words of wisdom from the recent post op's....

Robin led the way this month.  Judi was up next and is now home and doing well.  Lori would have just had her surgery yesterday and hopefully is doing well also.  Now, if I can pick your brains.. With the VERY recent surgery fresh in your mind is there anything you would have changed the 3 weeks before your surgery?  I'm just wondering if there is something I should or could be doing to make an easier transition.  I do know that I want to write letters to my daughters in case something would happen to me during surgery, my youngest is 2 and it's hard to know that if I died she wouldn't even remember me.  NOT that anything is going to happen with my AWESOME Dr.   I just like to cover all the bases.  I think I'm going to have us take a family picture too, we haven't done that since...um, ever..lol  Most of the pics in our albums are without me since I'm the only one that thinks to take them..thats why I still have a question mark for a face on here..hahaa 

So, anything you can think of that you wish you would have done or maybe something you did do or bought to make your recovery easier??  Thanks

hey danni: im too new to have ANY wisdom but i wish id been more serious about getting a few pounds off before surgery (i didn't). i had put on 10 pounds (10!) since last summer. Now that I am 8 days post op I've lost 10 lbs! yay, but I keep thinking if I'd gotten off my lazy azz I'd have been ahead of the game. weird thing though:  tried to walk preop, would get half a mile and the lower back would hurt - bad.  this week, i can walk 1 1/2 miles at a time-easily. hubby claims it is because i am eating better. i have no clue. you are going to do so well, you have done so much research! keep keeping us posted, judi

I made a commitment to myself that I wouldn't cheat on my pre op diet and i am proud to say i didn't, but after surgery all i can think about sometimes is, oh i wish i would have had 1 more blizzard or meal at my fav restaurant. But I'm glad i didn't. It sounds weird probably but smelling food sometimes satisfies my craving for it. It's all a mind game. I GOT CLEARED FOR DAIRY TODAY! YIPEEE hehe sorry had to add that. Well you will do fine and Congratulations on making this decision. Know you will have a much better life afterwards!

Robin
HW/PS/CW/GW
300/250/217/130

Wow...you gals are doing GREAT!!  I keep telling myself to up my work outs some so it is easier for me.  Unfortunetly the nurse called with a setback today but I'm trying to deal with it, not using food..  I guess they have to go through the approval process all over again because its a new Dr.  They found this out last Friday but Dr. Howell's nurse didn't wor****il today so that's when I found out.  I now, after many tears and phone calls, am going to have to write a $5000 check to (hold) my July 24th date and if the approval doesn't come in by the date of my pre-op July 18th I have to pay the remainder of the $18,000 before my appt. out of pocket.  This is if I want to keep my July 24th date, if I don't I can give it up and get an appt. in September or later once my approval goes through again.  My husband has been wonderful and said if need be he will take out a loan so I can keep the date.  I called Medica to see if they could just send the Dr.'s office a fax saying I would be approved they just need to send in the paperwork but he said no, even though I WILL be approved they need the paperwork from Dr. Howell's office first.  He did say if they put urgent on it they will ru**** through for me.  He was surprised that the Dr.'s office required this, he asked if they were a center of excellence and I said yes, he then said they should know its covered under my policy.  It's frustrating because I've done everything I can now I just have to sit back and hope they put a rush on it so I don't have to fork out the $18,000 ahead of time.  It would be sooooo nice to just have to worry about the upcoming surgery but I keep having these blocks thrown up to me.  My stomach is awful and I have just felt sick with worry lately.  I realize there has to be rules but I truly feel like I have been run through the wringer with this whole process.  From day one when you go to the first part and they tell you don't worry about the insurance comp., we work with them, all we were suppose to have to do is sit back and concentrate on the surgery.  I have made more calls to my insurance than ever, I think I might be on their X-mas card list...lol  I think I will lose it if one person tells me this was the easy way out.  I have had such a struggle that I almost threw in the towel a few times, more with disgust over the process and how I felt I was being treated than by the actual surgery.  I feel strongly that Dr. Howell is a good person, surgeon and that's what keeps me strong...that and having you guys to lean on...Thanks for letting me vent and cross your fingers that stuff gets where it's suppose to and I don't have to donate a kidney or something...lol Danni

Danni: that bites! I know you will get it back but $5,000 ow! Sounds like you have a good relationship with the insurance co, i can't believe this. Hang in there and keep that phone working!! Good job not turning to the food, you are stronger than I am.  Keep us posted.  judi

Thanks Judi, I've actually felt sickly over the whole thing so I haven't really ate much since the 4th.  Part of me wants to call today to see where they are if he dictated and its in transcription or what but then I don't know??  I'm afraid the nurse will be off again and it will fall through the cracks.  I don't really understand how that even happened.  I'm sure as long as they get paid they don't really care if I have to take out a loan or if it goes through insurance.  I know I will call Monday for sure, they should have something done by then I would think.  Dr. Monson had it back and had it faxed to Medica by that Tuesday and there was no rush on his.  I really loved his nurse too because she would call me and keep me informed as to what was going on.  I will never go with the no news is good news attitude again, thats for sure.  I will keep you posted...Thanks for listening