My Username says it all!

[karaserene1985 1]

Hello,

My name is Kara. I'm 24 years old from Green Bay Wisconsin. I have been overweight my entire life and have struggled for years. I can typically lose about 15 to 20 pounds on my own, but that's the most I have ever lost. It doesn't stay gone.

Here's my story... About as far back as I can remember.

I have a huge family. My mother has been married 3 times, and my father 4. I have two biological sisters who seemed to get my fathers genes. My one sister who is 2 years older, is exactly 5 feet tall and weighs about 95 pounds. My one sister who is 4 years younger is a little over 5 feet and weighs around 110. I am 5'7 1/2 and my last weigh in was 299.9. I was so elighted to see I was under 300! :001_smile:

Anyway, as far back as I can remember, I was teased about being overweight. I never really ate that much, but it just kept adding on. By the time I was in 5th grade I was already in a size 14.

Throughout middle school, I got the nick name blubbercheeks. Infact, I started calling myself it because it made the teasing stop. Kids in school didn't find it amusing anymore when it no longer bothered me to be called a name. I was now calling myself names. I continued to gain weight throughout middle school. I wasn't very active in sports, but I was in volleyball.

In highschool, same thing. I wasn't really active in sports. I tried out for volleyball freshman year but was cut from the team. Sophmore year I tried out again and made the team. I was 290 pounds My sophmore year, and lost only 15 pounds the entire volleyball season. This took me down to 275. I was involved in a lot of other things in school. Forensics, Theatre, Choir, Pep Club. All this to keep my mind away from my weight.

I maintained the same weight all throughout the rest of high school. I think my senior year, I finally dropped down to about 260.

Senior year of highschool, I met my husband. He was my first boyfriend, my first everything if you know what I mean. We dated through graduation and the start of my freshman year in college.

I don't know what happened, but my freshman year I was happy, in love, and I lost some weight. I got down to about 250 on my own. No dieting nothing.

The world turned.... I suffered from severe depression, and I started making myself throw up. I got down to my lowest on record. 236. This only lasted about a week.

I had to drop out of college because my mom didn't want me to stay as I was making myself sick.

I quit school and moved back home. My husband and I at the time were driving a very rocky road, and because of the stress I started gaining all my weight back. I was a size 20 at this time, my lowest that I can ever remember.

Things changed, and my husband and I got our own place and got married. I was 19 at the time I got married. My weight was pretty steady at around 275. That seems to be the magic number. I'm always around 275.

Now I've failed to mention that during these years, I was constantly on diets. I have tried everything from making myself throw up, to weight watchers. The weight would come off, a few pounds here and there but as usual would come back on.

5 months after I got married, I re enrolled in college. A week into school and my husband and I had to get up and move 1/2 way across the country to Massachusetts. You see, my husband is an immigrant and throughout our marriage we had tons of immigration problems. Our lawyer felt this was the best way to get things moving.

Boy was he wrong. We moved to Massachusetts and nothing happened. We wasted a lot of money and precious time. Because of all the stress, I got up to 305 pounds when I moved. I told my husband that I couldn't handle it anymore and I wanted to move back home. 6 months after being there, we moved back to Wisconsin.

Back home, I started school again, and worked full time. The immigration problems continued so I always had stress in my life. Some people lose weight with stress, but I gain it. I lost about 15 pounds and got back down to my 275 and was pretty steady for quite some time.

I've had the same doctor since I was 15 and she knows my history with weight. I would meet with her often asking her why I couldn't lose weight. She would ask me how I eat, what I drink things like that. I always got the same answer.... You need to excersise and watch what you eat.

I always have, just can't keep the weight off.

She finally decided to put me on Phentermine when my weight got back up to 305 pounds.

In order to stay on it, I had to lose 4 pounds a month. I lost 20 pounds before she took me off.

What do you know, as soon as I was off even though I was excercising the same and eating the same, the weight came back on.

I asked to go back on it again in January 2009. I just started a one year membership with Anytime Fitness and was working my butt off, but was not losing weight. She put me back on, and I got down to 265. My lowest in years. I only lost 3 pounds that last month so she took me off the Phentermine.

