laurak814

I won't be able to talk today. I am sub teaching. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@JazzyJay: I'm sorry it took so long to reply, my kids both had Choir concerts tonight & we just got home a bit ago & had dinner. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

That is wonderful of your Dr to give you the monitor, adjust your meds & send the paperwork to your surgeon. She obviously is very supportive of you having this procedure done! My primary Dr is horrible. I need to find a new one, but I live in a fairly rural area & don't have much to choose from. The Bariatric facility I'm going to is about 1.5 hrs away in Cleveland. I seriously doubt my Dr would support this procedure if it comes down to it. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

@JazzyJay: I went for the initial consult last February, but my husband was totally against it & talked me out of it. I've gained weight since then, & am even worse off so I called & set up another consult for next Friday to restart the process. I'll meet the new surgeon, a nutritionist & the Patient Advocate I met with last time all next week. I haven't told my husband yet. He's going to be mad I set this up behind his back without discussing it with him, and rightfully so, I just don't want him to talk me out of it again. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

@JazzyJay: I have headaches & migraines too. I have a couple conditions besides being overweight & one causes migraines & puts pressure on my optic nerve causing vision problems. Losing weight helps relieve the symptoms. I had lost 65#, but I've put it all back in once they removed me from the medication I was on which helped the symptoms & also helped with weight loss. I'm back to square one again, vision disturbances & headaches. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@JazzyJay: Don't be so hard on yourself!!! That's going to cause your more stress & a higher BP! lol Before this you thought your Dr was managing it with meds, now you know better. Yes a high BP can cause headaches, so can stress. Too much meds can cause dizziness & fainting, so it's a fine line to walk for a Dr. If your BP has been lower when you go in for your exams, they may have thought they were prescribing correct dosages. But since you have a high amount of stress in your life, that prescription just isn't cutting it. Again, don't be so hard on yourself. This is a learning tool, now you know. I have hbp & I don't check mine daily, but I can tell when it's off & I check it then. I've been dealing with it for 14 years. Cutting the stress from your life is the best thing you can try to do at this point! Both for your BP & your weight/surgery. Cutting Stress is a major factor is helping to overcome major obstacles in life. ❤️ Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@JazzyJay- that is on meds?! That is considered high. Anything over 140/90 is high. If you are able, take your pressures daily, or as often as possible. Even if you get your own machine or go to a pharmacy & have those automated machines do it. Keep a record of them to show your surgeon. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@jazzyjay that doesn't make sense for them to want to see it not being controlled. Unless they want it to be bad enough that it isn't able to be controlled with medication. Which if you hadn't lost a bunch of weight already, your BP would probably be worse but still not out of medicinal control. Medicaid might have tighter guidelines than private insurance, but private insurance policies vary depending on the employer or buyer or even the insurance company. Keep your chin up! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@jazzyjay I'm very conscious of my BP b/c I've had issues for many years & high BP & heart disease runs in both sides of my family. You are new to the high BP family so you aren't as aware of the numbers, lots of people aren't. I bet your Dr will be able to get the insurance to revise the decision after the talk. Try not to stress about it. ❤️ Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm so sorry. How long have you been on blood pressure meds? What do you your pressures normally run on medicine & what were they when you were diagnosed? It sounds to me that your insurance is just looking for excuses not to pay. Hopefully your Dr can work some magic & talk the insurance into changing their minds. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That's AWESOME!!! Congratulations! Thanks for the input! Good luck with the rest of your journey! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

