ousooner

Looking great! :biggrin: Very proud of you :biggrin:

Wh ywas it denied? I have UHC and have heard from others they are very good with the approval process. On waht bases was it denied. Does your company have a WLS exclusion?

Hey guys, just checking in. Sorry I'm not around as much as I used to. I help moderate another band board and that keeps me pretty busy too. But ya'll know I wouldn't abandon you So I am about 2 months out now. I would say I am about 90%. I still hurt a little if I move wrong or stretch he wrong way. I am finally down to my pre-op clothing size. As stated perviously, I ate terribly post op. I had a fill this past Friday and it has helped trememdously. I also started walking again. I work in an industrial complex and there is a pond/lake between the buildings. The sidewalk around the water is 1.6 miles. I have been walking it twice a day for the last 2 weeks. Thats 5k a day. Swelling isn't too bad. I will try to post pics this weekend.

Hi Maysters! Sorry I have been so MIA lately. Glad to see everyone is doing well with surgeries, grandbabies, etc. So we are all over ayear out now. Seems amazing. Hope this coming year is half as ggod as the last. Maintenance has been a struggle for me so far. Loosing was easier. Sounds crazy, huh? I guess I am an all or nothing kind of guy. I have crept just outside of the maintenance range I set for myself, so I am back at it to get back down to where I feel comfortable. Thanks to Alicia for encouraging me to excercise, I went to the gym for the first time in well over a month this morning. It felt real good. I go for a fill on Friday. We catered in lunch last thurday at work, I was able to scarf down a hamburger patty and a hot dog (without the bread) in about 10 minutes, talk about no restriction:( I will try to keep ya'll updated more often. :welldoneclap:

Congrats!! You have done really well. You have a lot going on and are still maintaining. That is wonderful. I reach goal weight in February 2007 and have maintained pretty well since. By pretty well, I am about 25 pounds over where I said I wouldn't exceed, but am working to get that back off now. I am about 2 months post op from tummy tuck. The second best thing I have done for myself besides the band. It did wonders for my self esteem I have a link in my signature for pics. Everything else is going well.

We haven't in a while. Good to see you. I guess we have all gotten busy.

The anesthesiologist called back this morning and agreed it looked like it had been double billed. She said she was surprised UHC approved it. She said that many time in the larger insurance companies, their is not much review on the front end, but stricter review on the back end and it may be overturned. She is going to check to make sure that UHC is not going to reverse their decsision, then refund us if it holds up.

I have never heard that or had a problem with that.

I agree, thats where I started. Its really nothing extra out of pocket, it just doesn't feel right until I get an explaination.

Question for everyone. Am I the only one with no external stitches. I hear other talk about getting their sticthes taken out, but I was closed up with surgical glue and had no external stitches. Don't know if that's good or bad. My band Dr did the same thing. Also, since insurance wouldn't cover the surgery, we had to pay for everything upfront. Normal procedure. I notice today, that the anesthesiologist (who we already paid a little over $1,500), also submitted a claim to my insurance company for $2,750. UHC paid it all out but $295 for my deductable that was piad by my flexible spending. Makes me think they double billed and if insurance paid it, we are entitled to the $1.500 back. What do you guys think. I called the anesthesiologists office and left a voice mail. Waiting to hear back from them. I am wondering how they submitted a claim since I didn't give them my insurance info. I wonder if they got it from my PS who did submitt, but was denied. My parents said I should call the insurance copmpany and ask why they covered the anesthesiologist if they wouldn't cover the surgery, but I am affraid if I call, they will realize they made a mistake and rescind payment.

My Dr actually used surgical glue to close me up. I am very please that I had no external stitches. I think it really help decrease the scarring. Ironically, I just had a tummy tuck and my PS used the same method. cut from hip to hip and not one external stitch. Its healing nicely.

