GramaLisa

Hi Nanook, Sorry to take so long in answering your question about the ulcers. When I was only four weeks out of surgery I began throwing up for no reason, even Water. The surgeon suspected a stricture so I was sent to a doctor for endoscopy. I was given something called "twilight sleep," which was actually pretty good stuff. I remember almost nothing from the procedure and it wore off quickly with no side affects. Anyway, they doped me up and put a scope down my throat and found the stricture, two ulcers, and something called "nodularities" which I later found out were caused by the ulcers. The "nods" were biopsied and found to be benign. I think I know why without the doctor telling me how I got the ulcers. I used to smoke and I used a lot of ibuprofen prior to surgery, despite the fact my PCP kept telling me not to use either one. I quit smoking before surgery and I don't use NSAIDS anymore. I have been taking something called Aciphex for the ulcers. Before surgery I had a lot of GERD as well. I found out just recently that I had a hiatal hernia repair when I had the RNY. I don't know why I wasn't told when I was in the hospital about the second surgery! I found out last week when the final doctor bill came. I see my surgeon Thursday and believe me, I am going to ask him about that hiatal hernia bit! Happy Mother's Day! Lisa

Hi, I subscribe to LBT but I had RNY. Last year I started my weight loss journey with The Lap Band in mind. My surgeon said I would do better with RNY since I used to eat too much sugar. I had RNY January 8, 2009. There is a great RNY forum called ThinnerTimes if you would rather use it instead of LBT. I have had my share of post-surgical problems. A month out I started throwing up for no good reason. That turned out to be a stricture that had to be blown open. The doctor found two ulcers when he did the endoscopy and had to biopsy those. They turned out to be benign so that's a good thing. I will be taking an ulcer drug for a couple of months. My tastes have changed, eggs make me sick to my stomach, and there are times that I don't know what will make me sick and what won't. On the plus side I have lost a lot of weight and given away nearly all of my "fat girl" clothing. It's fun shopping for new clothes. The compliments are great. The sleep apnea is gone! My husband no longer wakes me to tell me to stop snoring!!! Very soon I will be able to go off of my meds for high cholesterol and high triglycerides. My back problems will never go away completely but I have far less back pain. Lisa

Hi, Has anyone else who has had gastric bypass surgery have daily nausea? I am just about three months post-op and I have nausea at least once a day. My surgeon is not concerned because I am not throwing up but I am tired of being nauseated. Any suggestions? Thanks! Grama Lisa

Hi, I had my LAP RNY two weeks ago and I am feeling great! Today is the best day I have had since before surgery. I finally feel active and hungry! I have had two short walks on the treadmill today and I did some light yardwork. Nothing much, I just took out some dead flowers and put in a few bulbs. It felt great to be outside. :thumbup: I originally wanted the Lap Band but my surgeon said I would do better with RNY. The surgeon's opinion was based on my eating habits. Anyway, I have been losing about one pound a day. I have heard that the more overweight you are, the more pounds you lose daily. My BMI was lower when I started, at 37.2, with several co-morbidities. My back is feeling better already. It's cloudy out and I don't feel the usual back pain from the moisture. The GERD is gone! YAY!!!!The surgeon is pleased with my progress. The RN was impressed with my initial weight loss. They said I was doing better than expected. :biggrin: I can't wait to buy a few new clothes!!!!!! :smile: Lisa

Hi Everyone, I got my surgery date, January 8, 2009, for RNY. Now I am so nervous, with the holidays coming on, my 49th birthday next week, and then surgery next month. I can't hardly eat! I am losing weight quickly, which would normally be a good thing, but at this rate my BMI will be too low to qualify for surgery! Has anyone else been so nervous that they can't hardly eat??? I thought I would be having the "Last Supper Syndrome" by now and gobbling up food like crazy. Probably by the time I have to go on the restricted two weeks diet I will be hungry as a horse and going nutso every time I pass a fast food joint! LOL!!!! Lisa

I got my surgery date! I am scheduled to have my surgery on January 8, 2009. It kind of sucks for me because that's right before I am due to go back to work after our Winter Break. I work as a transportation Aide for an autistic girl. I begged and pleaded for an earlier date but no go! I don't know what I am more afraid of, asking my boss for the time off, or how my "autie" is going to react to my being gone for two weeks or more. Do you think I can get by with only taking two weeks off? I work 4 and a half hours per day, a split shift, and I am mostly just sitting on a bus. A bus driver who had GB in June seems to think that I will be ready to go back to work in only two weeks, if there are no complications. I wanted to ask about your post-op diet. After the initial healing period and pureed food stages are over the nurse at the meeting said we are only allowed to eat meat, cheese, eggs, and cottage cheese! She said we cannot have anything else until we lose 75% of our excess weight. This seems a bit limited to me. Not even a salad or veggie until we lose that weight. Personally, I like a nice green salad with dinner. That pre-op diet doesn't sound like one a person could stay on long to me. Is your diet that boring? Thanks! Grama Lisa

