iggychic

I was a low BMI (35) with no risk factors, no comorbidities, no family history of comorbidities (but a family history of being overweight). I had significant complications and nearly died. I was away from my family in hospital for weeks and couldn't be in my son's life for a couple of months. The costs are staggering financially, but the real costs are what it did to us, to my son in particular. He needs me and I nearly left him for what was basically a cosmetic procedure For this I regret having had this surgery and always will. Yes by the way, I've lost weight, but in the weights and balances it doesn't pencil out. The risks were not worth the rewards FOR ME. If I were the king of the world this surgery would have a much more stringent process for approval than it does now. So I regret it for that reason, but I wanted the OP to understand that her social life isn't going to be negatively impacted by this surgery. There are changes, but not entirely negative ones and being as it sounds like we live a similar life style socially, I felt it was fair to share that with her

Wow...can you really say that and look yourself in the mirror? Come on, people can have this surgery and feel negative about it's place in the world. Especially a family member who's had to sit and watch this from the outside. That's just not fair.

It can also happen as a reaction to narcotics (pain killers). Mine tanks dangerously low when I take them. Dangerous for someone else, but for me it's not biggie. I have no adverse symptoms of low blood pressure, just scary low numbers that make the docs and nurses freak out It's kind of like being the clown in your own circus! Morphine...ya watch this!!!!

My job is community relations. I party for a living (WIthin reason LOL). I am also a social butterfly at heart and always have been...both when I was thin and when I was at my heaviest. I am four months out from my first surgery and three from my second. I eat out, attend and host parties, drink wine, even champagne (but only on occasion...the champs...I drink wine regularly). I attend two to three functions a week and eat out gad...five or more times. I have wine with meals and it is not painful...I just don't have as much as I used to. (my doc allows limited beverages with meals, as long as it is under 4 oz and not with every meal). Nothing you mentioned, aside from maybe the beer, will be off limits. I have no issues at a cocktail party. I just have what I can handle and don't graze all night. I enjoy a glass of wine or two without problem. I do not get drunk easier as many others do (though I don't drink hard liquor). You can continue to have the same kind of life you've lead, but you'll just drink and eat less. I am the FIRST to tell you that there are lots of reasons not to have this surgery. I regret it significantly, but not because I can't eat or be in social circumstances due to discomfort with eating or drinking. If that's all that is holding you back, don't worry about it It's no big deal.

I have serious regrets Daisy, but even so, I can tell you that at two or three months you will start feeling much better.

I agree. And when I first read this "story" it seemed a little sketchy & exaggerated. Then I saw that they just joined this site today... HMMMMM! I'm curious...what seems exaggerated?

Jowls....let's talk about those. Do they lessen after a while or are they there and there to stay baring a face lift???? I always said the fat kept the wrinkles away...turns out I was right LOL But I did also notice that I was getting a bit of a chicken chin when I lost...and yet that's firmed up and gone now.....tell me the jowls will do the same? I'm starting to look like I'm 40! (I'm nearly 50 so that's not the end of the world LOL But I liked looking 30).

And I forgot the standard....talk to your doctor...disclosure LOL Actually my doc said stop when I feel I want to and if I needed more to call for another script. My son was on PPO's and H2's from the time he was 3lbs. They are great, but often over prescribed so people take them and don't know that they have a much more serious issue, like ulcers, cancer, etc. Even as a baby we went through trial withdrawal periods to see how he could handle it. It's either that or you have regular scopes to make sure you aren't suffering from silent GERD or worse. BTW if you do take this for long periods of time you should also work with a gastroenterologist. GERD is a side effect of this surgery and you want to ensure you are stopping the disorder verses making it silent (which means you don't urp but your esophagus still is burnt by the acid...you just don't notice). This is not something to worry about until you are out six months or more on the drug and don't see an end in sight.

If you don't have heart burn and you're not taking it, you don't need it. If you are taking it, and you want to see if you still need it, quit taking it and after about 72 hours (it stays in your system for a bit) you will either see that you still don't have heartburn...and thus don't need it, or you will see that you need it because you get frequent and painful heartburn. When or if you do experiment to figure out if you don't need it anymore, be sure to have some H2 inhibitors around the house so that you have some instant relief if you need it. (an H2 inhibitor is the kind of thing that works instantly, verses saying that it will take a day or two to work). (Zantac is an H2 inhibitor).

Joseph....I know you are young, so take this as a kind old lady's concern? Don't stoop to someone's level. . Stand tall and be respected for taking the high road . You'll be the better man for it.

