Jaimianna79

That's Interesting. I wonder if it has anything to do with the placement. It could also be totally unrelated. Cubital tunnel syndrome puts pressure on the ulnar nerve at the elbow and will also cause numbness in the pinky and ring fingers. When it is those two fingers in particular, it's usually the ulnar. I have problems with that when my arms are bent at the elbow for extended periods of time.

That's the ulnar nerve...where did they put your IV?

If you are a high enough BMI, Cigna isn't going to deny the surgery if you can lose a few lbs on the supervised diet. But if you drop to a weight that is low enough for them to not consider the surgery medically necessary, they can. And if you gain any weight, they can. The goal of the insurance company is to get away with spending less. Many of them make things more difficult to increase the chances of being able to deny a person while saying, "it's not that we don't cover this, but you didn't follow our rules." They know full well that people who seek out this surgery have difficulty controlling their intake. 3 months is a long time and some people seek the surgery precisely because they can't stop gaining. Many who would obtain the needed control through the surgery are denied because they can't stick to 3 months of a supervised diet. It happens. I would love to think that these rules are to make people "better prepared for what is to come," but let's be honest...insurance companies are all about the money. While it actually saves them money to make it simple for people to become healthier by approving surgery, this concept is still lost on many of the companies who have these requirements. Some are as long as 6 months.

The steroids can inhibit healing by suppressing the immune system making you more prone to leaks, yes. The ER dr put me on the pred and then my surgeon took me off. The NSAIDS my surgeon said I should really never take...which sucks because ibuprofen is one of the few things which actually works for menstrual cramps for me

I'm like 6 weeks away from being able to eat solids, but am already planning healthy snacks because I know I will be wanting to graze! Roasted chick peas with sea salt are a great snack if you like something with salt and crunch. And they have a decent amount of protein. They are dense and will definitely fill you up quickly while satisfying the snack monster!

I'm 10 days PO and down 14...also feel like it should be more. I think it's really in our minds and we're doing well! Lol

For Cigna, I know that if you show you can lose weight on your own with the diet plan, they may reject you. If you gain weight, they may also reject you. One of my coworkers had Cigna back when she got her band. She literally had to try not to lose weight on the supervised diet, yet maintain her current weight. If you show significant loss, they can also use that to justify that you don't need the extra assistance of the procedure. Some insurance plans do not require this supervised diet (this is not to be confused with pre-op diet), and in those cases, the weight at consult is used for approval. More difficult insurance companies (Cigna being one of them) will have you re-weighed after the supervised diet and then decide whether or not to approve you.

The only thing is that they don't necessarily want to be giving prednisone post-op due to the chance that infection may be a possibility. Since I had a chest ct, they felt better about giving it to me. Edit: my surgeon doesn't want me on the pred because he doesn't want to decrease the speed of healing on my sleeve - I sure hope that the pain doesn't return when I stop.

My shoulder pain ended up being an inflamed nerve from the hiatal hernia repair they did while in there. Everyone said it was probably gas but it wasn't. The pain got worse and worse every time I inhaled throughout the following week and I ended up in the Hospital this past Tuesday for a ton of tests (contrast CT, ultrasound) but all came up clear. Finally, they gave me some prednisone. Like magic, the inflammation was gone and hasn't been back since! This was pain that even morphine couldn't kill and after my first dose of steroid, I had my first pain free night of sleeping! If you've had a hiatal hernia repair and have a pain in the left shoulder and left upper chest, it can very well be that nerve. Who knew. Luckily, I had very little gas issues. I was expecting it to be horrific!

I feel your pain. I've been hungry since 2 days post op! I can't wait until I'm on purees. Hopefully tomorrow. I'm SO hungry. All I do is think about eating real food. It's torture. I feel like I could eat anything right now. I don't really feel restriction with fluids. Granted, I haven't exceeded 4 ounces in one hour. However, I can easily take in those four ounces in about 10 minutes with zero discomfort. And to be honest, I still crave food even after drinking 4 ounces of liquid or having 4 ounces of gelatin. It's not like I feel full. I hope this changes when I'm off the liquids only!!

I'm 6 days post op. The pain in my left shoulder/upper left chest area still isn't gone. It's worse in the morning and my positioning can trigger it or worsen it. I feel it upon inspiration, especially of a deep breath. It is not always gas that simply needs to dissipate either, so don't be alarmed if it doesn't go away after a few days as it does for many who have the discomfort due to gas. My surgeon told me that stimulation of the diaphragm can inflame the nerve and this can take a while to heal. This happens most frequently when a hiatal hernia is repaired. I had a very small hernia repaired during the surgery.

I'm not getting in anywhere near 64 oz either. I'm lucky if I'm getting in even half of that.

You can buy ketone strips at any drug store pharmacy. Just ask for them at the counter (urine-ketone test strips)...you are definitely losing, I promise. I had 8 lbs of fluids and swelling post op. 4 days out and I'm just starting to urinate more frequently. The first week is nearly impossible to tell by using the scale!

I use 8 ounces of water for one scoop and that makes 4 small (my ice pop makers are 2 oz each) ice pops. I probably could add even more because it doesn't have that protein texture and flavor when it's frozen. It really just tastes like an ice pop!

It's not that I feel like I need food and can't go on without eating it...I have no choice there. I also have plenty of things to do to occupy my time. But I just want to chew something tangible. The thought of the liquids is nauseating Sort of just venting about that. It's frustrating. I don't do well on all liquids