WitchySar

Hmm, I can't find an edit button. I meant 11 hours and 50 minutes, not 23. Lol

Sorry for the double post. I'm really excited and nervous about my appointment tomorrow with my primary. I don't know what she'll say, I'm not sure what the next step is, can she even help me with this at all since there are no bariatric surgeons in my town... My weight has been well documented over the years so I know I have that part covered. I need a 6 month supervised diet but will my primary refer me for that or do I need to find a surgeon first and he refers me to one? So many questions and I don't like waiting for answers! 23 hours and 50 minutes until my appointment... but who's counting? Hehehe

Would your surgery have been denied if you weren't able to lose that much weight? At my weight a 10% loss is significant. I'm worried what will happen if I don't lose. I'm on Medicaid and the requirements just say a supervised weight loss program is required for 6 months, it doesn't say what will happen if you don't lose.

I've heard some conflicting info and would like to hear from some people who have maybe gone through this. I know that some (most?) insurances require a medically supervised diet before surgery, usually about 6 months. I know mine does. The conflicting info I've heard though is regarding losing or gaining weight during that time. Some people I've heard from said they were told they couldn't get the surgery unless they lost weight on the diet, but I've also heard that if you gained weight on the diet it would make it more likely to get the surgery approved since it shows that regular diets don't work. I can see it both ways... one way they want to see proof that you can make changes and losing weight shows that, but the other way proves that regular diets don't work and the surgery is your best option. Maybe it depends on the insurance? I'm just concerned because I don't know what kind of diet the nutritionist is going to want to put me on. My primary is a strong advocate for going vegetarian but that makes me gain weight. The only way I've ever had luck losing weight is when I followed very strict low carb but I don't know if the nutritionist will agree to a low carb diet for me. Last time I saw a nutritionist was, oh god, almost 20 years ago and of course low fat low calorie was the suggestion. I've tried so many diets over the years, I gain weight on nearly all of them, even when following perfectly. Needless to say, I'm nervous about this. I talk to my primary tomorrow to start the ball rolling so I haven't seen a surgeon or nutritionist yet. Just was thinking about that tonight and figured I'd ask.

OMG thank you for recommending Clusie. She's hilarious! I haven't checked out the others yet, been too caught up watching Clusie. LOL

Ah, gotcha. Here's a small excerpt from one site: "Vertical gastrectomy offers more benefits than gastric bypass, including the following: It is a safer and less complex operation It limits ingestion of food and hunger by getting rid of ghrelin, the hunger hormone It leads to natural digestion that doesn’t cause nutritional deficiencies typically associated with gastric bypass It keeps the small intestine and pyloric valve intact It is an option for high-risk patients with high BMI and/or medical issues such as Crohn’s disease, prior surgery, anemia, or anti-inflammatory medication" One other big factor for me is that the bypass is a longer surgery. The longer someone is under anesthesia the more risks increase. Plus my BMI is above 50, which other research shows is the preferred cutoff for the bypass (it can still be done but higher risks), and I have chronic pain and need to be able to take anti-inflammatory meds, which you can't do after the bypass. Those are some of my reasons.

That's a good idea to try YouTube. I hadn't considered that.

So far I have no insulin resistance. My doctor says I'm not even prediabetic. I'm only concerned about that because it's possible for hashimoto's to trigger diabetes. No amount of weight loss will get rid of that risk, so it's not so much a concern for me. As for their side effects I forget all the specifics now, it's been a while since I've talked to each of them. But each friend that had the bypass nearly died, either during surgery or within the couple months following it. It's great that it works for a lot of people, but I'm not willing to go into a surgery that has greater risks associated with it.

There is no way I will agree to a bypass. No offense to anyone who chose that option for themselves but I've researched the differences a lot and I'm not willing to take those surgical risks. Hell it took me a long time to agree to the risks of the VSG. Plus every person I know personally who has had the bypass had severe side effects, not so with the sleeve. My risk of diabetes will never be taken away since I have a thyroid disorder, it's always a chance. Simply being a lower weight will help with limiting the risk though.