IF someone is scared out of having this surgery because they read this and weighed their risks, than they probably shouldn't have the surgery. Where's franke when ya need him. Maybe he can come back and share his opinion about scary outcomes

The reason that PPO's are recommended (OTC ones that is) for a shorter period of time is that they can mask more serious disorders that need doctor's care like GERD or certain types of cancers. PPO's block the production of the acids that are causing you difficulty. They are regularly prescribed for patients of WLS because our stomach's don't operate at 100% for a period of up to and sometimes longer than, four months. Taking a PPO is not dangerous given that you understand why you are taking it. In this case, you're doing it because of the surgery. My doc routinely advises them to be taken for the first three months after surgery. After that he suggests you test the waters and see if you still need them. At three months I quit and found I needed them for a bit longer so I took them another month. I don't use them any longer. Now if I get an occasional heartburn issue I take the faster acting H2 inhibitors that you can also find over the counter. These are not recommended if you are experiencing issues for more than two or three times a week. It sounds like you need to get back on a PPO for a bit longer. If you need them beyond 90 days you should probably discuss this with your local health care provider. You do need to watch for possible issues with GERD after this surgery, but early out, it's probably just a part of your healing process. You won't kill yourself by taking them over 14 days

You also have to be in a position that is required to be silent. She could post her sisters name all week long and not violate HIPPA as she isn't a caregiver or a person in a position to protect confidential information. My doctor can't tell you what I weigh. My pilot can all day long if he wants to.

And if this was the reaction one would get to their first impassioned post, passion rightly earned by the way, would you want to post again? I totally understand if she's scared to do so. The reactions were kind of cruel. While people say the story does not sound true, they show their lack of education in regards to this surgery. I had many of the same issues and many others here have as well. The complications due to lack of attention are just what I had, though not as bad. I lived the mini version so when I read this I totally can see where it makes sense. And believe me, while complications were discussed, no one told me the ugly reality of what that could be. NO ONE. When they say internal bleeding, they don't say you could lay there having seizures for hours without being able to communicate your pain. Nor do they say if you do have bleeding you now have to worry about hepatitis. No one mentioned holes in my lungs, or suction pipes attached to my chest. They gloss over "loss of your ability to eat ever again" pretty well in the paper work And then throw in a "but that's mostly a worry for the higher BMI folks" to put you at ease. No one wants to hear the dirty side of this surgery. But it is important to hear it in detail, verses to see a few lines on a sheet they throw at you just before you go in. An intelligent adult will read this and process this and add it to their risk assessment without taking offense and passing out insults. Others will do something else. Who do you want to be?

BCBS has literally thousands of policies that differ from each other, so I'm not sure you'd find much help from any one employee. They are one of the largest processors of self insured programs, which REALLY differ from company to company, state to state, etc. The only thing that would be an overall process is that they have to follow federal law and state law but that differs between states...It's sadly not an easy process.

No, actually quite the opposite Laura.

They said "In the month after her May surgery" but did not state which May, nor that it was last year, etc. Why on earth would people decide that was this May? Those would not be the "facts" it would actually be supposition, and an incorrect one at that.

That was too subtle

Given that I was unfortunate enough to go through much of what this person's sister has gone through I certainly feel they have a right to their opinion. Just because you disagree with it does not mean they shouldn't be given the same level of respect that someone who is gung ho for this surgery gets. I am no idiot. I researched my surgery and physician quite well and I am a strong advocate for my care, and yet, when you are the person dying you might be in a position where you just can't fight. You're too weak, drugged up, whatever, it's hard and for anyone to question a person's ability at that time that has never experienced that level of suffering...well that's not fair and should be apologized for. While this case is extreme, and thank god mine wasn't that bad, I also faced the future without being able to eat again due to the decay of my tissues and the difficulty in repairing them. It's a very real issue. If this is a troll it's a troll who has experienced something of this because they understand the process that the damage can take. I doubt it's a troll. Likely it's someone who's heart has been broken by what has happened to their family member who just wants to see no one else suffer like this. To be beat up for that is really kind of crappy. One post or one hundred...they deserve some respect. OP I'm so sorry about your sister's condition. I and many others here have been down that road, though not to the extent she has been. I'm sorry for your pain, and actually agree with you in many cases. This surgery is preformed far too often and we see more and more stories like this because of it. I think about a third of the people who have the surgery should. Write your local media and representatives. This story should be told. I'd love to see people like me NOT be able to have this surgery. Not because I'm an idiot or didn't research, but because it's not a good choice for many. There are other options that should be exhausted first.

There are suplimental insurance policies that you can buy when you have it done in Mexico but I don't know about that in the US. If it's possible I'd get one. My complications weren't terribly rare. There are several others here that spent months in and out of hospital. If you have anything of value to lose some insurance might be a good investment.

I didn't have the revision, but I was outpatient. Stupidest choice I've ever made in my life. About $520,000. They are removing more than half a major organ. Stay in a hospital. Even for the most healthy of us, things can and do go wrong.