NOLA in September?
Comments
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Hey all you Michiganers! I just spent a week on Lake Michigan at a friends cottage near Pentwater. Beautiful, peaceful, hot. Good luck with the insurance wrangling. I too was in shock at first but things worked out.
Florafarm- Best of wishes today and healing vibes to all recovering.
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Thanks Adey, yes Florafarm, we are thinking of you!
And you too Denoument!
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Is anyone interested in buying the Marena garment #LGS2 girdle, 2nd stage mid-thigh? Size large, beige. Normally I would just giv eit away but Hubby lost his job awhile ago so need to watch the pennies. I paid $76.00 for it and would be happy with $50 and I will pay to ship.
Like new - worn twice. I have the hyper-sensitive skin a few of us have had so have been commando
since January, in dresses with nothing on! I am naked whenever I can be. Okay , TMI.Thanks - if this is not okay to post I will remove.
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Karen, I'm interested but guess I'm dumb when it comes to what we might need for stage II. What will we have/need to wear after stage II?
Thanks
Michelle0 -
Michelle - once the drains are out this garment works. It has the hole where you can go to the bathroom. It is softer and more comfy then the doms. I needed to wear a girdle so much longer just to feel like I wasn't coming apart. Each doc I think says compression for 1-2 weeks after drains out.
So I ended up wearing the black doms with padding and thought I would try the Marena too. No go. I had radiation full body in the 80's for my Hodkins Lymphoma so my skin has always been sensitive to clothing. Essentially I was in the girdle from january until June!
At stage 2 they will put you back in what they want you to wear. I was going to use the Marena like a lazy Spanx :0
Thanks - Karen
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Michelle, I only needed to wear the girdle for a couple weeks post stage 2. I never bought a different garment for either stage. You have to wear the one with zippers for the whole time the drains are in anyway then it's just another week. Dr. D did not want me wearing a girdle full time after the week past the drains and said I could wear one part time for comfort if I wanted to but it wouldn't affect the outcome either way. I found I got achy by the end of the day without it for a week or so - especially the lipo'd thighs. But I stopped wearing it pretty quickly. I had some spanx on hand and wore those a couple times. If it were me, I'd save the money. But everyone is different!
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Thank you very much for all of your support. This has been a nightmare for me. I am waiting to hear from Vicki this week. Bottom line, I may not be able to afford this. I am not looking looking elsewhere yet. I will see what they say.
For those of you that have been through this.......were there any other surprises such as anesthesiology, etc?
I don't doubt that these are the best doctors for this, however they need to be more up front before people make flights, hotel arrangements, etc. This has been devastating to me. This week was my week to focus on me, because the rest of the summer is booked. Instead I am sitting in my fifth wheel waiting for Vicki to call. I may just call her but I am
so emotional right now. I am not normally this way.
Hugs to everyone who is "healing" right now. You are so strong!!0 -
at SCSH waiting to go in...got my IV and my tin foil hat on...waiting on Dr. D...gotta find out what music he is going to play! Will check in from the "other side"
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Cherrie, you might want to look at PRMA in Texas. It looks like they also focus intensively on flap surgeries and have done thousands. I have a friend who is going there this month.
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Cherrie, I am so sorry you are going through this. I know that when my insurance was pending, I called Vickie A LOT. Crying. She probably thought I was a crazy person, but she was also very understanding. I totally agree with what Betsy, Spring and others have said. All is not lost. Call NOLA if and when you need to, go for a walk, and keep breathing. I'll be praying that all gets resolved quickly and that you can feel at peace!
Denouement - wow! Posting in pre-op! You go, girl! I guess I didn't realize that they play music during surgery. Makes sense. Let us know what Dr. D says. Sweet dreams!!0 -
Cherrie, if you can't get in at the center, there are other doctors who may take different insurance. But don't give up yet.
Report back Denoument!
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Cherrie, so you are set up with Dr M at Fairway? I was thinking you were set up with CRBS and SCSH. My experience to get set up with Dr S at SCSH was that until I got past Vicki I did not get to schedule an appt for Stage 1 or subsequent Stage 2B. I had to get cleared from Vicki before I even got to talk to Liz for the first time. I still think your file slipped through the cracks, especially if Dr M is your primary. I don't know how working with Dr M works with billing and the Center. You or your husband may want to let someone know how your case was handled so that it doesn't happen to someone else. Vicki calling on a Sunday morning sounds very unusual, as well as having appt set and new patient education completed before billing settled.
I had no surprises with other billing. Anesthesia and Dr Stolier were billed as in network. Drs Sullivan and Trahan and SCSH were the only ones billed out of network.0 -
Runningforsanity- that is exactly what is happening . Rash is now on my butt incision and itching like crazy. Can't feel itching on my flap, but then can't really feel anything there anyways! I have been using bactroban not neosporin but it is either that or remnants of the surgical glue. OTC cortisone does not help. I have some 2.5% cortisone prescribed for my daughter . Is this what you used and how long did it take to clear up ? The closest dermatologist is 2 hrs away so I am trying to avoid going.
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Well, I have been released from The Center and we are staying at Homewood Suites. The Center and the nurses are fantastic-I really didn't want to leave!!!!! Surgery went well, only 5 hours. My new "girls" look wonderful, even at this point-I am sooo pleased & my lymphedema is better than it was pre-op! Only time will tell if this is going to truly help w/ swelling. I'm feeling pretty good but like most of us, I hate the narcotics! Hopefully, I will be off of them in the near future!
I can't believe I'm on the healing side of this and cannot wait to get home!
