NOLA in September?
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Jeskechi - Just want to echo what you said about using the wheelchair in the hospital. I had been up and walking all over the quarter and garden district before I left NOLA. But I used the wheelchair in the airport and getting through security with my LE wrap on my arm and my drains was a breeze. I went through the full body scanner and they called back from somewhere asking if I had "designs" on my clothes. They were seeing my drains...haha. The TSA worker did a brief pat down of my fanny pack and I was on my way.
I'm 6 wks post Stage 1 today and I finally got to pull a hip drain. I can't tell you how excited I am to be down to one! The drainage in my remaining hip spiked to 130 cc/day with the infection. It's heading back down now but I imagine it will be awhile before I'll be able to pull it. I hope that it's before my stage 2 which is scheduled for October 20th with Dr. S!
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Hey did anyone get paperwork from SCSH hospitals lawyers Cherardy Sherman LLP? I got a big scary looking packet yesterday but after reviewing it appears that SCSH is suing my insurance company (Premera BCBS) as they said they would pay my 80% out of network benefit for stage 1 and did not. To give you an idea, the charge for my stage 1 DIEP sent to insurance was $107,400 and they were supposed to pay 80% of that or $85,920. They said they would on the pre-authorization but they only wound up paying more like 14%.
I called the lawyer's office expressing a little shock to be hearing about the lawsuit from my insurance company and not from them - they said the sent a letter but I must not have gotten it. I talked to them for a while and it appears to a be large suit against 2 insurance companies (BC and Humana) but involving underpayment for several hundred patients. It does not appear that I need to do anything, but my insurance is requiring that I authorize the release of my health care records to this attorney in order for them to proceed. The lawyer says we all signed a form pre-surgery saying it if came to this that we would release our records as needed. I've got no issue doing this, just a little caught off guard and peeved that I didn't get any kind of heads up - it's never fun to get a big, scary packet from a lawyer with no context. I'm submitted the authorization to BC but specified that it should only be medical information related to my surgery and not anything else. We'll see what happens. Just wanted to give you ladies a heads up in case you saw something similar come your way.
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Amy... When I went back to NOLA for my second stage one, my hip drains went from 40-50 up to over a 100, so I have to wait for them to decrease again.. It has been 7 weeks now and they are both at about 35 per day... One way or another they will come out next week... apparently 8 weeks is the max they will leave them... but hopefully I can get them down to below 20 for a couple of days and PULL those suckers.
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Betsy, added your stage 2 date. Let me know if any changes.
Deno, yeah, I think that has been going on for quite a while, over a year. My co, Cigna, is in network, and they are still fighting about my surgeries and who is paying for what. We all sign papers at NOLA in the hospital acknowledging what our portion is...
As long as I don't need to pay anything, I feel, whatever. I guess that's the cost of doing business with insurance!!! It must be horribly frustrating.
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I have Aetna... and they already paid Dr Dellacroce for my first surgery, and I have received from Aetna authorization letters for the hospital stays... I get one like every other day... Apparently the hospital gets authorization for 2 days, then asks for another day as needed... and since I was in the hospital for 2 weeks this last time, I am getting a letter for every day or two I was there.... and saving them, just in case, as they all say it is authorized... My insurance company isn't going to like me very much... j
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Thanks for the head's up Denouement. I am Blue Cross also and I was appalled at how little they ended up paying. I think $46,000 for my $100,000+ surgery bill. That is no where near the 80% that they were supposed to. I wonder if I'll get a packet here soon too.0
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Did anyone have 2 anesthesiologists? According to my EOBs, I did. Kind of peeved by that, they told me ahead of time the anesthesiologist was in network. Now I'm seeing that one was and one wasn't. My surgery was on time and on schedule, no idea what necessitated 2 doctors.
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Jeskachi - I also had two anesthesiologists. Both of mine were in network though. However I did start to receive bills from Dr Lagarde as out of network. When I called SCSH and talked with them and told them that they had told me my total out of pocket (that I was paying directly to them) included everything. And they immediately took care of the other bills. So you may want to give them a call - maybe a bill sneaked through that wasn't supposed to. Or very possibly you will get an EOB for that amount - but never get a bill from the anestesiologist.0
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My understanding was that anesthesiologists weren't part of the hospital bill. I haven't received any bills yet, just EOBs, so maybe it won't be an issue. If it becomes an issue though... grrrr.
