CarpeDiem129

I've been approved and scheduled for sleeve surgery Wednesday. Just curious if I did decide to back out and try one more time to lose on my own, how long is my approval letter good for? Does anyone know the answer to this? I have Tricare. Just wondering if I waited another 3 months to diet/exercise and see if I could still go back and get the surgery since I was already approved or if I'd have to go through the whole process again?

@Mercedes8989I haven't had my surgery yet, but it's just a few days away. I just wanted to say I hope you're feeling better now! I feel like this a lot of the time even now, pre-surgery, but I know I just have terrible anxiety especially about medical stuff. I'm definitely a hypochondriac. I sincerely hope everything is fine now and it's all going well for you.

Me! Eastern NC

@LylaLovesCoffee It seems we certainly do have several things in common! I have GERD symptoms from my hernia. I get reflux and my throat feels tight a lot of the time. I'm hoping this will go away when it's fixed. I didn't get any of these symptoms until my last pregnancy so maybe I developed the hernia then. You're exactly right about surgery being like a rollercoaster, that's a perfect analogy... "here we go." Also, a rollercoaster is risky, but you usually come out on the other side feeling wonderful. I hope that's how this is going to be. @Apple203that's good advice. I don't really get panic attacks that often, more of a persistent state of anxiety. It can be very debilitating and frustrating because I'm very aware of it, I just can't always control it. I'm always just a worst case scenario kind of thinker. I hate it, but it's true.

I posted this under the main surgery forum and realized that was probably not the appropriate place to post it (I can't figure out how to delete it)... So this is my first main post although I've been "creeping" these forums for quite a while now. I'm scheduled for surgery on Wednesday, Nov. 8th. I know my surgeon uses a 36f bougie and I am also having a small hiatal hernia repaired. I have some reflux issues now, but other than that and my weight along with suffering from hypothyroidism, my health is fine. I have researched this for many months, went through the whole process, and now that it's happening, I'm so worried. I keep thinking about my husband and my babies and if anything goes wrong now or later regarding the surgery. Anywho, I don't know what I'm really looking for by posting this. Maybe some words of wisdom or a swift kick in the booty to get over myself. Really, I would love to hear about experiences who have gone through the exact same thing, surgery with the same bougie size as it seems like there may be some merit to bougie size and recovery and hiatal hernia repair. How are you doing? How was your recovery? Any advice at all? Just feeling a little overwhelmed.😩

@Mhy12784 Wow, that is certainly intense. He sounds very adamant. I wonder why he and his partner have such conflicting views. Remember, the one professional opinion was to do the bypass, was his only reasoning due to the GERD? I'm sorry you're in a debacle. I wish I could be of more help, but this is such a personal choice. I can tell you, for me, I immediately wanted the lap-band. This was before I did any research though really, I simply attended a seminar. Then, after my surgeon consultation, he suggested the sleeve for me because of the lap- band fillings and maintenance with my husband being military, moving a lot, having kids, it'd be a lot of appointments. It seemed to me he had a preference for the sleeve. So, I think all surgeons kind of have their own preference, although it's a professional opinion. He didn't even mention the bypass to me. In fact, even in the seminar he said he usually only recommended them for patients who had severe diabetes. After doing my own research and having friends who've had the bypass, the only conclusion I could come to that would lead me to choose the bypass aside from the diabetes was that it's been around longer and has more sufficient long-term data. I looked into everything. I looked into future cancer risk, side effects, long term complications, etc. for all 3 types of WLS. I like the band because I was so afraid of the permanence of the sleeve, but the band is out for me and after researching, I realize it has a lot of complications and higher rate of failure. So anyway, he conclusion I came to is that the sleeve can be converted to the bypass if GERD symptoms persist bad enough. I also don't like the malabsorption aspect of the bypass. Does the thought of removing 80% of my stomach terrify me though? Yes, definitely. But, they've been doing it for a long time, just not as a weight loss procedure. That is fairly new. What did help me was reading about people who live pretty normally without a stomach at all. I'm sure this didn't help much or if it made any sense at all, but I'm just trying to shed some light on my own thought process. Ultimately, the decision is yours. But I think a lot of surgeons have their own preferences. I just wonder if they're truly supported or if it's just a personal bias type thing. It's hard to tell.

