I just want to give up

[WitchySar 244]

Could something good be coming my way? Oh I hope so! I called today and found out the surgeon has to be out of town on the 21st which is why they were rescheduling me. The next appointment they had was mid-August. I explained about losing medicaid at the end of the year and asked if the weigh ins and diet with my primary could work and they said yes, most likely. They also managed to squeeze me in on Monday so to make sure they do everything possible to get me the surgery. Ack! So now I have my appointment on the 11th, not the 21st. So soon! I'm so excited. This still isn't a guarantee that I'll be able to have it done by the end of the year but I'm sure as heck doing everything I can to make it happen.

[Valentina 2,642]

See? Told ya so!

Sometimes we just have to be persistent and get the "right" people working WITH us--dedicated to OUR cause and needs.

Who says prayers don't work?

WAY TO GO!!!!

Stay strong. All will be as it should be.

[WitchySar 244]

I am so nervous right now. My first appointment is today at 1, just 3 1/2 hours away. We have to get going soon so to get there. What if they surgeon says I can't have WLS for some reason? I can't think of why he would, but still... I'm so nervous. I'd better go get dressed to go, and take a klonopin while I'm at it.

[Gloria1 13]

Hi! So, how did your appointment go? I hope you are getting your surgery before the end of the year because going to Mexico for surgery is very different than having it here. I went to Mexico 7/29 for VGS with Dr. Ramos Kelly. I was disheartened by the entire process. The equipment was older, the nurses did not speak English so it was difficult to understand what they were saying and after the swallow test, the dr. had nothing more to do with us. The lack of follow up (I would call post op wth questions or email and get no response) was a big problem. On 8/15 I was admitted to hospital with a gastric leak -- a super serious complication that I am still dealing with. I spent 10 days in the hospital and now I have home care and am on iv TPN and antibiotics. A stent was placed in my stomach to help heal the leak and it makes me want to throw up all the time. The stent comes out in 3 days and it has an 85% chance of working. Here I am almost 2 months out and instead of losing weight, I am fighting to have my insides healed. So --- I am very interested to know if everything is working out for you to stay in the U.S. for your surgery. I sincerely hope so.

[WitchySar 244]

Currently I'm still up in the air as to whether or not I'll be able to have the surgery before the end of the year. My appointment with the surgeon went well but it feels like everything since then has been a struggle.

* I have bipolar so the surgeon required a form be filled out from my therapist and psychiatrist. Well the clinic I go to wont' allow them to fill anything out. Nor are they allowed to talk to anyone over the phone about it. I've been working with the counselor at the surgeon's office to try and figure something out. I'm hopeful that we can work around it.

* Medicaid requires a 6 month supervised diet. I started this in June with my primary, and did a weigh in in July with her as well. My surgeon's office has 6 months of classes which they prefer and I went to the one in August. Unfortunately due to finances I couldn't go in September so they said I could go back to my primary again. Cool. But then they told me there is a specific form they need filled out from the primary in order to count the visit. Oh, and I'll need that form filled out for my June and July visits as well. Hmm, could have told me that before, but okay. No big deal. I took the form in, we filled them out, and my primary signed off on all three. I contacted the surgeon's office to find out if I could scan them and email the forms. They said sure, but also make sure I include the chart notes from the visits. WHAT? Um, why did they not tell me this before too? So now I have to try and get the chart notes too and send everything in. If they accept it then I will have 4 months of my 6 month supervised diet completed. Which means I only have to do October and November, and then they can try to get insurance approval.

* I will have new insurance starting January 1st. Cigna, with a $6500 deductible, after which they will only pay 80%. So if everything else doesn't fall in place then there is zero chance that I can afford to have the surgery in the US. I'm sorry you had a bad experience in Mexico. Seems like there can be a wide range of care available. Believe me though, I am researching the crap out of everything, and feel confident that the surgeon I've chosen in Mexico will be just as competent as any I could find here in the US. I still don't WANT to go to Mexico though. I do not like the idea of having to travel just a few days after surgery. That sounds like a nightmare to me.

