malinda1229

I just saw my bill on the Blue Cross web site...did not get anything from the Hospital. $37,412.62 this is the operation, barium swallow, 2 visits with surgon (prior to surgey) visit with PCP. It did not include all my pre-op work that I had done at another hospital with a differnet insurer. SO this does not inclued psy eval, dietian visits, group therapy, sleep apnea and cardiac stress tests!! Thank god for health insurance!

This was pre-approved and all Billed and paid by Blue Cross. I just feel the amt is was to high when I see what people who self pay is alot less.. so the question here is how can one doc bill $37,000 for a surgery that is covered by insurance and another doc charge $10,000 for those who self pay. This is ONE of the many things wrong with the health system!

LOVE LOVE LOVE it a positive post...tooo much negative here sometimes!! Some of the stuff I have read here scared the s*it out of me so I stopped reading before my surgey - now that i have had it i'm back on and only try to read positive stuff! Best of luck on your journey!!!:scared2:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! Sorry!

Congrats...this is the fist day of the rest of your life!

Fridge EAS Protein shakes chicken broth Butternut squash soup Fresh Veg from our garden lemons and limes (for flavor in canned meats) Mayo hummus Home made greek yogurt Freezer Orgainic Pork, Chicken Swordfish steaks Salmon Talipia home grown raspberries (for the yogurt) sugar free popsicles Pantry unjury unflavored protein powder crystal lite canned tuna, sardiens, salmon, chicken, crab SPICES SPICES SPICES (keeps everything from bland city) olive oil vinegar different salts this is what I keep on hand for me....then there are the rest of the people inthe house thats another list!! LOL!

I did and it was not pretty. Had United did ALL the pre op work at Lahey Burlington MA, starting in Sept 2009. 01.01.10 got married changed to blue cross...contiuned to go to lahey, got a surgery date of April 9 Lahey submitted pre approval paperwork...DENIED, becasue I could have the surgery in RI where I lived. Now I have $$$$ of bills for lahey that noone will cover. Had to get a PCP in RI, get the referal to a Band Doc in RI and finally had the surgey on July 15!!! Call your new health provider NOW if they wont cover it see if your Doc can give you a speed pass to get the surgery!!

Welcome...you will find alot of great info here just remember everyones experience will be different. I was banded on the same day!! I'm so happy i did this and it has been pretty uneventful for me...how are you doing?

How much protien are you consuming per day? and how much fluids are you taking in?

I called my dietician and asked her the same question. I have a realize band and I log all my food in the food log and it keeps track of fluid intake, calories, fat carbs and protein...etc. I'm only managing about 500 calories a day BUT 60 gr of protien. She said DONT worry about the calories worry about the protien. I can't tell you how full and ENERGETIC I feel. This weekend i had no desire to sit on the couch I need to get up and move and do things...who knew on 500 calories a day I could have this much get up and go!! Weird huh??

I told some friends but not my mom, dad and sister. I did not think that they would be positive so I did not include them in this. What I did do was this...I also had a hiatal hernia so I told them I was going into the hospital for THAT and I was going to be on a special diet for a while since i was having stomach surgery. Now they have not noticed the 8 pounds I have lost since 7.15, but when they do start to notice I'm shrinking I'll tell them that the liquid dite helped me get motivaed to lose weight....thats my story!!

everyones experince will be different. I'm 12 days post-op I've lost 8 pounds in that time. I force myself to eat 4 oz of food. I have an empty band! I'm sure I'm still swollen a bit inside and I'm waiting for bandster hell to arrive. I will also tell you I have a realize band and I'm on the realizemysuccess web site I long in EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth so I can be 100% sure I'm getting 60 gr of Protein a day. From reading these boards I think many of us miss the mark in that area in the early stages. If you are sipping chicken broth and Jello you will NEVER get in the 60 grs of protein - I bought unjury unflavored Protein powder ( you can find it on the web) and added it to my liquid diet 3 x per day. It went in Chicken broth, no cream thick veg Soups like brocolli, squash and tomato. Now that I'm in the mushies I eat alot of canned meat like tuna, sardines, salmon, chicken. They can be ground up fine and I add unique spices like chinese 5 spice, smoked papricka, curry, tumreic..for brightness I use lemon and lime juice. These canned meats are high in protien and with the spices keep it from bland city. Good luck!...this is the best thing I have ever done for my health!

had my surgery on July 15th was at work (I sit alot) on the 19th i worked from 7am - 2pm on monday and tuesday, 7-4 wed, thursday and friday. Hope that helps...but everyone is different

try sugar free popsicles they helped me with the dry mouth. you can have these on the clear liquid diet, since it is a frozen liquid!

I had acid reflux due to a haital hernia the dr repaired the hernia and installed the band at the same time have not had an issue since!

I found a can of Bumble bee pink crabmeat in a can (in the tuna fish section) it is very very fine pieces of crabmeat, so not so desirable for cooking, however great for us in the mushy stage. I drained the can, added 1 teaspoon of mayo and a dash of curry (I love curry) pure heaven~! You can leave out the curry and and something else like garlic or onion powder, even celery salt might be good! I find that my spice rack is my friend the more you exp with the spices the less bland and boring this will become.

I love my EAS advantagedge choclate and vanilla shakes. I use the unjury for the chicken soup flavor it is GREAT and the unflavored I use in Soups like butternut squash, tomato, broccolli. you can also use it in sugar free Jello and pudding.

Ditto to Shelley...the strips are great! Just hard to open!

Plain greek yogurt with fresh or frozen berries...20 gms of protein! Cream of Wheat oatmeal riccotta cheese with splenda and fresh lemon zest (don't knock it till you try it) Fresh fruit with a strawberry yogurt dip.

I say the dog needs to be away from ALL children at this time. Some training may help but if it is not contiuned in the home all will be lost. In this state if someone enters a ER for a dog bite the dog is taken away from the owner for 10 days of observation and will be put down if they feel it is aggressive. It may be ONLY a matter of time before the dog goes after an adult! How is your daugher!!??

dog trainer here...what type of dog, what training if any, how old is the dog, has he/she ever shown signs of aggressivness prior....big questions can you take the dogs dish away from it while it is eating and can you get on the floor on all fours then you roll the dog on its back while holding the collar is the dog submissive or does it resist?? and was the dog adopted?

I was operated on Thursday July 15th I'm back at work today Monday July 19,,had the band and the hernia repair!

I too was banded on the 15th and had the haital hernia repair. The gas pains in my neck and shoulders are getting better I was told to walk and use gas- x strips..its working!! Good luck!

Good Luck Valencia...I will join you tomorrow~~!!

Just got back from the store stocked up in sugar free jello, protein drinks, sugar free popciles, cream of wheat and I'm making yogurt tomorrow...Cant belive i'm looking forward to eating like this, but I am! July 15th is my date!