NewLife4Jen

After wanting this surgery since 2004, I believe that it is finally going to happen this time. In a nutshell, I use to be thin in my early 20's (should have appreciated that more). I slowly started to gain weight and over the years tried almost every diet under the sun to stop gaining more. I was successful at times but then would gain what I had lost plus more. My weight loss efforts were hampered by back problems and eventual surgery in 2004. During all of the years of gaining, I also was the cliche of putting everyone else first, getting bogged down with work, wife, raising kids, keeping a home, that fast food and nutrition seemed to go by the wayside. In addition, I tended to be an emotional eater so as I slowly became more introverted due to being uncomfortable in my own skin plus other reasons, I became lonely and food seemed to help that. I alsmost had surgery in 2008, went through all of the pre surgery work up including a psych. consult and upper GI only to have the insurance company say that they had misquoted me the whole time and that it wasn't covered. I made sure that this was not going to be the issue this go around with a new insurance company. I called them about 15 different times before getting my hopes up. I actually ate to gain the 8 lbs I needed to have a BMI over 40 so I didn't have any issues with that. I saw the doctor two days ago and am so excited to actually visualize that this will happen. I wish it was tomorrow!
 
UPDATE 1/27/15....
I have been through so much in the last year.....
I originally had my band done on April 27, 2012. Over the course of the 2.5 years, the majority of my diet was liquid. I could rarely keep things down. When I was lucky enough to keep something down, I'd eat it at a later date and then it would come back up again. The 1 cup of food I was supposedly able to eventually eat never happened. My surgeon kept saying I was fine. I had to go to the hospital twice last year, a CT and ultrasound done and was told everything was fine...no slippage said the surgeon and again, I was fine. I don't think so. The last 6-7 months of last year, I kept growing sicker....toward the end only keeping water down. But supposedly I was FINE.
 
I sought a second opinion the last part of last Oct. by another physician...this time one specializing in bariatrics not just a general surgeon. He said that not everything can be seen on a CT scan or ultrasound. I had an Upper GI in Nov. and was found to have a slipped band...quite slipped and was eroding. I saw the pictures. So it was immediately deflated. I already had some relief. On Dec. 5th, my band was removed. My band had eroded two complete holes in my stomach and the port had become encapsulated in the muscle. No wonder I felt so bad! It was such a relief, I cried. I also saw surgery pics. Needless to say, I could not have a revision done at that time. The doctor was quite sure that I could get insurance to cover the revision. But, I knew that there were no guarantees. I wanted to believe but there was always a little fear in the back of my mind. I tried not to think about. I just concentrated on recovering and trying not to gain too much weight since I could finally keep down food. I have gained 10 pounds. I would normally feel bad about that but the dr. said that even if I was eating very little and the best of the best, compared to water, I'd gain weight.
 
Anyway, I got word today that there is medical necessity for the sleeve gastrectomy. I had to read the "medical necessity" part of the letter about 7 times. I then broke down in tears. My surgery is scheduled for a little over a week away. Will be starting pre-op diet tomorrow. I am so looking forward to being healthy again and finally lose my weight after almost 3 years on this journey. At my lowest on the band, I had gotten to 185 lbs but had slowly regained to 208 (when I could drink more than water, I had some ice cream shakes as the protein shakes and soups were getting old. Imagine eating only protein shakes and soups for about 90% of your diet for 2.5 years! So yes, I added the ice cream shakes.
 
I asked my new surgeon why it had eroded and so badly. He said that it usually happens when too much pressure is put on one side of the band and stomach....that usually happens when it is put in(which could explain why I never really could eat). Also, I am sure my GERD had a little something to do with it. They said that because of my GERD, the acid attacked the food before it ever got to the pouch (everything is slower) forcing it to be attacked and me losing it before it ever got to the stomach. Then when I vomited, it could have shifted the band a bit putting too much pressure on the one side.
 
So, I wanted to update my story and am hoping that my story may be of some hope and help to others struggling out there. I am so looking forward to next week. Thanks for listening.
 
UPDATE as of 4/25/15.....
 
Second Surgery: Gastric Sleeve
Surgery Date: Feb. 4, 2015
Surgeon: Dr. Michael Feiz
Weight on Date of Surgery: 217