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Background time... I've been going through the preop process with my hospital and insurance since February, doing everything required as quickly as possible and going to lots of appointments. I finally got everything done after multiple hiccups and checked my insurance website -- the authorization has been approved! I called the surgeon's office but they hadn't received notice of that yet, so I'm jumping the gun. They should be calling me between Friday and Tuesday with my date.

It's getting real.

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Got my date last Friday -- I go in for surgery on June 28th!!!

I have the last pre-op with my surgeon on the 16th and an education appointment with the bariatric coordinator on the 22nd.

I've started my short-term disability/leave claim with HR. It's getting real, holy crap.

Soon I'm putting in an Amazon order for post-surgery supplies. Going to scour the web for recommendations.

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Time off is all planned out and I've started to pick up supplies -- surgery is in exactly a WEEK!!!!

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I had my surgery yesterday! Tonight is my second and last night in the hospital. No complications, been up and walking a lot both days, starting phase 3 of the postop diet tonight with a shake for dinner and a shake for Breakfast tomorrow.

Just dealing with gas pains - they started in my abdomen around my tummy and have moved up under my ribs. I'm sure they'll reach my shoulder(s) by the time I leave. They've given me fentanyl and oxycodone at different times, which helps. Other than the gas pains I honestly feel great, even without any narcotics in my system.

Yesterday evening my parents and best friend and one of my roommates came to visit. Today my girlfriend and father and ex and his girlfriend came to visit and signed my take-home WLS procedure picture pillow (which I will probably not be displaying front and center on my bed, despite the bariatric coordinator's encouragement!).

More details - drove myself in at 6 yesterday morning, an absolute ball of nerves. Once I got to the hospital I was on autopilot. Woke up with 5 laparoscopic incisions. Put my body jewelry back in yesterday evening when my best friend visited, so I felt more like myself. He gave me half of a best friend necklace - Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, so I have the Ivy side. :)

Yesterday I was sipping 30mL of Water each hour. They had me on fentanyl in the evening which helped with the pain, but that was depressing my heart rate, so the HR monitor kept going off since my HR dipped below 50 bpm. (Note - I'm a healthy 21 year old female with no other health conditions.) Today I've had a popsicle, sf Jello, and vegetable broth from the hospital, plus about a cup of Water each hour. My tummy doesn't like when I put things in it, but after ~30 seconds of grumbly pain it accepts its fate.

I've been using a few gas-x strips but haven't seen much of a difference yet. Just gotta keep walking and taking that oxy! I've felt ridiculously lucid these past few days, considering the medication I was given.

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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