paigeh93

I was diagnosed with the embolisms in the beginning of September and have been on blood thinners since which have reduced the clots 30% though by now, they should have dissolved and have not which is why the pulmonary hypertension is coming into play. My doctor believes that my weight has something to do with this. Many of my current health issues stem from my being obese which is a side effect of Cushing's. I cannt lose the weight with this disease, at least not the amount I need to be healthy again which is why the adrenalectomy is being talked about. I would not have this surgery until the summer most likely unless my tumor begins to grow exponentially which could cause kidney damage at the least. After the surgery, I will most likely be on blood thinners for another year if not longer. Hopefully by the summer my clots will have dissolved. The "diagnosis" was given to me by my PCM so he is giving my a referral to an endocrinologist which will basically be a specialized 2nd opinion. I've also done a lot of research and really the only treatment for this is radiation or surgery and I'd much rather have the surgery.

The tumor is on only one adrenal gland so I will have surgery to remove that gland and will be on meds for a couple of months but my other adrenal gland should take over eventually and I will be able to get off of the meds once that happens.

Just wanted to give an update, I went to my doctor to discuss WLS. He was very open to it, especially with all of my health problems. He ordered a group of tests to check on my endocrine/adrenal function because he was concerned about how much weight I had gained in a small amount of time. He has discovered that I have Cushing's Syndrome and currently have a tumor on one of my adrenal glands. Cushing's Syndrome causes rapid weight gain and will not allow you to lose it. It also causes many other symptoms that I have had over the past year and a half. At this point, WLS will not happen especially since Cushing's Syndrome has a decently high reoccurrence rate and then I would have gone through surgery for nothing. Just wanted to say thanks for all the great advice!

I'm 21 years old and I understand that people may think that I am too young for WLS but with the health issues I have recently started to have, I believe it's just going to get worse and worse. I am a 21 year old living in a 60 year olds body. I gained my weight very quickly. From January to March of 2012, I gained 50 pounds. I had always been very slender and was extremely active, especially since I was in the Army at the time. I gained another 20 pounds before the summer. I love running but now I have so much pain in my knees, it's agony to go on a run. I also now have bilateral pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in my lungs). These really hinder my oxygen intake as well as extreme chest pain. They're also causing pulmonary hypertension. I now also have sleep apnea and asthma as well as high blood pressure. I haven't taken this decision lightly and never would have thought about WLS until all of these health problems arose. I saw my PCP on post today and he is giving me a referral though we'll have to see what Tricare says. He's also concerned because I gained weight so quickly that it may be an adrenal problem so I'll be going through some testing for that. He believes I am a good candidate and understands why I am so concerned. I just want a boost so I can exercise like I want to. Btw, Tricare only covers RNY and Lap Band. I am interested in the sleeve but unless my MTF has a bariatric surgeon (which I don't believe it does), insurance will not pay for the sleeve and I can't afford out of pocket.

So, I'm new to this website and am really just looking for advice and support on this start of my potential bariatric journey. A couple months back, I never would have thought about having WLS, even after a nutritionist and doctor both brought it up. Now, I have multiple comorbidities that just recently piled on and am thinking WLS may be a good way for me to jump start my weight loss journey. I have Tricare (TriWest) and I'm very curious as to how that whole process goes. I have an appointment with my PCP today to start this discussion and am kind of nervous about what she might have to say. I wouldn't be able to have the surgery until the summer since I am a full time student so I have time to do any sort of nutrition counseling that they may want me to do. I'm just very nervous and looking for some guidance. I'm also not sure about which surgery is right for me. I know with Tricare, they only cover a certain number of surgeries and I am very interested in RNY or Lap Band. Right now, I'm leaning toward RNY but I'm worried because of how invasive it is as well as the fact that we had a family friend have terrible complications with it. What opinions do you guys have? Thanks so much!