Hi Everyone, I got approved for GB last week! I have a half-day class tomorrow for pre-op. The class is supposed to help us know what to expect and get prepared for surgery. I don't know how long until my surgery is though :thumbup:. Lisa

Hi! I was just wondering, what is the difference between RNY and the mini Gastric Bypass. Thanks! Lisa

I saw the nutritionist this week. That is the LAST thing I had to do before the paperwork is submitted to BCBS. The nutritionist said at a BMI of 37.2, I am not fat enough! I said I was too fat for my comfort. LOL!!!

I am getting nervous, excited, apprehensive, and scared! I see the nutritionist Thursday. That is the last (I hope) thing on my check list before the paperwork goes to the insurance company!:thumbup: I don't have to do the 6 months diet with my insurance company. Does anyone know how long it generally takes to get approval/disapproval after the surgeon's office submits the paperwork? I know each ins. company is different but I am hoping it doesn't take too long. I would like to have my surgery done when our school district is on Fall Break 9-29-10-13. The surgeon thinks it's possible but I don't know how long the insurance company is going to take and how long it actually takes to set up a surgery date. :cry_smile: My doctor requires a minimum two week preparation diet before he will do the surgery. High Protein and all that. Lisa

Hi Charlene, When I saw the surgeon I was given a packet at check out. Attached to the packet is a page about the Emmi program. Emmi is a program that you view online about your surgery. I go to www.my-emmi.com, then type in an access code the doctor gave me, my date of birth, and click begin. It's a short video that explains a lot about the surgery and it pauses in places and gives me an opportunity to type in any questions about the procedure at the time. I can print out the questions at the end of the video and have them ready for when I see the doctor. The video is in a cartoon format, which I liked because I can get grossed out seeing the real thing as far as the surgery goes. Lisa

Thanks BabyNicole and Nanook! :Banane37: I am going to order that book and join ThinnnerTimes today. I am also going to watch a program called Emmi that was recommended by the surgeon. Thanks again!!!! Lisa

Hi Everyone, I started my journey to a slimmer, healthier me three months ago. The first surgeon was an idiot and did nothing to get me started. I went to another seminar much closer to home with a great doctor. I was convinced the lap band was for me and researched it thoroughly. I even bought two books and read them cover to cover. I read just about every post I found interesting on this website. I had my first surgeon's appointment this morning. He thinks the RNY would be better for me because I am a terrible sweets eater. It didn't help any with my DH sitting there telling the doctor about my Dr. Pepper habit. So now I am having the RNY instead of lap band. Can anyone recommend any books on RNY and some websites that are good? My surgery will most likely be the beginning of October and I want to read up on everything. Thanks for any and all help! Lisa :crying:

Hi, I have my first appointment Tuesday with the surgeon's PA. Does anyone have any ideas on what questions I should ask her? Thanks! Lisa

I hope you are doing better and everything comes out OK. I know that you worked hard to get your lap band and were very excited to get it done. It is awful that you are having complications. I will be thinking about you and praying for a quick recovery. Lisa

Hi, I just got back from the sleep study doctor and he has informed me that I have a mild form of sleep apnea that does not require a CPAP machine. I have two prescriptions from him--one for Flonase and the other for an appliance from a dentist to keep my air passages open. The study found that my snoring wakes me up 22 times an hour! The snoring is caused by my being overweight. My BMI is 37.9. Does anyone know if this type of sleep apnea counts as a comorbidity? Thanks! Lisa :biggrin2:

Hi, When the surgeon's office called the PA told me I would have to follow the 6 months diet. I have BCBS FEP PPO in CA. I told her I was told I would not have to and she seemed unsure. I called the insurance office myself and they said the diet was not indicated. I think the diet thing varies from policy to policy. Call your insurance company yourself and ask them what they require.

Hi, BCBS stands for Blue Cross Blue Shield, a major health insurance company.

