|
|
Post by maggiesara on Jul 1, 2014 12:00:29 GMT -5
As some of you know, I have had an "interesting condition" since my surgery, last September. I call it that because although it's a hernia, in appearance it pretty much exactly mimics a fairly far-gone pregnancy -- how far gone is a function of my weight loss: The more weight I lose, the more I look like I'm ready to drop a kid any second now. These days I look like my water's about to break.
I also call it my "interesting condition" because this amuses me, and I would infinitely prefer to be amusing than to deal with the fact of having this enormous goddamn hernia, and really not getting any help as to what I should do about it. Dr. Roslin was my surgeon, and while I am -- perhaps -- prepared to believe that he did a perfectly fine job on the surgical end, the after-care was shamefully, SHAMEFULLY bad. He ascribed my chronic, incredibly debilitating diahreaa to "all that dairy you're eating" (I wasn't eating any, something that first I and then my visiting nurse told him several times), and didn't offer any alternative explanations; as it turns out, I had a terrible case of C-Diff (a GI infection that one gets in hospitals, and is particularly common to patients with adbominal survey), and had to have five courses of four different antibiotics to get rid of it (something Roslin certainly didn't prescribe, nor did he even suggest testing for C-Diff.). Also as it turns out, my gut has become massively sensitive to gluten/wheat, something that is apparently quite common to post-DS patients, but that I found out only by talking to the vets here; again, Roslin certainly didn't suggest it. In fact, the only thing he did suggest was that he open my belly up again and "give you some more bowel," something I was unwilling to do A) because the whole point of this exercise was to lose weight and maintain the loss, and Roslin could give me no assurances that I would do either if I had "more bowel" back, and B) because Roslin said repeatedly that he had never seen anyone respond to DS surgery as I had, indicating to me that he had no direct experience of whether giving me "more bowel" would in fact halt the diarrhea, and what other effects it might have. I was not willing to be his guinea pig, especially as the original incision took EIGHT FUCKING MONTHS to close -- I was getting seven-days-a-week visits from visiting nurses for nearly five months -- and I was not exactly eager to have him open me up again.
I finally decided that Roslin could go screw, and I arranged instead to work with Dr. Herron, at Mt. Sinai. He noted immediately that I had an enormous hernia (Roslin, by contrast, had called it "a little hernia," something he mentioned only after I complained about it to his PA, who responded by telling Roslin that I was feeling "a little puffy," like I was some ignorable little suburban mommy with PMS -- furious much? Just a little.) Herron ordered a CT scan, and called me yesterday with the results: I have a "very large" hernia that is in fact so large it has pushed my abdominal muscles out of alignment, over to the side. I will need a combined reparative and reconstructive surgery, with Herron working with a plastic surgeon, for a procedure that is expected to take 5-7 hours. I will then be in the hospital for approximately a week, then home with a minimum of four drains for another three weeks, and he then expects a 4-6-week recovery period after that. Of course, given the above-mentioned eight months it took for the original surgery to heal, I am not really optimistic.
Then there's cost. Nobody in the Sinai plastics department takes my insurance, so I'm going to have to go out of network, to the tune of about $5,000, and that's just for the plastic surgeon's fee. All told, this is going to cost me a minimum of $10 grand. I am so fucking furious. I don't know how much of this is a function of Roslin's having fucked up, I don't know how much of it could have been prevented or at least ameliorated had I gotten better care and advice following surgery. I don't know if there's anything I can do. I am really really fucking fucking up-fucking-set.
|
|
|
|
Post by cherylbaker on Jul 1, 2014 12:26:55 GMT -5
Wow and in one week I am suppose to have a ds with this dr...
|
|
|
|
Post by west4thavenue on Jul 1, 2014 12:45:57 GMT -5
Maggiesara, wow. Your experience with Roslin sounds HORRIBLE. I was having really bad diarrhea like you, and the FIRST thing Dr. A. did was rule out C-Diff. Any abdominal surgeon should have jumped on testing for that right away, because, as you said, it comes from having abdominal surgery/being in the hospital. So glad you finally got that straightened out. But OMG, the rest of this! Thank God you are with another surgeon.
Cheryl, you have been warned.
|
|
|
|
Post by caprice on Jul 1, 2014 12:54:25 GMT -5
Geebus. I'm so sorry this is what's happening with you.
Glad you're being cared for by a different surgeon now, but... wow. I hope it's much less awful than you're preparing for.
|
|
|
|
Post by newyorkbitch on Jul 1, 2014 12:54:25 GMT -5
Maggie's problems aside, which are horrid and real….there are lots of satisfied Roslin patients here as well.
