5DogMa

I had surgery yesterday and yes I got one and it will stay in for a week. The doctor will remove it then. I kinda hurts when you mess with it and you can feel it when you "milk" the tube attached to it. It hurts me anyway. After surgery yesterday afternoon they had me drink this nasty blue stuff in a little apple juice and if blue came into the drain that would indicate a leak.

I sip water or anything it's acting like it gets half way down and stops. Then all of a sudden it makes this funny noise kinda like a burp and girgle and I can feel the sip go into my stomach. I'm on clear liquids for the next week. Anyone else experience this?

Ah, thanks! Just 5 more days!

Thanks, I just read your post about your experience in TJ. You came all the way from where to get this surgery?

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for posting this! We are going thru alma and my daughter will have surgery with Dr. Garcia on January 23rd. Alma has been great, she's a real sweetheart. Since I am having this surgery in CA next week she even answers my questions. Although I know my doctor does things different here in CA some questions will have the same answer I'm sure regardless. This is exactly what we needed to hear AGAIN. You are the second person in the last couple weeks who is equally happy with Dr. Garcia and his staff.

YAY! Glad to hear you're doing so well. Congrats to you and how far you've come!

How are you doing today?

How are you two doing since your surgery? Do you have a blog?

I wasn't so concerned about the drain tube itself as I was the NOT being able to take a shower! Also, I don't understand why some, even a lot, of doctors don't even use them. If they are really necessary why doesn't everone use them? If they are not necessary, then why do the use them. I'd rather not have it if it's not really necessary.

Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to shower and cover it up with plastic wrap to try and keep it dry while keeping my back to the shower stream. I have a pre-op with some person in the doctors office who will go over all the pre/post-op questions and most likely talk about eating after surgery. Just 15 days away, I'm so scared.

So my son just called me said there is some stuff going on in TJ and it's not safe for us to travel down there. I told him a lot of people have been going down there for surgery and I haven't heard of any troubles in TJ. So can you please tell me your experiences there and if you ever felt un-safe? I think he's overreacting to things he may have heard from others.

Heather, Thanks for posting this! My daughter is scheduled for Jan 23rd with Dr. Garcia. We are going thru Alma at Ready4AChange. Keep us posted on how you are doing and good luck on your journey.

I was told NOT to shower. That probably bothers me more than anything. Sponge bath just doesn't get it for me. I like my daily shower, it feels good and wakes me up. I wonder why so many don't have a drain tube? I really don't want to have to deal with it if it's not absolutely necessary. If you guys could shower why can't I?

I saw my Dr yesterday and I am scheduled for surgery Dec 7th. Got all the approvals etc and I'm good to go. I am scared and excited, but mostly scared. Oh, do I really want to do this??? 48 hour clear liquid diet before surgery and that's all. One thing that's really bothering me is he said I will have a drain tube in for almost a week! He says it will lay beside the sleeve to make sure there is not leak? He's never had a leak. I guess whatever drainage comes out you can tell if you have a leak??? What? Anyone ever heard of having a drain tube in for so long? I can't take a shower and he said he will take it out at my post-op appt that is 6 days after surgery. Can you imagine bending over the kitchen sink to wash your hair with this drain tube in the way? This is gross. I have heard some docs don't even put in a drain tube. They take x-rays to check for leaks. Is this old school or what? Your experience and comments welcome PLEASE.

Getting ready to send her a depost for my daughters surgery using Dr. Fernando Garcia in TJ in January. Looks legit and they have a BBB rating I checked out. She is super nice and seems very experienced in doing this. They are part of Obesity Solutions Int'l. Anyone have first hand knowledge of this group? Thanks!

Oh, don't most insurance companies change things starting in January of the new year? I've never experienced one changing things in December.

Cortknee98 & AndreaP - I'm having similar issues with BCBS. Customer service told me several times by different people NO 6 month wait period and they told the doctors office there was when they called in to verify coverage. They told them 6 consecutive montly office visits. After my doctors office told me this, I called customer service again and again they told me NO waiting period just need to meet the BMI requirement. Well, we submitted last week for approval and I am penciled in Dec 7th for surgery. I started seeing my doctor in May but missed 1 appt in July because I was moving. My doctors office said we are taking a gamble they won't notice the 1 missed appt. I have a co-worker who had RNY 2 years ago and she didn't have to wait 6 months. URGH!

