fliss78

I finished my Kaiser Permanente options classes, did all the lab and x-rays. I went to meet my surgeon on Thursday and he is pushing for roux en y because I have GERD. Anyone else have this happen to them? I didn't realize acid reflex was a big issue for getting the sleeve. any input would be greatly appreciated.

So.. you have to take supplements for the rest of your life regardless of which surgery you choose. Unless you want all your hair and teeth to fall out. High chances of developing Ricketts Disease as well...
Take your Vitamins people!

What is PE? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

VSG and the Mirena really have nothing to do with each other nor will they make either one work less etc

If you have Gerd in any capacity Roux En Y is the way to go. VSG is proven to worsen GERD!
Also I noted that you have diabetes in your discussion. Roux En Y would almost eliminate it. Due to the re-route of the intestines.
Trust your surgeon -
You would hate to get VSG only for your GERD to be exacerbated and have to revise to Roux En Y-
Hence increasing your risk for PE.
Good luck!

VSG and the Mirena really have nothing to do with each other nor will they make either one work less etc

If you have Gerd in any capacity Roux En Y is the way to go. VSG is proven to worsen GERD!
Also I noted that you have diabetes in your discussion. Roux En Y would almost eliminate it. Due to the re-route of the intestines.
Trust your surgeon -
You would hate to get VSG only for your GERD to be exacerbated and have to revise to Roux En Y-
Hence increasing your risk for PE.
Good luck!

Mine is July 8, 2016 we are not far apart in our process. Kit!! Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

My mother's response was... "your so vain, just get off your butt and exercise." Mind you I do 15,000 plus steps per day just at work as a nurse. I can completely relate. Do what feels right to you. Don't worry about what others say. My first appointment with the surgery center is on July 8th 2016. I'm doing this for me, and no one else!! Hugs
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My mother's response was... "your so vain, just get off your butt and exercise." Mind you I do 15,000 plus steps per day just at work as a nurse. I can completely relate. Do what feels right to you. Don't worry about what others say. My first appointment with the surgery center is on July 8th 2016. I'm doing this for me, and no one else!! Hugs
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Some people have doctors that tell them no Protein for a month or no Protein shakes at all. As surgery is becoming more popular, and there are more quack doctors out there. Expect more dumb questions.
Even if the questions are annoying, it is better people ask than suffer alone.
This is a support forum. Every topic isn't going to be about low self esteem, bad spouses, and gossipy co-workers.

The appointment with the doctor's office yesterday was phenomenal in some ways. This might get long, and I hope it's not too confusing!
Backing up: It was about a week ago when someone at BCBS first called my coordinator saying I wasn't covered for VSG. I was sure it was some error or someone reading the wrong file or something. Right away, I suggested to my staff that IF that is true (and I didn't believe it then), we could have me do the hernia repair and then just add-on the surgeon fee for the VSG and do all at once. Makes total sense, and I can see you all understand this concept here! So, I called BCBS myself to get it straightened out and they were still telling me it's all fine, medically necessary, you're covered, etc (that person didn't look deeper into the employer benefits exclusion at that time, and I wasn't aware of it). Even though I thought we were now good to go and the coordinator believed it too, since that time my surgeon was alerted to all of this by the staff, and started looking into the ability to do this "VSG-piggyback-on-the-Hernia" plan for me.
Fast forward to yesterday: I started my appointment with the coordinator and shared all the details about how I'd just learned that I'm now definitely NOT covered for VSG due to employer's exclusion buried deep within their policy somewhere. She explained that Doc has been working on the contingency plan all week long with the hospital. Next, went into examination room for weigh, go over meds, all that stuff with nurse. Next, the doctor and most of his staff met me in the hall and then led me into his office to talk, just the two of us. He explained that at our hospital, this piggyback-VSG had never been done, though he'd tried many times before and the hospital bigwigs would not budge. In my case, he was somehow able to get through to the top brass there to get it accepted as a new procedure. This may in part be because I've been through this long process for months, met every requirement, medical necessity with several co-morbidities, and we were now just DAYS away from my scheduled surgery date. I think that the urgency helped.
During our meeting in his office, my PA interrupted to say so-and-so was on the phone, did he want to take it now or call later? He kind of darted out of the office and left me there for at least 15 minutes (I figured it was some emergency). When he came back, he said that was actually about my case; they were literally still getting finance dept people at the hospital on board with the piggyback-VSG while I was there!
Because I'm their guinea pig for this, they couldn't give me a $ figure so I couldn't even comprehend if I could afford what they were trying to do. Finally, they got a figure for the VSG portion. In order to get this squared away immediately so that I could know that I'm actually getting surgery on Monday, I paid 50% of that figure with a credit card right there. If I had time, I might have looked into the Care Credit financing or something...but no time.
My entire staff was so kind and so wonderfully human about this whole thing. I felt like they genuinely cared about me, they realize how hard I've worked and how much I want and need this. We were all celebrating after we got the breakthrough with the hospital that will now allow a self-pay VSG tied together with covered hernia repair, for the first time ever. My Doc said that my case will enable more patients who really need this to be able to get it done at our hospital in the future. I actually feel really proud and excited about this.

