I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO

Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07!

Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

Brandy

Is your doctor covered under your plan?? Good luck on getting it paid

I got the insurance claim info sheet yesterday for the hospital - 7/17 to 7/19 $64,000 - can you beleive that - Insurance paid $3500 - i gotta pay $300 - the rest is in the twighlight zone - that make no friggin sense - The hospital knows that the insurance is only going to pay $3500 why do they bill $64,000 give me a friggen break... that is TOTALLY out there - I really beleive our health medical system needs some great overhaul..

He actually is and that's why they paid for all the consultation appts originally, I suppose. The problem is that I didn't have a high enough BMI at present, nor do I have any co-morbidities. But, I thought it was worth a try. I just hope they don't go back and try to unclaim all the other stuff they paid. Like the same day they disallowed the surgeon's fee that I paid in full and just submitted with the letter asking if they'd consider covering any of it, they paid the doctor who read the X-ray after my surgery. Makes no sense! Oh, well! Was willing to be completely self-pay in the first place, was just hoping I'd hit someone on a good day.....

Gonna be kind of long trying to describe...

Eating after surgery (after about 4wks or so)- no difference than before surgery. Still eating large quantities and able to eat anything I wanted.

Eating after 1st fill - a tiny difference. Still able to eat anything. Noticing maybe a not eating quite as much, quantity wise.

Eating after 2nd fill (2 wks ago) - I still can eat way more than 1 cup but I do need to eat much, much slower and take smaller bites.

I am assuming just because I have to eat slower that doesn't mean I have restriction. I think I am getting there and maybe with the next fill or two I will see a difference. Does that make sense??

Does anyone understand what I am asking? I am kind of working this out as I type. I guess I feel like, it may be hard to eat some stuff and after the first fill I didn't have that problem, but I still feel that eventhough I have to eat slow it's still too much. Is anyone else in this same boat????

ANOTHER THING, I get so darn hungry at night. :hungry: You know like from a couple of hours after dinner until I go to bed. I always need a snack or 2. Anyone else have that problem???

To anyone who takes the time to read this and respond, I thank you . I know it is kind of long.

I didn't notice a great deal of difference with my first fill at first, but over time, things appear to be more restrictive. The last week, though, I've been feeling more hungry than before, especially while at work. I think it is more my control that keeps me from snacking between meals, etc., than the band. I have had more trouble with eating too fast, etc., and experiencing tightness. Next fill is next thursday, and I'm not sure whether I'll get anything added or not.

I have only had one fill, but am experiencing the same thing regarding HUNGER and the snack attacks at night - I don't really feel any restriction - in fact, it feels less restricted than before the fill? I can pretty much eat anything, except for doughy bread, and I know it's much more than I should. I can't wait for my next fill to hopefully slow down the momentum some! I did get up and walk again this a.m. My daughter didn't want to go so I was tempted to back out, but I REALLY want to get in 3 days this week. Have an AWESOME day! Kim

Kim :clap2: on the walking that's great !!!!! I am just a barely 1 week with fill and i too am hungry - Monday could barely finish 3 oz of fish - last night had ck thigh & 3/4 squash - lunch today 1 taco (small) & beans... Well, i can say i am not starving now since my big lunch... But feel i shouldn't be able to eat as much...

I continue to be amazed at how little I can eat. I can't even finish off one little 'ole Lean Cuisine. It's been 4 weeks since my fill and I still don't have a handle on portion control. Man! What a slow learner I am!! I am beginning to worry that I will stretch this little pouch--gotta be more careful.

Do I understand you right? Did your surgery cost $64,000???? That's unbeleivable.

Peaches - Yes that is what the insurance claim form showed $64,000 for 7/17 to 7/19 - and I had TERRIBLE night nurses !!!! But what the kicker is - is that they are on my insurance as a center of excellent (i could only have surgery at a hospital that was a coe) and they (the ins co) only paid $3500 - so with my $350 - that $3,850 total paid for the hospital - what happens to the $60,250 left - My whole thinking is why does the hospital inflate their charges to such an astronomical amount when they already have a deal with the insurance company that the will accept $3500 and be done with it... I hate the game playing and thats all it is... If you take all my pre-surgery test (and I had tons) and surgery the total billed to insurance is $83,000 - insurance has paid $10,000 and me about $900 (excluding my program fee to dr) - that means the doctors/hospital etc all over billed $72,000 - Why don't they just bill the about that they are going to get from insurance??

Good idea Indo saving snacks up for the night. Maybe once I get my hunger under control (at proper fill level) I should plan on doing that. I still need a snack between lunch and dinner. Don't really need one between breakfast and lunch.

Thanks for the reply.

Breadlady - Anytime - there will be some that dissagree - and they will be the ones who don't eat after 7 p.m. well - that will never work for me so i adpat things to make them work..

Thanks Jackie.

I ate twice since the fill today. Each time, I had 3/4 cup of thick soup. The 2nd meal included a 100 calorie fudge pop so that puts me up to a full cup of food. That meal was about 45 minutes ago and I'm hungry. Oh man, I need this to start kicking in pronto. I thought it already did earlier today but this hunger tells me differently. The Dr. said it could be 2 weeks before I feelthe difference.

Ssankofa - I too can eat more as each day passes - I will give in another week and then I'm calling for another fill

He actually is and that's why they paid for all the consultation appts originally, I suppose. The problem is that I didn't have a high enough BMI at present, nor do I have any co-morbidities. But, I thought it was worth a try. I just hope they don't go back and try to unclaim all the other stuff they paid. Like the same day they disallowed the surgeon's fee that I paid in full and just submitted with the letter asking if they'd consider covering any of it, they paid the doctor who read the X-ray after my surgery. Makes no sense! Oh, well! Was willing to be completely self-pay in the first place, was just hoping I'd hit someone on a good day.....