I continued to work out 5 times a week, while off the Phentermine and I did not lose a single pound. Now, I didn't gain any of the weight back but I did not lose any more weight.

I went back to my doctor and asked her why I wasn't losing weight on my own. Why could I only lose weight while on Phentermine. Her Answer!

Some people just can't lose weight!

Not what I wanted to hear....

I continued working out all this last year, I continued to diet, but the weight came back on.

I am now at 300 pounds again!

Finally.... I give up!!!

I do not have any insurance and I started looking into WLS. I was really interested in the band until I went to a seminar from my surgeon. This is where I heard about the sleeve.

It seems so simple. There are more risks during the surgery for the sleeve, but post op there are less risks.

During the surgery for the band there are less risks, but after there are so many problems.

I scheduled my surgery for April 15th. 8am!

I am soooooo scared.....!!!!!

I don't have any heath problems besides the weight. I don't want to go into this and ruin the rest of my life because of a problem from this.

I don't have much support. My mom is really against this. She is overweight herself, but says I shouldn't waste my money on the surgery w/o trying other options first. Such as a nutritionist and personal trainer.

I know if I did the trainer and nutritoinist, I would lose weight. I just know it wouldn't stay off....

I hope I'm doing the right thing.

My surgeon has only performed 10 sleeves before and 1 of them had a leak.

He says I am an extremely low risk patient as I'm not severly obese and don't have any other health problems. He doesn't see a concern with doing the sleeve on me. He said the patient with a leak was high risk going in, and new there might be complications.....

I just don't know... I don't have any kids so I have never had a hospital stay in my life.

I am not scared about the before or after of the surgery, just the surgery in itself. Because i'm self pay, if anything goes wrong It'll be a huge difference in the cost of the bill.

These are the things I think about!

What kind of concerns did you all have going in?

I know this is long, but I wanted to give you all a backgound.

Thanks for all your advice!

35 days and counting until the rest of my life changes!

Kara

[Tiffykins 673]

Hi Kara, and welcome to VST. My main concern for my revision was my surgeon's experience with the sleeve. Technique is a big part of how successful patients will be after surgery. 1 out of 10 patients getting a leak is pretty high, plus only 10 sleeves is kind of scary. No one expects to have complications, but with that little experience and you being self-pay, I would have really have to evaluate and re-evaluate my surgeon choice. That's just my 2 cents.

I had a leak 2 days post-op my revision from band to sleeve, they suck. I was a revision, and my surgeon had over 500 staple lines under his belt, and I had damage to my stomach from the band that wasn't found until he got in there. My risk for a leak quadrupled for being a revision patient. I was/am my surgeon's only leak out of 500 staple line between VSG and RNY.

The sleeve is a great tool. I've been extremely successful with the sleeve, and live a very normal life 9 months post op.

Have you been tested for insulin resistance? The only reason I ask is because of your struggle even with exercising and dietary changes. If you are insulin resistant, you can have slower/lower weight loss even with the sleeve.

My complications due to the leak cost almost 300k. Luckily, everything was covered by insurance.

[Lee 19]

Hi Kara and welcome!

Thank you for sharing your story. My surgeon had only done 20 Sleeves prior to mine. He had never had a leak. The Sleeve is new to the facility that I went to but the surgeons had performed 100's of other Bariatric Surgeries. I didn't think that Kaiser would start offering the Sleeve if they weren't qualified. I totally trusted my surgeon going into this.

Everyone's stories are different and I'm sure you'll get lots of responses. Please keep us updated on how you're doing!

[Mary Gordon 3]

hi kara, well, if you haven't made up your mind on who's going to be your doctor. then i recommend Dr. Aceves, he is a very reliable doctor, he has had no leaks, and i didn't have any complications. You won't regret it, and keep up the positive attitude, you're going to do just fine!!! goodluck.

[MINI-Me 196]

I scheduled my surgery for April 15th. 8am!

My surgeon has only performed 10 sleeves before and 1 of them had a leak.

35 days and counting until the rest of my life changes!

Kara

Kara - other than a sleeve, how many other WLS has he performed? The sleeve is often stage 1 of DS. So, if he has experience with that, he has more sleeve experience.

