mmcclure

Not recently. My daughter and I had VSG by Dr. Macik almost 7 years ago. He was great! My daughter had a leak, which was VERY scary, but not only did Dr. Macik stay by her side almost continually, the staff at Emory was, in general, wonderfu.l (There was 1 intensive care nurse that was taking care of my daughter who I got very upset with. When Dr. Macik found out what happened, he immediately went to the nurses' station and she was never seen in my daughter's room again.) I ended up losing way too much weight (got down to 104 pounds!), but after some stern talking to by my PCP, I gradually gained 30 pounds and have stayed there, plus or minus 3 pounds, every since. I am 5'5" and 62 years old. I lost 140 pounds. I got to a size 0 (with all of the extra skin) and would wear a size 2 now if I didn't have the extra skin. My daughter ended up having her gallbladder removed by Dr. Macik about a year after the surgery, and everything went off without a hitch. That surgery was done at Northside Hospital. She went on to complete her undergraduate and graduate degrees, has a job she loves now, and is at a healthy weight. She lost over 200 pounds. Hope this helps.

Hi everyone, Some of you may remember me and some may not, but I thought it would be a good time for an update on myself and my daughter. I also have a question regarding VSG and diabetes. I had VSG in November of 2010. My highest weight was 251. My lowest weight was 104 (too low for my 5'5" frame) and now I am holding steady between 108 - 112 (has been this low for over a year now). My regular doctor still thinks I am too thin, but my labs have been great so he isn't nagging me too much. My biggest problem other than what I address below is that I have a hard time finding clothes that are small enough (yeah, I know - stop complaining). My daughter had surgery the same day as I. Unfortunately, she developed a leak and was in the hospital for quite a long time. She has since lost over 200 pounds and feels terrific. She has new-found confidence (she is 23) and is much happier than she used to be. She has always been beautiful, but now the way she feels about herself makes her even more so. Now for my question. I went to my PCP on Friday and he is concerned because he said that my blood sugar could be going too low. I "had" type II diabetes but haven't been on any medication since the surgery. So, I got a new meter and have been checking my blood sugar levels. They have been about as perfect as they can get, with the exception of me gorging on a lot of candy last night (I'd like to say it was an experiment, but I love candy and eat too much of it, too often). About 1/2 hour to 1 hour after eating a lot of sugary candy, my blood glucose level was 179. Within another half hour, it came back down to 103. So technically, if I had waited until the 2-hour mark after eating, my glucose level would have been fine. I don't like the 179 though. I have been craving candy, especially in the evening. It is almost as if I am a junkie and have to have my fix. But, once I start eating it, I can't seem to stop until I brush my teeth before bed! I've always had a sweet tooth, but never this bad. My husband tells everyone that I have a "tootsie roll pop problem." Also, if I don't eat candy, I start losing weight again. (Yes, I've tried Protein or good carb Snacks.) Anyone with any insight on this issue? One theory I have thought about is either that my blood sugar is going low so I crave sweets to bring it back up or that my body goes after sweets because I am so thin and it is trying to get me to not lose anymore. Or, something I don't like to think about - I am tempting my diabetes to come back and need to kick the sugar habit asap! Oh, and one thing I neglected to say - my current weight also includes my extra skin, which my PCP figures is somewhere in the 10-12 pound range. So, I'm actually a lot thinner than the scales say. Thanks. Marilee Quote MultiQuote Edit Report

