JennyBeth

There was no waiting period with my insurance either and from the first appt. with my PCP (I have H M O insurance) it'll be almost exactly 3 months by the time all of my appt.s/clearance tests are completed and everything is submitted for final approval. Then I'll get my Pre-op and surgery date.

Mine was done beforehand as well.

OMG! HOLY HELL! I couldn't believe how uncomfortable that was! The only ultrasounds I have had were when I was pregnant. They squirt the jelly on you and run the scanner gently across your belly. This was so uncomfortable I was gritting my teeth so hard I'm surprised I didn't chip a tooth! At one point I was going to tell the ultrasound tech, "Enough! What the hell are you doing to me?!" She had to get the scanner up under my ribs and it was so uncomfortable. I have a high threshold for pain normally so I was surprised at how uncomfortable I was! I'll be surprised if my ribs aren't bruised!

I for one LOVE the "you're not THAT big" responses that I have heard from 2 out of the 4 that I've actually told. Really? Should I wait until I am? I'm big enough to qualify (my BMI is 37) and I think it's better to do it now while I'm still considered "low" risk and my health hasn't completely gone to poop?! Now I'll just say my doctor and myself disagree with that.

I have had gastritis for the past 10 years. It never goes away. It is an irritation to the inside of the stomach/esophagus and it can get better with the proper medication, but it could be an issue at any time. My surgeon said that you do run the risk of having it flare up immediately after surgery, but he is going to put me on medication for the first 6 months (or longer if necessary) to help. I have never been told that gastritis makes your stomach swollen. I would ask your surgeon.

I waited longer to go into the endoscopy room and to be discharged than anything else! For me the worst thing was the IV-once they started that I was more relaxed. Same thing happened to me-the Dr. started talking to me and told me to roll onto my left side and the next thing I knew they were waking me up! I kept saying "you already did it? You're done?" because I couldn't believe how fast/easy it was!

Thank you! I appreciate the support! I've been scared to admit that this is what scares me the most regarding WLS. I know these are his issues and not mine. My husband is very apprehensive about counseling (even though we both could benefit) but I know once he sees the psychiatrist and has the evaluation they will require him to see someone. Deep down I also know that WLS is not going to make or break our marriage, I guess it just feels strange to put myself first for once. Either way I'll be healthier no matter what happens because I KNOW I deserve it! Thank you for being my sounding board. I don't really talk much about my feelings to anyone and it feels safe to post it here-especially given the fact I have only told my husband, mom and an unsupportive co-worker about the sleeve!

I agree that this surgery feels like a life saver!! I also found out I have a hiatal hernia and gastritis. (I've actually known about the gastritis for about 10 years.) I was not required to do a chest x-ray, but the thought of heart disease scares me because it is so prevalent in my family! Good luck to you on your new and healthy life!!!

Good for you for making the decision to have the sleeve! I'm sure it is especially scary given the fact you had such high hopes for the band and that didn't work out so well. Unfortunately I hear more negative stories about the band than good. In all of my research I haven't heard too many negative stories about the sleeve. I am still pre-op, but feel very confident in the sleeve. There are definitely risks involved so it is good to educate yourself and go into this well informed. I think a lot of people still go for the bypass because it is still considered the "Gold Standard" of WLS. My surgeon pointed out that if there was 1 perfect surgery then they would only do 1 type of surgery. Both have their own advantages/disadvantages. I think you have to look at how much weight you want to lose and your lifestyle. I didn't want to deal with malabsorption issues and things being "re-routed" scared me more than the thought of having 85% of my stomach removed! Good luck to you!

In all of my research I've read repeatedly that good marriages are often stronger and poor marriages are often made worse following WLS. I have to admit that I'm very troubled by this. I have been married for 13 and a half years and our marriage has been rocky through the years. A little bit of background info-My husband has been really struggling the past few years with a major depression/anxiety issues. He attributed most of it to his job that he felt "stuck" at. His employer sold the business and since he had no other options he decided to go to school to drive a truck. He did awesome and was starting to feel better, but when he went to leave for an over the road trucking company he realized he couldn't do it. He struggled with the thought of being away from our boys so much. He decided to look for local employment and sunk back into depression because he felt like he "failed". He was unemployed for a little over a year and finally started full-time employment in November. Through the years he has been trying to deal with his issues on his own, but now that it has gotten SO bad and now that he finally has health insurance he is seeking treatment and hopefully this helps him, but our relationship has suffered because of this. I also know he has a long road ahead of him to get him back to how he used to be. Sometimes I feel like I can't talk to him because he's already going through a lot and honestly sometimes I just don't want to because deep down I think I harbor anger over the fact that when he gets upset (which right now is often) he gets mean. It's kind of like walking on egg shells! We have not even had an intimate relationship in over 2 years due to his lack of interest because of his depression and my own insecurities regarding my weight. My husband says he supports me (even though he admits he doesn't understand WLS because he has never struggled with his weight a day in his life), but I'm still scared. He went with me to the seminar and he has a better understanding of it now and says he agrees with my decision to have the sleeve. I am scared because feel like our relationship is fragile, but I also feel that this is my ONE chance to make my self healthy and for once I want to put myself first. Part of me thinks maybe this will improve our relationship because I know deep down my husband resents the fact that I have "let myself go" but then at other times I feel like I'm being selfish by focusing on myself when he is still suffering so much with his depression. He gets easily overwhelmed and I'm afraid he isn't going to be able to support me or help with our boys in the way that I'll need following surgery. I'm scared, but determined at the same time if that makes any sense. Am I being selfish?

