Deciding on Weight Loss Surgery- Help?

[Mommyto3 0]

Hello All:

My name is Ali and I am 37 years old. I live in Gahanna, Ohio which is a Suburb of Columbus, Ohio (Go Buckeyes!) I am new to the boards and am sure will have tons of questions. The reason why I started looking for weight loss procedures is due to a recent visit to my PCP. I had brought a list of "ailments" that I have been complaining of for years in the attempts to start getting these issues addressed. After speaking to him about various pains and problems I was continually having, he suggested Gastric Bypass Surgery. I am overweight, 254 LBS to be exact and am having a very hard time getting the weight off. I have been attempting to lose the weight by doing the Slim Fast Diet, along with taking Adipex and also joining Jazzercise in my area. After a few weeks, nothing is happening still. Also at Jazzercise, I was given a BMI of 45....WOW was I shocked and boy was I woken up the fact of how overweight I must really be.

Anyways to make a long story short, my doctor suggested this surgery, as he believes that my GERD, Barretts Esphogaus, my Joint Pain and sleep Apnea my be all related to me being overweight and if I take care of "this" problem that I may see improvements in other areas? After doing some individual research, I have come to the conclusion by 100% that I will NOT be getting Gastric Bypass. The mortality rate as far as I am concerned is way to high. Whether this be surgery related or not, a 1 in 50 to a 1 in 200 chance of death is crazy as I have a wonderful family that needs their wife/mother around much longer:rolleyes2:

My question for you all is did any of you have similar conditions to me that eventually went away after the surgery. What about reversal techniques, is this quite common after desired weight loss? What is more of the common side effects after surgery? How long did it take for you to heal? (I have a very bad problem of not healing quickly- Doctor cannot figuare it out?) Are you overall happy with your decision? Where did you find the most support when you first decided to look into Weight Loss?

After doing some more research, I have noticed that individuals that need to be qualified for the surgery must meet specific criteria including, being over 100lbs or more, 40 BMI or greater, no health problems that are related to being overweight, no alcholic problems and also that you have attempted to lose weight or been overwieght for at least 5 years. My problem is I have only been overweight for about 4 years now but not always have I been this large. I have gradually gotten to this point, so I am nervous they could reject me. I understand every insurance is different when it comes to guidelines, I just wanted to receive a census of how long you may have had your weight problems. Lastly, does anyone know of a qualified surgeon in the Columbus area?

Alright, I am sorry for all the questions, I am just very nervous about this whole idea and would love to hear some of your expert advice. Thank you so much for listening and I hope to become a very active member of this forum.

Take care,

Ali

[coltonwade 27]

Hello All:

My name is Ali and I am 37 years old. I live in Gahanna, Ohio which is a Suburb of Columbus, Ohio (Go Buckeyes!) I am new to the boards and am sure will have tons of questions. The reason why I started looking for weight loss procedures is due to a recent visit to my PCP. I had brought a list of "ailments" that I have been complaining of for years in the attempts to start getting these issues addressed. After speaking to him about various pains and problems I was continually having, he suggested Gastric Bypass Surgery. I am overweight, 254 LBS to be exact and am having a very hard time getting the weight off. I have been attempting to lose the weight by doing the Slim Fast Diet, along with taking Adipex and also joining Jazzercise in my area. After a few weeks, nothing is happening still. Also at Jazzercise, I was given a BMI of 45....WOW was I shocked and boy was I woken up the fact of how overweight I must really be.