Edited September 18, 2016 by WitchySar

[highfunctioningfatman 2,675]

I had the best medical experience that has ever been had in my family in Mexico. I trust my surgeon more than any hospital within 500 miles of me.

[WitchySar 244]

My surgeon's office now has all the forms (minus the psych form which my therapist's office just refuses to fill out, the don't fill out any forms regarding anything involving bariatric surgery apparently) and the chart notes from my primary visits. So hopefully medicaid will accept it all. At least I'm closer to getting the surgery in December now. I'll have another weigh in with my primary in October, then the final weight loss class in November along with a "binder class" where we all go over all the details of the surgery, more in depth what I can eat when (first week, second week, etc). I've already read through the binder and I've researched the crap out of everything, but I still have to go to the class. After the class then they can submit me for approval.

[Gloria1 13]

So sorry you are having to jump through all those hoops. To have it done in Mexico all I did was a 2 week pre surgery diet, filled out a psych questionnaire which was not collected by anyone and therefore no discussion on that front, paid the fees and showed up. It was pretty easy that way. That may be good or bad depending on your perspective. I think the pre surgery education that is required here in the U.S. goes a long way to helping a person understand and cope with the food requirements post surgery. You also get post op support by having surgery in the U.S., which is critical for your future success. At $6500 plus 20% you are only maybe a couple of thousand more than the cost of having the surgery in Mexico! In addition to the fee for the surgery, you will have hotel and travel costs which can add up, especially if you are paying for flights. Are you going alone or is someone coming with you? If you have a companion then you have to double your travel costs. I had a companion who stayed in the hotel the entire time, so we had a couple nights extra charge for hotel. All in I paid just over $6,000. If you do go to Mexico, please be sure NOT to go with Dr. Kelly. The three of us who had the surgery done in the same afternoon have all suffered complications, although mine was the most serious. Good Luck with your choice. Let us know what happens.

[WitchySar 244]

Well that couple thousand dollars means the difference between me having surgery or not. I don't have a savings, I don't have credit cards, I don't have ANY WAY at all of making up the difference. The only way I might be able to do surgery in Mexico is by paying with my tax refund, and it's going to take all of it. I'm really envious of people who have choices or who can pay out of pocket without a blink, but that's not me. So if medicaid doesn't pay then I have to go to lowest cost option, which is Mexico. I have no fears about going to Mexico. I know far more people who've had good results in Mexico and far more people who've had surgical complications (not just WLS) here in the US. A good friend of mine went in on September 5th to a well known, high ranked, hospital for a routine surgery (not WLS). She was in the ICU until 4 days ago. She's still not home.

I'm sorry you had such a rough time but your complications could have occurred here in the US just as easily.

And no, that's not the surgeon I've chosen.

[WitchySar 244]

I've been approved! At the final class I learned I also had to have a letter from my PCP (previously told no, I didn't need that) so it took a little while to get the appointment with my primary and get the letter sent over. I was submitted to Medicaid on December 1st and DENIED December 2nd. Why? Because my PCP's letter was too in depth so Medicaid didn't consider it a final clearance letter. I immediately called my PCP and she actually called the surgeon's office and worked with them directly so to write the letter exactly as requested. I was resubmitted that day (Friday the 2nd) and got the call yesterday (Monday the 5th) that I was APPROVED. Best of all there was still a surgical opening on December 19th, the last day of surgery for the year. I got it by the skin of my teeth but I got in this year! This has been such a crazy and stressful journey but now it's finally almost over. Well, this part of it anyway.

Edited December 6, 2016 by WitchySar

[laurak814 43]

Congratulations!!!

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

[WitchySar 244]

Surgery went well. It's now 8 days out and I'm still in pain though. No where near as bad as when I had my gallbladder removed though so that was nice. It was a wonderful hospital and felt very well taken care of the entire time. Currently I'm at the stage where I would KILL to be able to CHEW something, but I won't. I start pureed on the 2nd so at least that'll be a little better.

[Julie norton 2,850]

Glad to see you took the leap of faith. Keep believing and follow your program and 2017 can be fabulous and life changing!!! Stay the course and don't look back!