Katiejane
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Yay KJ, you sound great!
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Got up to my room about an hour ago and had a light lunch...all good here! Dr. D was running a bit late but no worries...surgery was about 1.5 hours and seems to have gone well...we'll see if it helps the tightnesss around my ab incision...Dr D played Alice in Chains for me...i requested unplugged as it seems the nurses aren't too keen in the hard rock...they put it on in the OR so I could doze off to it...gonna doze off now too for a bit...
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Yay for Dana too! (c:
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Had surgery at NOLA yesterday-SS, NS BMX DIEP All is well so far. 10 1/2 hrs. In surgery. I was one out of the two only patients last night,so I had lots of attention! Since my NAC had been cut When I had a partial mx and lift in Feb, The docs weren't sure if I was going to get enough blood supply there, but right now they Very optimistic. They got me into a chair for now and it wasn't too bad.
CherrIe, I had the same problems with billing as you so I totally understand your stress IMy insurance is out of network, but they make exceptions fo
for procedures not available in your network . I was given the impression that the Billing dept would take care oF everything with my insurance-not so. They sent me a form also,that asked rather intrusive questions, like how much money you make, what your mortgage payment and other expenses are.They asked me for alot of money up.front and I couldn't understand why when my insurance company had already told Them they would cover the NOLA docs and hospital at their in network level, and that I had already met my deductible and out of pocket max so I was at 100 percent coverage..They even threatened that my surgery would be cancelled.
What I finally realized was that they the only way they would be convinced that my ins.would pay was for an individual contract to be made. So, my insurance got estimates for everything and then they agreed what percentage of the bill would be paid.I wish they had suggested that sooner, it would have saved me a lot of angst As it wasn't settled untiL 4 days before my surgery!So my suggestion is to ask your insurance for an In Network exception and to make a contract for your case. Don't give up!0 -
First of all it is so nice to hear from people on the other side. It is so encouraging to hear from them so soon. It helps me.
I just want you all to know that we called Vicki and reached a resolution. How do you put a price on your life? It's great knowing that I can move forward. I want to thank everyone for your words of encouragement. It helped more than you know.
See you in NOLA Adey!!
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Another yay for Florafarm!
Cherrie, can't wait! (c:
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YAY Cherrie...
Dana.. you sound great!!
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I am now waiting for Liz to re-contact me to schedule my consult with Dr. D. I too have Out of Network benefits and worry the cost will be out of the park high. Fortunately for me, I live in the New Orleans area. It will be interesting to see which procedure I am a candidate for. I have to say I'm a bit nervous with all of this. Some days I want to go thru with reconstruction, other days I do not. I hope he tells me I am a candidiate for DIEP. I may have to get the right breast done with the nipple sparing procedure as there have been some abnormalities on mamograms in the past. I was told this is considered a mystectomy. I had a mystectomy on left side 5 1/2 years ago.
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cascader, I have had major rashes after each surgery. After stage one they went through the whole bacterial vs fungal thing with various meds. Then they determined it had to be an allergy and we figured out it had to be the suture. I sent lots of pictures to the center and they helped me with it-have you tried that? Anyway, topical steroids did nothing and eventually I had to go on systemic steroids which did the trick.
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Thanks amym. I am actually a charleston girl (dr Kline) but yes sent in pics and they just called in a prescription for steroid cream . Guess we will start with that first. Thanks for the info, so good to know what has worked for others
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Cherrie, praise the lord! So glad you are at *resolution*. Now you can breathe again.
Cascader, I am alergic to the surgical tape, not glue, tape. After I realized that, I would tell Sally at the hospital, and viola, no more tape! I don't know if that was your issue. But that worked for me.
Naturegirl2, welcome to our thread. What you are feeling sounds normal to me. I am glad I did it, there is nothing like feeling restored. My body is better now that it was before, which has inspired me to be more active, lose more weight and live a healthy life. But that's me. Reconstruction is not for everyone. It's a very personal journey...
Florafarm, so good to hear from you! I hope you keep getting a nice blood supply. I am sure they are watching it like a hawk with those dopplars...
Dana! 1.5 hours, not bad, watcha think so far? Feeling good?
KatieJane, Enjoy the Homewood. Only 5 hours? What did you have done??
that seems remarkable! Was that just one side or both? Goodness. 0 -
Spring, I had bilateral DIEP w/ Dr. Massey and Sullivan. I expected to be in the OR 7-8 hours but it just didn't take that long. Not sure why. I'm feeling good and don't seem to need the pain meds!
Motrin seems to do the trick! Homewood has been really great providing everything/anything we ask for and then some! I highly recommend them. The free breakfast and dinner are a real plus if you don't want to venture out on the town! All in all, a very positive experience-my new "girls" look fantastic!
Katiejane
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Just had the breakfast of champions...2 Percocet, a bag of chips and a coke icee! ;-)
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<<<LIKE>>>
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Cascader - I was prescribed bethathasone diproprionate by my dermatologist and it worked like magic. I had nearly instant relief from the itchiness and the rash stopped spreading and gradually receded. I hope you have a great result from the cream.
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Just wanted to say "HI" to everyone. I've been enjoying my life after Stage 1 and Stage 2. Back to zumba and just started to get back into the ocean surfing. Not as strong as I was and I feel a constant pull on my abdomen but I'm hoping things will get better with time.
Can't think of going back for a Stage 2b but I know I'll need to. Do we just call NOLA and indicate what revisions we would like? I'm hoping I can revise just in the office.
I noticed I have a lump on my chest bone; like calcified bone or something. Anyone have this after recon? Is that where they connect something?
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