Anyways to make a long story short, my doctor suggested this surgery, as he believes that my GERD, Barretts Esphogaus, my Joint Pain and sleep Apnea my be all related to me being overweight and if I take care of "this" problem that I may see improvements in other areas? After doing some individual research, I have come to the conclusion by 100% that I will NOT be getting Gastric Bypass. The mortality rate as far as I am concerned is way to high. Whether this be surgery related or not, a 1 in 50 to a 1 in 200 chance of death is crazy as I have a wonderful family that needs their wife/mother around much longer:rolleyes2:

My question for you all is did any of you have similar conditions to me that eventually went away after the surgery. What about reversal techniques, is this quite common after desired weight loss? What is more of the common side effects after surgery? How long did it take for you to heal? (I have a very bad problem of not healing quickly- Doctor cannot figuare it out?) Are you overall happy with your decision? Where did you find the most support when you first decided to look into Weight Loss?

After doing some more research, I have noticed that individuals that need to be qualified for the surgery must meet specific criteria including, being over 100lbs or more, 40 BMI or greater, no health problems that are related to being overweight, no alcholic problems and also that you have attempted to lose weight or been overwieght for at least 5 years. My problem is I have only been overweight for about 4 years now but not always have I been this large. I have gradually gotten to this point, so I am nervous they could reject me. I understand every insurance is different when it comes to guidelines, I just wanted to receive a census of how long you may have had your weight problems. Lastly, does anyone know of a qualified surgeon in the Columbus area?

Alright, I am sorry for all the questions, I am just very nervous about this whole idea and would love to hear some of your expert advice. Thank you so much for listening and I hope to become a very active member of this forum.

Take care,

Ali

Welcome Ali, I will try to answer most of your questions , Other will chime in as well . I wish more docs would at least suggest " what about bypass OR Lapband surgery . it seems more than not they only offer or suggest bypass unless the patient brings it up themselves. Quite frustrating there. But anyway ..

For your questions....

My responses are in red ...

My question for you all is did any of you have similar conditions to me that eventually went away after the surgery. What about reversal techniques, is this quite common after desired weight loss? If your asking if after you reach your goal weight is the band taken out ? no , not usually , the band needs to be thought of as permanant, the only reasons to have the band out is if there is a complication with it , at least that is how I look at it. I think there MAY Be some people who think they can take the band out after reaching goal, my personal opinion , NOT A good idea and thinking the band is "reversable" is not the right mind set to having going in .

What is more of the common side effects after surgery? Common side affects, Well I think those tend to me very individual. There are some " general ones" You can find those here ( too many to type LOL)

LAP-BAND® - ALB Risk

How long did it take for you to heal? (I have a very bad problem of not healing quickly- Doctor cannot figuare it out?) Healing time .. For me about a week , that was for me to be able to get up and around 100% on my own . After about 4 days i was doing pretty good but was still needing some assistance on occasion . But after 5 days I could have stayed home by myself ( We own our own business so hubby was home with me )

Are you overall happy with your decision? 100% would do it again in a heart beat

Where did you find the most support when you first decided to look into Weight Loss? My husband was a huge support, Several really close friends, my parents not so much until later on , it took them a while , I got THE MOST Support from LBT, the most questions answered, ect. from here.

About the insurance, Check out the insurance threads ask around if anyone has any experience with it .

OH Also I have sleep apnea,, I have not gone back for a sleep study yet but im 99% sure i no longer have it. Hubby says I do not snore anymore.

HTH

Mindy

[TracyinKS 7]

WLS is a big step........ the type of surgery you chose is also a big step.

Of Course since I have the band.. I view it to be the best choice for me.

I had 2 friends undergo the RNY and both lost weight (a lot of weight) but they are also now fighting regains and their nutritional needs NEVER go away.. for them it was the right choice....... we are all now about the same weight..... and we all look great. I have the added benefit that my fills are adjustable........ their surgery is not. (and restretching the pouch can not be undone)

Good luck............. research your little eyes out!

[MacMadame 81]

After doing some more research, I have noticed that individuals that need to be qualified for the surgery must meet specific criteria including, being over 100lbs or more, 40 BMI or greater, no health problems that are related to being overweight, no alcholic problems and also that you have attempted to lose weight or been overwieght for at least 5 years.