@Mhy12784Aw bless you! I feel for you because I've been constantly conflicted throughout this whole process. One day I am completely confident in my decision and the next I'm about to back out. My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. I know I want it, just so afraid of the unknowns. As far as being conflicted as to which procedure you should choose, what were his partner's reasons for such a strong stance of opposing the bypass? I'm sure having the conflicting professional opinions is definitely sending you in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

@Mhy12784 hearing your symptoms, I randomly get a cough too. I didn't even think it was likely attributed to my GERD! I always thought it was allergies. This makes more sense. Based off your research, have you decided which surgery you're getting?

I'm so glad you asked this as I've been interested to see as well. There are so many conflicting statistics. I recently developed GERD after my last pregnancy. However, during my pre-op EGD, my surgeon also found a hiatal hernia, which could be to blame. I have no idea. I'm not on meds for it currently. I just get the reflux and my throat feels tight a lot so I told myself that I probably have it. It was SO bad during my pregnancy, but I only took TUMS. My surgeon still suggested the sleeve for me. He said a lot of patients GERD symptoms dissipate with weight loss. I'm also hoping when my hiatal hernia is repaired, it will fix it. We shall see!

Hi @cyberdiva where did you have your surgery? I'm not too far from you, having mine in Morehead City.

I'd love to find a "pal" with a surgery date close to mine (Nov. 8th). Even better if you're a stay at home mom in NC! I'd love someone to kind of be able to form a friendship with and discuss, confide, all those fun things friends do. I'm keeping my surgery a secret, so no one knows but my husband. It has been hard but I think it's best, for now anyway.

Thanks for your response @confusedturtle3! That's a good perspective to have. I guess I'm just a big barrel of nerves! The only surgery I've had was a tonsillectomy about 10 years ago when I was 18. Even so, I'm actually worried less about the surgery itself and more about the aftermath of it as in the recovery and long-term info that hasn't been published yet because it's a newer procedure for weight loss. But it seems like anything in life that's worth something, is somewhat risky. I know I just need to take the leap! I don't know why I'm trying to psych myself out this close to surgery date. I wish someone could just guarantee everything is going to be okay, but I know that's not the case the anything in life. I try to remind myself of all the times I've been worried about something medically and it ended up working out just fine. This seems to help some! (My tonsillectomy, both of my pregnancies and childbirths, even my EGD). As you can see, I'm just an incredibly anxious person, about everything. It drives my family crazy, they often make fun of for it. Like, "oh goodness you have headache, must be a brain tumor" type of thing. 😛 I have to catch myself because sometimes it really is that extreme! Anyway, I thank you for your insight!

Thank you both so much for your replies @EatPrayLove and @ShelbyMoore! I know I need to do this. For some reason, with everything I do, I'm always afraid of worst case scenarios. I'm very much a hypochondriac, have been since I can remember. I hate it, sometimes it can be crippling. So, one can imagine how a few days out from an elective surgery is giving me terrible anxiety. @EatPrayLove, you're absolutely right. I'm doing this for my family so that I can live more fully for them. I want my self- confidence back. It really affects so much. I wish you all the best with your upcoming surgery and I hope you get a date soon! @ShelbyMoore, I can't think you enough for your detailed account of everything. I read a lot of posts on this forum about terrible recoveries with hiatal hernia repairs, so you've helped put my mind at ease some with that. I REALLY appreciate it. I like knowing what to anticipate, even though everyone is a little different. I'm glad to see you could swallow and keep things down pretty quickly, this is something I've worried about. I hope my situation is similar to yours. I wish you all the best on your journey!

I'm just on low-carb, high protein, so it hasn't been too bad. Although, I've only lost 7lbs (current weight: 235). My surgical team said they expected me to lose around 10, but I still have a few days left. I'm sorry you're having a hard time. I know a lot are on liquid diets pre-op.

November 8th for me. My surgeon only requires a low carb diet that I started last Wednesday. Now that the day is getting closer, I am so incredibly nervous and overwhelmed. I know I want to do this, just so terrified of the unknown. I hope this is normal!