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Surgery delay

Pat99

Pat99

Member
I found out yesterday that my surgery will be delayed from January to February :(

This is a HUGE disappointment for me. I am changing insurance carriers for medicare effective January 1st. Even though I was living and breathing the last time I checked, I do not yet exist as far as my new insurance is concerned. Having said this, my medical coordinator can not send in my paperwork for medicare to review until the surgeons office re-opens after the holiday's on January 4th. It will take 2-3 weeks for medicare to complete their review and (hopefully) approve my surgery. My logic is telling me this is just one of those things that happens in the red tape infested world of medical insurance. On the other hand, I have been waiting 5 years for this surgery and shouldn't let another month of waiting bother me so much.

When does it end?
 
You have a great attitude regarding all of this, Pat. It has to be frustrating as heck. Hang in there and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and think of the present you will recieve in a very short time!

Letrell
 
darlin it never ends it just moves from place to place over time. don't get discouraged but do be aware that medicare takes it own sweet time. my doctor and I worked on approval for my rny for over a year. the answer lies in your dr's\ let them know the urgecy of the procedure. Hang in there patti
 
Thank you Tom, Letrell and Patti, for your words of encouragement. You would think that my insurance coordinator would have mentioned the paperwork delay when I told her 3 months ago that I was changing Medicare carriers. If I knew this delay would happen I might have chose to keep my original Medicare so I could have my surgery earlier. As I am writing this I am wondering what other "surprises" lay ahead for me. I have my 2nd appointment with the surgeon on January 5th and I swear that I will blow a valve if I get hit with another delay tactic. I expect for my medical caregivers to tell me everything up front...I can handle it! I know they have no control over how long Medicare takes to review my case but they need to tell me NOW if they even think I will need to do anything else like go on a supervised diet and lose X amount of weight or if I need to be on protein drinks for a period of time prior to surgery, etc. You wouldn't believe the list of questions I have for the surgeon on my upcoming visit. I'm on page 2 and I am not done yet *lol*. I was thinking about dieting now so that I might be more comfortable after surgery but I'm afraid that Medicare might reject my case if they see a weight loss without surgery. I really don't know what else to do besides wait to see what happens when I see the surgeon in 2 weeks. Time is starting to drag for me and I need something to fill up more of my time to keep my mind off of things. Maybe I will start checking out the movie theater schedules and go to daily matinees or make a few trips to the library.
 
Pinch me, I cannot believe this. My insurance coordinator, Sara, called me today to tell me that my surgery was approved! She just sent the documentation to them this past Tuesday so it only took 2 days. When we last spoke she said it would take 4 to 6 weeks with a strong possibility that they would want additional documentation. The two of us have been compiling paperwork for a few months so I guess the upfront planning paid off. Sara said the surgical coordinator would be calling me early next week to provide me with the next available openings. All I need to do now is go on a prescribed liquid diet for 1 week prior to surgery then I’m good to go.

Just yesterday I had my 2nd consult with the surgeon and one of the things we discussed was waiting for insurance approval. I expressed my frustration with all of the waiting. He told me although I’ve waited a long time not to get discouraged over this. I also had a delay in June 2011 because I needed a huge hernia repaired. Then I had to wait again because I decided to change my insurance carrier and coverage didn’t start until January 1, 2012. I’m sure most of you can relate to the waiting game. Have a test and wait for the next one. Have that one and wait for another. Wait for the results of everything. Wait, wait and wait some more. WOW, what an emotional rollercoaster! I had major butterflies in my stomach when I got the word about the approval but have settled down a little bit since then. I’m happy, nervous, apprehensive, anxious, nauseated and practically hyperventilating as I write this. I’m feeling a flood of additional emotions I can’t even put into words at the moment. I probably won’t sleep for days.
 
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Yeah!!!!! :D That's great Pat. It should go by fast now, I am so happy for you :)! Let us know when they schedule a date.
 
Hey, Pat;)...I am sooo happy for you! I am waiting also for BCBS Ins. approval...just need that last one...psych exam mailed off from NM to TX for my Dr. to put it 2gether with the other documents and fax off to insurance!...I, too, am already losing sleep just waiting, wondering, getting more anx. & nerv. by the day...lots of stress 'cause I also have my court dating coming up for my auto accident I had 2 yrs. ago...and don't know which appt. will come first...the surgery call....or the call to court hearings!!! ugh...just hope it all works out 'n I don't have to come home from out-of-state surgery and head to court within a few days of surgery! Hopefully, it will be changed if that is the case, huh? :mad: :( :eek:
 