The part about no health problems related to being overweight isn't exactly true. In fact, if you have "co-morbidities", you only have to have a BMI of 35. There are certain health problems that will mean you can't have surgery (like serious heart problems) but not every health problem related to being overweight precludes it. In fact, having WLS is the recommended treatment for a number of weight-related health problems. Some obesity-related health problems that people with the band routinely report are hypertension, diabetes, PCOS, sleep apnea, GERD and joint pain.

As for being overweight for at least 5 years, it really varies by insurance company. Aetna just changed their policy to only having to provide 2 years of weight histories, for example. Also, you don't normally have to be morbidly obese for those 5 years, just "overweight". What qualifies as overweight will probably also vary but one definition is any BMI of 25 or higher. By that definition, I've been overweight for 25 years!!

[PATCHELTON 0]

I am still waiting for insurance approval for me to have the Lapband. I considered RNY but the malabsorption issue concerned me and I felt the band a better option. My insurance (Carefirst Blue Choice-Maryland) as many others do, required a documented 6 month weight loss attempt, BMI of 40 or more/100 pounds overweight, or BMI 35 or more with one or more comorbidity(diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, reflux/GERD, joint arthritis, sleep apnea, and possibly a few others). My BMI started at 37/38, weight 252, and every comorbidity on the list I gave you except diabetes. I have had my consult with the surgeon (Dr. Singh, St. Agnes-Baltimore), my psych evaluation (another requirement) and I saw the dietician on the bariatric team, but only for the 6 month diet, which I finished in mid January. I had a stress test and an echocardiogram (I work for cardiologists so I had it done at work), and my completed paperwork was submitted to insurance Jan. 28. My insurance didn't cover the psych evaluation ($150) and the meeting for the diet was only $35. Once approved I meet with the dietician for pre- and post-op diet, and with the nurse for a class. They make you jump through many hoops, but it is to make sure you are doing this for the right reasons and didn't decide on a whim to have surgery. I lost all of 10 pounds on the 6 month diet. I have increased my exercise (I walk on the weekends, do Curves during the week) as it is an important factor in success after banding. Hopefully all this info has helped and not given you a headache LOL!

[Mommyto3 0]

Thank you you all for your replies and welcomes. I quite honestly am very nervous about all this and need alot of support to understand what is going on with me. I guess since my last pregnancy I have become very laxed about my eating habits. I used to own my own retail store and 4 internet companies. There was TONS and TONS of stress in my life and I was always on the go, which lead to eating out alot. In previous years before I became overweight, I never seemed to have these problems, so I suppose it makes sense that the extra weight could be contributing to alot of my ailments. Definately the sleep apnea is a major contribution, but I am now learning the GERD is as well. My joint pain may or may not be related as the my doctor feels it is a more connective nerve disorder than arthritis and also fibromyalgia.

Relatively I am a very happy person, with a beatiful family and a healthy outlook to life, but the main area I keep struggling in is my weight. I believe I am finally ready to "take charge" and do something about it. I honestly do not feel I am ready for surgery, I would like it to be my last resort. Has anyone here had success stories of losing weight without surgery, even if they were contemplating surgery at one point? I suppose the idea of having the band on for life really scares me. Mindy you suggested that I don't think of it as having it temporarily and with this being said I agree. If I was too consider the surgery, I would really need to go into it thinking I would have it forever, and honestly that thought is frightening to me. Anytime my body is "adjusted" or organs taken out or surgeons cutting into me, I get quite scared.... (long stories for feeling this way)

