AtlantaRed

I will most likely be self pay, hubby's new insurance starts in November but I asked already and was told WLS wasn't covered. I need a few things done. I know my PCP can order the EKG just based on weight itself, for insurance to cover. I'm also pretty sure she can get the upper GI ordered because I have been on a PPI for over a year since my gallbladder was removed. Just wondering how to get the psych eval covered, if possible? I did go to a therapist on my previous insurance and that was covered fine. However, I need to go to a licensed psychologist and am guessing an "evaluation" is different than just a therapy session, isn't it? Thanks for any insight!

Thanks so much! I saw a counselor twice this summer but she told me she didn't think I needed to go back unless something "happened". However, she was not a licensed psychologist. The surgeon's office did give me some names but as they are an hour from me, so are the psychologists. Maybe I should bite the bullet and call one of them even though they will be quite a drive! Thanks for your help!

Thanks, Sherri! I was trying to look online and found one that said their "Full Brief Psychological Evaluation" was $675 and it was freaking me out! Did you have one of those extensive, hours long assessments or more like a regular session? Thanks for your help!

Thank you so much, Erika! This was what I was hoping to hear! I know who the new insurance will be so maybe I can go ahead and schedule an appt for right after Nov 1, so as soon as we have coverage, I can get it done. They didn't ask why you needed a psych eval? If it is a PPO and generally you don't need a referral, the insurance wouldn't question why you wanted yourself evaluated? Thanks for your help!

Thank you for your response. I will start pricing evals tomorrow. I was just wondering if there was a way to present it to my new insurance that wasn't weight loss surgery related. Like the EKG and upper GI evaluations can be coded in a way that are not related to weight loss surgery. I am wondering under what circumstances I would need a psych eval (not related to upcoming weight loss surgery) that the insurance would cover. Maybe there isn't a way, and that is fine. I understand I might have to pay this one out of pocket. Just wondering.

I hope it's possible to go from 322 to 150! I'm not too far off of that! I'm not sure what size it will be, I'd just like to have a normal BMI. I'm hoping to have my surgery in December. I'm actually ok being a deflated fat girl. The loose skin will weigh much less than the inflated skin! I was extremely active at 250. I was exercising 2-3 hours a day, doing hikes that took me more than 2 hours a day and loved every minute of it. The weight I lost krept back up. It's this last 15 or 20 that has made my knees and feet and back...etc, hurt and unable to get back outside. I'm sure even the initial 20 to 30 pounds will make us feel much better on our feet. Find an activity you really enjoy. Walking on a treadmill is a chore for me. I love being outside though and a nature trail is easier on the feet than a hard sidewalk or street. The sleeve will do its job. Just need to be ready to do yours. I'm not there yet but seems like the drinking while eating is the biggest slip up, allowing the food to pass through faster and making us hungrier sooner. I wouldn't count on not being hungry again, for some it does (and I hope it does for us too!) but you would feel defeated if it didn't turn out to happen. At least know, even if you are hungry, it will take much less to fill you up! I think I will definitely measure my food and do the suggested amount, whatever that is by my doc. I think the saying "just because you CAN eat more doesn't mean you SHOULD" is an important one. So, if we "should" be full enough with 2 or 3 ounces in the beginning, lets measure our food and make sure we stop there! Let's not worry about saggy skin, a number on the back of our jeans, and let's Celebrate every day that we weigh less and we are able to move more! Yay us!

Try a cap of MiraLAX with your protein drink each day. It is non-habit forming and safe to take long term. Doesn't promote the cramping.

I was never a back sleeper either. However, even though I go to sleep on my stomach, I often wake up on my back. Last year, I had my gallbladder removed and had a difficult recover because I am over sensitive to pain and pain meds don't work for me. Also, a week after the gallbladder removal, I had a small skin cancer removed on my chest which added more pain. I learned pretty quickly to sleep on my back and can even still do it now! If you don't take sleep meds, maybe try a Benadryl or 2 to make you sleepy enough to sleep in any position!

I am looking forward to some of these. My shirts ALWAYS have stains on them from either dropping food when I eat or leaning over a counter. Having difficulty putting my socks on without pulling the leg of my pants up to lift my foot off the floor! Looking forward to sitting in ANY booth and not scoping out which side I have to sit on because it has the most room. I want to wear jeans again. I grew out of my 22/24 and the bigger size I bought never fit right. I've been wearing t-shirt material capri pants from Woman WIthin and sweats in the winter. I also don't want to have to stretch my t-shirts before putting them on to make sure they don't hug too tight! Hoping my surgery is by the end of this year. I will be self-pay but insurance should cover some of the preop testing and our new insurance doesn't kick in until November 1. I'll be starting around 310 so I look forward to dropping pretty quickly in the beginning. I actually LOVE to exercise and it just got to where I couldn't anymore. Hoping the initial drop of 20 to 30 pounds will allow me to get out and move!

