radar626

Has anybody out there had an allergic reaction to their staples/stitches after surgery? I swear I am having one to my staples. My stomach is covered in hives as are the incision sites, which is driving me NUTS... I have tried antihistamine cream, but no relief. I plan on calling the doctor tomorrow morning because it's gotten to that point.

Always willing to help others "beat" the system, and Tricare can be one of the worst! Be careful though when you actually get approved and go through all of the paperwork with the surgeon.. Tricare isn't a huge reimburser, and doctors that see a lot of Tricare patients often use many non-covered codes in order to give services. If you don't sign the noncoverage waiver, you can't have that particular service, and therefore no surgery, so they have you between a rock and a hard place. It isn't against the rules (yet, according to our local Tricare rep), but for things like the nutrional consult, anything done in a group setting (like education or seminars) or even educational materials, these things aren't covered. Be careful and ask for a full list of out of pocket expenses up front. It may delay your surgery by a week or two, but if the surgeon they send you to tries to make you pay out of pocket or up front, call another Tricare approved surgeon and switch! I did this, and am glad I did. Whole big mess, but the orginal surgeon I was referred to is no longer in the network because of questionable practices. Some people will do anything for a buck. If anyone ever has any questions about their bill, let me know! :tt1:

Wow, the base is doing the surgery???? I didn't the the military would have jumped on the bandwagon so soon!! The bases we have been to have not exactly had "large" medical facilities, or even ER's. All part of the downsizing I guess. Here at Moody I am the first person (woo hoo) to go for the lap-band versus the bypass. I know you lose more weight, but I couldn't balance that out with the complications.

Most places will tell you that it takes 2-3 years to loose the weight. I guess it would depend on how hard you work too... Good luck!!!!

Originally Posted by dontmissout86 I just had mine on sept 5th 2008. this liquid diet sucks!! I guess I am lucky! My clear liquid diet lasted for three days past surgery (Sept 9th). I can now have full liquids, just calorie free like Crystal Light, and smooshie foods, like eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese and ground meats. My husband has learned to make a mean low fat ground chicken salad in the last couple of weeks. Everything for normal chicken salad (minus the mayo... bummer) and we use our grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer. I do add a little low fat mayo to it so it's not dry. Did anybody else's nutritionist tell them to get a certain amount of fat per day? Mine was extreeeeeemly thorough.... and graphic..... about what happens if I don't get any fat in my diet. Blech.... :thumbup:

I have billed Tricare for ten years and it's also my insurance. Rule #1 with Tricare - YOU WILL NEVER GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER. Every time you speak to someone the answer will be different. My surgery paperwork was actually handled on base by one of the nurses whose job includes filing the packets for banding or bypass surgery. I actually had more problems getting the approval for spinal fusion surgery with three different doctors stating I needed the surgery right away. That took six months. The approval for the lap-band surgery? It was less than two months from the date of initial request to my surgery date (which was postponed - due to back problems.. ha ha on me..) I was shocked. Rule #2 - don't accept the answer from your doctor "what's done is done". Bull crap. It takes two minutes to call and amend your packet. Doctors do it all the time. First up, did you go through a MTF or a private doctor? MTF is ten times faster than a private physician request. Next, did you make a list of all the diets you have tried over the last ten years? Even though Tricare doesn't request this, it helps. There is no time requirement for co-morbid symptoms. And don't let the wording fool you. If you have an immediate family member with any of these symptoms, tell you doctor to make sure they include that in the packet to Tricare! Having an immediate risk for these symptoms also supports your need for surgery. Ask your doctor if you are "pre" for any of the listed morbidities. Pre-diabetic, pre-hypertensive, etc. This all counts towards the co-morbidity symptoms. It's not the wording that the doc uses, it the coding. The diagnosis codes your doctor assigns to you is part of what helps determine if you get the surgery. "Pre" conditions are part of that code set. If you are just barely in the normal for sugar, you could be considered pre-diabetic. Also, find out in what order the doctor listed your diagnositic codes in. If the most severe was not in spot #1, your request can be denied. It's all paperwork to the insurance companies - not real people. The fact that Tricare covers the lap-band surgery since 2007 was not in print until early 2008 - remember that. Some of the people who review your packet may not have the best or most current info. Make friends with the consult office on the closest base to you. They are the best people to push this through. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jokersjunk@yahoo.com Just don't let them tell you no!!!

You may need to have your doctor send you for an ultrasound to see if your gall bladder has stones. Everything you describe is typical of gall stones. The sour cream has fat (even the fat free) and triggers the attack - anything with fat will if you have stones. That sour taste is very typical of gall stones, as is the late night pain, etc. Almost 80% of people who have the band or bypass have gall bladder issues. For bypass patients, their rate of gall stones is SO high that many surgeons actually take out the gall bladder at the same time of the bypass to prevent future problems. You have also lost a lot of weight in a short time, which is also another major cause of gall stones. Check with your doctor to have an x-ray or ultrasound - even the tiniest stone can cause horrible pain. My mom went thru this about a year ago. Her symptoms were identical to yours. As a nursing student, I forced her to give up the Maalox and see her doctor. Two stones the size of a pencil lead, but that was all it took!

Hello to everyone out there! My name is Tina and I just got home from surgery. My doctor was Dr. Jawad out of Ocala, Florida. Not sure what to post about me, but here goes. I have been trying to loose weight forever. Diets didn't cut it. I had spinal fusion last year, which was a long recovery which meant little to no exercise which meant more weight gain. My husband is active duty Air Force, and I bill insurance for our local hospital here in Valdosta, Georgia. I didn't think Tricare would pay for the Lap-band, just the bypass. My family doctor had said she would have no problem getting me approved for the bypass, but for me, there were just too many things that could potentially go wrong. When I found out Tricare was covering the band, I about jumped for joy. I was shocked that Tricare approved me for the surgery so quickly. I am about 110 pounds over my ideal. Most people didn't believe me when I told them what I weighed (255). Everyone called me a liar :omg_smile:. I have never been a skinny girl. When I got married I was 170 and a size 10. I would LOVE to be that size again. I really wanted the surgery for health reasons. Less weight = less strain on my back, which means I can hopefully postpone another fusion for decades. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid issues, and my mom was recently diagnosed with type II, which is something I did not ever want. I feel okay, just really bloated.... My husband and family have been really supportive in my decision. I look forward to talking to everyone and getting to know you. There is a local support group locally, but somehow, the fact that there is someone else out there online at 2am if I need to talk makes this more appealing.:scared2:

Not long actually. From the time my family doc put in the request to the time I was scheduled for surgery was not even two months. The biggest delay was the fact that no one in the area here does the surgery, so I had to get special approval to go so far from home. While not good for your health, the more co-morbid symptoms you have from being overweight, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid, etc. the sooner you get approved.