Medical Review Went Amazing, Except Irritated @ The Hubby!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

I may be pre-diabetic,!

I also was very concerned with the malabsorption problems - to me the bypass surgery was out

.initially i wanted the lapband. at the end of my initiali conference concerning WLS Dr. mentioned the sleeve which i had never heard of. All the problems with lapband, i realized that wasn't for me

i asked dr. which he thought was better. he immediately said the sleeve. Didn't want to make a

snap decision, went home and i also did research, and then went back to dr. saying i want the

sleeve. great decision

hospital took me off diabetes meds & insulin til i saw my PHP -

PHP wanted me to stay off diabetes meds too for a couple of months - i was then cleared by PHP not taking any meds or insulin - i was cleared - my BP had totally gpme bacl to normal - so no longer on BP meds

Don't let any dr. try and sway you in any direction. you have your own mind, and you should do whats best for..

Since we're on the sleeve board - i am biased and say that the sleeve is the best thing - it really is the best - biased or not

good luck

kathy

[Mzluvee 41]

I was diabetic (Type 2) and taking metformin at the time of my consult. I had done A LOT of research and decided that the sleeve fit my needs best. I went into the consult w/o sharing all the research I'd done and just shared my story and let the doctor give me his recommendations. He recommended the sleeve. So I felt very comfortable with my decision. He was very thorough to in explaining the choice.

I then came clean with my research and all the work I did. He seemed pleased too that I'd done so much research. My husband was there and it sounds like your husband and his behavior were very much akin to each other. After a over 2 hours with the doctor, my hubby came out of the consultation telling EVERYONE about his biggest takeway.....The human stomach can hold up to 5 liters of Fluid. He just kept going on and on about it and I wanted to really punch him after hearing it for the 10th time. LOL. (There was no domestic violence though...).

I weighed more than you and I found the sleeve to be the best choice for me....

1-I'm not trying to get pregnant anytime soon. That store is closed.

2-I didn't want to face malabsorption and the complications of re-engineering by intestinal track like the bypass does.

3-Bypass just seems too scary and invasive for me.

4-I know at least 3 ppl who've had bypass and still put the weight back on. Quite possible with the sleeve too, but at least your GI tract hasn't been sliced to heck.

I'm less than a month out.....

After 2 weeks post op my follow-up visit with my PCP went so well....

My diabetes has improved so my PCP took me off the metformin to follow-up in 30 days. I still check my sugar and if it rises above 200 then I'm to take a 1/2 dose and call the doctor. Haven't had to take anything.

PCP also took me off the high blood pressures meds at 2 weeks but I have to monitor it daily and if the top number reaches 150 then I have instructions to take 1/2 dose and call the doctor. Haven't needed to take anything yet. My BP since discharge hasn't risen above 130.

It's still early, but so far I couldn't be happier with these results.

GOOD for you Mz_Elle, thanks for you feedback and continued success.

[Mzluvee 41]

I fell your pain about your spouse. Although for me it was my wife. She pretty much did the same thing. I tried to explain to ther that "being there for me" means letting me do what I think is best and trusting me. I am still not sure she got it but, in the end she supported me.

While my doctor did not recommend the bypass I know some docs like it better. It has been around longer. Statistically speaking people lose weight faster and there is a longer history with the bypass. But, just like you I avoided it becuase of the malabsorption issues as well as some of the other unpleasent side effects that go along with it.

good luck.

CR

Thanks CR for your feedback!

[gustavo52974 369]

I do have a question for you guys, the Dr. mentioned I should really consider the the Bypass vs. the Sleeve. He said that my labs indicate that I may be pre-diabetic, and that the Bypass would instantly reverse the pre-diabatic state. I am not feeling the Bypass too much, I really don't want that malabsorption issue. Did you guys experience the Dr's suggesting one over the other, and if so why did you choose the Sleeve? ANY feedback will help!

My surgeon told me that I was also pre-diabetic, but never said anything about bypass being a better option than the sleeve. That doesn't it's not true, but my surgeon is very conscientious and I trust him implicitly.

[Lissa 2,631]

It seems that you're leaning towards the sleeve, but you should take your doctor's recommendation into account. IIRC, though, you can revise to a GB or DS (duodenal switch) from a Sleeve if there is a need. Some of my reading indicates that the sleeve procedure was originally used in WLS patients as a precursor to a full GB, but the sleeve worked so well it began to be used as a stand-alone procedure.

Did he give you other specifics about why the GB might be better for you than the sleeve? Perhaps your doctor is more comfortable performing the GB than the sleeve. In that case, you may want to seek a different surgeon.

Ultimately, it is your decision. My surgeon and I discussed all three options (VSG, GB and LB) before he recommended the sleeve, which I had already been leaning toward anyway. Had I wanted one of the others, Dr D would have given me what I wanted, but he made a very clear cut case for the sleeve vs the other surgeries, IMO.

[SML1997 308]

Hey MzLuvee.... when I went to the medical review appointment, the doctor simply asked me what I was considering but didn't suggest anything. I am only willing to do the sleeve, and not GB and I told the doctor that. My mom had GB two years ago, and although she's doing extremely well now.... she still has to take a bunch of Vitamins every days due to malabsorbtion issues. I am certainly not trying to deal with that for the rest of my life. I would think that getting the sleeve, and losing the weight would help reverse the trend of being pre-diabetic. Now if you were already full blown diabetic, I can understand the doctor recommending GB. Ultimately, the choice is yours. I am so very glad that your appointment went well. Even with your husband there.....LOL... We husbands can be a pain in the butt at times.

[Mzluvee 41]

Hey MzLuvee.... when I went to the medical review appointment, the doctor simply asked me what I was considering but didn't suggest anything. I am only willing to do the sleeve, and not GB and I told the doctor that. My mom had GB two years ago, and although she's doing extremely well now.... she still has to take a bunch of Vitamins every days due to malabsorbtion issues. I am certainly not trying to deal with that for the rest of my life. I would think that getting the sleeve, and losing the weight would help reverse the trend of being pre-diabetic. Now if you were already full blown diabetic, I can understand the doctor recommending GB. Ultimately, the choice is yours. I am so very glad that your appointment went well. Even with your husband there.....LOL... We husbands can be a pain in the butt at times.

SML1997...I am with you on the GB, I just can't no way I am too scared to even think about that one. Although I have friends that have had it done and they swear by it, I still can't to risky for me. I am HAPPY to choose the Sleeve, any day of the week.

[Need-a-Sleeve 211]

I went to a weight loss surgery seminar on Tuesday night & asked a question I don't think most would ask. Because I am an RN & have an extensive family history of colon & breast cancer, wanted to know which procedure would fare best with chemotherapeutic drugs. Part of the reason to have the procedure done is to reduce your cancer risk but in case it happens, a sleeve would be preferable. So chalk up one more reason for why the sleeve wins!

[Aaron in Tulsa 147]

As a hubby, I can tell you that yours is probably as worried as you (if not more so) and he's trying to make himself feel better by asking lots of questions. My advice is to let him ask away. He'll come around, and eventually he's bound to have exhausted his list of questions! :-)