hadouni

I hope to have surgery as early as possible in 2012. Good luck tomorrow! Keep us posted on how you do!

I was nervous too. I'd never been to any kind of therapy - closest thing was a few years in overeaters anonymous. It was an hour filling out a three page finish the sentence kind of thing and then a little over an hour with the Dr. where I told him "my story" and he confirmed that I have a "thing" with sugar and I needed to work it out. I sure wish he'd had some advice for working it out but I guess that would be another appointment! I don't have the results yet but on the spot I asked him if I was crazy and he said only as the rest of us so I figure it'll be ok!

Hi All- sorry, you're probably tired of hearing about my endoscopy but the Dr. told us that I had a small acid reflux lesion that he biopsied. Has anyone else had a small amount of acid reflux damage and been able to go with the sleeve anyway?

Thanks for your post. It's nice to hear from someone who had the surgery a little longer and you're still keeping the weight off. That's a pretty big concern of mine- that I'll loose and put it back on!

I have to wait until January because I need to use my health care reimbursement account option to manage the expense but when I told my surgeon I wanted to be his first surgery of the new year he thought for a moment and said that sounded about right for time and that was back in September. You could also ask to be on a back-up list if someone has to cancel. Just a thought. Good luck!!

Is this what they use to make a pouch in GBS too?

I had a really good experience (if you can call that a good experience in general!). I was super nervous- my blood pressure was totally wacko - in the 170s/60! but they took me back and had me take off my shirt and put on a gown for the top. Then they started an IV line. The waiting was the hardest part. It seemed like forever. They finally wheeled me back on the gurney into a big room. The Dr. was there and he asked me if I had any questions and explained what he'd do. He asked me about my history with GI issues. The nurses told me they were giving me something through the IV to help me relax and put a green thing in my mouth to keep it open . The next thing I knew I opened my eyes and I was back in the prep/recovery area and my mom was sitting there. If they gave me something to numb my throat I don't remember it and my throat felt like normal- nothing irritated or dry or numb. My mom told me the Dr. came and talked to her but I don't remember it at all. He said he saw some evidence of acid reflux and took one little biopsy but he said it went well and overall looked good. I did feel drunk/loopy and there's no way I could have driven safely. They did require that I had someone to drive me home. My mom could have stayed but I told here not so so she could run a few errands instead of sitting there the whole time. Thanks all!! One step closer. I have one more set of tests to turn in that I have in my possession now. After I turn in the tests I have and the endoscopy results and psych eval are back they should be able to go forward with formal approval! I'm looking to be my surgeon's first surgery of the 2012!!

Hi Liz, The information I've received is Blue Cross is covering the sleeve (yay!). I was directed over the phone to Coates (Modesto Memorial) *by* Anthem Blue Cross PPO and when I was in Coates' office and his staff tried to run my insurance information it came back that Coates wasn't an option for me/my insurance. Before I went to Coates I had called Anthem Blue Cross, identified myself with my member & group number and was even transferred to an "expert" in my group plan and gave them the tax ID number of the hospital I wanted to go to in Fresno AND the surgeon's name and was told I had to go to a Center of Excellence and the options for me were: Clovis Community Medical Center, St. Agnes in Fresno and Modesto Memorial Hospital (Coates' group). There is conflicting information on the Blue Cross website as well. When I log into Blue Cross through my employer homepage the information I'm directed to is for Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the info listed on-line is for the three Centers of Excellence above. However, when they tried to run my insurance info at Coates' office, it was denied and I finally got to someone who e-mailed me confirmation that the only place I can go to in Central CA is Fresno Heart Hospital (actually called Fresno Heart and Surgical Hospital). Insurance is CRAZY LAND... I'm convinced! I believe Blue Cross does cover Coates through some of it's groups/group plans... just not mine... I'm also very happy with the surgeon in Fresno and Fresno or Modesto are about the same distance for me.

I have a very young child too and am a single parent. My son is a huge part of why I'm considering this but he's also my greatest reservation in electing surgery. I was a little older when I had him and I want to be around for as long as I can be with him. Given my family history, I'm headed for a heart attack in my 60s if I don't do something about my weight. My son will be 17 when I hit 60 and I want more years than that for both of us.

They checked my weight, blood pressure, BMI (got a printout with a bunch of info). An assistant Dr. came in and asked a bunch of medical history questions and gave me another rundown of the procedures. Surgeon came in and asked me if I had any questions (I didn't really- asked if I'd have a drain after) and since I didn't have anything to ask he was out pretty quick after telling me he considers me a candidate for whichever surgery I'd prefer to do (band, sleeve or GB). He didn't do a physical exam on me even though they'd put me in a gown. I guess usually they feel around on the abdomen to see if it's firm or soft because an overly firm abdomen can make laproscopic surgery more difficult.

