Luvin_Life125

Uh oh! I am really in trouble! It started snowing today and it won't be long before we don't see the thermometer go above zero for a long time. I live an hour south of Lake Superior and I need all of the insulation I can get. I guess I better start stocking up on fleece lined leggings and thermals!

Welcome and congratulations!

My plan is to have my hubby at the hospital until I get my room and then he is heading home to take care of our sons. I won't see them again until I am discharged. I am trying to minimize the amount of school my sons miss and we live about 3 hours from the hospital. Honestly even of we lived closer, I wouldn't change the plan. I am always exhausted after surgery and just want to sleep. My children are exhausting and I don't need that on top of trying to get myself together. My personality is one that doesn't handle someone coddling me and trying to help me with everything. My plan works for my personality. Every one is different and reacts differently, so I think you have to decide what is best for you.

I have completed all of my insurance requirements and was just approved 10-15 days ago (not exactly sure how long ago ). I am scheduled for surgery 11/11 but I am desperately hoping to get surgery moved up and done before the end of the month. My husband's employer is going through some stuff and we don't know if he will have a job after October which means insurance ends if the job ends. I will find out Monday if it can be moved up.

Welcome to the forums! Where in Wisconsin are you from and who is your surgeon? I live near Hayward and am having surgery in Wausau. Sorry I can't help with your question, but I wanted to say hi!

I just got an email from the surgical coordinator and she is out of the office this week on vacation. She said she will look next week when she gets back to work and we will go from there. I hope this works out somehow. My biggest hope is my husband keeps his job and life continues in the current flow. I will dream big while I am dreaming!

Ok , I am still waiting to hear back from the surgeons office. I called human resources to get the details of when our coverage would end (last day of employment ) and an approximation of the CObra premiums (over $1100 per month). I will keep working to find a way to get this done and appreciate all of the ideas! Please toss out ideas and suggestions as you have them. I will try almost anything once.

I just called and left a voice mail for the coordinator and I also sent her an email last night as soon as I found out what was happening at work for my husband. Thanks everyone! I will keep you posted as soon as I hear anything!

I have Medicare coverage due to disability. My husbands group health plan is primary because his company has over 100 employees. Honestly I can't afford what my20% coinsurance would be using Medicare only for the surgery. Both insurances together would leave very little out of pocket expense for me. I can't justify taking that much money out of our savings to cover a larger portion of surgical cost especially when my husband's job is not secure right now. It is just bad timing all the way around right now. I am sincerely hoping my surgeons office can squeeze me in somewhere before the end of the month. I need some positive news right about now.

Oh no! I drink at least 3 gallons of water a day if not more. It is my preferred beverage. I hope I can still tolerate it after surgery. I have an infuser type of water bottle and love mixing different fruits in it for a bit of variety. It looks like I might have to get creative after surgery. It is such a foreign concept that I wouldn't like or want water after surgery because it is such a part of my life now. Thank you all for sharing your experiences.

I hit a big snag in my surgery plans and I am afraid I may not be able to get surgery at all. I am scheduled for 11/11 for my VSG. My husband carries the insurance for our our family and I also have Medicare as a secondary insurer. There are some changes coming to my husbands employer and we don't know what will happen with his job beginning 11/1. He may or may not have a job which means he may or may not have health insurance for the family. I have emailed my surgeons office to see if there is any way possible to get my surgery scheduled before the end of the month and I am waiting to hear back. I have done everything I need to and have been approved by my insurance. Grr, this really sucks and I am worried I just did all of this for nothing.

I think therapy will be a benefit to many bariatric patients. We did not become obese because of our healthy relationship with food. I had a pre op psych evaluation with my bariatric clinic and I passed with flying colors. However, after a few weeks of thought and consideration, I have decided to pursue therapy anyway. I want the best possible outcome and the best chance at being healthy the rest of my life. I have also worked my way through a few bariatric self help books. The books have helped me pinpoint where I need to work on.

Definitely make sure you follow up with your insurance company. You should be able to appeal the claim under the "runaway charges" provision. Keep talking to your insurer and make them reprocess this lab claim as an in network claim. To keep this from happening next time ask your insurer what labs are in network with your plan. Future lab work ordered by your doctor's office can be written out on a prescription or a signed order and you can take that order to an in network lab to have any blood work done. I have had something similar happen and it took quite a few phone calls but it was eventually straightened out. Just keep up on it and the claim should be reprocessed.

I have Cigna OAP too and they allow 5 business days to process an inpatient precertification. Make sure you follow up with Cigna and good luck!