Oops, I posted this in the wrong forum. Apologies. Marilee

Hi everyone, Some of you may remember me and some may not, but I thought it would be a good time for an update on myself and my daughter. I also have a question regarding VSG and diabetes. I had VSG in November of 2010. My highest weight was 251. My lowest weight was 104 (too low for my 5'5" frame) and now I am holding steady between 108 - 112 (has been this low for over a year now). My regular doctor still thinks I am too thin, but my labs have been great so he isn't nagging me too much. My biggest problem other than what I address below is that I have a hard time finding clothes that are small enough (yeah, I know - stop complaining). My daughter had surgery the same day as I. Unfortunately, she developed a leak and was in the hospital for quite a long time. She has since lost over 200 pounds and feels terrific. She has new-found confidence (she is 23) and is much happier than she used to be. She has always been beautiful, but now the way she feels about herself makes her even more so. Now for my question. I went to my PCP on Friday and he is concerned because he said that my blood sugar could be going too low. I "had" type II diabetes but haven't been on any medication since the surgery. So, I got a new meter and have been checking my blood sugar levels. They have been about as perfect as they can get, with the exception of me gorging on a lot of candy last night (I'd like to say it was an experiment, but I love candy and eat too much of it, too often). About 1/2 hour to 1 hour after eating a lot of sugary candy, my blood glucose level was 179. Within another half hour, it came back down to 103. So technically, if I had waited until the 2-hour mark after eating, my glucose level would have been fine. I don't like the 179 though. I have been craving candy, especially in the evening. It is almost as if I am a junkie and have to have my fix. But, once I start eating it, I can't seem to stop until I brush my teeth before bed! I've always had a sweet tooth, but never this bad. My husband tells everyone that I have a "tootsie roll pop problem." Also, if I don't eat candy, I start losing weight again. (Yes, I've tried Protein or good carb Snacks.) Anyone with any insight on this issue? One theory I have thought about is either that my blood sugar is going low so I crave sweets to bring it back up or that my body goes after sweets because I am so thin and it is trying to get me to not lose anymore. Or, something I don't like to think about - I am tempting my diabetes to come back and need to kick the sugar habit asap! Oh, and one thing I neglected to say - my current weight also includes my extra skin, which my PCP figures is somewhere in the 10-12 pound range. So, I'm actually a lot thinner than the scales say. Thanks. Marilee

It's amazing how every doctor seems to be different. I thought I had to give up caffeine 2 weeks before surgery, but after 2 days of no coffee, I called and they told me that it is okay for me to have it. It does seem smart to stop before surgery though, if only to prevent the headaches. Now if I could just stop the people where I work from either coming in sick or bringing their sick kids to work with them, I would be a very happy camper. I will be unbelievably angry if I have to postpone my surgery because I get sick, especially since I don't know if they could fit me in by the end of the year and I am not picking this insurance up again for next year. Why do people go to work when they are sick or take their kids with them? I'm talking about professors and or department chairs who have tons and tons of sick time accumulated! Surgery in 8 days! Marilee

My daughter and I are having VSG on November 12th. I originally told my boss that I would be back on November 29th, which would give me 2 weeks to recuperate. Now I'm wondering if I was being a bit hasty. I am 55 years old, have diabetes, high blood pressure and MS. The diabetes and MS already make me tired and I've been getting the idea from people that this surgery takes a lot of your energy out of you. Do you think I should plan on taking some extra time off to get on my feet? I have the time (and short-term disability), so that isn't a problem. But, I am sure my boss would be happier if I came back to work. Oh, and BTW, I have an office position - sit at a desk all day - but it is a long way to the bathroom (I keep hearing about liquids in, liquids out)! Thanks! Marilee

I know that this topic has been around - how many times I'm not sure, but I'll bet it is plenty - but maybe this is a question that no one has asked before and it has been on my mind for several days. My daughter and I are having VSG surgery on November 12th. We had to do a 3 month low carb diet for insurance purposes and now we are supposed to be on a two-week high-Protein diet consisting of meats, green veggies, eggs and cheese ONLY, staying under 20 grams of carbs per day. We started a day early (THAT was a mistake! LOL) but have been religiously following it since with the exception of having a Protein shake (Premier Protein with 30 grams of protein) for lunch instead of one of the listed solid foods. Tomorrow will be one week. My question is - what would it harm if, after the pre-op visit (which takes place 3 days before surgery), we went out and had a nice dinner and possibly dessert? I am soooo hungry for fajita nachos, I can't stand it, and that is something that I might never be able to eat again simply because of the bulk of the chips, lettuce, peppers, onions, cheese and chicken. I know that, if someone goes to Mexico to have surgery, the surgeon makes them follow a two-week liquid Protein diet and then they get to have whatever they want to eat the night before surgery. So, what would it hurt to have one meal a couple of days before the surgery? Our livers can't possibly get slippery or large again that quickly, can they? Please don't slam me with the, "you aren't taking this surgery seriously enough...you aren't ready if you can't follow the diet..." and so on. Believe me, we are definitely ready for the surgery. My daughter has lost 34 pounds in a little over 3 months and I have lost 18 (she weighs more than I do and is a lot younger). It is just that fajita nachos are my most favorite thing to eat (with the exception of pizza), and I can't understand how two days before surgery could impact the liver all the much. I'd ask my doctor but I kind of don't want him to tell me no and then be suspicious the day of surgery that we may have cheated. Does anyone know if the liver can change that quickly? Did anyone cheat just a couple of days before surgery with any consequences? Thanks. Marilee

