I am finally sleeved

Jul 20, 2010

Finally after about 3 years (Including battling with the insurance company) I finally got my revision to sleeve on Monday July 19th, 2010. My long road started back in early 2008 when i came to grips that after quiting cigarettes that food tasted way to good so I went from about 235 to 315 Lbs. when I got to that weight i realized I was on the road to disaster. I then after actually being obese for about 2/3rds of my life I turned to weight loss surgery I studied all the surgeries  and settled on the sleeve. So I did my 6 month weight loss diet with a nut, It was doctor supervised so that went well. I made an appointment for my psych evaluation and that went well. With all complete and a letter from my PCP recommending WLS. I got everything together and sent it all to my surgeons office and with their stuff it was submitted. After about 2 weeks a verdict was returned DENIED FOR SLEEVE
SURGERY......... After the insurance company said that they approved sleeve surgery I asked why. At that time I was told they approve the Gastric Banding not the sleeve. I proceeded to tell them that I was not told that. so I fought them for over 4 months and was denied 3 times so after mulling it around for about 2 months I settled for the lap band which I didn't want but I had to do something I was spiraling out of control. After about a year with the lap band a hole that would not heal ( See Pics on profile ) that nasty band had to be removed so my surgeon said they would handle the insurance company. I was approved for removal/revision to sleeve yep my insurance company started approving the sleeve 3 months after I got that damn band. So my surgeon didn't make any promises that the sleeve could be done at this time and figuring my luck it wasn't done we had to wait 4-5 months so 7 months later I finally got my sleeve and I am estatic about that so now come the dumping of the pounds. What I can't understand is that this whole thing wound up costing the insurance company over $82,000 with the 3 surgeries. What was the method of that madness.

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Sleeve Surgery Soon

Jun 04, 2010

Ok here we go again. I have healed well since the lap band has been removed Doc Brody seems to think that I won't have any scar tissue to worry about when I have my surgery on July 19th 2010 if so he said he could trim it and possibly get rid of all of it. That is 7 months after the removal so that won't be a problem. I was also told that I will not require a drain (WoooHooooo) so that pain I won't endure. I go in for the pre-surgery workup about 3 weeks before so if there are any glitches we can get them straightened out before my surgery, but I don't look for anything either LOL. I am on my pre-surgery diet if you want to call it that Doc said he wants me to lose at least 15 Lbs. and 25 if i can so i'm just going to go for the 25 since I have 7 weeks til my surgery and maybe more if I can. I just have to make sure I tell his assistant to push all the gas out of me that he can because last time that was a godsend he did it when I asked him to do it and I had no gas problems at all. So I will keep everybody up to date on everything.
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Back to Square 1

Jan 19, 2010

Well at this point in time I am not happy about my first year with the Lap band which is a surgery that I didn't want in the first place. I have lost 55 pounds then I gained 20 Lbs back due to getting discouraged about what the lap band was doing. I had a hole (which can be seen in my pics) that would not heal after a year. I was told on my surgerversary December 11th 2009 that I was glucose intolerant I am Suppose to be 6.0 or below and I am 6.2, I am nowhere near borderline type 2 Diabetic and my surgeon said I don't have anything to worry about. At my checkup and fill there was a red spot showing at the edge of my port and I told the doc that this thing was going to come out of my skin like an alien he said it might not but if it did break through I was to call them immediately. Well on the 15th it broke through as you can also see in my pics. It never got infected not one time because of my time in the medical field I knew how to take care of it til something could be done. I called my surgeon and he started the ball rolling for a removal / revision to sleeve with my insurance company which is the WLS I wanted in the beginning but the insurance company denied me 3 times so I had to go with the band because I didn't want anything rerouted inside of me so I opted not to do Bypass surgery. Well my insurance company would not approve it til after January 1st when my insurance kicked in on the new year ........ Wait a minute aren't I covered 365 days a year with an insurance company I have been with for 23 years or more. So my instructions were that if anything changes the least bit I was to go to G.W.'s emergency room. If nothing changed I am to show up on January 4th in the lobby of the hospital and wait for word of approval and if we didn't I was to go to the emergency room and then they would have no choice but to pay for it. Well after sitting on pins and needles for 2 hours at 8:45 the insurance coordinator for G.W. called me on my cell phone and told me to go upstairs and register for surgery for the Removal / Revision that I was approved for both. So the doc came in ad talked to me about the surgery and he told me right then that if there was to much scar tissue he wasn't going to do the sleeve because my safety was his utmost concern (Thank You Dr. Brody) but said that when I go back to him for my checkup a week after surgery they would get the ball rolling for the sleeve and the insurance company was told why the sleeve could not be done and they agreed but we have to resubmit and they have noted on their records also and everybody seems to think there won't be a problem when we resubmit after the 26th of January to get the approval I finally need since the insurance company just started paying for the sleeve.