Pat, I am so excited for you! Congratulations. I went back through my paperwork and it turns out, my first surgeon appt was in Oct 2008. I had surgery the first week of June 2009. .... EIGHT months later. I remember the frustration of it all. I had to get my diabetes under control. Finally dropped the A1C level down to where they would perform the surgery. Very frustrating...but within 2 weeks of the surgery, I was off all meds. ALL meds. Every single reason for having the surgery other than my BMI and body frame ailements was gone. Every one of them. As I lost the weight, my knees began to stop hurting. And although my knees need to be replaced, my body doesn't know this because well...I have had no pain in them since losing so much weight. I can walk and walk and walk and stand for 8 hours at a time on shift work without so much as a blink. You will love the end result. It is so worth the wait and the frustration. I am very happy for you. Heck, I'm happy for everyone. Keep us posted. Letrell
 
Well, it's already January 24th and I'm just over a month away from surgery. And yes, I am having second thoughts. I've missed going to my nutritional class twice already because of the weather. I depend on a power wheelchair and my chair lift is attached to a trailer hitch on the rear of my vehicle. It rained for the first and second time my class was scheduled for. I can't take the chair on the road when it's raining because the electrical system is not designed for outside use. I'm afraid the chair will get ruined if it gets wet. The cover only does so much good and it doesn't help at all until the chair is loaded properly which can take up to 15 minutes. I don't ever remember having this much rain in Michigan in January. I rescheduled for Jan 30 and Jan 31 (in case it rains on the 30th) so hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm. I also need to go for a pre-op chest X-ray on Feb 9th and hope the weather holds out for me on that day.

As if this isn't enough grief, I slipped on the running board of my SUV last Thursday, fell backwards and hit my head on the frozen ground. My head hurt for 3 days. The rest of me is still recuperating. I have a bad right hip and have needed a hip replacement for about 3 years. I can't have hip surgery until I lose a specific amount of weight. This being said, for the last couple of years I can't get up from the ground without help so I ended up calling 911 (I keep my cell phone on me 24/7). They were there in less than 10 minutes and got me up and in my nice warm house within a few minutes more. As quick as help came I was half frozen, shaking and could barely talk when they got here. In the 10 minutes I was laying on the frozen ground I was wondering if I would have been in this situation if I had my RNY long before now. In any event, it just reinforces the fact that I need to go ahead with the surgery so that I can better take care of myself and also to be able to have the hip surgery so I can do things I once enjoyed doing.
 
my screen went away so you aren't going to have a full messsage. anyway,we are all here to support you in any way we can. Ihave a bad hip and knee and I have seen my share of falls and they are no fun. glad ems respondedso quickly. I was in the middle of so many co-morbidity situations that I knew that if I did nt have the surgery I was going to die and I had not finished my bucket list yet. if you want to post a note to me I'll see if I can't come up with some soled positives for remaining focused.The first one is that after the surgery and significant weight oss you won't need that chair...right. good luck patti
 
Hi Pat, So sorry to here about your fall :( so glad EMS got there so quick hope you are recovering well. I was nervouse the closer I got to my surgery, that is normal from what evreyone told me. Like Letrell said stay focused on the end result, I was also off my meds within 2 weeks. We are all here for you, stay positive. :cool: Tom
 
I'm trying to figure out how to respond to your post, Pat. I am soooo glad you are okay. What a horrible string of events. Isn't that just how things go, though? I have to say this, everything that has happened to you over the past bit are all reasons for going forward with the surgery, not cancelling it.

Ya see, Hon, the only way to "fix" your issues is to have this surgery....unless you are able to diet on your own and get control of your situation on your own. There comes a time when each of us must take control over our own circumstances. It is our responsibilities to put things in motion.

You have this amazing opportunity to heal. These wonderful bodies that the good Lord has given to each of us, are own responsibility to care for. Each of us has screwed that up in the weight area and each of us has tried desperately to fix them. Well guess what....? We now have this amazing tool....this gift to alter our bodies ever so slightly and fix what is wrong with them.

No doubts, Darlin. You have made the right decision. Just do it and begin living your life. I don't remember much pain, although I'm sure I had some. I don't remember any tears shed except when I realized I had been a comfort-eater. The past 2 1/2 years has been wonderfully challenging.

I would not trade my blocked pouch, the nasty purees, the lack of soda and candies, for anything. I reached my goal in just over a year. 200 lbs lost and a 20 years gained. I was dieing. My body was shutting down. I could not walk very well...it was so painful. I could not even get on an airplane because I could not sit in the seat. How flaming embarrassing. And now? I am told I have gone from a life expectancy of 5 years to one of 20 years being added to my normal life expectancy.

I can walk for hours upon hours and guess what? My knees are both trashed. But yanno, they don't even hurt. They are so happy to have all that weight off that I do believe I could start jogging and my body wouldn't even blink. Yes sometimes I feel a bit of pain in my knees, but not much...certainly not enough to even tell my doctor about. Life is good.

You are the steward of your own body. So you treat it well! March into the hospital with your head held high. You have taken the first few steps. As have I. Well now it's your turn. It's your game...your turn to become healthy. Your turn to walk into the store and buy that size 8 pair of jeans...your turn to walk into a room and have the men turn and gawk. It's YOUR TURN to shine.