That being said, I did encourage Maggie to leave Roslin and not look back…he really fucked up with her aftercare on so many levels.
|
|
|
|
Post by newyorkbitch on Jul 1, 2014 12:55:58 GMT -5
And I will say this again about Dan Herron. He doesn't do a lot of DS's these days, for reasons I understand on some levels. But he is a good guy, smart and considerate and thorough. Maggie you are in excellent hands.
|
|
|
|
Post by meq815 on Jul 1, 2014 12:58:57 GMT -5
Maggiesara-I don't fucking blame you! That is some fucked up shit. As I was reading, I was wondering if it was surgeon-related or pre existing. Not that it matters. I really feel for you. This is not an easy journey to begin with, let alone what you've been through, and now what you're facing.
|
|
|
|
Post by cherylbaker on Jul 1, 2014 14:18:15 GMT -5
Well it really does matter to others not to her. I mean if it is something dr roslin did wrong than new patients should be aware. Being new here I do not know this persons story as far as her medical conditions.
Not to defend dr roslin but as much as drs like to think they are God's and stuff medicine is not an exact science and drs are not perfect which Is why we have to advocate for ourselves. . This is really hard since drs clearly have more knowledge about medicine than us and it's not like we can go to medical school to learn it.
I had a primary care dr I loved. He was a great dr for me for many year's.. but than I developed symptoms and he kept running tests and kept telling me nothung was wrong. Three years if this and I finally got a second opinion and discovered all my vitamins were bad and all the things I told him were wrong with me were. . It caused me a lot of pain and weight gain and my job. Even though I left him as my dr that doesn't mean he is a bad dr. He missed the diagnosis on me. He refused to listen to me tell him my feelings on my body. Even drs make mistakes. . Unfortunately the mistakes they make can have dire consequences
|
|
|
|
Post by Girlrocker on Jul 1, 2014 14:53:24 GMT -5
Oh Maggie, I'm so sorry, and that sounds inadequate, but god what a mess  I know Dr. Roslin's reputation too as a fine surgeon and many happy, satisfied patients. Was very moved by his Q/A about surgery failing patients. This is very upsetting to hear, that he missed something so major like Cdiff, the poor aftercare overall. I'm relieved you finally have a proper diagnosis and course of action. It's a very different surgical process than the DS, I'm sure with all that muscle work there will be pain involved, but good god, I hope you have total resolution, no complication NO infection! That you can fully enjoy your progress and have the middle that matches the rest of you, plus, proactively be reducing the risk of future hernias. I'm very fortunate to have a surgeon who has done the opposite, he knows the hernia is bigger, the problems I'm having physically, the trouble this is causing me having a third surgery in less than 3 years with work, and well my LIFE. I need the reconstruction too and he said as much, and he thinks the extensiveness of what I need is beyond the scope of the PS repair he can do, and said I should see an abdominal reconstruction specialist (esp due to the law about this in California). Since my insurance of course kicked out as cosmetic. Have no idea what they will find but I"ll report back when I do. Please keep us posted. Surgeons require regular reviews and updates from their patients, and you have let people know what your experience has been and it's important. Cheryl, you've had questions about this issue lately yourself; don't stick your head in the sand now because you've decided to go forward and that's what is best for you for your reasons. Which is what ultimately everyone has to do for themselves. I'm very glad for you that you did ask, and opened up here, get help/support. Maggie is basically speaking to what you experienced as well in terms of a frustrating attitude this doctor can have. She has advocated for herself just fine, often with the help of NYB and others. Didn't you say you were convinced you would have gotten a SADI if you hadn't spoken up, which honestly, is a pretty sizable thing to put it mildly? You don't have to know her; she summarized her history quite well right here. Aftercare in the first year is very important. Consider yourself armed with additional back-up knowledge in terms of what you might need while moving forward. |
|
|
|
Post by cherylbaker on Jul 1, 2014 16:14:25 GMT -5
Yup isn't there a saying fore warned is fore armed or something. .
I see a lot if people with hernias in these weight loss forums. My friend who just had her revision wit dr roslin had him also repair so e hernia issues she had.
Is this commonly a problem with weight loss surgery or do people have these issues before and the surgery or weight loss exaggerates it?
