Good news! Good news! Good news!

This is awesome Sherri!! I'm excited for you

Thanks Misty! Needless to say, I was pretty excited when Heather called myself! LOL!

 

That is great news!!!  I haven't posted with you much, except when I first got on here in Sept. and had a question you sent me a reply.  I have read that you had some problems with your PS and it is so good that you will be getting it fixed!!!  I can't believe that they didn't do anything when you were having trouble breathing!  That's really too bad.  Keep us posted.  Hugs and prayers! Candy

Candy, Thanks. I guess it goes back to YOU are YOUR best advocate when having anything medical done. I should have pushed the breathing issue more I think. In fact, I should had left there and went straight accross the street to St. V's ER. Live and learn I guess. The issues really weren't with the plastics themself. It was either that I had a blood clot in my lung (and leg) OR I had gotten pnumonia because of the way the breathing tube was removed by the one who put me to sleep (who also busted my lip with the tube). Either way, I was diagnosed with pnumonia (and a week later with the blood clot...????) and part of the treatment for that is to try to get the patient to cough up the mucous out of the lungs. I coughed and produced nothing....except intense pain. Each cough caused the wire that was used to tighten my abs to bounce on my intestines. No one will say that is what caused my intestines to inflame and not be able to get blood in them but in my gut, I feel that is what had happened. That, was of no fault of Dr. Bergman (the plastic surgeon) or even the OR staff that did my plastics. To me, it just indicates that there needs to be some changes in how some things are handled in the medical field. For instance, if a patient complains about not being able to breathe in recovery after a 7 hour surgery, a blood clot should be suspected and the patient tested. As far as that goes, any surgery longer than a few hours should automatically include blood clot prevention measures (ie lovenox injections). Also, if pnumonia is suspected after a full abdo tightening, coughing should NOT be included as part of the treatment since it can cause more harm than good.  I think it's a shame that rap star's mother recently died after having plastics but I am hoping that if her autopsy indicates that it was a blood clot in her lung that it will rock the plastic surgeon community enough to initiate some changes in the standard quo of how they handle things. Unfortunately, it usually takes complications happening to someone famous before changes occur. In the meantime...if surgeons won't learn from my experiences, the least that can happen is for all of you to. I don't want any of my buds to go through what I did! Sherri

Sherri,

That was definitely awful!!!  I can't believe that you were in surgery 7 hours.....that's ridiculous!!!! I was hoping to have a tummy tuck and arms done after my weight loss.  I think that insurance might pay for the tummy tuck because ever since I had my first surgery I've had a fungus-type rash under my stomach.  It's terrible.....if  I get it cleared up (which is rare) it always comes back.  My doc told me to try Lotrimin and then put powder on it after it clears up, but it doesn't seem to matter.  I know I'll have to pay to have the arm surgery. 

I hope that you get this straightened out when you have the other surgery.  Good Luck!!!

Candy

Candy,

7 hours is pretty typical for all that I had done. I had the full tummy tuck whi*****ludes the tightening of the abs, as well as having a thigh lift.  My insurance convered the pani part of the tummy tuck..removal of the skin below the belly button. If you go through a plastic surgeon who will run it through insurance, many insurance companies will pay for that portion when you have a history of rashes from the skin. Dr. Bergman's office deducted what the insurance covered from the full tummy tuck, and I paid the difference. All surgeons however won't try to get the insurance to pay for any of it though. I had went to Dr. Turkle first for a consult and she wouldn't. I ended up saving alot of $ by switching doctors...not to mention, Dr. Bergman's personality was much better to me! My surgery in January will be covered by insurance..however, my policy changes Jan. 1st and I will be billed for 20% of all charges..hospital, OR, testing, surgeons, etc. That is changing for ant and all surgeries and or hospital stays. Right now, all of it would have been paid for at 100%. I am SO fortunate that if all of this had to happen to me that it happened this year and not next year. The 2 week stay at St. 'v's alone (not including anything except the ICU room..so no OR, surgeons, testing, ect) was $109,000! Sherri

I know what you mean about insurance.  Our insurance changes Jan. 1st, but it's because we have MPlan.  We're changing to Advantage because our doctor's office doesn't accept Anthem anymore.  They say that Anthem keeps wanting them to accept less payment and the insured to pay more.  Who knows?    I'd really like the full tummy tuck, but I'm not sure if I could afford the difference, especially if I get the arms done.  I didn't realize that a thigh lift was also part of that, but I'd like to have that done also.  I'm surprised that Dr. Turkle won't turn it into the insurance.....too much work, huh?  You'd think that someone that comes so highly recommended would also do the insurance thing, but I guess insurance can be difficult to deal with at times.  It sounds like it was definitely good that you had the surgery this year as far as your insurance. Candy

Yippie!!! I am so happy to hear the news!!! Good for you, Sherri!!! I knew all the prayers would be answered!!! Just hang in there and time will fly by just as fast as it did the first time you had wls! Love ya!!! Hip Hip Hoooray!!!

LaChelle,

Thanks! I know the time will go quick. Shoot..it's hard to believe that I've already been off of work for over 2 months. With a mid-Jan surgery date though, that puts me returning to work ~March 1st. I know that time will fly by quick too.

I am just so happy to know I will be 1 piece again soon!!! Thank you all so much for your prayers!! Sherri

This is just awesome news.  I was hoping something would work out!  This just goes to show that you are right about what a great doc Gupta is.  How many doctors do you know that would be so concerned they would call another doctor on their own without prompting from the patient?  This all sounds pretty much like above and beyond!  Did they give you any reason they don't use lovenox with plastic surgery?  Do they have you wear compression hose?  When my 21 year old daughter had back surgery (small incision) they made her wear compression hose.  They said that blood clots often form in legs and travel to the lungs. Take it easy and get healthy and ready for that surgery in Jan.-extra protein and vitamin C!!