EarthWormJenn

AH Madigan Army Medical what a wonderful place to get lost in bureaucracy lol. We were stationed at Ft. Lewis when all this started. They were the ones that denied my cervical cancer, after one of their doctors had performed a full radical hysterectomy . I’m glad you are feeling better about your situation. I know it’s an inconvenience, but I still feel you made the right move to get the ball rolling. My conditions stem from digestive troubles which ultimately led to weight gain that led to other disorders. And the rest is history. I personally feel like military doctors are programmed to discourage what they consider elective surgery. I got the same response for most of the doctors at Lewis that I just needed to exercise. They lacked to realize I was quickly declining in the ability to do so even though I struggled through and dieted and exercised as hard as I could and still do. I have actually had a physician from a military installation tell me he feels that spouse’s use the services of the Army medical to get surgeries they don’t need. And it is this mindset that has most likely discouraged many people who need specific treatments in order to obtain better health. My disease came with no warning signs or symptoms and it was by chance they discovered the fibrosis of my liver while I was having my gallbladder removed. With every part of my being I implore everyone to ask questions about your liver before or after surgery for your own sake. I wish you the best of luck and keep in touch on your progress J P.S. No charge on the Therapy session, it’s my job jkjkjkjk ( I’m a psychology student..lol)

I am currently finishing my Master’s in Psychology and I happen to have a focus on Addiction Counseling, I hope to easy your stresses by elaborating a bit about the metabolic relationship of nicotine within the blood. Once imbibed nicotine metabolizes to cotinine which is generally what is tested for in most lab tests. And I am sure you are aware the different tests of urine, blood, swab, and hair follicle. The body can detox from nicotine technically in 5 days with heavy fluid flush and I high intake of Vitamin C. However, what is left is the mental/emotional attachment. The same receptors in the brain that function towards the reward center are now totally confused and are also depleting. The brain is now off balance and throwing dopamine at various levels causing emotional responses such as aggression or sadness. And some have even experienced flu like symptoms. A heavy smoker or a person that has smoked for a longer period of time will have more reward receptors to nicotine and therefore take a bit longer to adjust. But there is a bright ray of sunshine heading your way. You’re at day 13, and that my lady is a fantastic goal…one I am currently trying to reach myself (I smoke too). You should start to notice soon your taste buds will become more sensitive, your breathing has increased greatly, and your sense of smell is getting more sensitive by the minute. The average withdrawal symptom a person receives lasts technically 4 to 5 minutes and no longer, however with that information just know the more recent the quitting withdraw attacks can occur back to back. During this time I would suggest chewing peppermint gum or spearmint .Peppermint reacts to the same receptors in the brain as nicotine and the same flushes of withdrawal that occur in the tongue are masked by the peppermint gum. Not to mention this gives something for your mouth to do, creating a new habit. As with any addiction the emotional attachment should be addressed and this would be the time to ask yourself why you are attracted to cigarettes? what do they provide? My self personally, they have always been there like an old friend. Through even stressful or happy event they were there. But they are also the ones that have brought a lot of stress to my life when I ran out..lol I can tell you, you are the only one that can set the goal to truly quit. Your surgeon or family can tell you, you must quit getting the surgery. But if you are not the one to say enough is enough, then you will be right back to smoking soon after surgery. I know you most likely know all the benefits and risks there is to this type of surgery and smoking. If you are a smoker, you have a 75% increased risk of blot clots, stroke, or cardiovascular troubles. This too is a life changing event and one that anyone who is a smoker and seeking bariatric surgery must come to grips with. You’re not alone, just reach out. If you feel like you are going to cheat, or the stress is getting too much hop on her and I will gladly help talk you down. Heck, you got a 13 day head start on me but I’ll be your quit buddy! I wish you all the best of luck and I know you have it in your to quit and have a successful surgery.

Maybe not so much, you could have given yourself a better chance for health. Let me elaborate. I am also military Tricare/ united health care now. I started trying to get approved originally for a gastric bypass in 2010 when I noticed that no matter what I did my weight would drastically fluctuate from 135-200 within a month. At the time I did not have as many health issues as I do now. I started the processes with Tricare for them to deny me, appeal, deny again and then switch health coverage and start all over. Long story short at the beginning of this year I was diagnosed with end stage liver disease, non-alcoholic cirrhosis stage 4. After all of the treatments, biopsy’s , and other mid-evil torture processes my transplant doctor tells me that if I would have had the bypass 2 years ago I wouldn’t be in the boat I’m in now. The gastric sleeve is my only option now due to my condition and I am currently waiting on a surgery date. Long story short, I started the processes with only having high blood pressure and due to the fast-food treatment of military medicine passing me back and forth between different PCP’s I now have hypothyroidism, diabetic, liver patient. They are still pressing the issue that I do not weight enough even though I have officially been passed over to a specialty care at KU Medical. I personally think you did the right move at being proactive at seeing to your health. If I had the capability I would have done the same thing. Try not to kick yourself in the shins for making a move for better health and not taking a NO for an answer. Personally, I salute you.

That makes no sense to me personally. I am pursuing the gastric sleeve in order to help with the functioning of half a liver. I would think that as long as the kidney is healthy. I would seek an outside source or ask to speak with the surgeon and hear directly from his lips. Or maybe call and ask another physician on their thoughts about the gastric sleeve and one kidney and how it would affect. I think with any procedure the weighing of help over harm should be the primary focus. Will the sleeve do more harm to your current health or will it improve the quality of life/health for you?

I can relate to your frustration and pain. I have been battling with my insurance company for a while now. I originally started for a bypass in 2010. Did all of the requirements to meet for the surgery and was denied the first time due to being underweight. Even though, I was applying for the surgery not for weight loss totally, but for other health issues. I did call my Dr.’s office back at the time and had them do an appeal which was eventually approved. However, since the approval the military has changed insurance companies from Tricare to United Health care and I am starting all over again. I am hoping that it will go a bit fast since my health has taken a very nasty turn. Try for an appeal process if the office does them first before you try another 6 months program. However, in the meantime make a point to record your meals, exercise , or any other requirements they need. Find out if they need other diagnostics as well such as a sleep study, EGD, etc…. Don’t give up, this is a bump in the road and you can get past this just stay determined. Best of luck!

Best of luck to you, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I haven't gotten my surgery yet so no advice, but I have had many other surgeries. Best thing is take deep breaths and relax. Happy Thoughts

Yay way to go, hope you have a speedy recovery!

For most of my life I have always had trouble with digestion. I struggled with diabetes since I was 14 yrs. old. In my 20’s my diet consisted of primarily coffee and nicotine and I wouldn’t eat dinners until late at night due to working 60 hour work weeks. When my husband was deployed in 2003/4 it was shortly after the birth of our second daughter that my health took a turn. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer that was not progressing but it was advised that I have a full radical hysterectomy to be safe. The surgery went fine and I recovered well and it was a few years before I started to notice that something wasn’t right. We had been transferred to WA state in 2006 I was 130lbs, healthy, exercised often. By 2007, I was almost 200lbs, constantly lethargic, couldn’t eat, and I noticed a large lump growing on my throat. Like a goof, I was worried it was throat cancer so I went to Madigan Army Medical and I let the military version of fast-food style medicine run rampant. First doc said it was lupus, 2nd doc said it was a reaction to my hysterectomy, and finally the third doc noticed my t4 was in the dirt and started treating me for hypothyroidism. After discovering this condition and doing a bit of research I tried many different forms of dieting, exercise programs, along with medications in order to attempt to lose the weight that was rapidly gaining yet unable to lose. At this point, with knowledge of the gastric bypass my mother had, I attempted to ask for assistance for approval for a gastric bypass. I was told, you’re not fat enough for that( I was 170lbs) and you just need diet and exercise (which I was doing). Later, in 2010 we were again PCS’d to Kansas. And my husband was yet again deployed for another year. My struggles got worse but I couldn’t give in because we had children to tend to, bills to pay, and a husband to support overseas. After a very bad series of infections and drastic shifts in weight ( going from 140 to 170 back to 140 then up to 200lbs within months of each) my husband demanded I go to the doctors. I had a team of different doctors in a few months’ time. I again started trying for the gastric bypass with the approval finally from my PCP. I chose an office for bariatric surgery that was closest to me and attended their seminar on the different procedures they offered. Filled out the paper work, did a psych eval, 6-months of medical assisted diet history, and finally had my paperwork submitted to the insurance 9 months later. The first attempt with Tricare at the time was denied. Again, I wasn’t “fat” enough. But we appealed due to other medical conditions such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, positional sleep apnea, and gallstones. It would take another 6 months. During this time I had an episode where I had to have emergency surgery to remove gallstones that were measured just shy the size of a quarter that had been blocking the bile duct to my liver. Originally , the surgery was supposed to be laparoscopic, but due to complications they opened me up to discover severe liver damage and sent me to KU Medical center (254 miles away)where they diagnosed me with End Stage Liver disease , stage 4 Non-alcoholic Cirrhosis. It was at this point that the hematologist said that if I had been approved the years before for a gastric bypass, most likely I would not have this much liver damage. He quickly referred me to their bariatric surgeon for a gastric sleeve due to the success rate of completely stopping Cirrhosis in Nash patients at the beginning of this year. So here I am, towards this surgery still in Pre-Op status. I go on 9/26 to finally meet with the surgeon to discuss I guess when we will do the surgery. I have already had my EDG, Blood work, etc. So here’s to hoping it is soon. At this point I would just like to get it over with. There is no way to avoid a transplant, but this surgery could at least prolong it for a good while and hopefully improve my health in the meantime. I am so worried that he will also say that I’m not “fat “ enough for the surgery due to my BMI being at 27% but I have been told regardless of my weight I need this in order to increase my chances of the cirrhosis not spreading. Crossing Fingers! And that is my story………

Thank you ladies. I honestly feel like the oddball because my symptoms don't match everyone's. Those I have chosen to tell about the surgery that I live around look at me as taking an easy way to lose weight. But they don't totally understand the reasons why I HAFT to have this surgery. I really appreciate your support. Thank you

As mentioned earlier in a post I was diagnosed with End Stage (4) liver disease after a gallbladder removal surgery. The primary cause was (NASH) aka non-alcoholic cirrhosis and my doctors feel that it was most likely brought on through being diagnosed with diabetes since childhood. I was recommended by my hematologist to have the gastric sleeve because it has a 98% success rate in completely stopping the progression of the NASH, however I will always have the 49% liver damage. I am currently pre-op but I have been in the works of the surgery for a while. In 2006 I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and went from 135lbs to almost 200lbs within a year. I did have a poor diet and bad habits of doing nothing but drinking coffee all day and only eating dinner at night. At that point I tried to diet and exercise and continued up to this day without success. Originally, per the request of my PCP I looked into a Gastric Bypass in 2010. I started the insurance dance performed all the requirements diet history, psych eval, other comorbid through Tricare and was denied on the first go. It was at this point I became very ill and it was discovered I had gallstones just shy of a quarter sizes blocking the bile duct and I had them and the gallbladder removed. That is when they discovered the liver damage and told me if I had gotten the surgery years ago I would have never had this problem or it was highly unlikely. However, now with an army of doctors at my back I am on my way to getting the surgery, but I wonder if at all now other than weight loss will there be a true benefit from it? Don’t get me wrong, I welcome the weight loss but I will still face an inevitable situation of liver transplant or complications later in life. I am currently just worried that since this entire if I am putting myself at even greater risk, because all surgeries are a risk and I would think especially one that is pretty much a 70% amputation of the stomach. Anyone else here ever have any difficulties with the liver? Or diabetes? I’ve heard that some have even been diabetes free from after the surgery? Is that only for type 2 diabetics? Any advice is greatly welcomed and appreciated

hahahah I had my EDG on Weds I agree those are not the pictures I wanted to see. I'm glad your procedure went well, mine did for the most part but because I have a liver disease I didn't process the anethstesia very well and was drunkish for most of the day..lol Best of luck to you on getting your surgery quickly! I'm hoping for Oct myself. I have my doctor consult on the 26th of this month so I'm crossing fingers that it will go quick and smooth.

I had my gallbladder removed in Sept of 2012. At the time I had many gallstones estimated around quarter size blocking the bile duct. I never really had any symptoms of trouble with my gallbladder until just before surgery pain started to develop. Currently I’m pre-surgery and I was recommended for the VSG due to during the surgery they discovered that I have end stage 4 liver disease (NASH) non-alcoholic cirrhosis. I’m curious if anyone else has ever had this situation? My Heptologist recommended the VSG due to its 98% rate of success in stopping the progression of Cirrhosis as well as diabetes management. In some cases, curing type 2 altogether. I completely understand that the VSG will not cure the damage that has already occurred to my liver, but I’m concerned with my other comorbid that I am entering a dangerous road. Does anyone have additional comorbid such as diabetes, liver disease, Cushing’s before considering the VSG?