He is worried about malabsorption post-op, me regaining weight like I always do with dieting, & part of me thinks he worries I will leave after. He knows how unhappy I've been, but he just doesn't believe that I'm miserable with myself. I feel like a complete failure. I mean there are things I wish I could go back in time & do over, like not get into that car accident, pick different career in college, etc. but he's the best decision I've made, even if we are scraping to make ends meet. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You are allergic to one or both of those pain meds. Do not take them. It's probably the Oxy. Lots of people are, including my husband. From what I've read, walking helps alleviate the gas pain, a product called Gas-X, and warm compresses on the abdomen. Call your Dr about the pain meds ASAP & your allergic reaction to them. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@SlimBra I was told the pseudo tumor went away also, but that was before I regained all the weight. I also have issues with double vision stemming from head trauma I endured in a car accident. It's difficult to tell when I'm having issues from which problem. Until yesterday I didn't know UH did Bariatric surgery. That's wonderful you had a great experience. Another person I read about yesterday said the same, they had a great experience there. Four people I know have gone to St. V's & had successful procedures there. Three of them were bypass in the past 5-15 yrs & one was a sleeve in the past 6 months. I have an appt at St. V's on 12/16 to meet a Dr, the nutritionist & my patient advocate again. I haven't told my husband that I scheduled the appt. I know he's gonna be pissed I did it without discussing it with him first. We always talk things through before making big decisions. He talked me out of it last time & I don't want him to do that again. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Has anyone had any experience with St. Vincent Charity Medical Centers in Cleveland, Oh for either the Bypass or Sleeve surgery? In Feb 2016, I had initially met with a Dr & Patient Advocate regarding the sleeve surgery. My husband was (and still is) against the procedure for fear of complications during & post-op, & my lack of success with other weight loss trials. Here I am 10 months later, and at least 10 lbs heavier than I was at that time. I am miserable & now I have high blood pressure again. I had been taken off the meds for it previously due to losing a significant amount of weight & not needing the meds anymore. Well, since I have gained nearly all of that weight back, my BP has gone back up & I started experiencing migraine headaches again on a regular basis. I also suffer from Pseudo Tumor Cerebri, a rare condition in the skull. Fast forward to now, I'm heavier, with high BP, headaches, knee issues from past surgeries causing issues d/t weight gain, eye troubles d/t Pseudo Tumor condition flaring up from weight gain, lots of problems. Husband still unsupportive, money & cost is an issue. Must come up with $1000 for surgery, minimum. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I'm from just outside of the Cleveland area but I've heard wonderful things about University Hospitals. I didn't know they had a Bariatric Center however! I went to my first apt at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Feb 2016, put the process on hold, but I just called today to start the process again. My apt is 12/16 to speak with the Dr, the Nutritionist & my Patient Advocate. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Congratulations!!! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I'm glad I found this thread. I am just at the beginning of my journey, & have never heard of VSG causing Gastric Reflux. I have that problem now, but when I was thinner I didn't. Since I've gained some weight back, the reflux has come back. I'm wondering if it would still cause reflux. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

@@Bjordan2 that consult was last March. He has since looked up info on the surgery (I think confusing it with the older gastric bypass) & has told me he doesn't want me to do it due to the dangers. Wants me to try exercising it all off & eating better instead. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

You go @@LittleBill! It is not the job of Office Coordinators to give out medical advice, unless they are former CNPs who made job changes, which rarely happens. I would call the medical facility back & make a complaint to the HR department about this person, explaining in detail exactly what she said/did before it slipped my mind (I would forget the details) & explain how they would not let you speak to your CNP. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

@@Bjordan2 your reasons are exactly the same as ours. I know he worries about my health after the surgery, malabsorption issues, surgery complications, etc. He is worried I will regain after spending the money, AGAIN. He went to my initial Dr consult & was impressed with what he saw there & learned, but was still against me having it. But he said that maybe he should be the one to be having the procedure, due to his sleep apnea which he is unable to use the mask b/c of severe claustrophobia. And finally I feel he is afraid of losing me after I lose the weight. I think he subconsciously keeps me fat for that reason. I need his help financially & emotionally for this. I can't do this alone, especially if he is sabotaging my weight loss efforts. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

@@MindyMe Wow, you really have had a lot to deal with this year! I did an online seminar last February & made a consultation appt with the Dr. Went to the appt only to find out that he was leaving in 2 weeks for another hospital. My husband is a functional fat man. He is active, coaches 3 sports, has sleep apnea, etc. & refuses to lose weight. I try to lose weight & cant. I'm exhausted all the time. I'm so glad your fiancé has come around & supports you now. That's wonderful! Hopefully it has brought the two of you closer together. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

@@Raymia My uncle died a few days ago of a massive heart attack at work. He wasn't of any meds, but was very overweight. Heart disease runs on bothe sides of my family & since I've been re diagnosed with high blood pressure, I'm concerned about my weight continuing to increase & it just getting worse & worse. I'm a horrible example for my kids. I do no exercise, I'm lazy, I don't run b/c my knees are shot, my gut hangs in the way, I'm so out of shape. I want to be better for myself & them. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

What an inspiration!!! You have to feel so much better inside & out! How did you stay so dedicated to the diet? I mean, not cheating in 10 months? Never eating a bad food that entire time, I can't last a couple days! I'm amazed! You are SuperWoman! Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

My husband is a health teacher, and he is primarily concerned about the issues I can have post op, about malabsorption issues & about having to be on Vitamin supplements for the rest of my life. Well, I'm already on prescriptions & Vitamins, that wouldn't be any different. He doesn't even know what I'm on. But I understand he is concerned about surgery issues. He doesn't understand how depressed & miserable I truly am. I've been depressed so long he doesn't remember me happy. And I think the big thing is the out of pocket cost after insurance. We don't have great insurance anymore, school budget cuts included insurance plan downgrading. And I'm only a part-time sub, just starting back in the work force after being off most of this year. Money is very tight. I'm only working a couple days a week. It has taken a few months to get hired as a sub, much longer than anticipated. My 69 yr old uncle died last week unexpectedly at work from a massive heart attack, he was not on any heart meds, but was severely overweight. My dads side of the family has a lot of heart disease history & my dad has had high bp & heart caths in the past. My moms father has had heart issues in the past. It is on both sides of my family. I don't want my weight to continue to rise until I keel over dead from a heart attack at an early age like my uncle. I'm tired of being fat. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App