Good luck - let us know how we can support you.

[karaserene1985 1]

Thank you for your replies. When I asked my doctor about WLS she recommened the surgeon that I'm going to, as well as another in Milwaukee. I live in GB where my surgeon is so it only made sense. He hasn't been doing sleeves very long, but has been performing other WLS. He has been at the facility he currenlty works at since 1999 and ONLY performs bariatric surgery. He doesn't specialize in anything else like some other surgeons.

Tifykins, why on earth did your leak cost 300K, that seems so outrageous. How long were you in the hospital from it? My question for you, did they do a leak check while in the hospital? When did you know you had a leak?

My surgeon does oversew the staple line. Did yours? I guess these are things to take into consideration. I know I'm going to do the surgery. I'm not going to back out, and I'm not going to find a different one.

Tifykins, you were a high risk going in because you were a revison. He did say to me that I am as low risk as he has seen because I don't have any other health concerns and I have my youth going for me. I think I just need to keep telling myself that. He wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true right?

So now, I'm only 34 days away! I'm 19 days away from my preop appointment! I think they'll give me my preop diet at that time so I'm so looking forward to the liquid diet!

I know I can do it! I'm the type of person who likes to challenge myself and I always strive to reach my goals! Its very important to me!

I'm still very scared though! We'll see as it gets closer. I might need to take something over the counter for anxiety! Do they have anything out there for that? :001_smile:

Kara

[thinoneday 445]

Welcome Kara! Your going to do great. . .i was self pay too, so far (knock on wood) i haven't had any kinds of problems . . . hope it stays that way. . .people who are overweight themselves will usually discourage you. . . they don't like to be alone. . . don't worry your going to be ok. . . don't be too scared, surgery is scary, but not to panic mode. . . yes i've had several surgeries, but even my first one didn't totally panic me. . put your trust into the surgeon and God and your going to be just fine. . . the day of surgery when you wake up and feel better, get up and walk alot. . . it really helps with the gas pains and makes you recover quicker. . . you will do well. . . just don't stress over it, when it's over, you'll probably laugh at your fear and wonder why??? good luck on your journey!

[Tiffykins 673]

Thank you for your replies. When I asked my doctor about WLS she recommened the surgeon that I'm going to, as well as another in Milwaukee. I live in GB where my surgeon is so it only made sense. He hasn't been doing sleeves very long, but has been performing other WLS. He has been at the facility he currenlty works at since 1999 and ONLY performs bariatric surgery. He doesn't specialize in anything else like some other surgeons.

Tifykins, why on earth did your leak cost 300K, that seems so outrageous. How long were you in the hospital from it? My question for you, did they do a leak check while in the hospital? When did you know you had a leak?

My surgeon does oversew the staple line. Did yours? I guess these are things to take into consideration. I know I'm going to do the surgery. I'm not going to back out, and I'm not going to find a different one.

Tifykins, you were a high risk going in because you were a revison. He did say to me that I am as low risk as he has seen because I don't have any other health concerns and I have my youth going for me. I think I just need to keep telling myself that. He wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true right?

So now, I'm only 34 days away! I'm 19 days away from my preop appointment! I think they'll give me my preop diet at that time so I'm so looking forward to the liquid diet!

I know I can do it! I'm the type of person who likes to challenge myself and I always strive to reach my goals! Its very important to me!

I'm still very scared though! We'll see as it gets closer. I might need to take something over the counter for anxiety! Do they have anything out there for that? :001_smile:

Kara

After the leak repair, my lungs would not recover. That landed me in ICU for 5 days, on a ventilator. I had the revision, then 2 days later the leak repair. Myself and my surgeon knew that I was higher risk because of my surgery being a revision, and my complications. However, I had zero other health risks, zero co-morbidities, nothing else was wrong with me.

