Search the Community

So, my 4 weeks is officially today. I've lost 26lbs. I should be thrilled, right? Nope. I have this total mental derp happening that makes me feel like I will somehow be the only person in gastric bypass history to ONLY lose 26lbs and that's it. I'm done. No more weight loss. lol! I think because I've had so many failures in the past, I just anticipate this being another one of them... even though I am following everything the best I can (in light of my ulcer, I am low on protein - working on it!) I also have a mental derp against protein shakes. Aside from my whey allergy and getting super nauseous... back in 2009 I had liposuction when I was a mere 140lbs. After surgery I drank TONSSSS of muscle-building/weight-gaining protein shakes because the plastic surgeon said I needed them for muscle recovery. Welp, I gained 40lbs doing that! I had no guidance and was an idiot, basically. But that's where the weight gain started - so I have a creeper lurking in my brain that protein shakes = weight gain = super morbid obesity. I am trying to get over it; I have a sweet home gym and was just told yesterday I am not allowed to exercise because my protein is currently too low. So, that has motivated me more and I started a soy shake last night. Gunna keep it up. I feel like I have conquered so many of my cravings-issues, though. I read just a few chapters in Never Binge Again and it is so helpful. I highly recommend that book. I feel very in control, and did have one mishap the other day when I got very stressed (I overate, but not a "banned food")... we're all human, though. Why are our brains so self-defeating?! I know I am championing through this in light of the complication and there is NO reason I will fail... unless I set myself up for it. So, nipping it in the bud now, for sure. But it sure is hard to overcome some of those mental blocks. If it wasn't, I'm sure most of us wouldn't be here. Just my random blurb o' the day.

Thank you for the reply, I'm sorry to hear that your insurance company wouldn't cover your surgery. My insurance company's issue is that since I was self pay, they have no way of knowing if my band was medically necessary. I was 277 lbs at the time with a 40 BMI and sleep apnea. I would have qualified if I had gone through insurance but I didn't have to because I had the funds to pay cash due to an inheritance. The insurance company says if the surgery wasn't medically necessary that they would consider it to be cosmetic and they do not cover complications from cosmetic surgery even if those complications are life-threatening. So as it turns out, I may have to prove medical necessity for a surgery that I had five years ago in order to get it reversed and then quite possibly, have to reprove medical necessity to get the revision to the sleeve. They're making me crazy!!!!!!

that sounds terrible...I don't want to add to your distress, but are you sure it's an intestinal virus? could it be some post-op complication? I am just concerned about you

Your initial post said you were feeling fine and aren't having complications? Come to find out you are weak and have been to the hospital for dehydration. Is that how you define feeling fine?

OP I will address the copay. You likely should not be paying any copay for your 6 week visit. You should be in your post-op day period. Any care that is within the post-op period is considered part of the fee for the surgery. The surgeon should not be charging you a co-pay and should not be billing insurance, nor should the insurance pay for visits during the post-op period. Any major surgery should have a post-op period. It will vary depending on the surgery. The insurance companies use fairly standard guidelines. I think for the sleeve it is 90 days. (If you have a visit with the same surgeon for an issue not related to the surgeon a copay would apply.) The surgery fee is a global fee. I would check with the office and your insurance to verify if you will even have the $50 copay. If not, I would reschedule with the NP/PA. I would not use your PCP for the follow-up. Use your surgeon's practice for follow-up. The surgeon and his staff have the experience with bariatrics, your PCP not so much. If the NP/PA has a question or concern then the surgeon is right there to ask or maybe even pop in the room. If you plan on doing any future follow-ups or if you do have complications and need to go back then your bariatric record is all complete and at your surgeon's office. When I did my follow-ups I also saw the dietician. I would think that your bariatric PA/NP is going to be better versed in the nutritional aspects for a bariatric patient than your PCP will be. (Assuming you don't see a dietician separately). Can you tell that I pay health insurance for a living? 10 years ago I tore my ACL. I used a very good surgeon. He had awful bedside manners but is a great surgeon. I did not mind seeing his PA. His PA was able to spend much more time with me, he was easier to ask questions and gave more detailed answers than the surgeon. I was paying the surgeon for his OR skills. Yes, I paid the higher $40 specialist copay for his PA. But I got more bang for my buck with the PA for the follow-up visits than I would have with the surgeon. I view picking a surgeon as two fold: I am picking his skills as a surgeon and I am picking his program. That program includes his pre-op diet, pre-op testing, post-op diet, post op care and his staff. Like you I was 1 hour 15 minutes from my surgeon's office. I quit an orthopedic doctor's office over his front office staff- they never returned phone calls, never passed messages to the surgeon and let me run out of refills on my medicines even when I started calling for a refill 1.5 weeks before. My PCP recommended him for my husband and I would not let him use that practice. The staff is a very important part of the program. Don't shortchange the NP/PA that your surgeon picked. There is a reason they employ that person. Presumably they trust them for a reason. Like I said if the $50 copay is one of your big sticking points you should verify that you will even owe it for this visit. Maybeing have the visit free will make the drive worth it to you.

