A couple of questions for you all

Hi guys and gals!!!  My first question is....when you all were in your 6 month period before surgery if you had to do that...did you have stalls on your diets??  In the past...I was able to lose weight....sometimes even quickly....but I always put it back on and then some...but I am really at a loss right now....I am trying harder than I honestly ever have....and my scale isn't moving....I am seeing a nut and my surgeon every month...I just don't get it...I have been having some trouble with one of my knees...and that is making it harder for me to use my exercise bike....but come hell or high water....I am using it every day now...just feel frustrated about it.....

And my second question is.....have any of you all ever had you belly button bleed??  At first I thought it was chapped...or gaulded(sp?) but then I developed shingles around the same time and they thought that was why it bled.  After taking valtrex for the shingles and then antibiotics just in case there was an infection, they went away...and came back in about a week..This time my doctor set me up with the wound clinic at the hospital and they took cultures and gave me some things to heal it up....they thought it was an infection again....well this time...it has been gone for about 2 or 3 weeks....and tonight it started again...they had told me if it starts again that I will need to have an ultrasound or cat scan......sometimes I feel like I take one step forward and then a couple back....My 6 months is up at the end of March and I am hoping to have surgery the first or second week of April....

Jaimee

I didn't have to do the six month diet so I am no help there and my belly button has never bled so again I am no help.  I just want to encourage you to stay on top of things and advocate for yourself.  I was the worse at letting medical things ride and twice in my life I almost lost my life over that attitude.  If you think something is not right medically, don't stop trying to find the answers until you feel satisfied.  Good Luck!

I truly believe the 6 month diet is a stalling tactic from insurance agencies.  People's jobs are so portable and they are betting on the fact that people do change jobs frequently and they may not have to cover the surgery.  I'm not saying that's the only reason for the surgery.

My insurance specialist told me the same thing about the stalling issue.  In addition, I was required to do the 6 month doctor supervised weight loss, but there was no requirement to lose any specific amount of weight.  I lost about 40 pounds and didn't really work hard on it.  Mostly it came from just increasing my activity. 

My insurance wrote out an exclusion for my surgery so for the 2nd time I went through the process and had to start all over again.  My husband was planning on entering the AF reserves after my son graduated and that is how I was able to have the surgery.

I've not had any bleeding, but have had 3-4 infections in my belly button since my surgery.  Mostly because of not ensuring it is totally dry following a bath.

Good luck and keep posting questions.

Thank you so much ladies!!!  I have an appointment at the wound clinic again this week...so maybe I can find out what is going on........still no change on the scale...but.....at least I haven't given up!!!  I am determined this time!!! 

Thanks again!!
Jaimee