Round 2

Breast reconstruction update

If you are a long time reader you know that last summer I had breast reconstruction surgery because 10 years before I had had breast cancer. Now I had waited so long because I had had such complications from the lumpectomy/lymphadenectomy that I could not deal with anymore surgery at the time. So what changed? I underwent a full hysterectomy and oophorectomy the previous December, and everything went well. So I figured that it was time to reconstruct my breasts not just because the previous surgery had left me scared and disfigured, but because it was uncomfortable. I could not find a proper bra to wear and my self esteem was in the garbage. So we are talking about almost 1 3/4 years now that I have been having multiple surgeries.

And yes, we are allowed to get surgeries to improve our self esteem. That’s what plastic surgery is all about right? I mean we remove moles, warts, and growths all the time on our skin, so why not make it so we can feel complete when it comes to out breasts? Now granted there are people who do take plastic surgery too far, as with everything else. But wouldn’t that be up to the doctor to say enough is enough without condemning an entire medical practice or a practice that makes people feel human again?

Meanwhile, the surgeon having sent biopsies to the lab last year, found that my breast cancer had actually come back, but in the other breast this time. Well, it wasn’t technically cancer yet. It was level 0, as opposed to my previous cancer which was level 1. Believe me when I say I know how lucky I am, and I definitely think my guardian angel was watching out for me.

So in the ensuing time, I had met with a breast surgeon oncologist and everyone set me up for radiation treatment of the effected breast. Then when that was over, within 6 months I had MRIs and several mammograms to gauge if there is any residual crap to worry about. The tests came back benign but they still want another mammo in 6 months which would be about the same time as my yearly MRI.

Oh and if you have never had a MRI for your breast, it is alot of fun (not). You lay on your stomach, with your breasts through holes in the table, that goes back and forth in the machine for about 30 minutes. Yes, you still have the earmuffs and music being played the entire time, but remember you are laying on your stomach, so if you are not used to being a stomach sleeper it is rather uncomfortable Life saving, but still uncomfortable. I call it my grown up Disney Ride.

Well, over the year, after the radiation treatment, I ended up with a side effect that the left breast shrunk an entire cup as compared to the right breast. I could not buy a bra. Well I could buy one, but the recommendation was to buy a bra that fits the larger breast (of course) and to put silicone filler in the bra on the other side so it was comfortable to wear.

Nope. Nada. Nyet. No fucking way. Not gonna do that.

So I have lived in the post surgical mastectomy bras I bought off of Amazon. They were fine. Not great if you had to actually get dressed, which it turned out I really did not, so it didn’t matter what I had under my clothing. I work from home and live in my PJs. I do put on workout clothes to run errands so the bras were just fine.

But I did want to be able to buy a real bra and be comfortable. Eventually I will have to put on real clothes again. I have a nephew’s wedding coming up around Thanksgiving and the bride is very specific about what she wants everyone to wear, even sending us a Pinterest board. So even though I am a “woman of a certain age,” which generally means nobody cares what I wear or how I look, I don’t think showing up in a t-shirt and sweats would go over well with my new niece-in-law.

Besides, I was tired of being lopsided as well.

So, meeting with the surgeon we discussed what he would do and he told me that it would be liposuction on the left breast to bring down the size and even me out. A little surgery on the right side to tighten everything up after the radiation.

It sounded like no big deal.

Well it turns out it is a big deal.

Not the little surgery part, but the liposuction part.

Who knew?

I remember after the initial surgery I had to wear a compression bra 24/7 for about 6 weeks. It was miserable. I didn’t know I would have to do that after liposuction. At least for 1 week, maybe a little longer, which does not make me happy.

The part they don’t tell you, is that after the lipo your body retains fluid and where you had the lipo it gets bigger because you are retaining water. (and my face blew up too. Dr. Google said that is normal because… retaining water.) So the bra they put me in is so uncomfortable, because it fit the size I was on the operating table, but not for the day after. Even 10mg of melatonin only had me sleeping for 3 hours and yes I have been awake since 3am. Ok, that is a normal post menopausal wake up time for me anyway, but with melatonin I generally can get back to sleep for a few hours, but not today.

Nope. Got out of bed at 4am. Changed the dressing. Oh they forgot to tell you that you leak. And that the leakage gets worse days 3-5, so much to look forward to over the next week. (So glad I took 2 weeks off work). Probably why the doctor doesn’t want to see me for a week, too. Stuff should slowly be calming down by that appointment.

Now Dr. Google also said I would have to wear a compression bra for several more weeks, but only during the day, so at least I may be able to sleep at night. (fingers crossed that the doctor lets me do this). Dr Google also says it could be 3-6 months before my body actually conforms to how it is going to look for the future as well.

Yet, I will have to buy a stupid bra for that wedding.