Reversals are actually done a lot more often than you would think. I may be doing this by the end of the year. There are Facebook groups for gastric bypass takedowns and support. Lots of people have had mechanical issues and needed reversals. They are definitely high risk, however if they can take you apart, they can put you back together, although I wouldn't go to just anyone that's for sure!. I'm personally experiencing malnutrition, and severe weight loss (and no, none of this is my doing. I did all that I was supposed to over the last 16 years). Had a revision in September, and still having complications. Seeing my doctor again next week to discuss next step, which is most likely the takedown. They also do them on those who continue to get ulcers, or severe dumping (which I also get from everything I eat). In regard to weight gain from the reversal, it's one's choice to eat badly and put the weight back on, just like you can start making bad choices with rny and never expect to stretch your stomach. It happens in most cases. I learned a lot about eating well, healthy/organic, locally grown as often as possible. (wish I knew then what I know now, I regret my surgery a lot) I would actually give anything to eat a salad or a piece of fish right now, instead I am getting tpn through a picc line. So even though you follow the plan, like I did it doesn't mean you wont have issues.

I am not banded yet, but my surgeon did say I will be in the hospital overnight, as long as there are no complications. I do know some surgeons use a day surgery center where you can go home the same day, so everyone is different and it also depends on your surgeon as well.

Wow, Karen! You got to 8cc's quick in your VG band! I am at 8.1 now, and am 9 months out! Coincidentally, 8.0 is where I started to have mild heartburn, reflux problems. Also, heartburn and reflux are listed on my sheet as a complication/side effect immediately following a fill. You may be a bit swollen (inside) because of the fill. If so, go slow for a few days, liquids and mushies. Did they do a barium swallow? If you are too restricted, the barium will have difficulty trickling down. And yes, a slight unfill of even just 0.1-0.5cc's will help end the reflux (when you lay down with food that hasn't cleared the pouch, acid jumps up trying to help digest it=heartburn/reflux). The big bands are hard to tweak, but have more room for adjustment. When I've had reflux, no amount of dietary changes, timing changes nor medications could help...just an unfill! Good luck and be careful!

Its a 1 hour surgery, no biggie. There are rarely any complications. I take a lot of insulin and still have a high A1c. I assume they know that. I have been told to eat as I want because I am right on the edge of qualifying for the surgery.

Thanks for the breakdown, that seems to be the main differences I'd found so far too. I also want to look more into complications and recovery time differences. I asked people to weigh in on RNY vs sleeve on the Miriam success striders fb page too and am getting a lot of great feedback. People have negative and positives to say about both. There is no clear cut answer, I just need to figure out what is best for me. But even then you never know for sure how your body will react to things, so it's a guessing game to some extent. I thought deciding IF I wanted the surgery was a big decision, but now deciding WHAT surgery is another big one! Sigh... I did know that about the support groups, thanks! I went to one in September, but couldn't make October and will be away this month, so I'm shooting for December now!