In my heart I feel I CAN conqore this disease if I focus and realize it is truly a disease and I better get my S*** together. The main reasons why I have had so much trouble in the last few years to lose the weight is due to getting hurt everytime I try and exercise. Almost 4 years ago when I had my son, I went to exercise doing a low impact program. A few minutes after I started, I heard a pop in my left knee and I ended up tearing my tendons and ligaments in my knee in which I needed physical therapy for months. After that, I noticed I started having different kinds of joint pains, sometimes that would not be so bad, but more often than not, they were so bad I could not do much exercising. Then in December of 2005, I was pregnant with my last baby (born Jan 6) and it was Christmas Eve, I coughed and again, a huge pop was heard. This time I broke my rib from coughing...:tongue2: It was horrible. Since all this happened I have gone through a bone scan and found out that I do have osteopenia, which is a step down from osteoporosis. My bones are very weak and it is quite nerve racking when I want to exercise and fear something else may break. After saying all this, I still feel in my heart that I can do this, I really want to stay positive and focused on my weight loss. I truly hope that I continue to stay strong and know that I have continued support from family and friends.

Thank you again for letting me share.

Ali

[yellowroseaz 0]

I talked to someone who has fibromyalgia and she has lost over a hundred pounds with the band. She says her fibromyalgia is now in remission. I have done a lot of research online about the band and have gotten much of my questions answered here. I went to a seminar and have seen a band and that was helpful in my decision. It is a big change in lifestyle to get a band but I believe it is the right choice for me and for many many others. One good site to check out is obesityhelp.com and also lapband.com. Hope your research goes well. The more research the better. Good luck in your weight loss journey.

[jomarie 0]

I too, like mommyto3, am new to this forum and also unsure about moving forward with having WLS and in my case it would be the lapband. I first checked into gastric bypass, but just could not come to terms with particular post-surgery complications and fears so I decided to check out the lapband procedure. Although some of the concerns I have don't seem to be an issue with the lapband, I still find myself somewhat in the same position, unable to make a decision and move forward. I've been overweight for years and suffer from a serious back injury which I know losing the weight would help termendously, but I seem to get stuck and struck by the fear of the unknown. I'm afraid of the pain associated with the actual surgery and just afraid of failing. Weight has always been an issue for me and it feels like I've spent my whole life trying to lose this weight once and for all but always end up in the same place: trying another diet, buying another diet or self-help book and/or joining another weight loss program hoping that will be the answer, but to no avail. With a BMI of 36 and several comorbidities, I'm pretty sure my insurance will cover the procedure which is a big plus. I would love it if anyone who was in the same position as I am, stuck, fearful and indecisive, has some info or feedback about a similar experience and then what was the turning point or final yes and not looking back.

Thanks so much,

jomarie

[allykat 1]

I won't go into all the weight loss attempts I've had, but you asked if anyone had successfully lost weight without surgery. I think there are many of us who had successful attempts, only to regain it again. Otherwise, I doubt we'd be on this board. I myself lost about 70 lbs. on low carb. Worked out all the time, had a knee injury that required me to stop exercise for 8 weeks, got lazy, fell out of the habit of eating right and back into my bad habits and all that weight came back adn brought friends.

I can tell you that I was where you are a year ago. I seriously considered the lap band, but just couldn't make the step to go to a seminar. I'd read how normal weight loss on the band was 1-2 lbs. per week and think that I could do that if I only got myself together. I spent the last year gaining and loosing the same 25 lbs over and over. In January of this year, I was right back where I was (heavier actually since I'd hit my heighest weight ever) and knew it was time. From there, I researched, researched, researched. I know I am doing the right thing and although I am scared to death (of surgery, of failing yet again on another weight loss attempt), I'm all set to go next week.

Good luck in your decision. It is never easy and it is personal for all of us. Just make sure you make the right choice for you.

[jomarie 0]

allykat,

Thanks for your response. I'm new to the boards and still learning how they work, including abbreviations and lingo. Am I reading your post correctly? Are you getting banded on the 27th of this month? If so, good luck. I meet with my doctor on the same day to decide if I'm going forward or not. You are so right about losing and regaining. That has been my life story which I think it's time I write a new story and make a decision once and for all. The more I think about it, the more I accept it's the right decision and I can't let fear control me any longer. Again, good luck and good health. Keep us posted as to how you are doing.

take care,

jomarie