Hi Liz- I have Anthem Blue Cross PPO and Dr. Coates (in Modesto? Can there be many Coates who do WLS??) is not an option for me with my employer's Blue Cross plan. This journey has been super confusing for me because I'd found a surgeon in Fresno only to have a customer service rep with Anthem Blue Cross tell me that surgeon wasn't an option. They gave me a list of options in the Central CA area and Modesto Memorial was on the list so I went to Coates' seminar. After the seminar the office called me to see if I wanted to come in for an initial appointment and I went in only to find that my insurance wouldn't cover surgery with them! In the end (and after some very frustrating phone calls) I'm back with the original surgeon in Fresno and supposedly this group in Fresno is the only Central CA option for my employer's Anthem Blue Cross PPO plan. I also just read something someone posted about their new insurance making them wait they'd been covered with them for a year until that insurance would cover WLS at all. The insurance quagmire is soooo confusing... just be careful switching and if you can get some guarantees in writing... Good luck!!

I had my psych eval on Friday. I've never seen a therapist (thank the wasp side of my family who preferred "under the rug" rather than admit anyone might have had a problem) so I had no idea what to expect. It took almost 2.5 hours! It started with a three page of "finish the sentence" statement questions. That was sort-of interesting. I felt like I was back in high school taking some sort of guidance counselor test that would tell me what careers I might be inclined to. They gave me almost an hour for that. Then the man came in and we went into his office - he had a couch! That was my big question... would he or would he not have a couch. Then he asked me to tell him a little about me. Oye. I only got teary once (not where I expected too) and overall I'm not sure what I got out of it other than he confirmed that food (especially sugar) and I have a "thing" and I need to make my peace with it. I would have loved to receive some suggestions for how I might make my peace with food/sugar because I've been trying to figure it out for 31 years and not exactly succeeding. I was told that it would take about two weeks to get the final result of my psych consult- does that mean if they recommend me for surgery or not? I did ask if I was crazy and he said something to the tune of just like the rest of us (the psychiatrist had the sleeve a little over a year ago). Probably the most immediately useful thing I got out of it was him telling me that I'd likely be totally out for the endoscopy scheduled for a week from Thursday. I also pushed and got some out of pocket cost estimates that I need! Still hoping for early January and still hoping for sleeve! Thanks for listening!

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I'm going to attend a support group hosted by the surgical group in November so hopefully I'll learn something there too.

My insurance defines their own centers of excellence and the bizarre thing is there are different centers of excellence for different insurance plans within my provider (Anthem/Blue Cross). I received conflicting/incorrect information directly from my provider customer service about which places were centers of excellence for me too. I finally had someone e-mail me confirmation of the places I was allowed to go in my area. The surgeon's group can also run your insurance to see if you're covered to see them. Good luck!!

Tiffykins- Thank you for your post - all of you really, thank you. I'm in the same boat (almost) as GypsyMom and am almost certain I want to do the sleeve but there is a little voice in the back of my head chanting "sugar junkie" that just won't let me fully commit to the sleeve yet. Surgeon told me it was my choice he'd do GB, VS or Lap based on my health. I'm scheduled for an endoscopy on 10/27 and I suppose that could produce results that would push me in one direction or the other. I believe my insurance will cover any of the three so I'll be ok with VS or GB if I'm pushed medically in one direction or the other. Here's a question for the mom's: I'm a single mom with a 3yr old. How long will I need help from my mom on a daily basis? I won't be able to lift him for a while (week, two weeks?) but anything else I should worry about? Thanks!!

This is my feeling of catch 22! If I could mange it, I wouldn't need WLS - or at least I feel like I wouldn't. From years of OA I know that: 1) I should never go to the grocery store (or to a restaurant) hungry 2) free food (the junk that appears in a never-ending high fat, high sugar flow) is not "MY" food, and I should not eat it 3) I should not eat sugar in all its varied and tasty forms 4) I should eat planned meals and eat at the table, no snacking at the counter or while watching TV I live in a small town and the idea of airing my dirty laundry in such a small fishbowl- Dr./Patient confidentiality or no, is too hideous a thought for words!!

The only thing I have yet to compare is having hip surgery in 1999. I remember walking myself down to surgery and every door along the way was a temptation to run! It was a bit odd to realize every step got me closer to surgery that would leave me totally non-weight-bearing for 12 weeks. In the end, I knew I needed to do it and didn't run screaming out one of the many doors... I feel sort of similar about WLS in that I'm choosing to do this but I do believe this is the only way for me to get back down to a normal, healthy weight so I can be active and participate in my son's life as fully as I want. I try to keep my eye on the prize.