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I am home and Realized

Dec 15, 2008

Well the hard part is over I am officially on the loser's bench. It was Hell the first 2 days but I am feeling 100% better than I did on Thursday after surgery. I came home on Friday in some serious gas pains they suck. Since my pre Op diet of Semi Liquids I have lost 28.5 Lbs. So I am happy right now. I am not hungry but I am sure that day will come soon after about a week out.


Only 12 laps to go

Nov 29, 2008

Only 12 laps left until I am reverted to the loser's bench. I completed all of my labs and just waiting for surgery day. Not too nervous yet but getting anxious more I think. I have to call to make sure all of my test results get faxed to the hospital and I think thats what scares me the most is that somebody somewhere will forget to fax that all to important paper and they postpone. I will be realized before I know it. It seems like it was a month ago when I got approved and now I am a little less than 2 weeks away.

Looking for the checkered flag

Nov 19, 2008

Went and did my nutrition class yesterday at GWU I ordered my supplements for my 3 weeks liquid diet and they should be in Monday at the latest. The nut told me to keep doing my whey protein and protein bars with steamed veggies for now so thats cool . I met one of our OH members yesterday at the class and his name is Rob ( Rdbrooksnyc ) so if ya'll see him in the Maryland room please welcome him he's a cool dude he lives in D.C. but I told him close enough and to come on in. He has his surgery right after mine with Dr. Brody on the 11th. My surgery is at 7:30 am so I have to be there at 5:30 am and Rob's is at 9:30 am and he has to be there at 7:30 am hmmmmm hey Rob wanna switch lol. Anyway i am looking at the finish line with 21 laps to go and i am leading and Rob is 2nd lol sorry buddy. Oh and Rob the good thing about 7:30 surgery is that you have to clean the loser's bench off for me haha. after that I'll be waiting for you. Hopefully they will put you and me in the same room for the night lol. Oh oh that might not be a good thing. Also I'll race you down the hall.


Roller Coaster Ride to Surgery

Nov 10, 2008

Shew where do I start. Well all of my appointments start on Nov. 19th with a visit to GWU's Nutritionist for my 3 week liquid liver reducing diet LOL. Then I have a Pre Surgery consultation on Nov. 25th with my surgeon Dr. Brody I guess thats to discuss a game plan for my Band surgery. Then on Nov. 26th I have all my Pre Surgery testing done at my PCP's office. After all thats done then it is a waiting game til surgery time. Hopefully by Christmas i'll be at least 30 pounds lighter like i said hopefully.

Finally a date

Nov 08, 2008

Well my days of eating are coming to a close. On the 3rd of Nov. I recieved a call from my surgeons office and was told that my lapband surgery was approved. I started this journey wanting the Sleeve gastrectomy and fought the insurance company tooth and nail with alot of my cherokee background coming out in the open. So after 2 appeals I had my surgeons office resubmit for the lapband and it was approved in 2 days without a hitch. I did further research on the lapband which mind you is what I wanted initially then was told about the sleeve so i wanted to go with that. After doing more looking into the lapband I decided I would go with that because the results looked good as long as you follow the regimen you have to have to be successful. So on December 11th 2008 I will be banded at Sibley Memorial Hospital in D.C. by Dr. Fred Brody.

About Me
Waldorf, MD
Location
31.4
BMI
VSG
Surgery
07/19/2010
Surgery Date
Mar 29, 2008
Member Since

Friends 42

Latest Blog 8
I am home and Realized
Only 12 laps to go
Looking for the checkered flag
Roller Coaster Ride to Surgery
Finally a date

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