33 BMI and scheduled for VG...

[Kapoorvilla 117]

:-/ He said he would sue you? Goodness after all you been through!

[Sadlers1999 169]

my dear doc threatened to sue the site if i used his name again so I don't post it to save Alex and myself a headache What state are you in?

I am in Colorado. My "Bariatric Center of Excellence" is relatively new at Parker Adventist Hospital. I am now 6 days post-op, and nothing dreadful has happened so far, so nothing I say here will be worthy of a lawsuit. The hospital opened its "center of excellence" with Matthew Metz a few years ago. That is when I first heard about the sleeve (vs. lap band and bypass). I had a baby in the summer of 2010 and nursed for a year (until July 2011). After that, my primary care physician said that I could start a physician-guided weight loss. She switched me from a low dose of Zoloft (given for "baby blues") to a low dose of Welbutrin, because the latter has been helpful in reducing appetite in some people. Well, after six months of Welbutrin and exercise, my weight didn't really go down. In January 2012 I "discovered" that I have Hashimoto's (an autoimmune form of hypothyroidism). I was a little annoyed because I had been going to endocrinologists for 10 YEARS and nobody ever mentioned that! It sort of makes a difference because my primary care physician said that auto immune diseases are known to respond favorably to gluten free, dairy free and sugar free diets.... I mulled this over for months and in June I started avoiding gluten. It did not help my weight or my energy levels, but it did help with digestion-related issues. So, at that point, I decided to get to a seminar at Parker Adventist re: the surgery. I wasn't terribly thoughtful about researching the "best" doctors or anything. So, I started the process with Dr. Metz.

Simultaneously, my current health care provider, Cigna, reduced the number of bariatric classes needed from 6 months to 3 months. That really lit a fire with me. (In hindsight, is going through the process faster, better? Not sure. I may need to ask if I can attend the classes I didn't get because I feel like I would benefit from the info...even now.) So, everything was going along chuggingly and one week after my last class in December...AFTER I had a surgery date with Dr. Metz for December 17th, I got a call saying that Dr. Metz had left the practice. HUH???? A cautious person would have cancelled the surgery, but our health care provider was changing January 1st to a lesser PPO and I knew that I would not be able to afford the surgery in 2013. So, after a brief visit with Dr. Joshua Long (who had been on staff since August), I had the surgery scheduled with him on the 17th. Neither here, nor there, but you really don't have a "relationship" with the surgeons anyway. Dr. Long did deviate from standard procedure with me based on two things in my health history/family history. He scoped me prior to surgery because I had a bleeding ulcer as a young adult and he just wanted to make sure everything was good in my stomach. (I didn't think I had an ulcer, but I still felt it was relevant to surgery and so did he.) He also gave me anti-coag shots to take home with me because my dad's side of the family has a huge issue with blood clots and since I had never had ANY surgery before, I couldn't say if I would make clots, too.

But, getting back to the point of not really having a relationship with the surgeon...I don't think Dr. Metz would recognize me if he saw me on the street and Dr. Long does not appear gifted with remembering faces, either. On the other hand, the NUT, the social worker and the rest of the gang, DO seem to know me and I think post surgery, they are probably more important to my day-to-day life.

BTW, I should mention that I have battled my weight my whole life, so it wasn't just having one baby that triggered my decision to have surgery. Like so many others, I felt battle weary and with a BMI of 42 at age 42, I didn't think things would get better without taking drastic measures. Sorry if I hogged this thread on low-BMIs, but Iggy caught my attention with the "Bariatric Center of Excellence" thing. Clearly, if you read her story, it means very little and you can still have a poor outcome.

[Sadlers1999 169]

:-/ He said he would sue you? Goodness after all you been through!

That is a good point. Not sure how Iggy would prove he was negligent, though, and we all sign consent forms for surgery.

[iggychic 1,405]

That is a good point. Not sure how Iggy would prove he was negligent' date=' though, and we all sign consent forms for surgery.[/quote']

Ya he's a dear. But while I won't discuss specifics, I will say to all victims of surgical problems, that a consent does not forgive all mistakes.

And I didn't have the surgery in colorado so you're not at my clinic (not my doc any more of course).

[Sleevealicious 43]

my dear doc threatened to sue the site if i used his name again so I don't post it to save Alex and myself a headache What state are you in?

How did your doctor find out you were talking about him? Did you tell him or did he get on the site himself and find it? I didn't think you could sue if what someone was saying was true.