It depends on what the practice requires and what your insurance requires. My surgeon required I meet with the Bariatrician and nutritionist before scheduling a date and he also made me do an EGD, abdominal ultrasound and more blood work prior to surgery. Some people are required to do a sleep study, EKG, chest x-rays, and blood gases prior to surgery. It depends on the surgeon and your BMI when it comes to what they require. It has been almost 3 months to the day that I started this process with my PCP by the time I receive official approval from insurance (and my insurance didn't even require any amount of Dr. supervised weight loss). It's a LONG process, but will be worth it in the end! Good luck to you and hopefully you can get that March date!

I'm hoping for a March date! I just have an abdominal ultrasound on 2/15, appt. with Bariatrician on 2/20 and nutritionist on 2/22 then they submit for final approval from insurance and then I'll schedule my pre-op appt. and surgery date! Hopefully March 20th will be my day!! I think I'll feel a little more relaxed when I have an actual date to focus on! Good luck to all you fellow March sleevers!

I have heard a lot of surgeons do that. My surgeon actually makes you attend the informational seminar and fill out the personal information packet and they review it and then they contact you to schedule the first appt. Normally at the 1st appt. you meet with the surgeon, bariatician, nutritionist, and psychologist all in one day which could be a 4 hour appt! However, due to my insurance (BCBS H M O) they would only give the referral to see the surgeon and if he agreed with my PCP that the surgery was medically necessary then they would give me a referral to see the bariatician and nutritionist. I had to complete the psy. eval. before my PCP would even authorize the referral to the surgeon (so I don't have to re-do that). A lot of surgeons seem to want to get the requirements before they meet with you. It shouldn't be that way, but they probably spend a lot of time with patients and for whatever reason they either don't get approved or have a change of heart-most people probably can't afford to private-pay for the surgery. (I know I couldn't so although the hoop-jumping is extremely annoying and the process seems to take FOREVER, I'm thankful I have insurance that actually covers WLS!)

It's pretty ridiculous if you ask me. It is not cheap to join/attend WW and if you ask for a print out of your weight history they should give it to you! I complained to a supervisor over the phone and sent emails to no avail. All they were willing to give me were the dates that I joined so I took those dates and typed out a letter myself for my insurance. I also included how much I weighed when I joined and how much weight I lost each time I joined (which of course were approximates since I couldn't get a weight history and I didn't save my booklets because it was just another reminder of a diet that started off strong and then re-gained!)

I specifically asked my surgeon regarding the staples eroding over time and he said they don't rust/erode like a regular staple would. The sleeve has been done for the past 10 years or so in the US and I haven't been able to find too much negative long term data.

I had the same issue and WW would not give me my past weigh-ins unless I rejoined. I could only access what I had on my etools acct. I have done weight watchers 5 times in the past 10 years. I thought it was ridiculous to have to pay to access that!

And I think you will always be able to find those that have good results with a procedure and others that have nothing but issues from day 1. I think it's best to fully understand all the possible outcomes and go into it as prepared as possible, but have a positive attitude that things will go great for you! I have a friend who had bypass last May and hasn't had 1 issue. She doesn't suffer from dumping syndrome, tolerates the supplements fine and is down 100 pounds in just 10 months! I still felt the sleeve was the best procedure for ME! Good luck with whatever you decide!

It's hard to know which is best for everyone because everyone is so different. If there was 1 perfect operation then that is all anyone would ever get. There are pros and cons to all of them and you need to decide which is best for you and your lifestyle. Everyone on here is going to be somewhat biased because we all seem to be pro-sleeve, but the best thing you can do is gather your research and go to your appointment with the surgeon and ask a lot of questions. A good surgeon is going to look at your BMI, how much weight you want to lose and your current health issues and will be able to recommend what they feel is your best option. Personally I chose the sleeve because I like the fact that nothing is re-routed and I will not have to deal with malabsorbtion issues. I know that if you have a very high BMI and you are looking to lose a lot of weight my surgeon recommends the bypass, but he is confident that I will be capable of losing the 90 pounds that I would like to lose with the sleeve. My surgeon told me he never recommends the band anymore because that is only to be used as a temporary fix and there are too many complications with it. The sleeve is relatively newer than the bypass (which is still considered to be the gold-standard of WLS due to higher amounts of weight lost), but I feel confident in my choice. Yes, it is permanent and can not be reversed, but that is part of my body I wouldn't want back! Sleeve can always be converted to bypass down the road if you do not see the results you were hoping for. Hope that helps!

My doctor says he tells people 3-4 weeks. I plan on returning after 2 weeks which he said is reasonable to do. 6-8 weeks might be stretching it a little, but maybe since your job is so physical that would be acceptable.

I am using Dr. Bipan Chand at Loyola Hospital. Anyone else in the area? Does anyone know of any local support groups? Loyola offers them twice a month, but it's about an hour away from me so it's not convenient on week nights because I work full time.

Talk to your pain management doctor. Does it come in a liquid or dissolvable option? I take a couple of medications (not for pain) and I can get a liquid or dissolvable option for after surgery.