How about someone posting Lap-Band AFTER a failed gastric bypass? I would LOVE to see that! :smile2: When I went to see my PCP to talk about my decision to have a Lap Band I said to him it would be a complete life style change. He agreed with me. Ice cream and chips aren't on the menu. I don't believe for one minute the band failed that woman, SHE failed her band! Obviously she never changed her poor eating habits and then blamed the band. There are several women with whom I work with that have has gastric bypass. They still eat junk food, it just goes through them. One woman who had RNY has osteoporosis from the surgery. She also has to go in for iron transfusions. I see my boss swallowing handfuls of vitamins every day. I wonder how much of that she actually absorbs. Another co-worker is considering the Lap-Band because she has gained back every ounce she lost with RNY. She eats ALL DAY. Then there is another co-worker who will probably never work again. While driving her school bus she passed out from the lack of nutrients in her body. This is the ONE of the 6 RNY co-workers who really and truly watched what she ate, took her vitamins, drank whey protein shakes daily, and exercised like crazy. It didn't matter because in the end she crashed her school bus when she passed out and bit her tongue almost all the way off, broke her arms, and hurt her back. In the hospital she was found to have a severe case of osteoporosis all from RNY. The Lap Band doesn't scare me--RNY does!

Rambokitty, I live in Apple Valley, CA. It's where Dale Evans and Roy Rogers lived and died. The towns nearby are Hesperia and Victorville. We are called the High Desert here. My DH works at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow. I will be driving what we call "down the hill," or "down below" to San Bernardino to see my surgeon. He works out of St. Bernardine's Hospital, a Center of Excellence. It's only 50 miles one way for me. The first jerk of a surgeon worked out of West Hills, over 100 miles away. By the way, Paso Robles is my Mom's favorite place on Earth! :seeya: Lisa

Hi, The first surgeon I saw kept asking and asking me if I peed when I laughed or coughed. I figured out they were trying to get me to say Yes, as this would be stress incontinence, also caused by being overweight. Maybe that would be a co-morb for you? The first surgeon stopped working on my case. I found out by calling my insurance company. They told me he wasn't responding to letters from them. The first letter asked for a copy of a sleep study. My PCP sent me to a sleep study doctor with a referral in my hand. That would be a co-morb for you if you can get your doctor to refer you. It wasn't so bad, the sleep study. The room was clean and cozy and I rarely saw the other patients there. I have BCBS FEP PPO through my husband. My BMI is 37.2 but I should be able to get the surgery with that. My out of pocket costs are another matter though, the PA called to set up my first consult with the second doctor I saw and she said my costs are going to run about $4500.00. That's a lot of money to dig up but it will be worth it for me. I just keep gaining weight with no end in sight. I have heard of people, such as one of my bosses, who go into to be weighed and wear ankle bracelets and heavy clothing to make their BMI be acceptable without gaining weight. I have heard of doctors who "remeasure" patients to make them shorter so they have the higher BMI too. I have read of a young woman who after two appeals to her insurance company was told by her doctor to eat something high in sugar right before a fasting blood test. She then tested positive for pre-diabetes and got approved. My co-morbs are GERD, arthritis and degenerative disk disease in my spine, high cholesterol, high triglyerides, depression, and occasional bouts of anxiety. Xgrl is right, the more you can come up with, the better! Lisa

Hi Snowbird, Actually Mexico doesn't sound so bad, and you are right, I don't live that far from there. I think I have his book, Lap_band For Life, by Dr. Ariel Ortiz. I have seen a clip of Dr. Otiz's too, probably a You Tube clip. Mexico might be a consideration if American doctor's continue to be too slow with getting things done and their costs too high. Lisa

Kathy, Did it take you long to get rid of the barium? I had mine done on Wednesday and it took several days for my body to "dispose" of all that barium. I drank lots of fluids but it seems like everything turned to instant gas when I ate or drank. Even water turned to gas! I had the Upper GI and sleep study done last week, and the gall bladder scan done the week before plus my yearly mammogram. I hope I am done testing for a while! Lisa

Hi PSJ71, It sounds as if you are on your way. It took 22 days after the seminar to get my call to schedule my first surgeon's consult. My doctor works out of more than one hospital and I believe most of his twice-monthly seminars are standing room only. I see him Aug. 12. That will make it nearly two months from seminar to first consultation. I think the only thing I need to do now is get an appointment with the nutritionist. Then there will be whatever they require for pre-op. Good luck! Lisa

Hi Everyone, I am pre-surgery but after seeing all the posts about hair loss I am a bit worried about it. Do you think it would be a good idea to start taking the biotin now? Lisa