As far as I know I've never had a hernia.. just curious as there appears to be a lot of talk about them
|
|
|
|
Post by goodkel on Jul 1, 2014 16:25:10 GMT -5
I wouldn't give up on trying to get your insurance to pay Maggie. Get hard copies from all your visits to Roslin's for this issue to prove to them how he was failing in your treatment. C-diff is serious business. Roslin shrugged off the hernia that is large enough to have pushed your abdominal muscles off to the side. You went in netwrok and you weren't adequately treated and required the out of network second opinion and treatment. I would fight this.
I am so sorry you are going through this, but glad that you are now in good hands.
Roslin has always enjoyed a stellar reputation, but he has sure been dropping the ball a lot lately.
|
|
|
|
Post by goodkel on Jul 1, 2014 16:29:21 GMT -5
Yup isn't there a saying fore warned is fore armed or something. . I see a lot if people with hernias in these weight loss forums. My friend who just had her revision wit dr roslin had him also repair so e hernia issues she had. Is this commonly a problem with weight loss surgery or do people have these issues before and the surgery or weight loss exaggerates it? As far as I know I've never had a hernia.. just curious as there appears to be a lot of talk about them Hernias are a common problem for anyone who has had any kind of abdominal surgery. It is not just weight loss surgery related. |
|
|
|
Post by Girlrocker on Jul 1, 2014 17:02:32 GMT -5
Yup isn't there a saying fore warned is fore armed or something. . I see a lot if people with hernias in these weight loss forums. My friend who just had her revision wit dr roslin had him also repair so e hernia issues she had. Is this commonly a problem with weight loss surgery or do people have these issues before and the surgery or weight loss exaggerates it? As far as I know I've never had a hernia.. just curious as there appears to be a lot of talk about them Hernias are common to anyone having abdominal surgeries and morbidly obese people who go through substantial weight loss are also particularly prone. Hernias are not bariatric-specific, but definitely a realistic side effect since our weight loss can also be more expedited due to surgery. |
|
|
|
Post by teachermomolp on Jul 1, 2014 17:12:15 GMT -5
Wow- I hope this all gets worked out for you. Your certainly deserve it!
|
|
|
|
Post by maggiesara on Jul 1, 2014 17:31:12 GMT -5
Thank you, all, and thanks for letting me vent. It's funny, I called my primary-care doc, who is a gastro-enterologist, to tell him about the surgery and the CT scan and so on, and I just...I lost it in the middle of the phone call, I was practically crying, and I was certainly several miles past hysterical. I just kept saying "I can't do it again, I can't do this year again, I was fucking suicidal, I can't do this again." And then I pulled myself together and apologized, and he said "Maggie, you've been badly traumatized. It's like you have PTSD. There's no need to apologize." And I realized yeah, that's pretty much how bad it was. I guess I'm grateful my mother isn't around; she sure as hell couldn't handle this.
FWIW, Cheryl, I had never had a hernia before this.
Kelly, I think my insurance WILL pay (at least, I have no reason right now to think they won't), but A) I have a pretty high deductible, and B) their covered charges are pretty much a joke when compared to what New York doctors actually charge. So yeah, all in, I think I'm probably looking at about $10K.
|
|
|
|
Post by meq815 on Jul 1, 2014 18:11:31 GMT -5
I like your PCP.
|
|
|
|
Post by goodkel on Jul 1, 2014 18:24:10 GMT -5
Have faith, dear heart, this year is going to be SO much better.
Getting rid of the hernia and the c-diff will make a dramatic improvement in your life.
Medical bills are often negotiable. Many hospitals and doctors will give you discounts if paying their bill is a hardship. You just have to ask.
|
|
|
|
Post by bboop on Jul 1, 2014 18:39:35 GMT -5
I''m so sorry this has happened to you. Dr. Roslin needs a swift kick in the rear. He shouldn't have treated you the way he did and to tell you you had a small hernia is just unconscionable (sp?).
Negotiate your bill pre surgery...once you have calmed down. You would be amazed at what kind of discount you can get. And don't let them tell you it's selective surgery...hello, a hernia that large is just crazy. And to think otherwise is just wrong.
At some point - when you have calmed down, put on your big girl pants and go to work on the hospital and doctors...get what you need and for a price you can reasonably afford. Establish a payment plan...make it realistic and go from there. Breathe. Calm down and then do it.
I would have been more than hysterical...you had every right to be. Be glad you have this forum to help you. Come back and let us know what they have to say about the bill...my doc let me pay out my expenses that Medicare didn't cover and I was able to get it all done. Where there's a will there's a way.
