OutsideMatchInside

I have already said several times I have no issues with PA or NP in general. In this specific case,I have an issue because of how it is being handled along with the other previous billing issues. I am not going to pay to see someone I don't know, have no name for, and no opportunity to research. I am not sure why that is a hard concept to grasp. I select my health professionals based on education and credentials. I have gone to college hospitals and clinics, where you see a variety of people at different levels of education. I am not in healthcare, I am a business person. You don't switch sales people in the middle of a deal, and if you have to, at the very least you provide a proper introduction. I am getting none of that. Usually most doctors will see you with the PA or the NP at least once, to introduce you. I have never seen this PA/NP (the person making the appointment wasn't sure which it would be and couldn't provide a name). Do you really that that is good medical care or business practices? This surgeon has been seeing all of his patients for post op care until this month, when they decided to make this change. Most doctors will still give you a choice to see them or their PA. The level of medical care and what is expected in Illinois and Missouri are pretty different. I am going to stick to my side of the river, and keep out of Missouri if this is the kind of crap I can keep expecting. I don't trust this office anymore and I won't be going back.

They are so nasty, I can't even explain. You are better off using something watery like syntrax and using less water and a full scoop.

What are people eating on an average day?

I actually like the expense and lack of general availability. That keeps them the rare occurrence. They are great if you keep them in the fridge.

I love lemon Water right now. Before surgery I was drinking cucumber water all the time. I haven't tried cucumber water lately but I plan to soon. @@Paige Dukes I agree I really think the lemon water helps not only with water retention but also with being regular.

There are other practices where the PAs are known and deal with patients Washington University is like this, the PA is on the website as part of the team. This isn't that kind of practice. If I had been introduced to the PA before hand I could have included the PA in my decision making process. Adding someone new to the equation and not even providing their name is highly unprofessional.

I had 2 Protein flavors, one watermelon, one coffee looking back I wish I had 3, and an unflavored protein. I added the unflavored to anything, but mostly broth. I had already been on a 10 day liquid diet, so it wasn't so bad. If you have the urge to chew, chew on ice or Jello. Jello worked for me, if you have an unflavored Protein powder then add some of that to the jello for protein jello. I did liquids longer, because I didn't want to do purees, I knew the texture would make me nauseous.

Thank you for understanding. I am sick of medical professionals acting like they are doing patients/customers a big favor. They are service workers. We are paying them for a service. If they aren't providing that service, then it is our right to find someone else to provide the level of service we want. I select my Doctors based on their educational background. I selected my primary because of the schools he attended, just like I selected my Surgeon based on his education and experience. I am not going to switched to a provider I haven't researched just because they feel it is an okay trade off. It is poor patient care and bad customer service. The person making the appointment wasn't even sure who would be seeing me. I don't know why people think that is okay, but it is not in my book.

Get rid of all the junk in your house. Keep good options with you at all times, high quality Protein bars, nut packets, etc. And don't let it get you down, just start fresh.

You could learn to make your own, low carb high Protein versions. Or you could try these

I have seen nurse practitioners in the past, I especially like them in ob/gyn environments. I have never seen a nurse practitioner or physician assistant and still had to pay the same co-pay. I asked some questions about the billing for this visit and previous visits and I didn't like the answer I received. Without going into detail, they are cheating me out of money and when I asked to speak to billing I was sent to a voice system, that keeps going in the same loop. It is more than just this one thing, but this is the final straw. I can just find a Doctor in BJC healthcare and not have to deal with this BS.

@@Olivia12215 I can understand your frustration. I started at a higher BMI. I thought I would be down 50lb by now. I am not losing as fast as I hoped. Still I am losing, and more than that, I am not gaining. I don't feel deprived, I am not living with constant hunger and I lost in 6 weeks what you have taken me 4-6 months in the past. Currently I am sitting at a weight I haven't been able to get below in 10 years of trying off and on. I am just hovering in this area for 2 weeks. Right now I feel like if I don't get below this point soon, the whole thing is a failure. Even though I know mentally that isn't realistic, that is how I feel. That doesn't really help you, but I just want to say I understand being frustrated.

I don't have any issues though, this is just a routine follow up visit. I can have my primary order blood work. If I was having any issues, I would suck it up and go, but I am not. There are a few other things that have happened that I am not going to post, but overall. I am not pleased with the follow care, and the office management. There are other bariatric doctors covered by my insurance in the area, so if I need specialty care I will just switch. I posted this in rants for a reason.

Why do you have to wait?

My mom is a nurse and a lot of my friends are doctors. I wouldn't want a shot from a doctor, I'm fine with having one from a nurse. My appointment was originally with my Surgeon then they changed it. He has been seeing patients post-op normally. This is a new change. My biggest issue with this is, I am still paying the same co-pay for someone that doesn't have the same credentials. And it requires a long drive on my part. I don't like the bait and switch. It just isn't worth it when my primary is literally across the street from where I live, a 2 minute walk, and is experienced with WLS follow up.

I eat mostly swai fish and crab. I added Quest Protein bars now. I can add salad this week (week 6) but I don't have room for it with eating 5 oz of fish at a time. I have a Protein shake after I workout, then the rest is fish. I might try a little spinach salad topped with shrimp this weekend. Just to see how I tolerate it.

I like Dr Weiner. He has some very good videos. I don't agree on the plant based diet, but he still offers a lot of good advice and information about the science behind weight loss surgery.

I am 6 weeks out and what Babbs said about the first 2 months is similiar for me. I had some days in weeks 3-4 when I was getting over 600 calories, because I had to add a Protein shake to get my protein to the 90-100 range. If you are sticking to 60 grams of protein you should stay around 500 calories. I keep carbs under 25 grams, but I count net, not total carbs (subtracting fiber).

That is a lot of sugar between the apple juice, the carnation instant breakfast and the yogurt. Why not have all Protein Shake? The rest of that is basically devoid of protein and full or carbs/sugar.

The problems is because you live in Kansas. http://nofusa.org/news/health-insurance-cover-obesity-treatment/ An employer plan can choose to cover WLS surgery in your state, but no other plans are required to because your state does not consider WLS an essential service. All other states that are not on this list do, and private plans will include WLS surgery, while employer plans can opt out if they choose to.

Friday to Monday, there are so many variables. I think it is better safe than sorry. Plan on a week of resting, at least have someone lined up to do it for you and if you feel better you can cancel.

Get some quest protein bars or even the quest indulge and have those when you want something sweet on those days. Just learn to cheat cleaner, this is a lifetime change. You can't abstain from everything forever. You have to learn to just make better choices.

It really depends. I was taking care of myself on day 2 and went to get a pedicure. You might be able to get up and around, but you will get tired fast. Your body is using most of your energy to heal. If you can sleep while she is at school you might be able to make it. I don't think you can take care of a 3 year old alone though, you are going to need some help. She is going to have far more energy than you have.

My period came 4 days early while on my 10 day liquid pre-op. The low calories, etc. Body freak out. It ended it the normal amount of days though, so it didn't matter and actually worked out better.

It still really depends on the plan and the state. I am self employed. I purchased a plan. It covers WLS. It covers my Vitamins (which are expensive) and most insurance doesn't. With Obamacare, if you live in a state that considers WLS an essential service (most do), you are more likely to have WLS covered by commercial insurance than employer. Employers can pick and choose what they cover. They are trying to keep costs low and are more likely to exclude. Reading the insurance forums, almost everyone denied or forced to jump through a ton of hoops are on an employer plan. I bought my own plan and picked a plan that covered what I wanted. I wasn't forced into a plan that my employer selected.