ANYONE A MILITARY VETERAN?

[elpasovet 83]

have any of you gotten the sleeve through the veteran affairs hospital or know someone who did?

[BitterSweet* 835]

No, but I'm a military wife and the VSG is covered 100% at bases / posts that have Bariatrics. I'm out in Georgia.

[elpasovet 83]

I think that's how it is here too. I have a seminar scheduled on 21 and my first group appt 28 August. I hope everything gets approved for me :-(

[BitterSweet* 835]

Good news. If they scheduled you for that appointment, you're already approved. You just have to go through the program before they'll do the surgery. The only requirements are that you keep all of your appointments in the program (nutrition classes, lab work) and don't gain weight. You don't have to lose any weight, but you can't gain weight.

[elpasovet 83]

OMG that would be a MIRACLE!!!! Okay I will be watching my weight! Definitely! I am READY for this life change, more ready then I've ever been! Do you have anymore advice or information??? Anything you tell me is like gold to me!

[BitterSweet* 835]

Yep, just that simple. If they enrolled you in that group appointment you're already approved. When you go, they'll have you fill out a bunch of paperwork about your weight struggles, diets you've tried etc. Be honest. They'll measure your vitals, height, weight, and calculate your starting BMI; that will be your criteria. As long as you don't increase from that intial weight and BMI, you're good.

You'll meet the Bariatric Team at this group session, including an individual appt with the surgeon who will spend a good bit of time talking to you and explaining everything and answer any questions you may have.

If you smoke, quit. You'll get disenrolled / delayed if you continue to smoke. They offer smoking cessation classes as part of the program. They check compliance by doing a urine cotinine test.

The majority of the program is simply going through the nutrition classes and you are required to keep a food log (on paper or something like My Fitness Pal). They meet once per month and you must attend each one. You will be weighed at every appt. and if you feel like you need additional help, you can go to the nutrition clinic at any point.

Lab work gets ordered to check you for baseline things that may be causing weight gain (Vitamin D deficiency, low Cortisol levels, undiagnosed diabetes or pre-diabetes, anemia, low thyroid etc). If anything comes back abnormal, they'll offer you treatment and medications.

Once you complete the group nutrition classes, you'll have an individual nutrition appt and that is who will clear you as a good surgery candidate. If the nutritionist feels you haven't done "the work" (food journaling, meeting daily Protein requirements, Water intake, exercising), you'll be considered "non-compliant" and not ready for surgery because you've demonstrated an inability to make changes. They'll work with you more until you get there.

You have to attend one Weight Loss Support Group. They usually only meet once per month as well.

Once the nutritionist clears you, the Bariatric Nurse will schedule your Psych evaluation. Most people get cleared with that first appt. If not, they'll have you go back for a follow-up. They are just evaluating you for readiness for such a life altering change; making sure you have a support system in place; that you don't think surgery is a magic bullet; and that you understand your risk for cross dependency. The surgery forces you to physically give up food as a crutch but does absolutely nothing for the emotional dependency you have with food. Plenty of times food addiction is traded for something else like alcohol.

Once you are cleared from your Psych eval, the Bariatric Nurse will schedule your EGD. This is done to assess the health of your esophagus, stomach, gall bladder, biopsy stomach skin to check for H. Pylori, and to check for any hernias that may be present (like a hiatal hernia) - because they would remove an unhealthy gall bladder and repair the hernia when the sleeve surgery is done. H. Pylori (a common bacterial infection in the stomach) would have to be treated prior to surgery; this encompasses two weeks on 2 different antibiotics.

Once cleared from the EGD, you'll be scheduled for a final appt with the surgeon. It's at that time you'll need medical clearance from any specialist you may see for pre-existing confitions (such as cardiology or pulmonology).

Then your surgery gets scheduled. A two week liquid diet is required before surgery (in order to shrink your liver so the surgery is easier to perform), and two weeks after surgery. Your diet will be progressed from then on as you go back for follow-ups.

Hope this helps!

[elpasovet 83]

Oh yes it helps ALOT!!! However the Bariatric Coordinator who said I was approved told me the entire process happens in 6-8 weeks...is that a valid statement because everything you just described seems like it's going to take months! Do you think he exaggerated when he said 6-8 weeks!?

[elpasovet 83]

P.s. I don't smoke :-). Yucky never have lol

[BitterSweet* 835]

Nope, that time frame sounds about right. The bariatric surgeon that works at our hospital was sent on TDY so I think my program will be stretched out more because of it.

[elpasovet 83]

Nope, that time frame sounds about right. The bariatric surgeon that works at our hospital was sent on TDY so I think my program will be stretched out more because of it.

If you don't mind me asking where are you at? Are you a veteran or spouse? Thank you for taking the time to help me!!!!

[BitterSweet* 835]

Ft. Stewart, Georgia. I'm a civilian; my spouse just retired from active duty in May after 23 years of service. Where are you?

[elpasovet 83]

Been stationed at Fort Stewart before. Actually bought a home in Midway. I am in El Paso tx (fort bliss) and I am a Air Force veteran, 100% disabled.

[Jz0917 21]

My last duty station was fort Stewart. I had my first back surgery in Augusta at the VA and did most of my therapy at the hospital there. Good luck with your process. 6-8 weeks is ideal. My process was 7 months long.