Hugs - oh yeah,, give Roslin another kick in the butt.
|
|
|
|
Post by illinids2 on Jul 1, 2014 19:06:17 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about your continued c struggle and at least the other Dr took the time to do tests and proper diagnosis. When your surgery and recovery is complete I would send your bill for medical expenses as well as a charge for pain and suffering to this idiotic prick, and tell that he better pay up or your will be filing a medical negligence suit.
Hang in there and I hope your healing starts very soon. You deserve a break.
|
|
mistercy
Full Member
Posts: 228
Surgery Type: DS
Surgery Date: 03/26/2013
Surgeon: Mitchell Roslin
|
Post by mistercy on Jul 1, 2014 23:08:11 GMT -5
Oh, Maggie, so sorry you have gone through all this. I also used Roslin for my virgin DS surgery, leaving me with an open DS, which led me to three hernias. I decided to switch to Herron for the hernia surgery based on advice of others on the board here, and was very happy with his work. Dr. Taub did the plastics work, pannectomy and abdominoplasty. I got that 6 weeks ago, and am recovering well. I got both covered by insurance. Of course, I switched insurance providers based on who the billing specialist for Dr. Taub said I would have a better chance to get covered by, and it paid off - I got all the surgery done with only a $1000 deductible. Talk to the plastic surgeon's billing specialist - they often know how to cut through the red tape. As for cutting, I still feel Dr. Roslin is a good surgeon. For revisions in the NY area, he is almost the only game in town. His after care, I agree, leaves a lot to be desired. Herron helped more with my own C-Diff issues than Roslin ever did. I am now using Herron for my future post-DS care as well - I'm so glad you finally were able to connect with him. Fight with the insurance - you certainly have proof of need for the surgery!
|
|
|
|
Post by Girlrocker on Jul 2, 2014 10:46:34 GMT -5
Maggie I wish I could hug you! You have a great PCP, and I'm glad you could let go and pour your heart out. I know I live in California and our laws/insurance companies are very different, but if you think there's any question about your insurance covering this, and I can help, let me know. My own hernia issue is not the extent of yours, YET, but I'm worried because I'm clearly 'hernia' prone since it took four months for me to get another one after the last one. I'm having to appeal, my insurance kicked it out as 'cosmetic' of course, and I live in a state where there's a law about reconconstructive surgery. I've been gathering quite a bit of information, if you think any of it might be useful let me know. Today, at the recommendation of Dr. K, I'm having a consult with a surgeon who is an abdominal reconstruction specialist. Because that IS the degree of the work we need, these are not simple fixes (understatement) plus we need the extensive rebuilding muscle work to prevent more future hernias. Mesh is a useless bandaid. I'm just so relieved for you that you are, at LAST in good medical hands and getting what you need. You will be able to put this behind you and focus forward, have a chance to fully enjoy your progress your have worked so hard for, the reason you had the revision to the DS in the first place. Thank you, all, and thanks for letting me vent. It's funny, I called my primary-care doc, who is a gastro-enterologist, to tell him about the surgery and the CT scan and so on, and I just...I lost it in the middle of the phone call, I was practically crying, and I was certainly several miles past hysterical. I just kept saying "I can't do it again, I can't do this year again, I was fucking suicidal, I can't do this again." And then I pulled myself together and apologized, and he said "Maggie, you've been badly traumatized. It's like you have PTSD. There's no need to apologize." And I realized yeah, that's pretty much how bad it was. I guess I'm grateful my mother isn't around; she sure as hell couldn't handle this. FWIW, Cheryl, I had never had a hernia before this. Kelly, I think my insurance WILL pay (at least, I have no reason right now to think they won't), but A) I have a pretty high deductible, and B) their covered charges are pretty much a joke when compared to what New York doctors actually charge. So yeah, all in, I think I'm probably looking at about $10K. |
|
|
|
Post by newyorkbitch on Jul 2, 2014 10:49:41 GMT -5
It sounds like her insurance WILL pay, but her deductible is high and there's a gap between what her insurance will pay and what the fees are - and the plastic surgeon is not in network for her.
