I've been meaning to post about this since I had my first surgeon consult on 6/11, but, well, life got in the way.
First, let me say this: I'm not exaggerating when I say anyone in the Greater Kansas City area who is considering WLS should go see Dr. Hoehn or Dr. Kowalski at KC Bariatric . I can't say enough things about what a good experience I've had there so far. I started out attending their free informational seminar, where I was fully impressed by Dr. Hoehn's extensive knowledge and professionalism. It doesn't hurt that they're the only bariatric surgery provider in the area covered by my insurance, so I went ahead and booked myself through his office. My opinion hasn't changed. Dr. Hoehn and his staff are very knowledgeable, but no one there comes off like they're in any way better than you. It's clear that his staff love their job, and they honestly want to make this whole process as easy as possible for every patient. Give them a call. You won't be sorry!
So I went to see Dr. Hoehn last week, and I might have mentioned I loved him to death. I feel very comfortable putting my surgery in his hands, even after I was told...here's the kick in the teeth...VSG surgery is not a covered benefit on my insurance plan.
Wait...what?
I find it incredibly amusing (in a totally sarcastic way, of course) that no one...not one single soul...that I have spoken with on the multiple calls leading up to this appointment has seen fit to mention this little tidbit of information. Let's just say I'm about as NOT thrilled with my insurance carrier (who shall remain nameless at least until I have actual gold-star approval for my surgery) as I am thrilled with Dr. Hoehn and KC Bariatric. It took me 5, count 'em 5 phone calls, and a total of 3 hours, to finally get a straight answer from a customer service representative. Turns out they DO actually cover VSG, but only in VERY rare instances, and only after a more thorough review than they give the other two surgeries. Hell with all that! And they don't pay for Lap Band fills or revisions, should they become necessary. So, it looks like Roux En Y (RNY) bypass for me. Certainly not my first choice, but I know I can live with it.
So here's a bit about RNY, courtesy of Obesity Help:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/gastric-bypass-about-roux-en-y-gastric-bypass.html
Not much really changes, except the type of procedure. The biggest differences are that I will need to take daily nutritional supplements for the rest of my life, and I'll be wearing a MedAlert bracelet all the time because I won't be able to take certain medications (mainly NSAID pain meds), and if I need an NG tube for any reason, it will have to be placed using a scope, so as not to perforate my shallow stomach. But it's either that, or live with diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and a whole host of other social and medical issues, hanging over my head for the rest of my life. So the choice seems pretty simple to me. At least SOMETHING is covered.
In related news, I also saw my PCP last week. She's very pleased with my progress so far on the pre-op diet. I'm down just shy of 23 lbs, walking daily, continuing to eat vegetarian, and I've totally kicked my soda addiction. My blood pressure is starting to come down, and I'm generally feeling tons better, pardon the pun.
Next steps: I go to get my psych eval in the next month or so, and then after that, it's on to the EGD. Can't say I'm a fan of this last one. I'm just counting my lucky stars that I get to have a little nap while it's being done.
After that, it'll be 3 more months of dieting (2 months after the EGD), and then my petition for approval will be submitted to my insurance company. No one sees any reason to believe at this point that I'll be denied, but only time will tell. Meanwhile, I'm just going to keep doing what I do, and work towards the best results possible!
A lot of my friends have been curious about my diet and exercise habits pre-op, and how life will look for me post-op. I promise I'll touch on those in my next blog post, so look for that soon!
Love,
ME
I HATE insurance companies!?!?! I had my own fiasco with mine.
ReplyDeleteWLS is a very important decision and everyone chooses their surgery for different reasons. Some people do not want the sleeve or bypass because they don't like the thought of "amputating" their stomach. They don't like the idea of permanantly cutting off a portion of their body that canoot be reversed. Some people don't like the idea of "dumping" or having to take special supplements the rest of their lives. And for the lap-band some people don't like the idea of having this foreign object in their bodies and don't like the idea of having the follow up that comes with the fills.
For me, my decision was easy. Bypass was ruled out because I had some intestines removed as a small child so the whole rerouting thing is a no go. So it was between the sleeve and the lap-band. I actually LIKE the idea of having fills and unfills because I can adjust my band to how my body is reacting to certain things in life. If I get pregnant again, they can adjust it. If I start getting hungry again and eating badly, it can be adjusted. With the sleeve it's kind of a 1 and done thing. After surgery and after you are healed you are basically set free...not much follow up. NO adjusting. It's done, over. I also don't like the idea of actually taking away part of my stomach.
But that's just MY opinion for ME. I support everyones decision...it's a hard...brave one to make.