Sharon1964

If you are using an in-network hospital, there is an agreed-upon rate between the hospital and your insurance company. It doesn't matter how much the hospital bills; they will write off anything over the "fee schedule" price. Example: Hospital bills $50,000 Fee schedule is $10,000 You have a 70/30 plan Your insurance pays $7,000, you pay $3,000, the hospital writes off $40,000.

Updated!

Here are the questions I asked my surgeon at my preop: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/347429-things-i-asked-my-surgeon-at-my-pre-op-appointment-today/ Within a couple of hours of my surgery, I was drinking warm broth. A pain pump was hooked up to my iv. I had a catheter because I requested one in advance. I'm curious what would happen if a patient asked their surgeon to leak test while they were still under instead of waiting a day (if that's his protocol). If you're leaking, they're going to have to go back in and do another surgery, so why not test while you're still under?

This early, I'm measuring everything - my stomach isn't going to tell me when I've had enough. One-third cup is a meal for me. Half of a greek yogurt container is a meal for me. Half an avocado.

There is really no way to know. Some people have a much harder recovery than others. I was shocked when my discharge nurse said I could drive myself home from the hospital if I wanted, since it had been more than 4 hours since I had pain meds. I declined, but I felt well enough to do it. I was sleeved on a Saturday and was back at work, at a desk job, on the next Thursday. Other people take two to six weeks off, and some need every single one of those days.

More insurances are getting away from the six-month nutrition visits. Mine, Blue Shield of California, dropped the requirement a week or so after I finished all of my requirements.

@@Babbs So true. Even before my surgery, I would make tacos and the kids would have them in shells and I would usually put the filling on top of lettuce like a taco salad.

If it were me, I would call my surgeon. In the meantime, go back to things that are easy on your stomach. Mashed potato, pureed Soup, mashed avocado, yogurt, pudding, scrambled eggs.

If you make tacos or burritos at home, you can use a low-carb flour tortilla.

I haven't gone through that, but as long as you don't miss a month, you won't have to start over. The requirement, if you have to do six months, is usually "six consecutive months within the last year" or "... within the last two years".

One day of full liquids (no milkshakes, no jamba juice), that's it. No bowel prep or anything like that. My surgeon said he just wanted your stomach empty.

Gotcha!

Calendar updated.

Do some searches on the topic. There have been a couple of people that have gone through this and the insurance did end up covering it.

You can absolutely buy a sf product and add Protein powder. For lots of good protein options, try eggface's blog here.

I think the bigger question is, why did you eat something that you weren't supposed to before your surgery. But then again, you didn't ask that question.

Hormones are stored in fat. Your body is being flooded with extra hormones. I'm 51 years old, and firmly in menopause. Yet, I had a period about a week after surgery.

Sore. Tired. Glad to be home. Found and pointed out a grammatical error on a poster that appears in every patient room. Told my surgeon's partner, when he was rounding this morning with a bunch of residents, that I had a complaint. I had their full attention. I told them, "this is a bariatric center of excellence, and you have no bariatric blood pressure cuffs." He says, "yeah we do." The nurses in the doorway say, "no we don't. We have adult "long" which is not the same as adult large." I said, "my blood pressure is normal, around 120 to 130 over 70 to 80 at my own doctor's office with an extra large cuff that covers my entire upper arm. Here, with your 'forearm' cuff, it's 180 over 120, and I have a problem with that." The doctor turned to the other people there, and said, "let's get on that right away." We shall see.

My surgeon discourages Protein Drinks. One week of clear fluids, one week of all fluids, then pureed foods. He doesn't expect protein goals to be met until you're on full foods.

Overall, your questions lead me to think that you want the surgery but don't want to, or aren't willing to, give up your vices. I would find a good therapist to delve into these issues.

I'm 13 days out from surgery, and I'm still losing every day. I'm weighing every day and updating my weight here so I can see the graph. My plan is, if I get to a stall, I'll drop back to weighing perhaps twice a week. Right now, daily weighing is working for me. I expect that will likely change.

My hospital doesn't use a clip-on pulse ox anymore. It looks more like tape or a bandaid that wraps around your finger, between the second and third joint, with a wire attached. Kept my polish on the whole time.

Wow. I'm so sorry (those things can hurt!). You're the first person I've heard that had to go through this. My heparin shots stopped when I left the hospital. Still have the bruises from them though.

Whenever someone says, "can I eat...", my first thought is always, "what does your surgeon/nutritionist say?" Mine says no rice, Pasta, bread, crackers for six months. I'm not sure why you think rice would be helpful. Perhaps some greek yogurt or a Protein drink.

So when you're two days postop and you're supposed to be on liquids only, are you going to go eat Indian food? Don't make the choice to cheat. Make the choice to succeed.