Moore Changes

I'm miserable with this issue at 2.5 weeks post op. I won't go for days and then when the time comes (with assistance from Milk of Magnesia) it's extremely painful and takes forever. My doctor told me to take Colace and my NUT attributed it to too much Calcium. I was prescribed 1500mg of calcium chews a day (3) and was told to now just take 500 (1) a day because my brand of Protein shakes provide plenty of calcium. I bought liquid colace from the Pharmacy because I was scared to take a pill (even though the doc said it was ok). That stuff was NASTY and did not produce any results, so I will be picking up the pill form tonight. Hopefully with the decrease in calcium and few softeners in my system, things will get moving.

I asked my NUT this at my 2 week follow-up mainly because I have to take a B-50 complex capsule that has to be sprinkled into a tablespoon or 2 of water or protein drink and it's AWFUL! She said that if I'm doing well at my next check-up (which will be a total of 8 weeks post-op), she'll OK me to start swallowing it. I'm assuming I'll be allowed to swallow everything else at that point too, and when these chewables are all gone, I'm getting pills!

I had my first meeting with my NUT on Tuesday which also officialy marked day 1 of 90 to be approved by my insurance. I expected to be given a TON of information, including a program to follow during the next 90 days, I was underwhelmed and honestly a bit disappointed. I answered questions I'd already answered at the original consult with the surgeon and was not provided with anything more than generic information I'd already learned on my own with the help of Google. I had to straight up ask her what I need to be doing the next 90 days and how much they'd like me to lose. I was told that as long as I don't gain anything I'm good, and if I see I'm up a pound or 2 soon before the 90 day appointment, to give her a call and she'll guide me through a Protein diet for a day or so to shed those few pounds. I have been on Weight Watchers for a while but "fell of the wagon" in the last few weeks since I thought starting Tuesday, I'd be really getting into this new program. She said I should just get back on track with that, which I guess I'll do, but I also want to start incorporating post-op routines so it isn't a total shock to my system. I want to start trying Protein shakes to get a feel for what I may like. I also have a hard time getting lunch in, so I was thinking I could use them as a Meal Replacement of sorts for the time being. Any advice on protein? Brands? Flavored vs. unflavored to add to yogurt? What other things should I start focusing on?

It is out of control. I don't want to get started on all of that because I will get angry! lol! I was able to pull up my booklet and it says that I have to pay 15% of the cost plus the deductible until it is met, and then just the 15%. My deductible is not yet met, so I'm now really confused where the charge for $235 comes from. I wonder why I wasn't charged the full amount? I don't understand a lot of this stuff and I think that's what they often count on. I'm going to give them a call now and see what's up!

Hi everyone! I saw a thread the other day in regards to Aetna insurance and all the posts on that thread were helpful and I'm hoping I can get some more input from you all to hold me over until I can call them tomorrow. I had my consultation on Monday. When I scheduled the appointment I was told by the woman who knows everything about insurance that it'd all be covered by Aetna but I'd have to pay for the 90 day program and Psych eval ($300). When I got there, I was told I just had to pay my "specialist copay" but they couldn't see what it was and I wasn't sure if it was $35 or $50 so they told me that they will just send me the bill once they know what to charge me and I can pay at my next visit. I just checked my claims page and see that the appointment cost $404 and I'm going to be responsible for $235 of it. What the heck? That's more than half! I looked up the "cost of care" of the sleep study at this hospital too and it says $3000. Is that what my insurance will be billed or what I will have to pay out of pocket? I'm really starting to stress. I was so excited to see insurance covered this procedure and while I know it wasn't ALL covered, I'm 3 days in and haven't even gone to my first NUT appointment and I've spent $535. We have a high deductable too and my surgery isn't until late January/early February and everything resets January 1st, so everything spent now won't count towards the deductable. I have to get the Sleep Study done by the end of my 90 days (12/21/15) but everything else can wait until closer to my surgery date. I worry about everyone involved in the surgery being covered. My husband broke his arm 11 years ago and needed surgery. The surgeon and hospital were in network but the anesthesiologist wasn't so it cost $2,000.

It went well! I booked all of my NUT appointments, exercise appointments, and psych eval! I have referals for sleep study, EKG, chest x-ray, and abdominal ultrasound. I don't have a general doc but made an appointment with one for next Friday. I will have to get a medical clearance from her. Hopefully with all of this done in the next 90 days, I'll be clear for surgery by mid-January. The surgeon books quite a bit out though, so it may be February/March :-/

I am meeting my surgeon tomorrow morning for my initial consultation. All I know is to expect it to last 30-60 minutes. I'd love any feedback with ideas of what to expect. What happened at your consultation? Is this where it will all really start or will other appointments have to be made to make things "official?" I have to do a 90 day doctor supervised diet and exercise program for insurance to approve me and I'd like for Monday to count as day 1. Is that a realistic expectation? Thanks for your input!