NOLA in September?
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No extra blood was needed for me. I did ask the surgeons though and they both (PS andBS) said it would not be necessary. Also, even if it was, I didn't have enough time till surgery to do it. My PS used the vessel maps provided by the CT Angiogram done prior to surgery which he said have been a game changer in this surgery and help prevent unwanted and/or accidental cuts to essential blood vessels.
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ugh . . . I am currently taking iron twice a day since I am borderline anemic . . . so, maybe rather than worry about it, I should mentally be prepared for it just in case. I wonder if my husband could donate when we get there. I doubt it . . . and I don't even know his blood type! Now I feel bad for not knowing it. I don't know my daughter's type anymore either, though. oh well . . . I have lots of other stuff to remember . . . haha
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I don't know anyone in my families blood type! I needed 2 pints after my blue plate special(bi-lat and hyst). I need to make a phone call to someone somewhere quickly!
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No blood needed for me or the ladies I know that had surgery at NOLA either.
I will call the insurance tomorrow to see what can be done about it. I can't afford COBRA, it's over 800 a month they said. So I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best! Wish me luck tomorrow when I call.
I got a text back from Heatherbless, she said she was doing awesome! Hopefully she'll pop on or give me more info
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Also Kathryn, I didn't have a huge amount of pain in my belly after the surgery in stage 1. I don't know that I had any horrific pain anywhere. It was just an all over soreness and tightness.
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Thanks Dragonfly - good to know. My husband and I will be there for 6 days post surgery so it's a bonus that we may have some time to see some sites.
Fingers crossed that you can get this pushed through with your insurance quickly. This whole insurance thing is a mess. We just got a statement from NOLA for $66K and insurance paid $5K. It's insulting.
Glad you heard from Heatherbless. Can't wait to hear the details.
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And now for a completely different topic - FOOD!
Did you know that (this is what one of the drivers told us) that studies show that New Orleans is the most overweight city in the country...and it is also the happiest. (No doubt about the later!)
According to Dragonfly and others I'm going to be feeling pretty good post Stage 2 surgery. Even if I don't I have two nights before the surgery to indulge. My mother and her boyfriend have treated us to a meal on each of our visits and so far we've eaten at Mr B's, Commander's Palace and Bayona. Each one wonderful and decadent! Of course we also had muffelattas at Central Grocery and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. So, what am I missing? Where should we be going that can't be missed?
My mouth is already watering!
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Good Luck Dragonfly!!! Kathryn..is 66k for all stages? Just wondering if all stages are billed at once or if I will have to pay my deductible every stage
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Just talking about beignets.....we have never been to NO ,but in disney(port orleans hotel) they had them and always wanted the real thing...so that is def on my list!
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Thanks ladies
I am so anxious to get a decision. I love the muffelatta, we got ours at the French Market though I think. We thought it was a hoagie roll type sandwich, ordered it to share and a salad. The muffelatta was HUGE as big around as the dinner plate it was served on. So yummy!! SOunds like you covered all the excellent food places. We ate dinner at Huck Finn's and breakfast at Cafe Fleur De Lis, both excellent places.0 -
Hi All, I asked Liz last week about the blood banking. She said it was very unusual to need a transfusion and not something to worry about unless you have a bleeding disorder or some other predisposing condition. I had thought about having my husband donate when we get there next Wed for my pre-op ( altho I can't actually remember his blood type, either... or my kids!!!), but I'm guessing it will be too short a time for processing it.
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Hi KathrynLA, you mentioned upgrading your seat for your flight home after stage 1. DId it feel like coach would be too squishy with the drains, etc? After my BMX, I didnt even want to leave the house with the drains -- I felt too vulnerable to infection. I am not liking the idea of being squooshed in next to some germy person on the plane!
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dsnydawn, usually the deductible will be yearly. So if you get all the stages in within your calendar year and meet your deductible, you would then not have to pay the deductible again no matter how they bill it. Again, that is if all stages are within the calendar year. I wouldn't think they could bill all stages at once because they do not know whether you will definitely return for a Stage 2 or 3, or what you will need done in those stages if you do return. Also, most plans will have an out of pocket maximum. Once you have met that, you will not have to pay anything else for that calendar year. (Most plans will run on a calendar year)
I was in NOLA 3 years ago and had a fabulous meal at Stella! (Their exclamation point not mine, though it was quite good. I would suggest googling the menu first though as it will not appeal to everyone). We also enjoyed Jacques-Imo's in Uptown. More casual, kind of funky. And definitely crowded and noisy, and geared to the tourist crowd, but the food was good.