I know that MiraLAX is safe to take long term without causing problems. I have the opposite problem now, but I am preop. I plan to use a scoop of MiraLAX daily with my protein from day 1.

I agree! You look awesome! Congrats to you!

Another decent report for Dilaudid! I will keep my fingers crossed. I don't much mind the loopy (I wouldn't work or drive on it but while I'm at home, loop away!) Thank you for your input and hope you're pain is controlled as well!

I am not a chronic pain med user; however, the 4 times I have needed prescription pain meds, they haven't worked. I thought I had a high tolerance for pain meds but the last surgeon said I had a low tolerance for pain (which just makes me sound like a big baby). The first occasion was tonsillectomy when I was 28. All they gave me was hydrocodone and refused to give me anything else. I was out of work for 2 weeks. Second was wisdom teeth extraction. Dentist gave me Demerol which was a dream! (but they don't give that anymore). Third was last year when I had by gallbladder removed. My 74-yo mother had hers removed the year before and was on hydrocodone for 3 days (which were a blur to her) and then she was fine. I woke up from the gallbladder surgery with severe nausea despite the patch behind my ear and Zofran, and a severe migraine. They told me I won the award for the worst recovery! Doc sent me home with Toradol and Tramadol. I took them for 3 days, even though they weren't working. I stopped taking them because not only were they not working, but my eyes were severely dilated and I was seeing blurry. We had our annual vacation (we take one a year) scheduled for 3 days after the surgery and every single doctor and nurse swore we would be able to go on vacation. Nope. The day we were supposed to leave, I still needed help getting up and down from anything and couldn't stand up straight for 2 weeks! For migraines, the doc had tried me on all of the -codones, tramadol, toradol, fioricet, fiorinal, mobic, lodine, celebrex, imitrex, maxalt, and of course tylenol and ibuprofen. They just don't work for me. It's like me eating an M&M. It's hard to find doctors who don't think you're drug seeking. However, my regular PCP can show documentation that she has never prescribed anything for me. I had my first consult and most of it revolved around pain control. He said he usually sends people home with liquid percocet but since that doesn't work for me, he would send me home with Dilaudid and make sure I had adequate nausea control. He said he would do it in the hospital instead of the surgical center to make sure pain was controlled in the hospital and then he would send me home on whatever was working. Just wondering if ANYONE is in the same position and have you successfully found something that will work?

Lol...I know I'm 1/4 Mexican (first language was spanish) and part German. Not sure where mine came from! (In my pic, it's "enhanced" but it really does have it's own red, I promise!)

Thank you so much! He mentioned the liquid percocet but said since regular perc doesn't work for me, he would do the Dilaudid. Like I said, from past experience, I'm not looking to be pain free, just a little help would be nice!

I heard that too! When I brought it up to the surgeon who did my gallbladder, one of the worst experiences of my life, he acted like I was crazy and said there was no truth to that! What were you sent home on? I'll just believe it is so. However, doesn't help with the suffering.

Too funny! I guess it's nice to have someone to commiserate with!! We will have to keep each other posted when we find things that work!

Thanks so much for your input! Hopefully the Dilauded he gives me will do something. I don't expect to be pain free but taking the edge off will be nice!

Thanks! My biggest fear is the pain, knowing I've had procedures which others thought were minor for them. Even having a small pimple sized basal cell carcinoma removed on my chest, it took 2 vials of numbing stuff to be injected because the stuff didn't numb me up like it does others.

Wow! My PCP had discussed morphine and methadone. I've never been on either. Do you think it was because you took it for a long term? Could you have taken it for a week and still had the same withdrawal? I don't mind feeling loopy but I certainly don't want to withdrawal from something!

Good luck to you!!! My hernia is not confirmed yet but I will have an upper GI before the surgery, so he will know going in! Congrats and hope you have a smooth recovery!

Thanks so much! So, maybe I'm getting a good deal with him doing the hernia repair for free.

Thanks! My surgeon actually said he would repair the hernia (if present) for free, included in the sleeve cost. I was just wondering if I could get insurance to pay for the anesthesia, overnight stay, etc. Something else to look into, I guess!

Who would I ask about that? Would I contact the coordinator at the Surgical Center? I guess they would know the ways of getting around that?

My husband's company didn't choose to have that covered in their insurance plan.