@@cheryl417 Sorry to hear about your experience. I also used Dr. Umbach as a cash patient, but my experience was quite the opposite of yours. My experience there from start to finish with everyone was amazing. Even the follow ups have been great and I've lost over 100 lbs so far with no complications. They certainly do see a high number of patients, but after all of my research the reason was clear that the number of patients they get was a direct result of the excellent performance of Dr. Umbach. A large portion of his patients fly in from all over the country as well as other parts of the world to specifically see him. I'm so sorry that your experience does not reflect his great track record. Being that it sounds as though you also were a cash patient, are you continuing to work with him or have you moved on to another doc? Looking over what you are eating, and knowing first hand the program from Blossom and Michelle, Blossom's NUT, it's certainly not in-line with the post-op diet and not only could that be hindering your weight loss, but could very well cause more irritation if you are still healing. Also, you must keep up with Protein intake. You've stopped drinking protein shakes, but in the examples you gave of what you ate, you are certainly not consuming enough protein in a day which could also be a major factor as to why your weight loss has stalled. I hate to see that you had a poor experience from the same surgeon who I feel gave me my quality of life back, but now your focus should be success moving forward (of course if you feel there was wrongdoing you should handle that appropriately). Stay away from those carbs and "slider foods"...they can be dangerous as they won't fill you up as fast as lean, dense protein and fiber-rich veggies and fruits. Michelle has always been available to help me whether it be trivial questions or in-depth explanations on supplements or questions about food/exercise. She is a great resource and you should really take advantage of that if you are still working with the staff there. I hope things turn around for you soon. Best of luck!

Jassira: From infertility to motherhood In hopes of solving her infertility issues, Jassira tried a gastric band and duodenal switch to lose weight. The procedures were at times life-threatening, but Jassira said she would not change a thing. Today, she feels strong, and proud that the journey made her dreams of two healthy boys come true. Read more… Mikimi: Triumph over challenges Mikimi fought with her health insurance company to appeal for plastic surgery after gastric bypass complications. She won, and had an apronectomy and breast reduction, but there were still more complications to follow. Today, however, she is proud of her body and views her surgery scars as badges of honor. Read more… My Bariatric Life: Challenging fitness and fears It took a decade after gastric bypass to reclaim my life, undergo plastic surgery, and start living boldly. One victory was conquering an advanced four-hour ropes course, pushing myself beyond physical limits and overcoming a fear of heights. I learned that at any moment you have the power to say, “this is not how the story is going to end.” Read more… Jonathan: From obesity to bari-athlete Jonathan lost 200 pounds after gastric bypass surgery and now competes in endurance events such as the The Great Ohio River Swim, a 38-mile bike ride, and the Disabled Veterans 5K. He says after abusing it for so many years, he’s got his body back and wants to see how far he can push himself in a positive way. Read more… Jen: Finding love after obesity In order for Jen to have happy dating relationships after the gastric sleeve surgery, she first had to find self awareness and love herself. She later found Mr. Right and they’ll be married this year. Jen says if she had skipped any of the mental work, she would not be where she is today. Read more… Kristin: Between hopelessness and hope Kristin was a size 32W before having gastric bypass surgery in 2002. She knew surgery wasn’t a cure-all for poor eating habits, but was a tool that made all the difference between hopelessness and hope. Now a size 4/6, Kristin says everyone deserves a life where weight doesn't hold them back. Read more… Bill: Hero behind WHS-NewLife Thanks to carefully planned weight management strategies and guidelines prior to gastric bypass, Bill has successfully maintained a 200+ pound weight loss since 2010. He believes, “Too often we sabotage our own best interest.” Bill now shares his inspiring action plan on WHS-NewLife. Read more… Terri: Bariatric vitamin queen Terri achieved permanent weight loss with the gastric band. But with that success came a set of obstacles. Terri couldn't tolerate some nutritious foods or swallow her vitamins. So she was faced with deteriorating health. Not one to give up, Terri and her husband, Fred, worked together to develop Ameriwell Bariatric Vitamins. Read more… Sandi: Losing and finding herself Sandi reached her heaviest weight at 424 pounds. With a BMI of 68.5 and wearing size 28 clothes, Sandi knew she had to find a permanent weight loss solution. On May 28, 2004 Sandi underwent the LapBand weight-loss surgery. Just over two years later, Sandi weighed a healthy 174 pounds and went on to become a bariatric educator and support group leader. Read more… Alex: Everyone’s BariatricPal Alex is not only a success at weight loss, he’s also the man behind the success of BariatricPal. Its an online social network for the weight-loss-surgery community, where patients support each other before and after weight loss. BariatricPal grew out of Alex’s desire to give back to bariatric surgery patients and help them write their own success stories! Read more…

