were too small for so long. They are FITTING!! It is weird because mentally I think clothes I have on are fine or tight but they are actually really loose! So I am adjusting mentally what is loose and how clothes are supposed to fit. Weird transition for sure. A pair of jeans I have been wearing will fall off even all zipped up and buttoned and I thought they fit fine. I found an old pair that are smaller and I had to tell myself this is what clothes that fit feel like. I will try to post more often to keep in touch!!! Peace out and WORD to yo mutha!

SW: 287 (12/26/13) CW: 227 60 lbs down!!!!! Can't believe it!!!!! I am now under 35 BMI so that makes me officially ineligible to have the WLS!!! LOL I am finally trying on clothes that were too small for soooo long. They are FITTING!!

I like what DLCoggin's says: "You are going to love the new you!"

UPDATE 2 Months & 2 Days: Before and After Pics 2 Months Ok finally going to post some pics.....ugh. These are before and after from day of surgery to 2 Month Surgiversary. Here we go.....