That's just unbelievable! Who does she think she is?? Is this the loan officer, bank president, what? Either way it doesn't matter. If it's a personal loan, that's just what it is "personal" they have no right to ask you what you will be doing with the money. You just need to qualify for the loan. Tell her the only thing you're going to promise is to spend the money wisely investing in your healthy future. No, really it's none of her business! This makes me so mad people who bully others and that's just what she is - a bully.

It's none of her business where you spend the money. SHE said you have to promise ME, the BANK didn't say you have to promise any such thing. Huh, promise??? A personal loan, is a personal loan. What you do with it is YOUR business.

There is a nasal spray called Astepro that is a antihistamine that works really well. It's kinda expensive, my co-pay is $25. I have really bad allergies and I spray it and Flonaise every day and I get allergy shots to boot.

Has anyone else with BCBS-LA had experience with this? My company is self insured and BCBS is the administrator. I guess my company actually pays all the medical bills. Anyway, what they tell me when I call customer service and what they tell the doctors office are two different things. The main one - 6 MONTHS CONSECUTIVE OFFICE VISITS! I was told 3-4 times by customer service there was no waiting period and only needed to meet the BMI requirements. Then after my doctors office told me about this I called them again and got the same answer - NO waiting period. So I told them what my doctors said and she even put me on hold and talked with her supervisor and came back and said NO waiting period. My co-worker did not have to wait 6 months, but that was 2 years ago. When I told her this, she said that was crazy. I've been at this since February, picked my doctor in May, have gone through so much testing it's crazy. Now this? I didn't go to one appt in July because I was moving so my doctors office said I have to start counting 6 months from August! I had a fit since I was told there wasn't a waiting period directly from my insurance company so said they would submit, but I will probably have to appeal if I want to have surgery before the end of the year. Then I still might get denied! I've already paid my max out of pocket this year because of all the testing. If it gets pushed into next year then I have to pay $4,000 more out of pocket. I could have this surgery in Mexico for $5,000 without all this grief.

My experience with BCBS has been that what customer service says when you as the customer call in to ask about coverage, and what the department that the doctors office calls and then submits for approval could say two different things. I have been told several times from customer service there is no 6 month waiting period and the doctors office was told I had to have 6 months consecutive visits to get approval. Meeting the physical criteria, BMI,and history o obesity, etc isn't enough. My co-worker who had RNY didn't have to wai,t but that was 2 years ago. I'm setting myself up thinking I might have to appeal. We'll see, the submitted for approval last Friday. Good luck, I hope it goes through fast for you.

YIKES! So does that mean your employer knows that you are having WLS? I thought this stuff was confidential.

I was told they base it on your weight when you start with the bariatric surgeon since most doctors will require you to lose some weight before surgery. Then I've also heard the same as above. Wear ankle weights to keep your weight up. Why can't we get straight answers out of our medical insurance companies!!!! When I started I was 42 BMI now I'm at 38, but then after all this testing found out I had 2 co/morbs so I'd still qualify. Since I don't trust my insurance company to tell me the truth, I'll be sure not to fall below 35 BMI to qualify.

I have BCBS of LA. I have found out that what it says on line when you check, and what they tell the customer when they call in to check on their benefits, MAY NOT be what they tell the doctors office when they submit for approval or call in to verify coverage. I had verified on line and even printed out the content from the web site. Then over the phone verified at least 3 times with 3 different people there was NO 6 month waiting period to have VSG if you met the criteria of 40+ BMI. I was 42 BMI. Then they told my WLS I have to have 6 consecutive monthly office visits! I am so mad because if they stick to the 6 consecutive month weigh ins and doctor visits it pushs my surgery out until January which means I'll have to pay the max out of pocket AGAIN! This year my max out of pocket was $3,000 which I have already paid because of all the testing, but next year it goes up to $4,000 out of pocket! That means my share of cost would be $7,000!!! I am told by my doctors office this happens a lot. So be careful. I am going to appeal if they deny coverage for this year. My WLS submitted yesterday for approval so we'lll see. Until then my bloodpressure will be elevated. Oh, my co-worker using the same insurance did NOT have to wait 6 months. :banghead: