angelface811

I also was required to have an EGD. My bariatric surgery insists on doing it himself so he can see my anatomy himself. He was looking for hiatal hernias which, if found, he would repair during the bariatric procedure. He was also looking for the H. Pylori and took a biopsy. If I would have had H. Pylori then it would require treatment. H. Pylori can cause or currently be causing serious gastrointestinal issues so my surgeon wants to make sure I am free from this bacteria before proceeding. Thank God I didn't have it but I am very glad he is being so thorough.

I also experienced hair loss so I thought I would take a look at our local wig store. Oh my goodness I had so much fun. They put a wig cap on me and I tried on several and loved it. I purchased a synthetic wig mid-price...about $55. It's actually the hair you see on in my profile pic. I plan to get more...try some new colors...etc. I have gotten nothing but compliments which is awesome. Anyhow maybe try visiting a wig shop and give it a chance. They should have hair pieces also. Celebrities, models and even "real people" are using extensions, wigs, and hairpieces all the time. You can probably find a wig that looks like the hair you use to have if that's what you wish. Your hair will start to grow back again...

Wow! Very noticeable progress...great job. Keep up the hard work,

I plan to use it as well pre-op. My doctor is not requiring it but I have done it before. Much better than an enema. I just have to take it about 72 hours before because I have a very slow metabolism. It's not bad tasting but sometimes you can get orange flavor at Costco. Put it in the fridge and it's honestly similar to soda.

I am having surgery May 5th and I plan to continue using my Quantum Scale. I love it! It's not for everyone...it was recommended by Dr. Oz as well as many other health care professionals. It looks like a normal scale except it is a one-user scale only. You press the set button then get on the scale. It then reads OK when it has calculated your weight. But your "real weight" will never show. The only thing that shows when you get back on the scale is how many pounds you are up or down from your starting weight. It's great! I have also used it for my son when he had to "cut weight" for football. If he saw his true weight he was more discouraged but doing the plus or minus was better for him emotionally. I think it's a great tool for kids or teens aiming to lose weight.

It is very exciting but also understandably scary. For years now I have had to endure so many challenges. I was molested as a child (that's when I started getting a bit chubby) then my first husband was killed right before my very eyes and lastly I had severe post-partum depression. I have been working so so hard internally for many years. I have been blessed to be able go share my story and help others. Now it's time for the external me. When I think about it, one word comes to mind, RESTORATION. How about you guys?

So sorry you had to postpone your surgery but it is so understandable with having an ill parent. What a wonderful selfless daughter you are. It is to bad you can't continue with your current insurance perhaps under a cobra plan or by keeping the same address. My approval after going through everything is good for 2 years. This might be a dumb suggestion but perhaps you can explain your situation to your current bariatric doctor's staff. They might have some advice on alternatives.?? Have faith...

I am scheduled for May 5th or Cinco de Mayo for RNY also. I am 37 years old and have an 11 year old son. I have been married to my hubby for 13 years. My entire family is extremely supportive and excited for me which is awesome. I have been looking into WLS surgery since 2008. At that time my Dr. said even though I qualify my HMO wouldn't pay. So I lost 102 pounds on my own. Everything was going great but then I began having excruciating hip pain. Went from 8 hours at the gym per week to nothing. My right hip is completely torn. I was a dancer for many many years and the ortho said my injury,which is more complicated than I've described, happens to many dancers later in life. I gained 65 pounds back. I was completely restricted. During my 6 month pre-surgery program I lost 18 pounds. So I have kept a total of 55 pounds off. I have many medical conditions that are going to benefit from the RNY including my hip. Excited to get to know you all!!

When I had my gallbladder out I was symptomatic and in the ER like you. I definitely learned to listen to my body. My surgeon gave me a recovery time of 2 weeks. It actually took me 3 weeks. I find i heal and rehabilitate a little slower than most. But that's ok...we are all unique both inside and out right? Don't push to much. A pillow on my tummy was my best friend for a bit. For when you sneeze or support or to protect yourself from your little one who is use to flying right into your arms. You will be feeling better in no time!!!

Wow!!! What great tone you've been able to keep your body in. I can most definitely see you have been diligent with your exercising. Great Job!

I was really surprised I had obstructive sleep apnea as well. For me I found out during gallbladder surgery. Waking up from the anesthesia was very difficult for me and I required a lot of oxygen during surgery. So my anesthesiologist suggested I get checked. After 6 months my dr finally agreed to. I have now been on a ResMed CPAP for over 2 years. The only time you hear a sound from the machine is when taking mask off the face. Even then, there is a sensor that turns it off when not on your face. My insurance co. actually had a router attached for the first 30 days to make sure I was using it. Big Brother! You will have to see what mask works for you...nasal or full face. They don't expect you to wear it all night long when you first get it but you work up to it. Mine is moderate apnea. Whether moderate or severe apnea this machine can potentially save your life and I'm not just talking at night. It can improve your quality of life...you get the oxygen to the brain that you need. My husband isn't irritated by the machine either. He says he can't hear it. If you haven't had a consultation with a pulmonologist I would suggest doing so. Have him check your pulmonary functions and do a chest X-ray. Rule out any other lung issues and get a baseline function on your lungs. WLS surgery is great for people with lung issues because with the weight loss not only do you have less weight to lug around but your body isn't physically suffocating it's own lungs. But count yourself blessed that this diagnosis was discovered before surgery. Now your anesthesia team will put things into place that they otherwise may not have. Try not to look at it too negatively this could've just saved your life. On the bright side when we lose the weight we may not need those machines anymore...

It is true that sometimes with RNY certain medications may not be tolerated but there is usually a remedy for that. It is untrue that you can never take pills. Most people who have WLS surgery are on at least one but typically more potentially life saving medications. Such as diabetic, high blood pressure, and anti-depressants etc. Doctors would not assume the liability of their patients not being able to take necessary medications. There is an issue, however, with extended release and sustained release formulas I learned. It can be a problem with all WLS surgery. Because of the new alteration to the digestive system it can affect these meds. The extended release formula is made so that layers of it dissolve a little at a time in your body. So check with your docs because many people have to change to original formulas. In my research I found out that lap-band is no longer going to be covered in the near future by insurance because of poor results. However I know many of you, including my own sister, have done great with it! The sleeve is all the new rage but as one person pointed out we don't have a whole lot of long term research in. But it does look promising. Many doctors do not recommend it if you already have esophageal issues or heartburn. The sleeve can potentially be harsh on the esophagus and recent journal publications have shown a small percentage of esophageal cancer related to the surgery. But it's all about being aware of your own body if you do have the sleeve. If you are still experiencing esophageal problems even on meds you need to get it checked out ASAP. Depending on severity doctors may recommend conversion to RNY. The RNY is still considered the gold standard in weight loss but typically comes with the potential of more complications. This is where having an experienced surgeon and following all directions decreases that likelihood but of course not totally. All 3 of these surgeries have a less than 1% mortality rate. I know many people argue that the RNY is just so drastic but I believe the sleeve to be equally as drastic. So much to take in right!! So point being do your own research, ask questions, make sure when you read publications to look at the date they were published. Try and aim for the past couple of years. Many people don't do that so their info is off by several years. We have to jump through quite a bit of hoops to get to the actual surgical part of all of this. You are doing the right thing to use this time to do your research. You will get plenty of opinions from people who have had the surgeries which is great but also do the research. I feel confident that when you do this you will know which WLS is right for you...best of luck!

I was thinking about the same thing so...we did our taxes. I had tons of mileage (100 miles each visit about once a week), copays, medications etc. In order to deduct medical it has to exceed 10% of your total income. It use to be 7.5% but with recent changes (no comment) it was increased pretty significantly. So if you made $50,000 this year your costs must exceed $5000. As far as writing off shakes and supplements typically if your Dr. writes you a script and you keep receipts you've got a good shot at writing it off. Also this year medical mileage is worth .17cents a mile if I'm not mistaken. I always keep my receipts but I have only been able to write off medical one tax year due to unforeseen huge dental expenses that year. You may already know this but many pharmacies are able to make a printout for individual patients and what they paid in prescriptions for the year. I hope this helps. ????

Hello I am so sorry you had that happen. I actually had pill induced esophagitis after having a root canal that damaged the nerves in my face. Which in turn affected the nerves right under the chin and throat. So when I went to swallow my "everyday meds" they got stuck. I tried bread, yogurt, even oil and hot beverages. After a hospital stay they went down. Anyhow I absolutely agree...your esophagus could be very irritated and perhaps be a bit scratched up. It does heal. In the mean time I agree be careful with your eating because it can irritate. Other option my doctor put me on an acid pill to make sure they stayed down to give my throat time to heal. It was a pretty slow recovery for me personally. Listen to your body right? It will be ok

I think the RNY and sleeve are both taking "drastic measures." There are still major malabsorption issues with both procedures. I have also done a lot of research on the two surgeries. I have had 2 of my specialty doctors tell me to "please go with the RNY" if I am going to have WLS . Their reasoning was both the same and they do not know each other. They told me the RNY is still the gold standard in WLS and while the sleeve is showing great promise it hasn't been around for long in the U.S. So they don't have long term research in yet. Whereas we do on the RNY. Both have their potential complications. I was told at the seminar that it looks like insurance companies will probably be dropping Lap-Band coverage because of the research coming in. So many erosions, slippage, poor weight loss results and conversion to other WLS. It seems the new trend is the sleeve which may turn out to be awesome we just don't have the research in. In addition, while the majority of the stomach is removed by the sleeve a small minority of people are not able to lose it all and convert to the RNY to lose the rest. Ideally with my own unique set of circumstances I only want to go under the knife once. I understand it may not go my way with complications being a reality, but that is what I am hoping for. Because of the nature of the RNY surgery you are more likely to feel full because of an increase in hormones like peptide YY, glucagon like peptide GLP-1. Ghrelin levels also decrease but are typically not permanent. There is so much more on both surgeries...best of luck to you. Just my own thoughts on the subject--

I have HMO Blue Shield in Ca...I first had to show I had attempted different programs and diets then a referral needed to be submitted for me to begin the bariatric program which is a minimum of 6 months and well over 30 classes, seminars, support groups etc. I had Blue Shield mail out their entire section on bariatric surgery/program. This may not be the same plan you are under of course. One of my docs said it's the HMO's way of making things very difficult so they are hoping patients will drop out because of the huge commitment. Sure enough after my first session of classes over half dropped out. But someone told me the time flies by and it really does. Even though it's a 3 hour round trip at least once a week I was beyond determined and I exit next week. Hang in there...ask for them to send you their policy in writing...the online one they have is not as thorough. Be your own best advocate. You sound like a determined person you'll do great!

Funny I also started out with Graves' disease and was at my high weight of 302lbs I weigh less now. Usually we are suppose to be so skinny because our metabolism is moving so quickly. Haha...I am always the exception to the rule. Then did the radiation and left with hypothyroidism. On levothyroxine now among other things. Looking at a march surgery RNY...I have met others with the hypothyroidism that have had the surgery and they have done great. I think one of the key things we need to do is stay on top of our situations by getting our thyroid panels done regularly...and be very familiar with what the symptoms are of the disease other than weight gain, hair loss, depression etc. Your gonna do great--we all are!

You can overcome this!!! I have also battled major depression, panic/anxiety, and PTSD. First of all I hope you are working with a psychiatrist that you like and that respects you as a patient. Even though they may have the best of intentions a primary care physician just isn't trained for the job. If you do not like the person you are being treated by or you don't think their methods are effective it is your right to go see someone else. --Another thing I would make sure is being done is that your Dr. is looking at your whole person and not just saying things are all psychological without doing any testing. Your thyroid should be checked, a vitamin and mineral panel should be done and potentially your hormones need to be tested. Rule out anything that can medically make you feel this way or predispose you. --I have treatment resistant depression so I have tried many treatments. I will not down any of them because like clothes one size doesn't always fit all. I think it dangerous to say this drug is bad when in fact it could be the one that works for you. --Many medications take quite a while to work fully. But some can make you feel even more agitated or anxious. If that is the case look up akathisia. This happened to me on more than one medication. Sometimes they can counter that or they take you off the medication completely and try a new one. In this case it's not you it's the medicine. --Another suggestion would be if that anxiety and panic are getting to you every day ask the Dr. if they might put you on something like clonazepam or Xanax etc. small doses throughout the day. I started at 4 small doses spread through the day and now I take 2 doses. This helped me immensely throughout the day. It doesn't have to be forever. --Avoid stimulants like caffeine they will just increase your pulse thereby increasing the "anxiety." --Work with a therapist whether it be a Christian one or otherwise. One that can connect with you...you will know. If you have an awful one first time around don't think you have to stay with them. Move on...I had to go through a few. Your chances of beating this improve when you have a doctor and a therapist on board. --Become your own best advocate. Learn about the mental health portions of your insurance benefits. Educate yourself on your condition and you will feel more empowered. You will learn about a multitude of therapies that you may not have known about. --Lastly, make sure you have a support system in place. Mine is my family. I can speak very frankly with them. There are support groups also but again be careful it may not be the right fit and you may have to try more than one. I give all the glory to God for helping me get through all this. I am utilizing all the different doctors and people he put around me. My tests became my testimony...I have had the privilege to help those who were suffering. You can get through this. It is possible. My life has been a tragic one but looking back I see how God has helped me get through it and use it. I have been stable for 10+ years. Not to say you don't have trials along the way that is just simply the human condition. --I can hear the fight in your post you'll get through it! Sorry for such a long response.