I am scheduled for surgery 11/11 and being the overachiever and planner I am, I have already started working on preparing meals for post op. Please share your recipes and favorites foods post op. I am most interested in recipes that can be shared with the whole family with minor modifications to meet our needs post op (ie: leave out the carb portion, etc). Here's a favorite in our house that I have tried puréed with chicken broth and was still delicious. I want some ready to go, easy family meals for some of those days I don't want to cook for whatever reason. Chicken Divan Ingredients: 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 can fat free cream of mushroom Soup 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup 1 bag steam fresh frozen broccoli 1/2 bag shredded mild cheddar cheese Cooked rice or egg noodles to serve it over for the rest of the family. Directions: 1. Cook chicken in boiling Water with 1 tsp black pepper until cooked through. Drain chicken and cool. 2. Cook broccoli according to package directions. Drain the broccoli and chop the large pieces into bite size pieces. 3. Shred cooled chicken and spread in the bottom of an 8x8 pan. 4. Put 1/2 can of both Soups on top of chicken. Use the back of a spoon to spread it out to cover all of the chicken. 5. Next spread the broccoli out over the top of the soup. Spread it to cover the soup entirely. 6. Spread the remaining 1/2 can of both soups over the broccoli. Make sure to cover all of the broccoli. 7. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top to cover. 8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 9. Serve over rice or egg noodles. We use brown rice for it at my house. Bariatric members can eat it without the starch. If you are still in the purée stage, this still tastes great puréed with chicken broth! I made this casserole and froze normal serving sizes for my kids and hubby to heat and serve over rice. I also used the tiny glad ware disposable storage containers to store small portions for me post op. I then put my containers in a gallon zip loc freezer bag to help prevent freezer burn. My next project is butternut squash soup, followed by chili! I am determined to have a decent variety of foods that I know are good for me and meet my nutritional needs. It will also help to have meals ready for all of the boys to grab and microwave. So now it is your turn!

One meal that I have already prepared, portioned, and froze for post op and can be puréed with a bit of chicken broth is a family favorite casserole. My family calls it chicken divan. I cook boneless skinless chicken breast by boiling in seasoned water then shredding the chicken when it cools. Put the shredded chicken in the bottom of an oven safe pan. I usually use either an 8x8 brownie pAn or a 9x13 pan. Once the chicken is in the bottom of the pan spread 1/2 can of ff cream of chicken soup and a 1/2 can of ff cream of mushroom soup. Double the soup if using a 9x13 pan. Use the back side of a spoon to spread the soups out so they cover the chicken. Next cover with cooked broccoli ( I use the steam in bag kind for ease of use). You may have to cut the huge chunks into smaller pieces. Then use the same amount of both cream soups over the top and spread to cover the broccoli. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. This can be served over brown (or white) rice or egg noodles for the family. I really believe this dish without the rice fits in well with the post surgery dietary needs and has a good amount of protein. It is also a comfort food on a cold day or when you are just wanting real food. I tried it puréed with chicken broth and it was as delicious as it was not puréed. I wanted to make sure it still tasted great before I went through the work of portioning it out and freezing it. Let me know if my explanations aren't clear or something doesn't make sense.

Hang in there! The past is done and can't be changed. All you can do is promise yourself you can and will do this! Tell yourself it is only food and it doesn't control you . I know easier said than done. Using all the self control you have and can find is going to be your biggest challenge. You can and will do this! You have made it this far and you can finish this!

Yikes keep us posted and good luck tomorrow .

Hmm, it works for me but I am also using my phone. Hm, maybe try a internet search for "Cigna bariatric surgery policy 0051 2014" and see if that will pull it up for you. You want to make sure you are reading the policy effective 05/15/2014.

Great cut!! You look beautiful!

Cigna requires a 3 month supervised weight loss attempt. It actually works out to be 4 visits, each a month apart, because you need an initial visit to start the monitorig. Cigna requires the visits take place greater than or equal to at least 89 days. Here is the Cigna policy with all of their requirements. https://cignaforhcp.cigna.com/public/content/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surgery.pdf Let me know if you need help decoding any of their requirements. I hope this helps!

I am scheduled for November 11. Surgery can be scary if you don't know what to expect. Please have faith in your surgeon and their staff. This will be my 3rd laparoscopic surgery so I have been through this a few times. My first surgery I had a major met down and panic attack while waiting to go into the operating room. I woke up after surgery wondering why I had gotten so bent out of shape. The fear of the unknown is what did me in. What is your biggest fear about the surgery? Is it the procedure itself? Post op? Once you can narrow down your fears you can then begin to address them.

Good luck!

Siesta Key or Honeymoon Island Flordia for a week of R&R on the beach! My prize when I reach goal is a family vacation to Siesta Key and I can't wait!

LOVE this thread! I am making notes in my journal of all these wonderful products!