RestlessMonkey

Hi I too am nursing student similar situation If you don't have a grueling clinical, or can schedule during period without clinicals, a week will be fine. BUT there are lifting restrictions and that may be problematic for you. I HAD scheduled mine well before the semester start but had problems and had it on a friday (missed a skills lab) and had class that next tues. I was fine because my clinicals (pediatrics) didn't start until day 10 after my surgery. My surgeon said he has nurses who go back to work with just 1 week post op but he recommends 2 weeks. AND of course a lot depends on you. I recover VERY fast from surgery...no pain, minimal gas, etc. We're all different.

You sound so on top of things, so I'm sure you know you really are supposed to "INHALE" with that incentive spirometer, right? Sounds like you're doing well!

Hi and welcome! Your judgment, and your doctor's, are better than any "talk board" advice, but I will say usually a little blood 3 days post op is ok. If your surgical sites get hot, inflamed, hurt, drain something that is purulent, swell, etc, then call your doc ASAP. OR if you are just worried! But it sounds like you have a good handle on it! Sounds like you're healing well! Just keep taking those deep breaths, walk, etc. You're on the way!

If coverage isn't offered, it won't do any good to appeal (just as if you are in a wreck but don't have auto insurance, an insurance company will not cover you). Many surgeon's offices have information on financing. You might find more info out "looking" around the "Insurance and financing" forum.... There are surgeons in the USA who will do the surgery for around 10K (like a doctor in Denver, Kirschenbaum or Kirshenbaum, not sure) and many people go to Mexico.

Ask your surgeon. S/he'll be able to direct you.

Ask your surgeon about the IUD AND have your son attend a seminar with you. That should help calm him. The risks of remaining obese are probably more likely (diabetes, stroke, heart attack, osteoarthritis, etc) than something bad happening to you on the table. You need to explain that to him.

If your surgeon knew you were vomiting and didn't worry about it, I'd thing you don't need to either. Bring it up with him at your first post op appointment.

I agree with Jack...call your state's insurance commission. Pronto. Don't let it go on. Also check your credit to make sure they don't mess it up.

Well I'm betting your surgeon's assistant has a good handle on what needs to be done, and with her in your corner, you at least have a fighting chance. Sorry about the other person...that's pretty vile. I'll cross my fingers that something works out for you!

Call your regular doctor.

Call your regular doctor.

I'd suggest actually calling your surgical center and asking them. For some people it's vital, others, not so much, and it may be a requirement of your insurance. They will be able to tell you for sure.

That is excellent news! :wink: I'll bet you are beside yourself excited! :yikes: Good luck!

I'm truly happy for you but...what are you going to do for fills etc? One thing I learned AFTER getting the band is that the after care (fills, someone to call if you have an issue, etc etc) is VITAL....and many many surgeons will NOT touch you if you were someone else's patient, regardless of where your surgery was performed (next door or 1/2 a world away). Make SURE you have someplace to get fills etc BEFORE you get the surgery. Good luck!

I don't know your mother, of course. That makes it hard to know what will motivate/reassure her! I assume she'll be worried about your health, so I say take her to a seminar. THe surgery is fairly non-invasive, it is REVERSIBLE, and you control how much you can eat post op. (you control the fill level). A seminar should put her mind at ease.

Hello and welcome if you have any questions just ask! We'll all try to help!

There's one more thing to consider. For example, as a rule, my surgeon has his patients stay overnight. (if you stay 23 hours that is considered outpatient and you aren't billed as much) He almost ALWAYS keeps patients overnight. That's his standard. SO If, before my surgery, I called and asked his staff (receptionist, Nurse, NP, anyone) they'd say "Yes you stay overnight". Sensible, right? HOWEVER....I personally asked him, if I was recovering well, could I GO HOME? I explained my husband is an RN with 20+ years experience and I am a nursing student. I said if I started to tank we'd go to ER. He said I could GO HOME. So until that surgery day, if I'd called and asked his nurse, she would've said "NO you stay overnight" The insurance woman said "you stay overnight" The HOSPITAL planned for me to stay overnight. BUT...it's the doctor's call. He MUST approve my discharge. And I knew he was discharging me that afternoon, because he said he would. And that is exactly what he did. Don't get mad at your surgeon for "not doing" something or flip flopping until you hear HIM flip flop. What some hospital clerk tells you is nothing. What the SURGEON does is what matters. HE will decide to keep you if you need it, or discharge you if you want to go and don't need to stay.

Do you have an insurance advocate or "person" in your HR department? IF so, make an appt, go to him/her, and get some help. If you pay tha $200 deductible, then how do you get to $500? Do you pay 20% of some charges and they pay 80, for example? And do they have a "network" of surgeons and hospitals? You need someone who "does" understand insurance to sort this out for you, and that should be someone in your HR department. for example, because I used an "in network" surgeon and hospital, my insurance paid them a contracted amount. ( don't know how much that is...it's a deal between my insurance and them) I paid my deductible and then my "co pay" portion (that's 20% of "covered" charges). Once I reaced a maximum copay (in my case, 3000) my insurance covered the rest. They will only pay so much for lap band surgery. NOT what the doc or hospital wants to bill, but the amount agreed upon (it's contracts) So WHATEVER the hospital and doc want to bill, the max I will pay is 3000 (that catastrophic cap) Since I'd already met my deductible and had other charges, it ended up being less. IF the doc and hospital tried to charge me more, that would be illegal. You are in another state (not familiar with Ind. laws) and since you are a cop, if you're like here, they have a union and negotiate benefits. You should have a rep or HR resource to go to to help clarify this for you. I still think your potential max outlay will be $500 (like mine was 3000) and they can NOT charge you any difference, but it's kind of like sorting potatoes in a dark room...if you know what I mean. Don't give up....see your HR advocate.

Call your surgeon and ask. It's entirely possible the person who called you is wrong.

Honestly you may be overmedicating...not sure though! Your safest safest bet is to call your surgeon. Clear your regimen with his office, and see if he wants to "see" you! :thumbup:

Careful with a heating pad it can speed your stitches dissolving! (seriously...if they are the type that dissolve over time, that's based on body heat, and too much heating pad can mean premature dissolve) WALK! WALK! It's the miracle cure.

doodleallday: Maybe the poster means "Sequential Compression Devices" (SCD's)....those things that go around our calves and compress/decompress (pumping) to help keep blood flowing in legs and prevent clots? Mine didn't go on my feet (most don't) but that's what I thought OP meant.

I hope you find coverage you like and can afford. I know of some who've looked for private coverage and because they are obese, can't find it. Insurance is really tough. Hopefully some options will open up for you!

Ok where's this post that covers politics, prostitutes and animals? I'm up for a break! And I agree that this is a public forum. If you dont like a post, don't read it, or don't respond. Simple.

If necessary, tell her you are having "abdominal" surgery. That's what my surgeon put in the letter I got just in case my school (I'm a student) needed it. It's vague, so if later you DO need your gallbladder removed or whatever, you won't be caught in a lie. AND abdominal surgery is the truth, just not the whole truth. By the way if you have to lift her at all you may have problems...most of us have a lifting restriction.