I am so sorry you are going through this. Complications were touched on briefly during my journey, however everything I have experienced was never discussed. I went from band to sleeve to y n roux. Last year alone I had 4 surgeries, two of them I could of died...we go with the flow with our doctors advice and each procedure makes everything worse than when I started. I don’t blame, or hold any resposible but myself, but life is now very painful with constant attacks and no answers. My doctor told me “ if all surgeries went like this no one would get this done”. Not very comforting. I am young and have resigned myself to a life of chronic attacks, I am really depressed but I have no options. I feel your despair.

Hi Everyone so nice there's lots of us together going through this! My surgeon said I don't need to maintain or lose weight but he puts me on a liquid diet for 2 weeks b4 surgery! I'm so tired of being heavy I'm 248 now .. Have my 4 th pcp visit tomorrow then 2 more left.. I scheded all other stuff like the psych eval already too lol just want a date and afrAid if too close to Christmas I don't wanna ruin the holidays if there's a complication and I'm terrified of leaks and stuff but who isnt lol I'm on and off this a lot because I am busy working full time and have an 18 month baby and other kids but I love you all and let's stick together! I'm 320 and 5'9. I'm also tired of fighting the weight battle. I've been denied twice by my insurance so Mexico it is. From what I've seen though there are a lot of hoops to jump through with insurance so I'm kinda glad I'm skipping that with Mexico. Still nervous though as I kind of just show up and the tests determine if I'm ready or not.

Somehow at the 2 week post op mark a lot of us push the "Hello, do you know me? I'm the stupid one who tries to live out the movie Jackass in real life button." I did it. Many have done it. You can beat a dead horse, but it won't make it run again. So move on. But as @sideeye said, the disturbing part about that slip-up was the volume and the product used for the test. It really can cause staple line ruptures but worse as my surgeon just explained, she has very few pts with complications or stretched out pouches/sleeves. So I trust her advice. She said at this point in our healing, it is absolutely possible to stretch out the pouch or sleeve. I figure I can be a dumb ass about rules that keep me safe and my tool in tact, OR I can be a smart ass about it. I would much rather be a smart ass about it. I'm far too intelligent to wind up with a fu*ked up tool 3 months out from surgery. I think you are too.

I'm absolutely ready for the change & know it's just a tool. The complication and regret part are what scare me. Other than that I've researched & prepped like crazy. My surgery is next Thursday

I completely understand, I'm down 100lbs since surgery 6 months ago, I feel like I don't know who I'm looking at in the mirror anymore, and with all my complications after surgery, the constant pain and everything it feels as if my weightloss is going to continue rapid.. It's worrisome and scary ! Original Weight- 257 pre-op : 240 CURRENT WEIGHT :163lbs GW: 125lbs