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I flew regular old coach with both stage 1 and stage 2. It was fine being on the isle. Stage 2 was uncomfortable because I was in the middle seat. I was so ticked too, there were 6 empty seats behind me, but the flight attendant said they were the extra leg room seats and wouldn't let me move. Yet an hour later I look over and some guy moved there and was taking a nap on 3 of the seats! Advice for the flights, just get up and walk up and down to the bathroom a couple times, stretch your legs as much as you can.
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Kaitsmom... if you are anemic, they won't let you donate your blood anyway... I have friends in NOLA and I may ask them to bank some blood for me... I am O+ and can take O+ or O- blood...
As for food... I lived in NOLA for 5 years... great food... I actually named my first cat muffelatta. Commander's Palace is one of my favorite's for a fancy dinner... but there are tons of small neighborhood restaurants that are super too.. have a dish with crawfish, like etouffe...
And if you are uptown, an old classic is Camillia Grill (great breakfast)... Unfortuanately, some restaurants have closed like Christians that was in an old church... closed after Katrina.
It is a city full of great food and music!!!
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Kaitsmom - Just to reassure you a bit: I'm always borderline anemic too and have very low blood pressure, but I didn't need blood. But like you said, it doesn't hurt to be prepared for anything. One thing I like about this thread is that you hear about the range of outcomes so you at least have an idea about some of the things that can come up.
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Oh, and Minn! I love your fashion statement!! No one wears that over-the-shoulder On-Q ball like you!
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Whoa! I'm glad all this talk about blood transfusions wasn't going on right before my stage one or it might have pushed me over the edge! lol. Seriously, I don't think it's something to worry about unless you have a disorder or the Center brings it up. No one even mentioned it to me a year ago. I trust the Center knows best so don't fret about that and cause extra anxiety for no reason.
My two cents. I just looked at the weather down there. Jealous of you May girls....even if you ARE having surgery. LOL. I need sunshine!!0 -
I agree, I wouldn't think twice about banking the blood. It's such a rare thing to need it I'm sure.
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Hi Dawn - goodness no! Not the whole thing. I get statements all of the time...but I just happened to come across that one today. I believe the Hip Flap was $144,000. I don't think that included hospital or the BS charges for my BMX. Definitely didn't include the pathology.
The only beignets I've had are in NO and they are delish! A must!
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I hope get to meet some of you ladies some time in the near future. Thank goodness for the board and all the info. So I frequent NOLA often as I am only 2 hours away. Here are some of my fav's on the food list
Port of Call--Famous for their burgers. Fudruckers inside Harrah's is good also
The Red Fish Grill is great for Seafood also the B-que shrimp at Landry's
The court of two sisters has a great brunch.
People line up for Mother's but was not impressed
If you love cheese-cake okay who doesn't Copeland CK Bistro has a homemade pecan crust with 20+ different flavors..yum...
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The clock is ticking daily. Again I am nervous about how my body will feel when it is all said and done. It has been 2 years since my last surgery I just hate that being in slow motion feeling...I am going to do my best to walk it out and get this body moving. I pray that God will bless us all as we journey towards being normal AGAIN.
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Court of Two Sisters.. my first meal ever in NOLA, back in 1981.
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I guess I am one of those few that had to have a blood transfusion I had a bilateral stacked diep/lumbar ( 4 flaps) and I had to have 3 units of blood. My surgery was 12 hrs long and I have always been borderline anemic. That was the one thing that I was not prepared for, but the blood supplies are very safe these days. Most surgeries last 4-5 hrs so unless you have a bilateral stacked diep which can require anywhere from 8-12 hrs, and you are not anemic, you should be OK.
As far as places to eat . I love love the food down there. I love Arnaud's, Brennan's ( like they own most of the restaurants in NOLA) ,GW Fins and Bacco for fine dining ( love their lobster ravioli). Also like the Red Fish Grill ( great appetizers) and Court of two Sisters, more casual. If you are looking for the best Po boys in town head over to Johnny Po Boys for their shrimp or oyster Po boys , loaded please. Enjoy !!!!!!