Sorry I don't check in as often lately. Good to see everyone is doing well. I am doing pretty good. I am like you though, all I have done is eat since PS. My Dr said not to diet while I heal. Well, I certainly can not be accused of dieting. I started back to day being good. I wasn't unfilled prior to PS, but have never been really tight anyways. I called and cheduled a fill for April 4th. I really need it. I am having revision done on May 21st and I want maximum results, so I am really buckling down, even before my fill. Swelling is getting better. I am now wearing my pre-op pants finally, though are still a little snug. The great thing is that when I wear someting tight now, nothing hangs over my belt and no once can tell they are snug.

I am with you. I was told an hour. Every Dr is different and I am a big advocate of following whatever your Dr tells you, but honestly, if I had to wait 2 hours after eating to drink, I would never get enough Fluid during the day

Its never too soon to start making good eating choices. Fill or no fill, we should be changing our life styles. THats what this process is all about. The helps up learn that behavior, but if you can do it short term until you filled right, then by all means go for it.

Chris. Keep up the great work. It fantastic you and your wife can support each other!

Yes, I have been terrible. My PS, knowing I had lap band, told that while healing, it was not a time to diet. I have taken that too far and have been terrible. I called yesterday to schedule a fill. I have not even attempted to step on the scales. LOL Nina. You are doing so well. I am doing well except for the eating. Here is a pic I took last night at work. (sorry for the poor quality and the trashcan behind me, it was an impromtu pic in the bathroom mirror :tongue:) I am amazed that even though I am still very swollen and not yet in my pre-op pants, I love that there is nothing hanging over my belt. I think this is the first time I have been able to look straight down and see my belt buckle lol

GLad to hear. That first shower was a doosey for me too. Not being able to stand straight, I got tired very quickly.

Diane - I have a question for you. I know you were big on messaging the scar. My PS recommended that as well. I started doing it last night and this morning, Several times I felt of small bump im my scar and when I messaged it, felt a small little pop. I almost feels like I broke the scar tissue up because it doesn't hurt and the scar is not as raise afterwords. Diid you ever experience this?

I can't speak of the meds. But I can say with so much more "usible space", things have gotten much better!

Karey - congrats, you look great. You are so right - it is a very emotional journey. Glad your doing so well. Get some good rest

Scary, huh? LOL Shows you how much I trust her:thumbup:

I am actually ok with my upper pubic area, but if she thinks she can make it look even better, who am I to argur? lol and i need to go in for the dogear anyway. She blocked off a 2 hour timeframe. It will be in her office under local. She said I would need a day off. So not too bad. I will probably just take that day (Wednesday) along with Thursday and Friday as vacation days just to play it safe. As for cost, she said it would be minimal, just the cost of the supplies. I can deal with that. Hope you get some rest after overdoing it today.

I started back this past Monday, so i was off for 3 weeks. I am still tender, but have been off pain meds for about a week and a half except for night to help me sleep. I was hunch backed for about a week and a half. You seem to be doing well. Glad to hear

update on my follow up appointment. I had a couple of internal stitches coming up, so she was able to remove them. She was also worried that my scar was a little to big, so she put steri-strips on it to take the stress off the actual scar. those will stay on for 2 weeks. After that, she wants me to put silicone sheets on it. She also scheduled for me to get a revision done. I have a "dog ear" on one hip and she wants to tighten up my upper pubic area. She can do this in her office under local. It is scheduled for May 21st. That will give time for the swelling to go down. Overall, she was very pleased. Also, no more binder for me. Yeah. lol

update on my follow up appointment. I had a couple of internal stitches coming up, so she was able to remove them. She was also worried that my scar was a little to big, so she put steri-strips on it to take the stress off the actual scar. those will stay on for 2 weeks. After that, she wants me to put silicone sheets on it. She also scheduled for me to get a revision done. I have a "dog ear" on one hip and she wants to tighten up my upper pubic area. She can do this in her office under local. It is scheduled for May 21st. That will give time for the swelling to go down. Overall, she was very pleased. Also, no more binder for me. Yeah. lol