Brandy - It can't hurt to try - it's just like on my ins I am suppose to pay 30% but my portion so far hasn't been that high - I am not looking that gift horse in the mouth :phanvan - With my insurance your bmi had to be 40 - and I do have high blood pressure & supposelity sleep apena - Good luck again - it cant hurt

ssanskoffa- I had my fill on Monday. I did not notice a difference the first two days as I was on liquids. I saw Melanie the PA- I was given 1.5cc. (nothing came out of my band at all, it was completely empty)--Who did you see? I have notices a slight difference since starting regular foods. I have to make sure I am chewing my foods very well. I have pb'd the past 2 days at least once a day- Its because I am not chewing well. I do feel a little difference since the fill. I get satisifed quicker, and it is lasting longer.

[quote name='IndioGirl55;56527

Peaches - Yes that is what the insurance claim form showed $64' date='000 for 7/17 to 7/19 - and I had TERRIBLE night nurses !!!! But what the kicker is - is that they are on my insurance as a center of excellent (i could only have surgery at a hospital that was a coe) and they (the ins co) only paid $3500 - so with my $350 - that $3,850 total paid for the hospital - what happens to the $60,250 left - My whole thinking is why does the hospital inflate their charges to such an astronomical amount when they already have a deal with the insurance company that the will accept $3500 and be done with it... I hate the game playing and thats all it is... If you take all my pre-surgery test (and I had tons) and surgery the total billed to insurance is $83,000 - insurance has paid $10,000 and me about $900 (excluding my program fee to dr) - that means the doctors/hospital etc all over billed $72,000 - Why don't they just bill the about that they are going to get from insurance??[/b']

Indio- the reason why they bill the insurance companies the "reasonable and customary" fees is because of all of the insurances that they don't agree to their fees -they are getting paid what is billed. Astronomical huge bills!! and they are getting paid in full for some of them. Also, from time to time, the insurance companies will adjust the fee schedule that they pay to Dr.s and hospitals according to the actual costs that are billed to them. All institutions must bill out actual charges and then adjust after the claim is paid to what they accept.

Indio- the reason why they bill the insurance companies the "reasonable and customary" fees is because of all of the insurances that they don't agree to their fees -they are getting paid what is billed. Astronomical huge bills!! and they are getting paid in full for some of them. Also, from time to time, the insurance companies will adjust the fee schedule that they pay to Dr.s and hospitals according to the actual costs that are billed to them. All institutions must bill out actual charges and then adjust after the claim is paid to what they accept.

Anna so you are telling me that some insurance companies pay the full amount billed??? I figures that all insurance companies had deals with the hospitals /doctors .(well as long as you are in network and duh that's why it's important to stay in network i am blond some times) So what happend to the $73,000 that didn't and isn't going to be paid by anyone??

They might not pay the full amount, but some will pay way more that yours did. And if the hospital or dr is not a memeber of your plan and you choose to use your out of network option and pay the %- it most likely will be on a very high bill. The ammount that the insurance company did not paid gets adusted off the bill. They just write it off because the aggreement that the hospital has with the insurance company.

Only4me

I saw a male doctor who said he was doing his laproscopy internship. He was a South Asian looking dude tall, skinny, darkskinned with curly hair. Dr. M something but I can't remember his name. Given the comparison in our history, I'm surprised I had to argue for my .5cc fill and they gave you a 1.5cc fill. Did you have to talk them into it at all?

But the reason that they bill out the huge amount is so that when the insurance companies decide to upgrade their "fee schedules" (what they will pay out" they will see what is being billed out and raise what they pay. If the dr.s and hospitals billed out what the insurance company actually pays, the insurance company thinks its paying what it should pay and wont ever raise the ammount that they pay out.

I'm missing the chewing already. I really need to stop complaining.

Only4me

I saw a male doctor who said he was doing his laproscopy internship. He was a South Asian looking dude tall, skinny, darkskinned with curly hair. Dr. M something but I can't remember his name. Given the comparison in our history, I'm surprised I had to argue for my .5cc fill and they gave you a 1.5cc fill. Did you have to talk them into it at all?

Not at all, Melanie decided what she was going to fill me with. I didnt ask for a certain amount. She just fill me. When she did insert the needle to see what was in the band and tube, there was nothing at all in there.

I'm missing the chewing already. I really need to stop complaining.

You just got filled today !!!! don't ask me why but i thought you got filled on monday - mine was last wed and it wasn't until Monday tht i wanted food - i was suppose to be on liquids for 1 week but on monday i had some fish for dinner. but i gotta say i did lose 3 lbs this week - but my appetite is back - not as strong but it's there.. how long do u have to be on liquids???

Indio- you had to be on liquids for a week? I only had to be on the 2 days.

Indio- you had to be on liquids for a week? I only had to be on the 2 days.

Yes he said 1 week liquid - 1 week mushies - 1 week soft and then 4th week back to regular - well i don't listen well - and had fish on monday (baked and soft) tues & wed ck enchillada (1/2 cup) last night squash and ck thigh - tonite will eat fish & squash - so this week was some mushie and a little soft. but lost 3 lbs - so maybe this weekend i will make some more pinto bean soup.. but i find i am hungry - ate a soft taco for lunch with refried beans that were out of this world.

Indio

I just got my fill at lunchtime today. That's why I need to stop complaining, lol.

Only4me

If you don't mind my asking...How much weight have you lost since getting the band? The Dr. who did my fill told me that I was losing weight without needing a fill and that's why he didn't want to give me one.