I had 3 leak tests. 1 in the OR, one the following day, and then the final one that was performed when the leak was found on my 2nd day post-op. I was in the hospital 10 days total. During the final leak test is when the leak was found, 2 hours before my discharge. I was up talking, walking, laughing, feeling good, no fever, no pain until I drank the contrast Fluid. I swallowed the gastrographin solution and had immediate pain radiate across my abdomen, they performed the ct scan and confirmed the leak. My surgeon does not oversew as there is a great debate on whether it stresses the staple line or not. Some of the most noted surgeons oversew, some don't. The reason for the cost is because of the ICU stay, the additional testing, and medications used, the additional doctors that came in on my case, the central line, the additional diagnostics performed. The reasons for my 2cent comments is because you stated that you were scared, that you didn't want to ruin the rest of your life because of this surgery, your concerns with complications especially since you are self-pay, you asked for advice and what our concerns were so I answered honestly and openly. If I were in your situation, I stated what my concerns would be. I wasn't trying to be negative, I was telling you my honest opinion. It isn't always the thing people want to hear, but it's what I thought I could offer.

If you are at peace with your decision, and trust your surgeon, then I promise I have nothing but best wishes for you, for your surgery and journey.

[deedee 5]

Welcome to VST! You have a similar story to many who have wls. My surgeon wasn't the most experienced with the sleeve either and had had one major leak before me that had him start oversewing the staple line. But he had other things important to me in a surgeon...number one being he was covered by BLIS (complications insurance for wls). I was also self-pay to the tune of $19,000 and my (and husband's) big concern were for complications during or after surgery, we really didn't want to see our savings wiped out in part or whole.

As for the anxiety, speak to your surgeon about this. I guess there is a prescription that he can give you to take before coming to the hospital (the nurse informed me that I should have done that when I was shaking so bad from nerves as she was trying to start my IV).

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Shontel 3]

I'm so excited for you! This surgery is life changing and I think I can speak for us all when I say that. You can and will lose the weight with this tool. I've lost about 56 pounds in 3.5 months with little or no effort. Others have lost more than that in 3 months. You will love your decision to do this, come back here often and update us!!

[karaserene1985 1]

Welcome to VST! You have a similar story to many who have wls. My surgeon wasn't the most experienced with the sleeve either and had had one major leak before me that had him start oversewing the staple line. But he had other things important to me in a surgeon...number one being he was covered by BLIS (complications insurance for wls). I was also self-pay to the tune of $19,000 and my (and husband's) big concern were for complications during or after surgery, we really didn't want to see our savings wiped out in part or whole.

As for the anxiety, speak to your surgeon about this. I guess there is a prescription that he can give you to take before coming to the hospital (the nurse informed me that I should have done that when I was shaking so bad from nerves as she was trying to start my IV).

Good luck and keep us posted!

WOW! Maybe I should talk to my surgeon at me pre op appt about getting a script for anxiety. I don't want to cause any trouble because of nerves.

My self -pay will be around $21,000 for everything when done. Thats for all the extra tests and everything. I don't have any insurance at all to cover any part of the surgery.

Thank you all for your posts. I plan on starting the cabbage Soup diet next week to help with some preop weight loss. Then a week later I will be going for my preop visit and given my preop diet.

More excited then nerves. Hoping all goes well!

Kara

[Kabranda 0]

I wish you the best of luck.

[karaserene1985 1]

Thanks! My mom still doesn't want me to have the surgery! I'm hoping she'll come around!

[MlkPas 5]

I'm 51 years old and MY mom is making worried noises about my surgery, too. Fortunately after all these years I've learned to just say "Don't worry, Mom, I've done all my research and I'm confident it's perfectly safe." She knows I won't engage in a long debate or discussion with her, so she just makes her little noises and lets it go. LOL

[karaserene1985 1]

I'm 51 years old and MY mom is making worried noises about my surgery, too. Fortunately after all these years I've learned to just say "Don't worry, Mom, I've done all my research and I'm confident it's perfectly safe." She knows I won't engage in a long debate or discussion with her, so she just makes her little noises and lets it go. LOL

I don't know what it is about my mom. It would be really nice to have her support. I think its because i'm so young. She thinks there are better options out there less drastic and less expensive. I know this is what I have to do. I have done my research and I'm just going to hope for the best. My husband supports me, and I have my older sister behind me.

*Crossing my fingers everyday that it'll all be okay without any complications*

Kara