Perhaps that's true for your journey, maybe it's just not as important to you as it is to me. I think the fact that I identified this as a concern for myself this early is good... gives me a longer time to work on coming to terms with the fact. Why should I push it to the back burner just because I'm early on in my journey? Seems mentally irresponsible to me.

Well I can tell you you're wrong about that. Where on earth did I say I wasn't ready to make changes? You're reading a LOT into this. It's a good thing you aren't the one who needs to approve my surgery. lol Just because I'm freaking about having hanging skin is not the same thing as not being prepared to do what it takes to get healthy again. At least I recognize the issues I have and am taking steps to fix them (such as this thread to talk to others who have gone through this, and my admission that I should talk to my therapist about this). You are so negative.

Yeah, I'm not worried about getting the WLS paid for, it's covered bly medicaid. It's the plastic surgery afterward that I won't be able to afford. I've heard conflicting things on whether or not medicaid in Colorado covers panniculectomy, even with documented rashes, but I know they do NOT cover tummy tucks, wing reductions, or breast lifts/implants. And honestly it's my boobs I'm most worried about. My husband is a huge boob man, and so am I (well, woman, but you know what I mean lol). I wear a G cup bra right now and I've been wanting implants already to make them bigger. So going the opposite direction makes my anxiety flare up like crazy. And I already divorced one husband who didn't find me attractive apparently (not due to weight, just in general) so the thought of doing something to risk the awesome marriage I have right now. Well I'm starting to hyperventilate right now typing it out. I think I need to talk to my therapist on Thursday.

Well I don't want to be *thin* either. 225 is plenty thin for me. I actually LIKE being a big woman, I just need to be a little bit LESS of a big woman. lol I'm glad to hear the skin changes haven't been too bad for you (minus the arms). It helps set my mind at ease a little bit. I never said I wasn't focused on getting healthy, but part of health is mental health. And right now that's all I can work on, so here I am asking this question. And no, money can't always be found someplace to afford surgery. Not everyone has any disposable income. We live paycheck to paycheck. Nothing extra anywhere.

Hehehe, well if they sex gets any better I might just break him in half. Trust me, that's one area that we don't have any problems in. lol I guess one part of my concern is he likes my fat. Heck, so do I. I'm not doing the surgery hoping to LOOK better, I just need to have better health. I like being a fat woman, I like how I look. I'm scared to lose my plushiness for floppiness. LOL That's funny, but makes me think perhaps I should start finding a way to save money for a boob job later on. My looks have always been super crazy important to me. And I'm still making plans for the surgery, I'm just super scared too. Like legit terrified at becoming ugly and floppy. It makes me happy to hear your cup size hasn't changed. Maybe it's not as inevitable as I think.

I haven't had surgery yet (talking to my primary on Wednesday to get the ball rolling) but one reason why I've been putting off on asking about it is I'm terrified of loose skin. I'm 42, weigh about 375... my skin isn't going to bounce back like it used to (over 12 years ago I lost almost 150lbs and had no loose skin, I've since regained and aged). Right now I love my big boobs and don't want to lose them but there's no way I can afford implants, like ever. And my husband is 15 years younger than me (rawr!), I'm worried that he'll stop finding me sexy. He swears that's not going to happen but I can't help but worry. His preference has always been big women, and with my starting size I know it's unlikely I'll ever get truly *thin* but I will be thinnER, and floppy everywhere. I get nearly in tears every time I think about it. How did your partner respond to your flopping skin everywhere? What did you end up doing about it? I'd love to hear from everyone but especially if there's anyone with a starting size near or more than mine. Thanks.

I've already been approved for medical transport through medicaid. Unfortunately the limitation is that they will only pick up in my county. But since the closest center to me is in Colorado Springs, which is a different county, could get a ride TO the appointment but not home.

I'm not in Springs but in Pueblo. Colorado Springs seems the closest I can find though. I'd love to connect with others going through the WLS surgery adventure. I speak with my primary on Wednesday to start my journey.

