MystrysA

Greetings All~ I am turning 42 this year and have decided I want to have a VS done. I have made a ton of amazing changes in the last 3 years of my life. I was medically dependent for 4 1/2 years on Fentanyl Patches for pain and spent a relatively short period of time coming off this highly addictive medication. All in all, from the last day of my last patch to the last day of my last Suboxone pill(medication used to detox from opiates), it only took me an amazing 106 days!!! This is after cancer, living with the pain of severe fibromyalgia, a leaking valve in my heart and OA in my feet, ankles, knees back and shoulders. If you also factor in 4 herniated discs in my spine and and constant injections in my knees, I would have to give myself a HUGE pat on the back for my intestinal fortitude and perseverance. So...given the fact i can and have been strong enough to battle something like this,you can imagine my frustration at still being 5'7" and 309 pounds!!!! I have been overweight my whole life. I just cannot understand the inability to beat this weight problem. I cannot move as much as I'd like to due to the pain but I do bellydance 2-3 x a week. I park so I have to walk, I take the stairs, etc. I do not eat ANY fast food, junk food or a lot of sweets. We do not eat many packaged or highly processed foods either. I eat a balanced, organic diet...just too much of it!! My problem is I LOVE TO COOK...and therefore i love to eat. I will overeat when it comes to savory meals. I'm all about it. I've spent the 6 months with my PCP documenting weight loss attempts, attended the bariatric surgery seminar, gotten the PCP letter, my Psych eval, and am ready to schedule with the surgeon. Here is my biggest question/concern: Through all my research in the last year, I have come across info that states that people who undergo any bariatric surgery will have a significant reduction in the co-morbidities that I have( hypertension, insulin dependent Type 2 Diabetes, high triglycerides, and Obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, and OA) BUT...these studies state that even IF an equal amount of weight is lost by someone on their own and NOT with a bariatric surgery, the results are not as significant in these issues. Can anyone here tell me why that is? I get the common sense issues like losing weight, PERIOD, can help reduce blood pressure, pressure on joints and even lower your glucose levels, but these studies seem to indicate something quite different happens when you have a bariatric surgery. I am curious if anyone here knows the mechanism or even has an idea why it works this way? Why is it more effective in getting rid of these things than anything else? I have tried so many diets and plans I have lost count. I cannot stand this constant stress about what will go wrong next with my aging and obviously rebelling body. I need to get this weight off and I'm torn because I have Medicare/Medicaid as my only insurance and we all know what that means. At this point, NO VS FOR ME!! ( unless I can come up with the $ on my own...won't happen) This all came as a lovely surprise while reading this forum but also was solidified by the surgeon at the bariatric seminar I attended. I am terrified to have the ReY or the DS. I can't imagine never being able to eat a balanced diet again. The minuscule amounts of veggies and greens people can eat does not seem healthy. Not to mention the inability to eat them as they are meant to be...RAW! I am SOOOOOO scared of this. It just seems so out of balance with nature yet I am desperate because I, myself, have not been able to eat these things in the moderation that is necessary.....leaving me to find moire extreme measures to deal with my addiction to food. If I could just eat less and move more....but I can't at this point. I need help. To make the matter worse, I already have severe B12 and Vitamin D deficiencies that require constant monitoring and meds. The idea of having to worry even more because of malabsorption issues..... I am at a loss. I have no idea what to do. I feel completely overwhelmed. Thanks for listening, ~K~

My husband wants me to ask if anyone knows how things work AFTER a surgeon in Mexico performs a VS. If I happen to have some type of complication either on the flight home or after I'm back home will my Medicare/Medicaid cover me for treatment related to an out of the country surgery? Sorry, seems a silly question to me but he seems very VERY reluctant to go along with an out of the country surgeon. I hope someone has some info on this subject. Thanks ~K~

Thank you Kelly I DO appreciate your advice and your story is helpful. I have felt from the beginning of this process VS is the right choice considering my current health issues. It just feels hopeless at this point knowing I cannot afford to self pay and that my insurance will most assuredly deny this particular procedure. I cannot understand why these providers would willingly add risk to patients by forcing unnecessary and additional surgery. The VS is essentially the first of a 2 part DS..so...I don't get why they won't cover it. It's already an extreme choice for people like us and for them to make it even riskier is downright criminal. I am not ready to give up and yes, I have already begun the changes in my eating/drinking to prepare myself because honestly....my thoughts were yours exactly! What's the worst that can happen? LOL. I have already completed the 6 months required for Medicare and they have the paperwork. I have everything in order now but I have not attended a support group meeting yet. Next Wednesday will be the next one and I will be there. I just DO NOT want to cave in and agree to something I don't feel right about out of desperation. Everything in me SCREAMS ... DO NOT have a RNY or DS!! Considering I moved to one of the "Fatest" states in the country ,Tennessee, one would think the folks in this area might understand how imperative it is we have safe choices available to us. I will not give up...just feeling a bit disheartened by it all. Thank you again for your kind words and inspirational motivation. Who knows...tomorrow is another day and the $$ could come out of nowhere ...a girl can dream ~K~