[iggychic 1,405]

His staff shadowed me on the site. They would say that I brought the leak on myself, etc, hinting it was my error or I didn't follow directions (which I followed to a T...I lived in mortal fear of a leak like I developed). It was kind of funny given it was so unprofessional. I'd be embarrassed to ever participate in something like that. I would fire anyone who worked for me who would do something that unethical. It's such a bad reflection on the employer. They still do it on occasion so I'm careful when I answer questions from people i haven't ever talked to. I'm sure they found the post with his name or the clinic name in it at one time.

And the site was not worried. This happens to them a lot, but I just didn't want to put them through any hassle or expense due to my surgery. It was bad enough I had to suffer it, no one else needed to be brought into it. So now I just don't mention his name, which is nice. It brings up horrific memories of the pain and suffering I experienced and the pain I brought to my family to even think of him or his clinic. Life is better without that!

[Sleevealicious 43]

His staff shadowed me on the site. They would say that I brought the leak on myself' date=' etc, hinting it was my error or I didn't follow directions (which I followed to a T...I lived in mortal fear of a leak like I developed). It was kind of funny given it was so unprofessional. I'd be embarrassed to ever participate in something like that. I would fire anyone who worked for me who would do something that unethical. It's such a bad reflection on the employer. They still do it on occasion so I'm careful when I answer questions from people i haven't ever talked to. I'm sure they found the post with his name or the clinic name in it at one time.

And the site was not worried. This happens to them a lot, but I just didn't want to put them through any hassle or expense due to my surgery. It was bad enough I had to suffer it, no one else needed to be brought into it. So now I just don't mention his name, which is nice. It brings up horrific memories of the pain and suffering I experienced and the pain I brought to my family to even think of him or his clinic. Life is better without that![/quote']

Oh man, that's crazy! But I am glad you are better now though! I I would think that even if a surgeon looked on here to see what his patients were saying about him, that he would actually admit/ confront you about it. Now I am wondering if my surgeon has been watching me on the site since I had a leak and posted about it and was honest when someone asked my surgeon's name. Hmmm....

[Didit12262012 17]

Officially post op.... 2days to be exact. Went well. Early days post op symptoms no regrets.

[ckatie0709 24]

I'm glad everything went well for you!! i have a question, not for you specifically :-) i thought the requirements for this surgery to be done on the U.S. were like 40 with no co morbidities and 35 with at least 2 Co morbidities? Obviously that isn't the case?

[ckatie0709 24]

I'm glad everything went well for you!! i have a question, not for you specifically :-) i thought the requirements for this surgery to be done on the U.S. were like 40 with no co morbidities and 35 with at least 2 Co morbidities? Obviously that isn't the case?

[Carrie's Journey 130]

I'm glad everything went well for you!! i have a question' date=' not for you specifically :-) i thought the requirements for this surgery to be done on the U.S. were like 40 with no co morbidities and 35 with at least 2 Co morbidities? Obviously that isn't the case?[/quote']

Or self-pay...

[meeganlee 33]

Most insurance company's restriction is that you have a BMI of 40 or 35 with one co-morbidity. That is what I have seen. Some people self pay if they don't meet the requirements.

[Wrinkle 37]

I am 60. My BMI is 31. I did not have a weight problem until the past 10 years. But, I am now on cholesterol and blood pressure meds. I am scheduled for Jan 28th. I go back and forth and think about the possible complications. But, I have tried all types of the dieting programs including HCG, Medifast, etc nothing works. I have friends that had this procedure with much success.

[Wrinkle 37]

Officially post op.... 2days to be exact. Went well. Early days post op symptoms no regrets.

So glad to hear this! My BMI is 31-and I have been nervous too! Scheduled for 1/28.

[theosmom 9]

Didit12262012

Congrats to you and wishing you the best! I'm gonna be watching your progress because I'm in the same boat. Keep thinking about this and at the same time trying to do it on my own for the 1000th time and just spinning my wheels. I also have low bmi, weigh approx 190-195 depending on the week and the success I am or am not having! Argh!

I'm 50 and this yo-yo'ing has been going on so long, it's not like it's gonna change.

Like you, I don't really have co-morbidities, but I do struggle with back & neck pain, have had a breast reduction to try to help that, but when you gain weight, those boobs just fill back out and are pulling you down again. I also have depression and have been taking meds for that for 10+ years. Like you said the "self talk" is brutal and demoralizing, whether you're 50 or 150 lbs overweight - it sucks to hate on yourself year in and year out. We also have a history of diabetes in the family (mom, grand mom, aunts)

My husband really doesn't want me to do it and that's what's holding me back. I feel like a failure for being overweight and a failure for not being able to do it on my own. I'm lucky as I know my primary care dr. will back me up and I actually have savings and can afford to pay for it, it's just getting him on board and finding a doctor in the US to do it for me. I know my husband will not let me go to Mexico.

I hope you'll keep us all posted on your progress. All the best on your recovery and getting up and around!