artteacher698

My pcp was happy to oblige! I used it as a perfect opportunity for a yearly physical...blood work etc standard . I got the Upper GI done with a medical order to check for acid reflux damage post surgery. No problems! K

Just fyi, My pcp wrote the scrip for the upper Gi..she wrote it up for Acid reflux. Insurance covered it fully. k

ooops..yes...sorry..but there are so many deals out there...i would check it out!

The only extra expenses you have with Dr. Aceves is your dinner the night before surgery and food for whoever accompanies you if you bring someone. Everything else was covered..transport to and from airport, hotel, preop tests, 3 nights in the hospital and he sends you home with 2 weeks of meds. Create a few expense lists and see which is less...BUT make sure your doc in US has experience and compare hospital stays as well! Good luck! k

Yes... I asked for a receipt which was no prob. You also can deduct your travel expenses, flight, taxi, etc....so keep track!

i'm sorry...but my reaction is strong....save up for a few more months and have dr. Aceves do the surgery....I have NEVER heard a bad thing spoken about Dr. Aceves and his hospital since i started on OH....Its a tough choice to wait...but I would! k

I dont know what Dr. Aceves is charging now...but I paid $8,750 for everything and was able to write it all off on my taxes...so technically it cost much less! He is a gem...I am so glad that I chose him and his hospital! Kris ps....if i had used my local surgeon it would have been 30K and only one night in the hospital! Ohhhhhh and my surgeon in nj had done under 5 VSG's...duh!~

hi, so glad you chose dr. Aceves! he is wonderful! I have a few suggestions! I stayed an extra night on the way home in the hotel that his office recommended. We actually walked around "Old Town" for about 2 hours that day. We flew home early the next am.. 1. Arrange for a wheelchair to pick you up at the arrival doors and take you thru security and to the gate. It is a large airport and may be tough to walk. 2. see if they will upgrade you to 1st class..I was lucky to fly first class home which made it much more comfy. 3. bring some decaf t-bags ..they may not have any and you dont want to drink reg tea on the plane. 4. I brought a heating pad to the hospital and used it constantly...I bought the instant heating pads from the pharmacy and held them on my belly in the plane..they lasted for the entire trip... 5. arrange for a wheelchair to meet you once you get home. Just ask the flight attendant during the flight..he/she will arrange it for you. Just remember...you just had major surgery..i wasn't in lots of pain, just exhausted...listen to your body and take advantage of services that are available! best of luck on your journey! Kris

wow...thats sooooooo expensive! I just asked my pcp for a perscrip...she wrote it with the Dx of GERD...insurance will cover it. I had my bloodwork done at 2 months because i wanted to know if i was on target..and was happily surprised to see a drop of 100 pts in cholesterol! all else was fine. Thanks for your response! k

I posted same question on the other site and was told that I shouldnt need one...blah blah blah.... How many of you had it done at 3 months? Thanks Kris

i am 9 weeks out and my scars ...all 5 of them are still very obvious..my guess is that they will fade like my gallbladder scars did..time will tell. Doesn't bother me a bit tho. Battle scars! k

Mine must have been taken out in recovery...never saw or felt it again! Just covered with bright pink dye! Best of luck! look forward to knowing what you decided! Kris

hi, I was concerned as well when i found out that dr. Aceves used one, but I felt confident in his reasons why and was fine with the outcome. If you read posts from patients from other docs they often had morphine pumps and/or more pain after surgery. Dr. Aceves and his crew run an amazing "well oiled ship". Wait until you see the speed and organization with which the process is run! Best of luck! Kris

YES! I felt like I was losing my marbles! I'm sure it has to do with the level of calories etc. I started feeling soooo much better when i began forcing the clear protein! I made sf Jello with Isopure liquid and bought the assortment of NASTY nectar Proteins which i diligently sipped on all day... you will regain your sanity when you can start really getting some good Protein in! Kris

Megan, I'm sure you have already had the surgery...I believe Dr. Aceves does the spianl tap in order to limit the quantity of pain meds needed. He doesnt use a morphine pump etc after surgery.just IV. I had no consequences what-so-ever from having it done although they do warn you ahead that you may not be able to move your legs once you wake up in recovery for bout an hour. I don't remember even being in rocovery LOL..so not an issue for me! Docs are amazing..just relax and let the staff take care of you! Best of luck Kris