I am kind of going through the same thing. I found out my surgery is on November 12th and my pre-op visit with the surgeon is November 9th. I will have to be on a no/very low (less than 20 grams) carb diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery. Well, this past week and weekend, I kind of went nuts, mostly with Mexican fajita nachos and some Chinese food. I had been on a three-month diet and lost 12 pounds. Once that was officially over, I relaxed a bit and had already put on 5 pounds before the weekend. Then, much to my horror, when I got on the scales this morning, I found that I had gained 14 pounds since my last doctor's visit!!! (Note - this is a 9 pound gain within 4 days!) He is very very strict about not gaining any weight before surgery and will even postpone it if you do. I am praying that the low carb diet will take this weight off of me in time. Another thing I am stressing about is the fact that my primary physician just changed my blood pressure meds, taking away the diuretic. That means that I am about to puff up like a frog, on top of the weight gain I have already had. If I gain weight from that, I don't think it should be held against me, but I don't know what will happen. I can't believe that my surgery will be in 20 days! (Well, if I can get this stupid weight off again, that is.) Worse part of it is - there is a pizza shop across from where I work that keeps calling my name. I know that, once I have the surgery, I will be fine. It's just that there are a couple of things that I feel like I am really going to grieve over if I don't get it out of my system beforehand. I feel like a little kid in a candy shop who is being pulled out by the arm screaming! :pizza: :hurt:

I am going to have VSG in November. I already take the maximum dosage (30 mg) of Prevacid, once a day and have for years. I keep hearing that many (if not most) people who have VSG need to take a PPI after surgery to not only help with the GERD but with hunger, at least for awhile. I also read from someone that, if you are already on a PPI, you may need to have your dosage adjusted after surgery. Does anyone have any suggestions about what I should do after surgery if I am experiencing any of the typical GERD and hunger symptoms and am already at the max for Prevacid? I know that this is something I will probably need to address with my surgeon, but I'd like to be prepared just in case he doesn't think I need anything and I do... Thanks!

My daughter has been very overweight much of her entire life. She has seen the same PCP for the past 3 or so years pretty regularly so should have a record of her weight... BUT, his scales only go to 300 pounds so they have been unable to weigh her. What happens in a case like this? She only went to the GYN/OB once during that time so, essentially, she doesn't have any weight records (I'm not even sure if their scales went any higher). Can the doctor state that her BMI had to be over 40+ due to the fact that their scale didn't go high enough? Will that be enough to fulfill the weight record requirement? Thanks!

While I don't have to be on a liquid diet right now, I am doing a liquid protein diet with my daughter to support her while she tries to lose weight (has to get back down to her initial consult weight of over a year ago). That is hard enough, but I work at a university and there is a sandwich shop on the bottom floor of the building I am in that cooks bacon in the morning and bakes bread and cookies all day. For some reason, the odors rise to the floor I am on and I am about to lose my mind with the smells coming into my office! Sigh...

Check out: Obesity Surgery. Although it looks like everyone with Aetna has to meet these exact guidelines, from the posts above, I'm not sure exactly how it is determined. Also, not every Aetna plan covers bariatric surgery. To find a good surgeon, you might want to look for a support group or two in your area and attend a few meetings. I'm sure you will find people willing to talk to you about the doctor they used. Good luck! Marilee

My daughter and I are going into our third month of the multidisciplinary program for insurance coverage but I don't know if Dr. Macik will do our surgery after we are done. When we started this whole journey, it was well over a year ago and my daughter had been dieting rigorously. She lost a pretty good amount of weight before our first visit. Well, between having our hopes up and down about being able to have surgery and it being over a year since she was first weighed, she has, of course, gained weight. So now Dr. Macik won't do surgery on her until she loses 30 pounds. The other thing is, our scales differ from his by 13 pounds. We even went out and bought brand-new scales and both of them differ from his. But he won't relent. I totally understand the reasons behind his rule of not gaining any weight before surgery (and even losing if possible), but I personally think he should cut her some slack as long as she loses some of the weight she lost and is exercising...