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I love reading what everyone has to say! I can't believe I'll be in NOLA in less than a week. I haven't started packing yet, though I've been making a list. I'll be sure to pack light enough. My sister is bummed she's not going with me; or should I say not going to NOLA. So I told her maybe she can come with me for Stage 2! I'm going to surprise my 1st grade daughter this week. Since I'll be missing the Mother's Day song performance next week, I'm arranging to go to a practice this week. I've still got to set up a schedule for my daughters and contact the schools about my being gone etc. I need to write out my questions for the Drs. I kinda just want to hide out in bed instead. I took a breather today and didn't have a list to tackle, but I'll be back to it tomorrow.
Oh, I do have a question. Did anyone feel like people avoided you, knowing you had cancer? I was at 2 school functions this past week and only one mom really talked with me. Others said hi, how y'doing, and moved on. But maybe it's also just me. I'm not exactly a social butterfly anyway, and understandably I've got these emotionally drained days and probably look it. My upcoming surgery is my treatment, so I don't look like I'm really sick. Just a rambling thought.
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Sounds like you're ready to go cider8, you're going to do great
I think some people didn't really know what to say or how to respond to you when you've been diagnosed. Other than being sorry, or offering help of some sort what can they do? It was probably fine, maybe a combination of you being nervous, tired, and them being busy and wishing they could do more to help?
The thing I hated the most was if I went out with just a hat or scarf and I get that so serious, sad look of sympathy. I know that probably seems strange but I guess, for me, I just liked to pretend my life was as normal as possible.
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I had my stage I in L.A. and was instructed to bank one unit of blood. I think I did it about 12 days pre-op. I did not need it, but my surgeon gave it back to me anyway, saying it was a boost. From what I've heard, it's really rare to require blood in NOLA.
Kathryn, one really nice place to eat is Cafe Giovanni on Decatur Street. (Just a short walk to dessert at Cafe du Monde!) They have live piano and singers, and the food is amazing. Eve will vouch for this--we had a really nice dinner there one night. I really like Arnaud's too, in addition to many of the restaurants mentioned above. My breast surgeon highly recommends Susan Spicer's restaurants--I think she has three in NOLA. I haven't tried them yet, but we do love Irene's, which is the Jolie/Pitt's favorite place when they're in town. Irene recognized me the last time we had dinner there, and gave me a big hug. It's tough to go wrong with the food in NOLA.
Also, the more you keep moving after surgery, the better you will feel. After lipo, it can really burn if you are still for long periods, especially if you have lipo anywhere on your legs. When you stand up, gravity pulls the fluid down and the first couple of steps are pretty uncomfortable. Drink lots and lots of water, and walk, walk, walk! I always walked at least two miles the day I was released from the hospital, and learned to not sit for extended periods of time. I walked all over the airport and was one of the last to board. Also, I was told to get up on the plane every 45 minutes and walk a bit. I drank a lot of water so that I'd have no choice but to get up a few times during the flights home.
My best friend shattered her leg in multiple places last summer in a tandem bike accident, and due to some miraculous healing, she is walking with me in the EIF Revlon Walk this Saturday. My daughter is walking with us and I can't wait! Looking forward to doing it again in NOLA in October too. Macksix was talking about getting a group together and leaving from NOLA on a cruise...doesn't that sound wonderful?
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Jerusha - do you have to go 1st class - no, not at all. I think if you tell the attendants you had surgery they will let you sit down first and will help in whatever way they can. But was it worth it to fly first class? I think so. I wanted that extra space...and not having to get up for others to get to the bathroom (or have others move and squeeze through) was worth it to me. So much so that I blew the last of my FF miles to do the same on the trip home.
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OMG! What a great food list! Can't wait...and I'm sure I'll be giving Dr S a few extra pounds to suck out. BTW I've dubbed stage 2 my Suck & Tuck surgery. (getting a mini-tummy tuck this time!)
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Dragon, thanks for the update from Heather! Thinking of you Heather!
TOMORROW!!!! See below!!! GOOD LUCK Denouement!!!!
May 4 - denouement - Bilateral PBM and DIEP. Dr. D. & Dr. S., NOLA (will be in NOLA 5/2 to 5/12).
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