Hopefully, I will be more even so I don’t look ridiculous.

And no I am not really complaining. Well, I am complaining a little bit. I suppose I could have done research about lipo before the surgery, but I did not think of it as a big deal. Yet apparently it really is. The powers that be in this world really need to discuss lipo as the surgery that it is. It really is not like removing an ingrown toenail.

Now I did get some good drugs to go to sleep. To the point where the doctor insisted he talked to me after the surgery and I don’t remember a darn thing. That is like what happened with the hysterectomy. They gave me drugs, not even the main knockout drugs, but just the first level knock out drugs, and then the 2nd surgeon (I was such a mess it took 2 surgeons to do the hysterectomy laparoscopy) showed up and we had an entire conversation and I don’t remember a word, or meeting her.

Of course, it can all be a fabrication on their part, I have no way to prove that they were or weren’t there. I just have to take their word for everything 😉

Meanwhile, just so everyone knows, the idiot billing department from the hospital where I had the initial breast reconstruction surgery still has not handled the billing appeal properly and has not been paid by the insurance company. The husband wrote out a timeline, created a chart for all surgeries payments and cancer treatment, and even attached EOBs for everything. Last I heard when I called the billing department, they had asked for an extension to review what he had sent them.

Not sure why it takes so long to review papers showing what they should have done in the first place, but from my understanding this is now par for the course for this hospital. The doctor told me I am not the only one going through this, and a friend whose husband was in that hospital is still having issues with the billing department. (Other departments though associated with that hospital is just fine and does their job well.)

My question, is, if so many people are having problems with that billing department why doesn’t the corporate honchos do something about it. Isn’t someone paying attention? They are a huge conglomerate, but I am sure they want to get paid.

Meanwhile, when I spoke to the billing department about that last year surgery, and whatthefuckwere they doing at this point, I asked if our conversation was recorded. She said “yes,” and I said “good.” I then laid into the department- not her, she is only customer service not the billers. And I let them know that not only was I disgusted that if they had billed it improperly in the first place, it would have been paid right away since all the doctors had been paid within 3 days, but that they have kept my downpayment, which I should have gotten back once the bill was paid by insurance (believe me when I say, I hit my out of pocket limit for the year). I considered them withholding my money terribly bad faith. In fact, I said their billing department was so negligent that I chose to have this follow up surgery in another facility.

Even though the other facility is attached to the same corporation, I am expecting it to bill properly. I didn’t get a call from them saying they were confused about the billing, like with the biller from the hospital last year. Not sure why the biller being confused was my problem. She then told me that she ended up speaking with the surgeons office and she helped. WTF? (Beyond unprofessional. I am sure she did that to try to put the onus on me if they got the billing wrong.) The new surgery center, though, knew what they were doing and gave me my copay amount right away. They didn’t bother to tell me they were confused about anything. When you are competent you do your job and you do it well.

Needlesstosay, in the message I made sure to let the billing department from the hospital know too, is that this is causing all kinds of anxiety and stress and I am a cancer survivor and I don’t need this. I shouldn’t let it bother me. But the bill is $70,000 and there is no way that it should not be paid if they had done their job in the first place. And the doctors all complain about health insurance and how abysmal they are. But why is this now my problem? I can’t appeal only the hospital can. They are the ones who are leveling the bill.

And no the answer is not medicare for all.

The answer is fixing the health insurance business, how hospitals bill and for how much and not making this the patients problem if the billers aren’t competent.

Oh and speaking of incompetent…I had a test about my radiation treatment that the insurance company initially denied. I gave the lab the permission to appeal. Signed over my rights to them then never heard from the insurance company nor the lab. I did get a bill. I called the lab and told them not only was I not going to pay but they didn’t even appeal. They called back and said the case had been put in the wrong queue and she sent it over to their appeal department and stopped the billing. The problem? They missed the appeal deadline. NOT MY FAULT. I haven’t heard from them yet. But am just waiting to see what bullshit they come up with to try to stick me with the bill. (And yes, I do think the worst of these companies. This is definitely an act of negligence on their part. But nobody takes responsibility for anything anymore, so let’s see what happens. Good thing the hubby is a practicing lawyer and my law degree may come in handy for something after all.)

Meanwhile, I am going to hang out and stay quiet. Try to get some sleep. And oh yeah, I am going to have a glass of wine tonight. I couldn’t have any for 3 days before surgery and the day of, but for tonight I bought a nice bottle of rose sancerre to celebrate. Ok, maybe I will have more than 1 glass. I am gonna be bad….just don’t tell my oncologist. He constantly harps on the fact that alcohol is a poison and apparently we are not allowed to have any fun anymore. (The hubby’s primary just gave him a huge lecture about the evils of alcohol, too. Sometimes doctors really do suck all the joy out of life.)

May God Bless the US Armed Forces and the IDF.

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