MeMeMEEE

Well, shoot!! I'm sorry! We were given all of our guidelines at the very beginning but the first step (full liquids for me) we couldn't advance off of until we saw the surgeon so I understand that. It was probably my 2nd nutritionist visit after surgery where she told me I was placing too many rules on myself and I was really struggling. Hate to wish away the weekend for you but I hope it goes by quick!!

I am glad your surgeons office sent you the new diet to start next week! I will say, if you think something should be on the list that isn't - ASK! I was told by my nutritionist I was putting too many rules on myself - all I was doing is following what I was given! I mentioned a few things I tried that weren't on the list that I thought should be and she was fine with them all!! So my list at least is not all inclusive!!

Just checking in, no weight loss, actually on the upswing, gaining what I had lost in the hospital, but feeling so much better, more energy, even with the feeding tube and drain in. Looks like I will get to cheat through Christmas and my 40th birthday too - I don't go back to the Dr until after the first of the year so NPO which means no holiday calories

I was also vitamin D deficient and asked if that would affect my surgery date and was told no.

My shoulder pain got to a 10 - that's where I was when they finally discovered the leak. I had went to my regular Dr 3 times in a week for it and he made me an appointment with my surgeon to check for acid reflux. In the meantime I saw a hematologist for an odd Iron panel result (high ferritin, low saturation and low something else). He did a CT scan and saw the abscess. I was scheduled for surgery 2 days later (exploratory) on the day I was suppose to have the acid reflux appointment. I woke up with full blown pneumonia the day before surgery. I was told at some point I was septic when I came in. They still waited another day to do surgery which is when they put the drain and feeding tube in. I don't know why they don't sew it up right away but I have spoke with others who have had leaks and this seems to only be done when the drain has made the leak "pucker." I don't believe I was oversewn, no mention has ever been made of that. After being out of the hospital from the drain/feeding tube surgery for a week I started having trouble breathing and my daughter insisted she take me to the hospital. I had Fluid around my lungs (infected) and was in for 3 weeks that time, leak officially seen during this visit. I keep hearing how bad off I was from Dr's and family. I don't remember the first several days of that stay. Very scary. I just knew I would sail through the sleeve and have no problems - boy, was I wrong! I know I am a very small percent and I am hoping in life this is the only bad turn I have.

I think leak risk is like 1%. I think you can make a leak by overeating or eating the wrong thing but also it can just happen - my Dr suspects mine was there from day one and when swelling went down it opened up. My Dr told me today he had another patient who had a leak at 3 months but was a smoker - he said all bets are off with smokers, much higher risk of everything. (I don't smoke)

I'm 4 months as well and noticed it bad about 3 weeks ago. It seems to have slowed some as of yesterday or maybe I am just hopeful. I am on a feeding tube right now so I can't do the biotin. I agree it must come from the early months because right now I am getting everything I need from the tube feedings but before this I couldn't get my protein and some vitamins made me sick. I did decide to cut my hair shorter and may get some layers in it too.

If you don't feel right stay on it!! I had left side pain and left shoulder pain intermittently from the beginning - at about 9 weeks out I was diagnosed with a leak, then immediately went to pneumonia and was septic before the surgery to put in a drain 2 days later. A week after being released I had trouble breathing and back to the hospital - fluid on my lungs. All caused from the leak. I went 9 weeks having my Dr's say it was acid reflux, not able to eat or drink as much as they said I should be able to. I had CBC's, chest xray, sinus xray, my 1 month labs, more labs at 6 weeks - it was the 6 week lab that finally got their attention - my ferritin was high, saturation and something else low so they sent me to a hematologist who ordered a chest CT which happened to catch an abscess in my abdomen. I didn't ever feel well, but felt better at 2 weeks than at 1 month and it just went down hill. I wish I would have pressed my Dr's harder so it didn't go this far. I am now on a feeding tube until it heals. So long story short, listen to your body!! I never had a fever, my cbc's were fine until the pneumonia hit.

I think that is a common feeling - I know I felt the same! Hang in there!

Oh my gosh! How long have you been dealing with the leak? My feeding tube is up to 85-100 ml an hour which I am able to do 5-6 cans a day which gets me the calories I need - Osmolite 1.0. I have to bolus Water 20-30 ounces a day also. I am afraid my leak will heal slow too since I have been so sick with the pneumonia and Fluid on my lungs. Apparently I was septic when I went in with the pneumonia also but very early in it. One of these days I am going to get copies of my admit and discharge reports so I can know what was going on. Seems like you have to pull teeth while in the hospital to find out what the DX is. My sister in law heard the septic thing so I asked and they said yes. When I had fluid around my lungs I thought it was my pneumonia until someone said pleural effusion. I have had a picc line 2 times in the hospital but they take it out when I leave - seriously wish they would leave it in because I can't deal with IVs. To the point of crying.