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The person that called me (I have forgotten all names at this point) AFTER I had established my total out of pocket for the surgery that then told me that the hospital and anestesiologists were in-network. I was surprised by the phone call just a couple of days before I went to NOLA. I thought once we had decided how much cash we were needing to pay it was for EVERYTHING. But then I got the second phone call about the hospital and anestesiologists. Did you get something similar? Any way - when I called about the Lagarde bills and told them that they had not been mentioned in any financial discussion they went away. Maybe if you call SCSH they will take care of these too.
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I had an anesthesiologist as well as a nurse anesthetist, Brenda. Wonder if you did, too, and the anesthetist bills under an MD?
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They told me that there is ONE anesthesiolgist who is working different rooms, and then each room has an anesth. nurse... so that may explain the two people... Since I had three surguries this summer with them, I got the detailed description.
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oh, that may be it then. Wish they had mentioned that in the beginning when they mentioned the anesthesiologist. Big fat good it does if the doctor is in network but the nurse isn't. The amounts they submitted to insurance were almost the same.
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Jeskachi - I may be mistaken but I think that the nurse anesthetist bill is part of the bill from SCSH and that the amount that your insurance doesn't pay will be written off. I was also told that the anesthesiologist was in network for me and no one mentioned any other bills for anesthesia so that's what I'm presuming. I hope that's the case!
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My explanation of benefits lists them both, but until a bill comes from CHSH, or not, then I am not worrying about it... I signed something that says I owe CHSH <<<ZERO>>>... does that include nurses and anesthesia?? Not sure.
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Hi Everyone,
I haven't posted much but have been reading posts since I will be there soon; to be exact I have my pre op on 9/12 and surgery on 9/13 with Dr. S for a stacked DIEP stage I. I will be at St. Charles and will possibly be able to meet Kaitsmom and RunningforSanity. I don't know how the rest of you have visited each other after having major surgery. Weren't you all groggy and sore?
You are all superwoman and I look forward to joining the group of DIEP sisters at NOLA even though my conscious pops negative thoughts here and there. I will push those thoughts aside and look forward to new foobs!
Springtime do you mind adding my surgery date to the post?
There's quite a bit of people on this post that has been running for several years. This is my first experience posting as I haven't been so open with my bc four years ago but thank you for allowing me to be a part of this thread to meet friends and to ask questions.
If anyone has post travel tips about going through the body scanner, metal detector, etc. I'd appreciate it. How can they send you through all that if you still have the drains and still sore? Do people get randomized through the body scan or does everyone go through it? I did request a wheel chair with United so hopefully they will have it. I will be traveling a long way from Hawaii for approximately 12 hours. It was difficult to find a flight with only one stop over to keep flight time down but finally found one and was able to use miles as the ticket would have been $1000.
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Surfagirl...
About security, just as I was about to go thru, they asked me to remove my "purse" I explained it was medical drains.. At that they were fine, and asked me to go thru a body scan detector rather than the metal detector... then they had me touch my bag, then they swiped a cloth across my hands and that was that... no pat down or anything... I did this 3 times because I had to return to NOLA. Also both of my trips to NOLA I did not get a wheelchair in New Orleans because the airport is so small it seemed overkill, but I for sure got it at Newark but only for my second trip (I learned after my first trip that it was too much walking)
About visiting other patients... You will be up and out of bed on day 2, and they encourage you to walk, so as you are walking, you can visit. There are only 17 rooms in the hospital so its very doable... by my last day, I was lapping 5 times... besides, you'll have good medication.
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Surfa, welcome to the thread you will find a lot of support here and you are so lucky that you'll have two "NOLA Sisters" down there with you at the same time! It makes the whole thing so much less overwhelming to know you're not alone. I added your date to the listing above. You're official!
Every time I had surgery I was up and dressed and walking the halls and visiting rooms, etc. Some people don't feel like doing this and keep their door shut, so if you need privacy you can have it. It all works out.
About the anesthestetists. (sp?) I think I had two because my surgery was so long it went from one shift into another. My surgery was over 11 hours. So if yours was also long, this could be the reason you had two.
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Dr Triay (sp) told me he is the only anesthesiologist on staff, so he splits his time and just oversees the surgeries, but there is ALWAYS an anethesia nurse who is there the whole time... If there was a long surgery, you'd have maybe 2 nurses, but Triay just oversees... that is what HE told me.
