Post-op Day One

    What a difference a day makes. Everything is a little better today. Less sore, I'm able to be more mobile. I slept remarkably well last night, waking only once to pee. The hardest transfer for me to make is from lying in bed to standing. But I'm doing better each time. I instinctively support my incisions when I make this transfer, either with a small pillow or just my arm.
    I started using my food diary toay. I'm jotting down everything I eat (or drink, I should say), its caloric content, protein content, and fat content. So far I have able to tolerate tea, Crystal Light, clear broth, protein shakes, sugar-free Popsicles, and even sugar-free pudding. Sometimes I feel 'bloated', but I've been using Gas-EX strips (recommended by my surgeon), and they are remarkable!! They really help!  I've also taken my pain medication (Lortab elixir) a few times.  It still hurts most when I take a deep breath. But, considering they stitched up my diaphragm to prevent my hiatal hernia, I'm sure this is to be expected.
    I only felt nauseous once, last evening, but I broke my Phenergan pill into four pieces and swallowed one at a time. The nausea subsided within 15 minutes. Hooray!  The last thing I want to be doing is gagging and/or throwing up. I cannot imagine how painful that would be. Thank the Heavens for modern medicine.
    So here is the picture of my five incisions!

The big one in the middle on bottom is where my 'port' is located.

How Much Does It Cost?

I had started looking into the LapBand in 2010. A friend and I went to an informational seminar about the procedure. Our first question was "How Much?", but of course we had to listen to the whole dog-and-pony show before they would discuss finances. And then we learned why. The procedure cost $15,000 and our insurance did not cover it. Yikes!  That was a whole lotta clams. I really was convinced that LapBand was the solution for me, but I simply could not justify that expense. My friend was in the same boat.


Fast-forward to 2012, when I'm sitting in my car and the radio commercial says, "Even if you've been told your insurance doesn't cover it, come and talk to our expert case managers at True Results..." I was intrigued (not to mention 20lbs heavier than my 2010 self), so I wasted no time in giving them a call.


My insurance still did not cover the LapBand procedure, so I was quoted an initial price of $9888, with offers of in-house financing and/or external credit plans. I had already agreed to that amount, but the amazing Patient Advocate says, "Wait right here..." She went to check on my insurance benefits, and came back and laid out a pretty clever plan. She explained that if I was found to have a hiatal hernia, my insurance WOULD pay for surgical repair of that. And during the procedure, all I had to do was pony up a measly $5500 and they would slip on a LapBand!


"What if I don't have a hiatal hernia?" I said. "You have a hiatal hernia,"she said confidently. "How on earth do you know that?" I asked. She explained that my history of reflux/heartburn was highly indicative of a hernia. Plus, she said, "about 90 percent of obese people have hiatal hernias."  I like those odds.


So I had an EGD done (paid my share of $120 for the test) and EUREKA! Hiatal hernia was found. I had never been so happy to have been diagnosed with an ailment in all my life! I promptly hosted a "Hernia Party", complete with TUMS and AlkaSeltzer hors d'oeuvres. That darn little bulge just saved me over four grand!


The experience also ingratiated me to my Patient Adovocate. I had already agreed to the $9880. I was not waffling. I feel she went out of her way to make the process as *painless* (in the wallet) as possible. I will always be thankful to her for this.