Chunky all my life, most of my excessive weight piled on after the birth of my second child. After several failed attempts at losing the weight with Weight Watchers, Slim Fast and other programs, I decided to see a bariatric doc & a nutritionist. Under their care (and diet pills) I was able to lose 60lbs thru self control and exercise. I started at 260 and got down to 200, never getting into blessed Onderland. I fell off the wagon as far as exercise goes last June and the weight started creeping back up when the diet pills lost their effectiveness. By last October, I had gained back 40 of the 60lbs I had lost and was disgusted with myself. I knew I needed more help in controlling what I ate than I could give myself so I started exploring WLS. At the end of January 2011 I went to a local seminar and begun researching my options. I decided I wanted VSG because it was the best fit for me. Discovered that insurance wouldn't pay and even if I appealed the decision, they only covered 50% of the allowable charges anyway. Hubby & I talked it over and decided that we wanted to avoid the wait, hassle and expense of the appeal, nut and psych visits, etc. and made plans for me to go to Mexico as soon as possible. There is quite a bit of heart disease in my family - my oldest brother dropped dead at 44 from a massive heart attack, my dad died of complications of open heart surgery and he had congestive heart failure and suffered his first heart attack at 56, both my other brothers are over 300lbs, cousins weigh in at 400 and just last month another cousin dropped dead of a heart attack at 52. The writing on the wall couldn't have been any clearer for me. I turned 40 this year and I'll be damned if I spend the second half of my life trapped in an unhealthy and gross body.

I regret it. I would not do it again. Even when I meet my weight goal, which I feel I will in the next year or so...I am pretty confident - I will still regret it. I am not saying this to scare you. I am saying this to speak my truth & hopefully, help anyone who is like me - and should not have the surgery. This surgery or any wls surgery isn't for everyone. I am 1 month out. I have had no complications yet. I have been very lucky with having no thirst or hunger. I prepared for over a year. I knew the dangers. I knew the possible consequences. I didn't anticipate the shame and embarassment I feel - no way to prepare for that really. I didn't anticipate regretting it this much; I thought there would be some initial regret, then, it would subside..it hasn't. People slam me on here for speaking my truth, but I won't be quiet about it...it is not in my nature. So, the condensed version of why I regret it...I miss my life prior to surgery, unhealthy or not. I miss the life I had...there is NO going back after surgery. My goal is to move toward acceptance and make the best out of it. Please make sure it is the best decision for you and your situation. Don't let any negative comments here on this site or anywhere in your life keep you from doing what is best for you. I wish you the best of luck. Take care!

Nope, nothing to do with age regarding hospital stay in the case of my doc. My doc is a Mexican doc and verrrry conservative. Almost to the point of annoying at times but in all fairness, that's one reason I chose him. His is standard, everyone is two nights and three days inpatient. However, if you are driving and not flying, can eat (drink) two full meals, have the barium swallow, feel well, and have no complications he will discharge you a day early.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DAD'S weight loss. I'd be super proud too! Can I please ask What happened? Were there complications with VSG or was it unrelated?

XD omg I feel this on a spiritual level. Who knows the dating game seems so complicated. Just don't let em play games with you!!! >_>;;;; I'm just ready to get cats... SW: 328 CW: 256 GW: 150 Surgery date: January 12, 2017