I don't have the support of my primary care physician... he doesn't "believe" in WLS and put me on welbutrin which was great for about 4 months. He begrudgingly agreed six months later that WLS might be the best option for me but when I asked for my most recent labs and a letter of support, all I got was the copy of the labs. Condescending beanpole jerk!! =) I have Anthem Blue Cross PPO and there is only one place anywhere near me, fortunately, it's the one I wanted to go to in the end. You might call the surgeon's office and ask their insurance billing person to run your insurance info. If they do that for you they can find out quickly if your insurance will work for their group. That's how I found out that the place I'd been sent to by my insurance wasn't covered by my insurance... I was sitting with their insurance billing person. It's frustrating to sit through a seminar, like a group and then find out you can't go there... just a thought! Headed to my psych eval tomorrow morning! THAT should be eye-opening!

Hello - We're in the same boat. I'm 40 with a 3yr old son. I've been dieting since I was 9 years old and can usually loose 10-15lbs, then plateau, loose the willpower to keep struggling without results and gain it all back plus some! I'm 100-120lbs overweight. I'm trying to decide between VS and GB. Surgeon said it's up to me. He mentioned they have more historical data about GB success rates and that it seems GB might be a little more effective long-term keeping the weight off but he stressed it was all about how committed the patient is. If I wasn't a sugar junkie, I would have no doubt that the sleeve is the procedure for me. However, I have a mouthful of sweet teeth and I'm worried that I won't be able to give up the sweets if something like dumping isn't keeping me honest. My mom and aunt have both had GB. I think my mom lost about 110lbs at her max but gained as much as 60lbs of it back before getting herself back on track. She's probably around 60lbs below her start weight today, but this is almost 20 years out. Her lowest weight was at a time of extreme stress/unhappiness too. My aunt has also gained some back from her lowest. I have my psych eval Friday and have an endoscopy scheduled for the end of the month. I hope to have surgery as early as possible in January. Oh- one thing that snagged me up along the way is my insurance only covers WLS at a very few select places in my area. You mentioned you found out your insurance covers surgery which I knew mine did as well, but it was a bit of a roller-coaster finding out exactly which Dr/Hospital I could go to for WLS. I went to a seminar at once place and then went back to my insurance with a questionnaire and my insurance told me I couldn't go to that place and gave me a list of three approved hospitals- one of which doesn't do bariatric surgery, another of which I was not a fan of the surgeon's. I went to a seminar at the third hospital and was seen by that group, only to find out my insurance doesn't cover that hospital/surgeon group! :/ A lengthy phone discussion with my insurance actually landed me back with the place that I wanted to go to but was originally told was not an option for me. I was happy to be back to the original place, but NOT happy to have lost a month of time and the cost of running around an hour in a different direction for nothing!

I've told a few close friends - one said go for it and the other said don't because she thinks WLS makes people unhealthy. I've told my mom and my cousin - mom's supportive (she's had GBS) and my cousin is disappointed I think (she's currently trying to get me to diet with her following a plan that would make me insane). I told my aunt and cousin (both have had GBS) but because they figured it out, not because I wanted to tell them. I haven't told anyone at work but am mulling over telling a work friend. I've talked to her quite a bit about my food issues - she's a beanpole - literally is probably 5'11" and might weight 120 soaking wet, wrapped in an equally wet towel. People are going to know something is up if one drops significant amounts of weight quickly so I figure I'll have to come to terms with it or make something up one of these days but for now denial is working just fine!

Right there with you!!! I'm terrified and as much as I WANT to NOT want to eat, I'm so afraid I'll never be free. My PCP had me take welbutrin for a while last year and I had about three months of feeling normal. For the first time I could actually take a step back from something my brain wanted and not eat it. Unfortunately, that only lasted about four months and then I started to feel really tired all the time and I became even less active... I'm off the welbutrin now but the anxiety is ramped up some.

Incredible and congratulations!

The group I'm with requires an endoscopy prior to surgery. I'm really nervous about it because I was a barfer in my late teens and early 20s and have a pretty strong gag reflex. I'm told they give you a strong sedative before they do it but I'm more afraid of this than I am of the surgery! I've had trouble with heartburn since I hit about 200lbs. I took prilosec in the late 90s for a short time and took something Rx for the last two months of my pregnancy in 2008. I manage now with pepcid AC (chewable) 4-5 days per week. I'd love to get rid of the heartburn but I want the fat gone more!

I had a similar comment from my primary care physician when I first told him I was considering bariatric surgery. I told him about my diet history (dieting since age 9), that my mom and her sister both had GBS and my entire family battles/battled obesity and he gave me the "eat less of fewer calorie foods and exercise more" speech and said I was likely obsessive compulsive and I walked out with a Rx for welbutrin. The welbutrin actually helped for 3 or 4 months but I went through a very stressful time at work and the food crazies won. One year and 16lbs or so more later and I'm back on track for bariatric surgery. I need to figure out if it's going to be sleeve or GBS. I prefer sleeve but I'm worried I won't loose as well as I would if I went with GBS. I'm really looking forward to the psych consult. The person who does the consults for the group I'm seeing has had sleeve himself so I'm really interested in his perspective as well as his thoughts on how crazy I am or am not... I so don't believe I'm obsessive compulsive!