My mother's response was... "your so vain, just get off your butt and exercise." Mind you I do 15,000 plus steps per day just at work as a nurse. I can completely relate. Do what feels right to you. Don't worry about what others say. My first appointment with the surgery center is on July 8th 2016. I'm doing this for me, and no one else!! Hugs
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Hi everyone. I have my very first appointment on June 27th for the seminar. I'm starting to feel kind of scared. Ever since I mentioned the bypass surgery it seems everyone has a death horror story to tell me. I am a type 2 diabetic, my weight is 307, and I have high blood pressure. My doctor told me this surgery would be great for me. Can people really die from this surgery? If so, why and from what?
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Since this post I've lost about 10 pounds and am under where I started!
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My mother's response was... "your so vain, just get off your butt and exercise." Mind you I do 15,000 plus steps per day just at work as a nurse. I can completely relate. Do what feels right to you. Don't worry about what others say. My first appointment with the surgery center is on July 8th 2016. I'm doing this for me, and no one else!! Hugs
Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

@@reachbree Good luck with your surgery! I would say NO to the visitors! You will NOT be up for company .... particularly CONTROLLING company! Lol

Ultimately this is YOUR life and not theirs! People who don't need WLS or can control their eating and weight easily, seem to think it's scam, the easy way out, or unhealthy. But they are uneducated on the details and benefits. I reccomend having a little family detox, clear your head and figure out what's best for you!!
Keep us updated! Many people are here to support you!
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Earlier you mentioned that your mom may visit after surgery. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES LET HER IN YOUR HOUSE. You need to man up and tell her and your sisters to stay home and keep their opinions to themselves. Do not open their emails. Do not answer the phone if caller ID shows it is them. Tell them they are welcome to come once they have decided to support you, but if they are not going to support, they are not welcome.
It will be hard. You will cry. But if you let them come to visit you, you will be beyond miserable. Temporarily cut off contact and talk to them after you are home from surgery a week or so. If they call, your husband can answer the phone and tell them you are fine, surgery went well and you are resting. Every last time they call.

@@reachbree
Ignore them, and focus on yourself. If you are on your liquid diet, you really don't need this drama.
Good luck and update us after surgery

I made the decision to not tell people. My family does not believe in the surgery. I've been heavy my entire life and hitting 40 has caused some major concerns. I started at 236 had surgery 4/13/16 and now 6 weeks later & 40 pounds lighter I couldn't be happier. We all hear just diet and exercise. Easier said than done sometimes. I now pay very close attention to what I eat and I walk at least 5 miles a day. Surgery is not an easy answer and sometimes people don't understand that. Best of luck with surgery and the family. ????
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I'm so grateful to be the exception. Not only has my mom been tremendously supportive of my surgery, she insisted on paying for it and being by my side. I've made it into my early 30s without my mom having ever made me feel crazy or stupid about anything, much less personal healthcare choices. My husband is a physician, and I'm a professor, so she knows we're keen on educating ourselves before making momentous decisions. She's also known that I've struggled with my weight for years, and how it has impacted my quality of life in a myriad of ways. When I first told her about wanting to have the VSG she was mildly surprised only because she didn't think I'd qualify for it since I was a size 14, and definitely overweight but barely into the obese category. My endocrinologist had recommended the VSG to me because other patients my age and size who have PCOS have benefitted from it. I sent my mom the medical research on women with PCOS having the VSG, and she became as committed to me having it as my husband. Insurance wasn't going to cover a cent of the costs because my BMI was under 35, and she was initially concerned about that aspect. Local surgeons were going to charge $29,000 to $35K. My husband and I are still paying off student debt, so that was unfeasible. I did research on having surgery in Mexico, and sent it all to her. She got on board. She insisted on giving us the money for the surgery. Since my husband was working the week of the surgery, she and my dad flew out to be my support team and accompany me to Mexico. In the ten months since having the surgery, only my parents and my husband know about it, which has been perfect for me because they've given me all the support I need. I can't even put into words how much I appreciate her and my dad.

Thank goodness you are a woman fully grown and can make your own healthcare decisions. Go ahead and do what you have to do. Once you have the surgery and are on your way to better health and an improved quality of life, they can gripe all they want but they can't undo your surgery.

I am sorry you are not feeling support from your family right now. I hope she will turn her attitude around in few days after the initial shock of hearing your plans have passed. Do try to explain that you need her support. However, if she still isn't supportive, don't fret - you have a whole lot of support from everyone here.
I intentionally have not told anyone in my family because I knew they would not be supportive. However my family is all 300 miles away so much easier to deal with not telling them.
Do you have any close friends near you that you can count on?

It wasn't until I put these side-by-side thst I saw the weight loss. Left side taken March 5, 2016. Right side taken June 15, 2016.
Loss of 60 lbs as of today. Down almost 2 pant sizes and 3 top sizes so far.
Sleeved: March 14, 2016
Starting weight: 345 lbs
Weight as of June 18, 2016: 285 lbs