So I guess this works as double duty - an introduction and a (kinda) question. I am a Registered Nurse...a very fat nurse! And I've been that was (fat, not a nurse ) for almost 13 years. I've done diet after diet. Acupuncture, moxibustion, hypnosis. HCG to the point I got gallstones. And each year, my weight just keeps climbing. I'm ashamed to say that the only significant weight loss I had was after I had met the love of my life, and then lost him...(but later found him...and my lost weight, grrrr!). I have stereotypical PCOS and Metabolic Syndrome (hello, black hairs on chin - I grow an impressive beard!), so that has exacerbated my weight issues. I started seriously looking into bariatric surgery 6 years ago, but didn't like the available choices of RNY, DS and then LapBand. Over the intervening years, I decided to try to get a LapBand anyways. I had one of those insurance companies that required a 6 month supervised diet, consults, etc...I jumped through all the hoops, found a surgeon I liked...and then he quit! Left private practice to accept a teaching fellowship. I was very bummed. So I figured this was my clue to try dieting again. So I went back to more failed, frustrating dieting. About this time, I was diagnosed with diabetes, which complicated matters even more. After nearly a year, I decided to go the LapBand route (again!). All my previous tests had expired, so I had to do the 6 months supervised diet and consults again...then got turned down by insurance due to an exclusion...the appealed and won!...set a surgery date and then got very, very ill. The chest xray that was done the week before my surgery showed a shadow in my lungs, so I had to see pulmonary, etc. Turned out to be nothing, but by then my precious "vacation" days from work were wasted and I had to go back. I felt ashamed and defeated, and just gave up on trying to lose weight altogether. Here it is, 2012, and I can now add hypertension, high cholesterol and tryglycerides and hypothyroid to my medical litany. And finally in January, I said....enough is enough. I'm going to make this happen! I'm 5'8, 310lbs....what would I advise a patient to do in my situation? So I called my insurance and found out that they do not cover bariatric surgery for any reason. ANY. I'm trying to not make any rough comments here, but it's terrible that I am an RN, I devote my life to the health of others, and my company has specifically excluded dietician visits for weight loss, weight loss plans and bariatrics....wtf?? But I digress. After realizing that I would get no help from insurance, deciding to self-pay was the least difficult choice. My darling husband (the aforementioned lost love who was later found ) had a RNY over 2 years ago with wonderful results, and has been very supportive. I've spent the last month researching my options, and have decided that Dr Aceves is worth my time and money. His track record and reviews have convinced me that Dr Aceves is the best choice for my new sleeve and new life. And here is where I come to the crossroads. My family is totally unsupportive of bariatrics in general, and Mexico as a whole, so I will not be telling them. The can comment ad-nauseum. I'm still pondering what to tell work - I work in a very tight-knit facility with only a handful of nurses, and my role is such that my absence for even 10 days will be sorely missed (when I fractured my foot in December and I was gone for 2 days, it was mass chaos!). I really, really don't want to tell my boss WHY I need a week and a half off, so I'm trying to figure out how to be creative. The problem I was NOT anticipating, was needing to find a new primary care physician. When I told my MD what my plans were, she began to tell me how I just needed some willpower, and that she could not support me going to some "back alley hack" in Mexico. She then implied that she would refuse to assist with my follow through care, and that if I did indeed go to Dr Aceves for a sleeve, I would need to find a new PCP. So I'm stuck on these two things - work and finding a PCP who will be ok with my having weight loss surgery out of country. Argh. I have not set a date for surgery yet...I keep thinking I need to try to get time off first and then try to make a date, but what if one's not open....? I can't afford to lose my job, too many bills! But I need to regain my health. Getting through every day at work is like running the gauntlet, in more ways than one. Anyways, sorry to ramble. I just want to add what an inspiration it has been to follow along with everyone's progress with their sleeves - I've been reading this forum for quite a while! Thank you so much for your help on my own journey -Asche, The Crazy Cat Lady

I never even thought of the VA paying for an outside facility. I looked into the VA paying for it (it's 5 hrs to the VA facility that actually does bariatric surgeries) and the requirements are that I be in the MOVE program for at least 6 mths (a diet and exercise program thru the VA) and that I have a BMI of >40 (or >35 with 1 comorbidity). My BMI is 28 right now. I'm going to call them today and see if they can work with the requirements a little, seeing as it's a complication from a previous surgery. Medicare wouldn't pay for it either, but since it's a complication, they will. Thanks for the idea!

I'm curious how much time are you taking from your job to recover after surgery are you taking? What is typical, barring any complications? I have a relatively sedentary job, medical setting at a desk mostly, so nothing too strenuous.