bunyip

Yep, it's good for your hair too.

Coconut oil melts at only 78 degrees, so some hot Water down the drain should wash it away. Or you could use liquified coconut oil or some other kind of oil like sweet almond oil. I've been using the almond oil, and the smell is wonderful.

So what was your response to his stooopid question?

I remember the ride to the OR and the nurses' first try to get me on the operating table. They were using one on of those inflatable things to float me from the gurney to the table, and I wasn't centered on it, so I was rolling to the side, and it wasn't working. After I scooted over, it inflated and puffed up all around me, and then they pulled me right over to the table like it was nothing. Then the anesthesiologist put an oxygen mask over my face and told me that it was going to smell sweet because of the plastic in the mask, and the last thing I remember there is thinking that it smelled like roses. The next thing I remember is being in recovery, moaning in pain and hearing a lot of other people moaning too. Someone kept telling me to open my eyes and to take deep breaths. I did both but couldn't for the life of me tell you what the room or anything else looked like. I have no memory at all of going back to my room or getting into bed, but the next thing I remember is getting some Dilaudid in my IV and how good it felt to have the pain go away.

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but the things I used most were Biotene dry mouth spray and Act dry mouth lozenges. I was thirsty the whole time I was in the hospital, so much so that I didn't have any trouble meeting my Water requirements. I sprayed my mouth and popped a lozenge before doing my walking, and they really helped. Also, I took a bottle of Mio water flavoring. It really helped a lot in getting the water I had to drink down. I always have trouble getting enough water down when it's plain water.

I told people at work that I was taking off because I was having surgery. I didn't say what kind of surgery, but when two people asked what kind, I just told them that the surgery was going to be on my "plumbing" which was true. But to guys, I'm sure that sounded like some kind of female problem, and they didn't ask any more questions. ha! If anyone had tried to pry any further, I would have just asked them why it was important that they know. People will figure out on their own what I had done.

Maybe I'm being dense here, but I don't understand what working nights has to do with you getting your Protein goals. Are you not able to make an eating schedule the same way you would if you were working days?

Good job! Sounds like it's getting close to party time!

Six more days for me--three on pre-op solid foods diet and then three on full liquids. The clock's ticking.

You're going to be giving up more than you think. Things like back and knee pain, feeling embarrassed by your weight, wondering if you'll fit in a seat, etc, etc. Start thinking about the good things that you'll gain, not the least of which will be better health. You just have to stick it out and keep focused on what you really want.

If you're worried about not know what's in your food, you could make a list of French words for common foods and keep that with you. That would at least give you some idea of what you're ordering. Or not ordering, if you include things you don't want to eat on your list. Or find some online site that you could use w/ your cell phone to translate.

Hello, I've been lurking for a few months now, and this is my first post. I apologize in advance for the long diatribe. Has anyone else had a problem with their insurance company dragging their feet to delay approving their surgery before the end of the year? My doctor's office faxed in the information to my insurance company on 12/8. On Friday, 12/10, I called the number on the back of my insurance card, went through the voice menu, and was finally connected with a woman who advised me that they hadn't received any request for preop authorization for me, but she said that if it had been faxed that they might not have gotten all the requests off the fax yet. She told me that they should have it by the following Monday. I called again on Monday and was again told that they hadn't gotten any preop authorization request for me. I called the doctor's office and spoke with the lady who does all the insurance submittals. She told me that she'd spoken to the insurance company that day and was told that my paperwork was under review. So, I waited another two days and called the insurance company again. Again, I was told they couldn't find any requests for me, and again the doctor's office said they were told it was still under review. Fast forward two more days to last Friday. I call once again, and this time, the lady I talked to told me that they had gotten the request but there were no insurance codes on it and that it would not be reviewed until they got the codes. If there weren't any codes on it, why was the doctor's office told multiple times that it was under review? And if there was some problem with the codes, why did no one tell the doctor's office about it when they called to check on it? I called the doctor's office again, and the insurance lady re-faxed the same request she sent originally. She told me that all the codes were on the paperwork she sent the first time. I believe her. That is her job, and she does it all day, five days a week. She knows what she's doing. Okay, so today, 12/21, the doctor's office called to tell me that the insurance company told them this morning that my case was still "under review". I call the same number I've been calling all along and get the same old story that she can't find any requests for me. She then wants to know if I'm calling about a pre-certification or an authorization. I told her I was calling the number on the back of my card (the only number listed for preop authorizations), and she then tells me that another department handles that. Again, if that were the case, why was I only told that on the fifth call I made? She transfers me to the other department, and the lady there does some checking and then tells me that the first two pages (which contain the insurance codes) were missing from the first fax that was sent to them but that they got the missing codes last Friday. Again, the cover sheet says how many pages were sent. If they didnt' get all the pages, they could have told the doctor's office when they called to check on the progress. And again, how could it be "under review" if they were missing paperwork? Now, of course, it's too late for me to get my surgery done before the end of the year. It seems pretty obvious to me that the delay was intentional because I've already paid my deductible and out-of-pocket for this year, and I wouldn't have had to pay anything other than the extra charge for my assisting surgeon who isn't in the insurance network. The really ironic part is that I wouldn't have known anything about having met my deductible and out of pocket if the insurance company hadn't told me that when I called to check on my surgery benefits back in September. Has anyone else run into anything like this?

djmohr, I have BCBS Oklahoma. I've had a few surgeries in the past, and never have I had this kind of trouble getting approval. It just took a day or two, and it was done. I just think it's suspicious that i kept getting different stories while the insurance company just kept telling the doctor's office it was "under review". I have no doubt they'll approve it pretty quickly now that the surgery can't take place any sooner than next month. New year, new deductibles.

Oxycodone gives me the itches too, but taking Benadryl really helps me with that. Ask your doctor if you're allowed to take antihistamines.