DebbieG

Hi I am still trouble free, I have had no complications. Now, though, I have hit a plateau; I have lost a total of 64 pounds, it has been a year since the surgery. I am down to losing about 2 pounds per month. I have not decided yet if I want to try adding another cc to the band. Or just up my exercise level. Did you ever get approved?

Hello - this is my first post ever; and it is going to be a long one! I have been overweight since I hit puberty and now I am menopausal! I was active duty Navy myself and then got married to a sailor. I have 3 grown children and now two grandchildren. I was a stay-at-home Mom until we "retired" and I got a job. Then he got a midlife crisis and now I am living alone. However, I retained all my military base rights because we had been married so very long - over 25 years. I was diagnosed as becoming diabetic and put on the counting calories diet...again. I lost 30 pounds in 2005...by the end of 2006 I had gained it all back and more... and more again in 2007. I live near Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and I use it as my only medical source. At Easter in 2007 I had to go to a 5X size...so at my appoinment with my provider in early May I said - what NOW!!!!! I lose, I gain, I lose, I gain - I can't take anymore!!!! He said - I will send you to see the bariatric surgeon. In less than two weeks I was scheduled to attend a "lecture" with several other prospective surgery candidates and we were told to: 1. Get a bunch of blood tests taken 2. Make an appointment with the Mental Health clinic 3. Attend a Group Session 4. See a nutritionist 5. See the surgeon. Since my son is in the Army and was home visiting the last weekend of May that year, I missed the group session in May, they are only on the last Thursday of the month. I got all my other appointments done and attended the group session at the end of June. (my son is currently on his 3rd deployment to Iraq) They had a cancellation and I was able to see the surgeon, Major Dock, the very next Monday! After talking with him; I agreed, he agreed and he looked in his book.....there was a cancellation and would I want to have the surgery on July 10th - the very next week!!!!!! I weighed 280 pounds and am 5 foot 8 inches tall....not taking meds for diabetes; but considered to have it; have a family history of cholesterol and heart disease. I went home the day after the surgery - slight swelling, minor pain and stayed home from work for the first 2 weeks...but after 2 days I was working 1/2 to full days from home on the computer. Because of the diabetes, my levels were up and down that first week due to only eating the Clear liquids...I had absolutely no other problems, so he let me begin mushies after the first week. I was able to begin solid foods before the end of the 6 weeks. He put in 2 ccs - no problems He put in 2 more ccs and I "had restriction" meaning I was not able to keep down ground meat and even threw up some milk! So he took out 1 cc. Therefore I have a total of 3 ccs in my band. During Christmas and my busy time at work I ate what you may consider "inappropriate foods" so my weight loss slowed from more than 2 pounds a week to one pound a week. To date I have lost 56 pounds. The only cost I got from the base was fourteen dollars and some cents for the "food" from the hospital stay overnight...OK, I had two glasses of Crystal Light....hello!!!!! I think the problems you are having is because apparently you are not actually using a base, but just the coverage as normal "medical insurance." I am fortunate that I can use the base and do not have to deal with providers being in-network, co-pays or deductibles or any of those things!!! I had a very easy time with the surgery and no problems whatsoever. I would highly recommend it to anyone as an option - a much better option than the other surgeries; gastric bypass is not the only other option...but they seem so drastic and I've known people who have had no real problems, and people with horrible problems!!! Good luck to you!