So stick that chin out and stand tall. I am soooooooooooo happy for you. I don't regret my surgery even a little bit. I don't believe you will either.

You have been so supportive to everyone on here. Please know how much you are cared for and how important it is to me certainly, as well as others, to know that it is your turn to be looked after.

I am so very pleased with your progress and I look forward to hearing all of your experiences. Life indeed is very very good.

Be strong and know that you are loved.

Letrell
 
GOOD MORNING PAT YOU HAVE BEEN ON MY MIND AND IN READINGlETRELL'S RESPONSE SHE SAID IT ALL. MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU. PATTI
 
Letrell, Patti and Tom-Thank you so very much for your replies and encouragement. The most weight I have ever managed losing by dieting was 65 pounds but I gained it back slowly over time. I felt great even though I was still morbidly obese. This was about 8 or 10 years ago before my hip went bad. I was much more active then and weight came off more easily than it does now.

I started this process a long time ago. My first hurdle was giving up diet pop. I never thought it was possible but I was able to do this and without much trouble. The largest obstacle was insurance approval. I had insurance that did not cover WLS even with letters from my doctor over a 2 year time period. The saving grace was my hip, back and multiple other co-morbidities. I ended up on SSD and eventually became eligible for Medicare. Between waiting the required time periods for disability and Medicare coverage another 30 months passed me by. Then it took me another 6 months or so to get the ball rolling. The remaining waiting period was for testing, etc.

Size 8 clothes sound really appealing and it still seems like that will be an impossible goal to reach. Don’t ask me why I think so because I don’t have an answer other than my shoe size is bigger than that *LOL* I just want life with less pain, much less pain. I guess in order to have less pain I’m going to have more pain, surgically speaking. Although I only remember reading about 1 or 2 instances of extreme pain and / or complications from the surgery on this forum, for some reason I still have the fear that I will be one of those statistics. I’m thinking this is the “normal” jitters that people keep mentioning here. Maybe it’s the long waiting process that has given me the chance to dwell on this type of thing. I need to get myself into one of the monthly support meetings before surgery. Again, the weather has been an obstacle because of the wheelchair issue. I think it will calm my nerves if I can talk face to face with some people who have gone through all of this already. If I had a larger support group within my family it would be a big help too but I can’t change that.

On the plus side of my pre-surgical stress, my appetite is suffering so I have lost a few pounds *LOL* Not the way I want to lose weight as far as I’m concerned. I don’t like knots in my stomach or hunger headaches. But I do feel a little better by being able to vent to people who know what I am going through. You ladies, Tom and this forum have been great and I thank you all so very, very much. If I was rich I would fly all of you here for a big celebration. Afterwards you all could “escort” me to the hospital on February 27th :)
 
Patti-I sent you a second private message the other day. I don't know if you got it so I will try to resend.
 
the post operative pain when I went home from the hospital was manageble.Maybe it was partly because I knew that losing the weight would help remedy all of the other types and body systems agony that I liv ed with everyday,,,,this pain was temporary. The binder that they put on me was wonderful, kind of felt like it held everything in. I also went home with a g-tube but I never knew I was supposed to consider it an additional source for fluids! I've read here that it was...I must have missed that class. Funny,not haha but strange the memories of the hospital. the first nite in ICU they were trying tomove me from the gurney to the bed and this womanhollered at me that I would have to help,she wasn't hurting herself to move my big butt over...well alrighty then!! It wasn't funny at the time. I remember being half awake and seeing 2 long stem red roses in a vase(Artificial) no glass or flowers are permitted in ICU. the nurse read me the card and the nurse explained that my husband had gotten the flowers from the gift shopand that he stayed a good while and I just slept throughit all. I remember walking,walking and hearing open your eyes, stay with me. the short walks that became longer and longer. I was in the hospital 5 days and the rode 3 hrs in the car home. reclined and totally oblivious. more later....patti
 
Hey Pat! So glad to hear about your surgery date! Delays can knock the wind from our sails but you will be such a huge success. You have the right mind set to go forward and meet your goal because you understand how important it is to your health. You'll be up and around before you know it!

Keep us posted on your journey. We are all on the same path here. Some are further along than others, but the path has no end. You will always have a sympahtetic ear here :D
 
Hi Pat, Tom again. I know how scary it is, especially when they give you the date and you meet withthe surgon, just remember you thought long and hard about this and the descision didn't come easy, I was really nervouse and scared, I took one of my daughters with me to every apointment, and all my kids came to the hospital with me the day of surgery, and before I knew it I was waking up in the recovery room. It's OK to be scared, but we have all tried everything we could and had a variety of health problems that wouldn't go away, you have been working hard doing what the doctors have told you so just hang in there and let us know how things are going, you are doing great. Hope you are all healed up from your fall. :cool: Tom
 
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