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Dont give up! Keep searching for other options...You know I was going to have a different wls and found out because of the surgeon I chose I would need to come up with a big chunk of cash...I almost gave up but I kept praying and God opened another door for me and I am so blessed to have had the sleeve. I will say a prayer that you will find a way to take care of your health one way or another. Blesssings to you.

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Don't give up! My insurance does not cover any weight loss surgery....I was self pay. We were struggling financially when i approached the subject of the surgery with my hubby....he looked at me like I had a horn growing out of my forehead! We have two kids in college and my once very successful business went belly-up last year because of the economy! I knew I had the option of a home equity line of credit (very low interest rates right now) or a health care credit card.

It was scary to spend so much money ($9,500 total)..but now, looking back, it was the best money I have ever spent! You have to look at it as an investment in yourself! At 10% out of pocket, you shouldnt be paying any more than $2,000 out of pocket....and YOU ARE WORTH SO MUCH MORE THAN $2000! Do what ever it takes for your health....I've even sold some of my things on eBay to help pay for this!

And...one other thing...at only 7 weeks out and 32 pounds down, I have already saved a lot of money on my grocery bill! :D

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A lot of insurances have an out of pocket max- for me mine was $2000, but I had already met $1000. So my surgery cost me my copays plus $1000. (Which was my coinsurance of 10% until I met the $2000.) Look into your insurance to see what it would be. Also- your insurance will have a contracted rate with the surgeon and hospital. For instance the hospital billed my insurance over $33,000 but the contracted rate was only like $5300- so I only had to pay 10% of $5300 not the $33,000!

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Only 90% self pay is so worth it!!! You will NOT be unhappy.. spend the money on yourself.. trust me you will be happy!!

It sounds like your insurance plan is pretty good. I wanted to have the lap-band done in 2007 and my plan didn't cover it. So I kind of gave up. Then my husband's new insurance in 2011 covered the SLEEVE and the Lap-band. I went to the meeting with the doctor and decided that the Sleeve was right for me. I have lost 15 pound since Dec 14th

Spend the money on yourself.. you will not be sorry..

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90% coverage is pretty good... I don't know of any insurance to cover 100%. I would start saving money everywhere I could and set it aside!

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Apply for CareCredit, they have an application you will be required to fill out. I am using that for my co-payment. On a positive note ten percent is not a large amount for the importance and necessity of your well-being. Good Luck

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i would not let the 10 % scare you. my insurance has a maximum out of pocker expense of 4500 and my family has already used 3000 so my surgery cost 1500 bucks. do not let the 10 % stop you from changing your life. call your doctors office to see if they have any payment programs that will assist you. most peoples problem with WLS is that it is not covered at all by there insurance. good luck and stay positive.

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I had an out of pocket co-pay of $3000. It was tough to scrape it up, but I will be saving so much on health expences in the future because of this investment in my health now. My Drs office said that the hospital could work out a payment plan if I needed it as well... Check out all your options before you give up. Some Drs are starting to add a surgeons fee on top of other fees- outside of co pays and such... if they said they were free, perhaps they ment they did not charge a surgeons fee... just guessing here...

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I was just approved last week and on one note I was so excited but after that sank in and I reread the email a couple of times I was bummed to learn that I was going to have to pay 5000.00 which I don't have. I'm looking into getting CareCredit card or borrow against my 401. All I know is I have to have this surgery with my health I can't keep going the way I am, I want to live to see my grandkids. Don't give up!!!!

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I have an 80/20 plan (I pay 20% after insurance adjustments) and an out of pocket max of $3000 so it'll cost me 3k. I have a health care reimbursement plan option (FSA) through work that I always use so I'll pay for it that way. At least it's pre-tax!

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You could talk to your doctor's office to see if they would be willing to accept the 90% as full payment.

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thanks everyone. i called kaiser and i was told that i would just pay 10 percent on my admissions which im still confused about. well i will proceed with the classes and just leave it in gods hand. thanks again guys for your comments

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The doctors office should be able to tell you an estimated dollar amount on the admissions. Ask for it. Perhaps you could set up a payment plan for it and start paying that amount ahead of time. Or open a savings account yourself and put any found money into it.

I agree with everyone else, this is so worth it. I was a self-pay and I do not regret one penny of my $12,500! The difference in my health and my energy levels is astounding!!

Lissa

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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