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Hello Ladies. Question do you have the same pre-op testing for stage 2 that was done during stage 1?
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Rogam,
I believe you do need all the same pre-op testing. For example, they need to know again if your blood count is good enough for the second surgery. You don't have to have a redo of the lung x-ray, however. That lasts for a year before it would have to be redone.
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Ro- My stage 1 is 12/6. Maybe we will cross paths. I hope so! Boy am I nervous about the insurance thing. Starting to second guess my decision... long surgery, money, travel. No. I know I made the right decision. I think!
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Rogam... I doubt you need the scan, right?
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Ro - no CT Scan needed, but for me, since it had been 5 months between stage 1 and stage 2 - I had to redo some of the blood work. Check with the NOLA nurses and they'll let you know
Regarding airports - coming back from Stage 1 I was asked to step aside, patted down (they were gentle) and then I showed them my drains (they weren't too pleased but I wanted to be done with them.) Then I had to talk to a supervisor and do the body scan. Not pleasant. For Stage 2 I got out of the wheelchair, walked through the metal detector and sat back down in the wheelchair. You never know - but I was very happy to have the wheelchair - predominantly, it gets you through the line faster and keeps people from bumping into you. Might as well take advantage of it.
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I had Dr Triay also, and a nurse anethestist. Handsome young man he was, too! It is sort of standard wherever surgeries are taking place. In general, the anesthetiololgist often bills separately, but, in my experience, the nurse anes is part of the hospital surgical team and is billed with the hospital. FWIW -- Healing nicely right now, but am READY to have this last drain out and then be done with the "iron Mainden" -- the support girdle. Not that it is that annoying to wear, but it IS a workout to get it on every day!! LOL! Good luck to those coming in for surgery.
@Betsy -- glad to 'hear' your voice -- sounds like you are really doing well! Great news!
@Surfa -- WOW, from Hawaii -- that's commitment, but you will NOT regret the docs and staff at SCSH!! Not a bit. And, you are worth it! I had my qualms, but they were gone before I stepped foot on the plane from WNY.
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KathrynLA - How are you? Did you have to have another surgery to remove the hematoma or did it go away on its own? I hope that you are well!!0
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Ro - I just had my stage 2 and I had to redo the blood tests and the urine (pregnancy test) but nothing else.
I started PT again yesterday and was surprised and how much my core is immobilized again...back to work on that! But my PT guy who hasn't seen me since before stay one said "WOW, you look FABULOUS!" - always nice to hear.
Hoping in another couple of weeks to get back to yoga/pilates/gym etc. So happy to be on the "other side" of all the surgery and hoping for the same feeling of relief for all of you going through this process soon. Hoping all the August ladies, Lesliet and nowords are healing well!
Big week in NOLA next week...Surfagirl, Kaitsmom & Running - send positive thoughts and healing your way! Looking forward to reading your updates when you feel well enough - best of luck!
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so..just wondering....how and when can we tell if we are dealing with fat necrosis or if it is just firmness that will resolve....4 weeks out and am definitely softer and the hard part is reducing down now to only around the incisions under breast...which i guess makes sense to be the last area to resolve if it is swelling assoc from surgery? is that the normal pattern of resolution of firmness ???? and while steadily improving, i also notice that depending on what i have been doing, and at different times of day it seems more firm...which i think also makes it more likely to be swelling??...is this what others have experienced??? i know many have said that in most cases it resolves, and can take quite a while, was just wondering if there are steps we may collectively recognise to take away this background fear we all have until such a time as breasts are truly soft and jiggly all over.....
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Hey ladies-
I decided to make myself useful and put together a shopping list of things I've found useful through two stage 1 and two stage 2 surgeries. Enjoy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/2X0QGCTCLJBHF/ref=cm_sw_em_r_ws_QPsAob0T8P1GF_wb
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Hi SurfaGrl - I am glad you resurfaced! I noticed your post awhile ago with your surgery date (since it is close to mine) and was hoping to connect. I will be there for my preop on the 14th and will try to say hi if your door is open and you are awake. I am also coming from the west (CA) although not nearly so far as you. I think it will be worth the trip.
Best wishes for your surgery and a great recovery, and I look forward to meeting you. Where are you staying after discharge? We will be at Homewood Suites.
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