Well I have an appointment with my primary on Wednesday. Maybe I'll be able to do the nutritionist and psych eval here in my town. My husband said we'll do whatever it takes to get me to appointments out of town, including renting a car, but financially it'll be too expensive if I have to go more than once a month.

Thank you for the tip to look for a Center of Excellence in Colorado for Bariatric Surgery. Sadly that shows there are NONE in Pueblo. I don't have reliable transportation to take me over an hour away every month (or possibly more, it sounds like). Now I'm honestly not quite sure what to do. I have hated this stupid town ever since moving here and now I hate it more. As for the hashimoto's, I've been treated for my thyroid for about 18 years now. Is that still going to cause a problem? Is there even a point in calling my primary now? If I end up finding a way out of town I'll have to do my appointments up there too, right? Like the nutritionist, psych, etc... or can I do the nutritionist and psych here in my town?

Hi all. I'm pretty new here and just recently made the decision to pursue weight loss surgery. I've always been happy being a fat woman, I've never been thin, but I can't do it anymore. My tipping point was when we moved a few months ago. We moved into a second floor apartment. A few years ago that wouldn't have been a problem, but now I can barely manage to go up and down once a day. I have injured my ankles many MANY times in my life including breaking each of them thanks to being a complete klutz, and I injured my knee years ago when I was younger in a dancing accident and was told then I'd likely need surgery. Well it's 25 years later, no surgery because of my weight, and now I can barely move. I have three kids and can't take them anywhere, can't play with them, I'm in constant pain. I also have high blood pressure that my primary can't get under control despite me being on 3 different meds. I also have hashimoto's (a thyroid disorder) and chronic pain. Because of my thyroid problem it makes it even more likely that I'll develop diabetes. I know losing weight won't fix everything but it surely will help a lot. I haven't talked to my primary yet but I'm going to call tomorrow for an appointment. I would prefer to call a surgeon directly but I can't find any in my town. Well, google did find one place that offers mini gastric bypass but my research, and chatting with all my friends who've had the surgeries, has led me to wanting the vertical sleeve instead. So not sure how that's going to play out. If anyone knows of any weight loss surgeons in the southern Colorado area (preferably Pueblo) that take medicaid I'd LOVE to hear about them. I did have my gall bladder removed last year... is that going to cause a problem with having the surgery? I can't find info on that. At least my experience with that surgery has shown me that I can survive surgery, which is one of my biggest concerns. I know I'm rambling. I'm just excited to start the process and very nervous at the same time.

Thank you. When you looked for surgeons that took your insurance did you look for bariatric surgeons or is it listed as something else?

I think I've found the medicaid list of requirements and it looks like I shouldn't have a problem. I'd still love to hear from anyone in Colorado that has used medicaid for the surgery. Is getting the approval a long process or, as long as you follow the requirements, is it easy?

Thanks. I will see if I can find a clinic in this area. I'm worried I might not. I have medicaid and I definitely meet the listed requirements so as long as I do the appointments right there shouldn't be a problem getting approved. Unfortunately everyone I know that has had the surgery live in different states, so sadly not much help in finding providers that way.

Hi all. I'm very new here, and very new to the whole surgery idea in general. I haven't spoken to a doctor about it but I want to get all my ducks in a row before I do. I assume I speak to my primary (nurse practitioner) first, but do I need to know what doctor I want a referral to right away or does she start the process? Or do I go straight to consulting with a weight loss clinic? Or? Either way I know I'm going to need recommendations for a surgeon in Pueblo Colorado (might be able to go as far as Colorado Springs for the surgery, but I have no way to get up there regularly for appointments). I don't trust my primary enough to just go where she says. Thanks.

Hi all. I'm brand new here and brand new to the whole surgery thing too. I have a BMI of about 60 and also have high blood pressure. I haven't yet spoken to my primary about weight loss surgery but I know she'll agree. I am just having a hard time finding out if it's even worth it. There is zero chance I can self pay and I have medicaid in Colorado. Does anyone here know for sure if Colorado Medicaid covers bariatric surgery? If so, any chance someone knows the procedure they require? Thanks.