Hmmm wouldn't have thought of the pre-x. Are you on your own insurance now? It's been my personal experience that if you have no lapse in coverage they don't consider pre-x - say you have Aetna now and change to BCBSIL when you get married - no lapse. As for it being from your PCP - that is what I was told but I have heard of others being approved with visits to nutritionists and one lady who had BCBSTX who got them to accept 6 months of weight watchers. Do you know what plan your fiance has? Like PPO or ***? If you do, the website has a provider finder and you can see if your current Dr is with them. Hope that helps! Interesting on the 7th visit... I will say I hated the 6 months but it really did go by quick. My program has all sorts of classes I had to take and nutritionist visits which helped me prepare for after surgery.

I was in this time for 19 days. How are you doing since surgery?

Just read the article cited - I am confused because it talks about pre-op weight loss - they don't require weight loss now, only that you go through 6 months of a weight reduction program. No mention of actually losing while doing the program...

Hi! I am actually employed by HCSC in IL. Here is a link to pending medical policies and I don't see anything there at this point. Second link is to the current medical policy for bariatric. Keep in mind, some companies have their own medical policy so it is possible that your company might have different guidelines. I don't work with giving coverage info so I don't see medical policies often - I didn't know about the change in March till a few weeks before - but a girl from work who does work with coverage info is the one who told me about it. My advice is this - follow the guidelines you are given when you call - and it can't hurt to keep checking back! You say you are getting it in February so make appointments for December, January and February - if the 6 months still stands you will be half way there! 6 months really equals 5 months from first to last visit. And it goes quick! Can you say where you have seen this info? I would be interested to read it!! http://medicalpolicy.hcsc.net/medicalpolicy/home?corpEntCd=IL1&cat=PENDING&TARGETMED=PENDING&ctype=DESCRIPTION&pageSize=20&select=PENDING#hlink http://medicalpolicy.hcsc.net/medicalpolicy/home?ctype=POLICY&cat=Surgery&path=/templatedata/medpolicies/POLICY/data/SURGERY/SUR716.003_2011-03-15#hlink

Yes Tiffany has been very helpful to me through this. I can say at this point it is hard to think it will be worth it - I was never sick before this, now I will have a higher risk of pneumonia and lung problems for the rest of my life - that is so not cool and that would be the biggest "what have I done to myself" as of now. If I did this with Weight Watchers I wouldn't have had these problems. It's hard to see the bright side right now. Maybe some day I can come back to this thread and say different.

No weight loss this week - they don't want me losing while my leak is healing so I guess I am where I need to be for them. I wanted to be 10 lbs lighter by month end but I would rather be healed and off the feeding tube so I'll tough it out.

I had left shoulder pain that was terrible, I also had the left side pain off and on. No temp for me at all until I ended up with pneumonia. I'm NPO and I've been on my feeding tube (J-tube, in my intestine) since November 7th so just over a month. I hope it heals in the next few weeks!! Can I put that on my Christmas list?!

How long did your leak take to heal? What did they do? There are so few people to ask their experience.

My NUT told me 300-500 isn't even enough to run your body systems, heart, brain, lungs. It is hard to eat more when you aren't hungry so I do understand. I had to add in nuts to snack on all day to bring mine up.

I had another surgery where they put in a drain and feeding tube. They don't sew up the leak or anything, just let it heal on it's own. Listen to your body - anything you feel is weird, call your doctor!! My shoulder hurt off and on since the surgery, started far enough out that I knew it wasn't gas pains - which I NEVER had. Finally pain got bad enough that I was taking pain pills. They kept telling me it was acid reflux side affect. Until I had a weird blood iron result and they sent me to a hematologist - who did a chest CT and saw and abscess in my abdomen. I have a list of things to go to the ER with - shoulder pain is not on it. Never knew it was related.

my dr doesn't use drains on sleeves, only on bypass.

This is/was my only reflux sign! It was constant! I will be 4 months out this week and I take prevacid once a day now and no coughing for a week. I started on protonix, changed to Nexium, back to protonix in the hospital then prevacid when discharged. I am sure hoping it goes away all together someday - no problems before surgery.

Checking in! I got out of the hospital Tuesday - yay! Hoping I stay out! Home with the feeding tube but hey, home none the less!! Down 5.8 lbs since last weigh in a few weeks ago. Glad to still be losing with everything that has been going on. I'm more than half way to goal since surgery and nearly 80 lbs lost total since March. Ready to feel better.

You look so much younger now! You are doing great!!

My only advice would be to shake it up, change the eating around, the exercise. Your body may just be used to the same old same old.