Maggie maybe you can negotiate with the plastic surgeon to reduce the "gap charge."
|
|
|
|
Post by Girlrocker on Jul 2, 2014 10:54:58 GMT -5
It sounds like her insurance WILL pay, but her deductible is high and there's a gap between what her insurance will pay and what the fees are - and the plastic surgeon is not in network for her. Maggie maybe you can negotiate with the plastic surgeon to reduce the "gap charge." She said she was 'pretty sure' so just offering some additional information in case she needs it. Nothing to be done about a high deductible, but yes, perhaps you can negotiate with the PS on the gap charge/fees. I hope so and like everything else we talk about here, TRY. It's exhausting I know to deal with all of this and keep advocating, but it's absolutely worth a shot. I've had to put my head into some kind of remote mode to cope with the idea of a third surgery already and the weariness of the amount of time my appeal is consuming. Hang in there my dear, you know we're here for you. |
|
|
|
Post by maggiesara on Jul 2, 2014 12:20:54 GMT -5
Well, meanwhile, I had the worst night, GI-wise, that...well, certainly than I've had in many months. I stopped counting the number of trips to the bathroom after I hit 20. And frankly, by that point it was about 4 in the morning, so I wasn't counting too good anyway. No, I hadn't eaten anything noticably different. I'm kind of freaking out here. I'm really kind of a wreck right now.
|
|
|
|
Post by west4thavenue on Jul 2, 2014 13:03:40 GMT -5
Maggie, you are profoundly upset about what is happening to you. People manifest all kinds of maladies when they are as traumatized as you -- fever blisters, diarrhea, asthma...my all time favorite is heart attack. When we lose control of our bodies, it is horrendous.
Here's the thing that worries me even more than what you already have on your plate. There's the probability of compound events. When something bad happens that affects us deeply, as your circumstances have affected you now, the chances of more shit coming at us increases. The path to reducing that probability begins with getting a grip. You must calm down. You must breathe. You must consciously put the overwhelming emotions of this situation away because you have a lot to do.
You have been through so much, but this isn't going to break you, Maggie. I'm not telling you not to have feelings. I'm just saying you must be in control of them right now, rather than the other way around. You have tons of support that you completely deserve. Whatever it takes to get you calmed down enough to deal with insurance, not to mention another surgical procedure, that is what you must do.
I care about you and I am telling you from personal experience. This is not the time to be overwhelmed. This is the time to take control. You can do it. You have done it before, I know. Please take good care of Maggie. We all love her very much.
|
|
|
|
Post by newyorkbitch on Jul 2, 2014 14:45:54 GMT -5
It is time for a complete elimination diet. And I mean really truly. Chicken, fish, cooked vegetables. And that is it. THAT IS IT. And do it for ONE ENTIRE WEEK.
Of course your system is a mess, of course.
|
|
|
|
Post by maggiesara on Jul 2, 2014 16:50:59 GMT -5
My shrink said a couple of things that really resonated for me. First, he said he thinks it's likely that my terrible GI issues last night were at least in large part a function of stress. That makes sense to me. I have an extremely fragile GI system, and I was really hysterical. As to the stress, he, too, brought up the PTSD image, and then he said "And now you've been told you have to go back into combat." And MAN did that hit home. Yeah, that's exactly what it feels like.
|
|
|
|
Post by maggiesara on Jul 2, 2014 22:42:54 GMT -5
Thank you all so much for the kind thoughts. FWIW, I am feeling much better now, both emotionally and physically -- so much the latter, in fact, that I am pretty much wedded to the notion that last night's awfulness was in very large part a stress-response. I can tell that I'm still kind of fragile, GI-wise, but the bulk of the crisis does seem to have passed.
Funny, I was always the girl with the iron gut. I spent years happily eating street-food in China and never really having a problem, and making insufferably smug fun of other people with their delicate-flower tendencies. Karma is a bitch.
|
|
|
|
Post by goodkel on Jul 5, 2014 12:45:51 GMT -5
Karma definitely has smug in its cross hairs. Glad you are feeling better today.  |
|
I know Dr. Roslin's reputation too as a fine surgeon and many happy, satisfied patients. Was very moved by his Q/A about surgery failing patients. This is very upsetting to hear, that he missed something so major like Cdiff, the poor aftercare overall. I'm relieved you finally have a proper diagnosis and course of action. It's a very different surgical process than the DS, I'm sure with all that muscle work there will be pain involved, but good god, I hope you have total resolution, no complication NO infection! That you can fully enjoy your progress and have the middle that matches the rest of you, plus, proactively be reducing the risk of future hernias. I'm very fortunate to have a surgeon who has done the opposite, he knows the hernia is bigger, the problems I'm having physically, the trouble this is causing me having a third surgery in less than 3 years with work, and well my LIFE. I need the reconstruction too and he said as much, and he thinks the extensiveness of what I need is beyond the scope of the PS repair he can do, and said I should see an abdominal reconstruction specialist (esp due to the law about this in California). Since my insurance of course kicked out as cosmetic. Have no idea what they will find but I"ll report back when I do. Please keep us posted. Surgeons require regular reviews and updates from their patients, and you have let people know what your experience has been and it's important. 
