I was in operating room in scrubs 3x for gastric bypass...im new here, hi everyone!

[NY Lou 204]

hi everyone! i have read so much in this forum and want to say thankyou to every single poster! ive learned so much and sincerely appreciate verticalsleevetalk.com. im a 47 year old male living in brooklyn, new york. i currently weigh 305 lbs and have been overweight all my life. ive been hovering around the 300-315 mark for about 10 years. before that i hoovered around 280-300 for the prior 10 years. my high weight was 323, which was in 2004. the most ive lost dieting and exercising was about 40lbs on a few occasions, but i always put it back on.

in 2004 i decided to have wls and was going to have gastric bypass done. after being approved by my insurance, i went to the hospital and was put in scrubs for the operation. then i was told by the nurse that the doctor had a family emergency and had to leave the hospital immediately. so my surgery was rescheduled for 4 weeks later. during these 4 weeks i ate plenty and went on a "goodbye to food" tour! this tour took me to all my favorite buffets and i ate like it was my last meal, even though i knew i shouldnt be doing that. then i again went to the hosptial and was put in scrubs and before my surgery the doctor said he couldnt operate because my sugar level was unexpectedly through the roof. i begged him to go through with it, but he said he couldnt and i needed to lose some weight and not do what i did by gaining weight and eating everything before surgery. so it was again cancelled. now i was determined to lose weight before i went back in 6 weeks for the eventual operation. in those 6 weeks i ate perfectly and lost 30 lbs. the day came and i went in a 3rd time to the hospital. again i was put in scrubs and this time all the tests, including my sugar were normal. but the doctor was surprised that i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks. he sat me down and said the operation was a serious one and if i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks, maybe i should give losing weight on my own another try. he convinced me to not have the operation. so i actually went on to lose a total of 89lbs in 7 months and got my weight down to 234 and felt great. i was actually running on a treadmill for a few miles non-stop and was in the best shape of my life. a year later i was again at 310lbs.

i never considered wls surgery again because i honestly in my heart didnt want the bypass portion done. and im thankful that even though i was in the operating room 3 different times, i never had the bypass done. later in life i researched the lapband as it became popular, but again i didnt want the band either due to all the complications of it. only a few months ago i discovered the option of the sleeve, and it seemed like exactly what ive been waiting for. a tool to limit my intake, with no bypass and nothing permanently inside of me that needed followup adjustments.

so im now in the process of going through everything i need to do before my dr. submits for approval to my insurance. the only thing left is the psych evaluation, which im in the process of completing and ill have it done shortly. then i meet with my dr. again on june 30th for the final time and he will submit everything to hopefully get approved.

so thats my story. its seems that bypass just wasnt for me. and ironically back in 2004 i was all for it. now today, i wouldnt do a bypass ever. im thankful it never got done and i believe it wasnt meant to be. especially being in the operatiing room in scrubs 3x!

i do have one fear/question that ill post in a separate thread in the post op forum as i believe that is where it should go. again, thank you to everyone who has ever posted in this forum. you do not know how much it helps, even the people like me who only read and never posted before. best of luck to everyone on their journey.

Edited June 17, 2010 by Ny Lou

[CraftyChristie 62]

Totally meant to be! You were led to exactly the right choice for you. Since you were able to lose so much and exercise so well I think the sleeve will be a great option for you... the effort you put into it will be rewarded, and you will keep that restriction of your intake and hopefully not be able to regain it all. I think you will do a wonderful job with this. I know how you feel - at one time I was ALL FOR lap band or bypass and this time I just didn't want either of them so here I am! :thumbup: Sleeved!

[eriadne 6]

Hi Lou! Wow, what a rollercoaster ride this has been for you. I never considered WLS because the thought of having an RNY just makes my hair stand on end. When I hit 300, I finally decided I had to do something though and was considering the band when I heard about the sleeve at my surgeon's informational seminar. At the time, it was just sort of a passing mention, but it did intrigue me since the rerouting of your intestines was the part of RNY that I couldn't stomach (haha, pun!) the most. I was all set to do a band even though my surgeon cautioned me that it might not have enough oomph to get me down to a good goal weight. Luckily my insurance added VSG coverage within a few weeks of my band approval so I was able to switch.

I definitely think this is a fantastic option for people looking into WLS. My surgeon was ridiculously excited when I asked if I could do a sleeve instead and he's just over the moon with how many sleeve patients he's already starting to get.

I think you've definitely wound up in just the place you need to be -- I think we all look back and wish we could have come to the "eureka!" decisions earlier so we didn't have to go through all the crazy ups and downs, but what's really important is that we're here now. So congrats and welcome, I am so excited for you! :thumbup:

[Tiffykins 672]

What an amazing story, and thank you for sharing it! ! ! Welcome, and I'll be watching for your updates, and progress. Fingers crossed for insurance approval.

[goodlife 3]

I guess it's true what they say huh? Everything happens for a reason!

On another note, I have a good friend who lives in Brooklyn and I went to NYC and visited her there. I went to her tree lighting ceremony and then a party at a local church there. She decorates a big tree every year with the lights set to music and stuff in one of the parks. Anyway, we went to eat dinner that night at a restaurant called Peaches. I absolutely LOVE that place. Have you ever been there?

[NY Lou 204]

thanks to all who have replied. it definitely is comforting knowing there are so many people in these forums who are willing to speak openly about their own experiences. i definitely feel that it was fate for me to not get the bypass and end up discovering the sleeve. afterall, being in scrubs 3x and not getting the surgery done is probably unheard of.

to goodlife: ive never heard of the restaurant peaches, but ill have to ask around and/or look it up and give it a try one day. thanks for the tip.

have a great evening everyone!

[SParkle 4]

I reckon its 4th time lucky this time, and for the right choice as well.

Good luck

Kathy

[pumpkin07 32]

That is such a cool story. God is good.

[pinkypromise 0]

This is an amazing story!!! I guess the true saying is "Everything always happens for a reason"

Good Luck to you and wish you the best!

Edited June 18, 2010 by pinkypromise

[ALOCO53 0]

I was scheduled for lapband surgery in December 2007, I woke up in the ICU and the band was not put in, I got five new holes in me though. I was devastated! The doctor said something about my liver being too large and my spleen too mushy. And that was that. I could try again in a couple of months. It has taken me two and a half years to consider wls again. This time I want the sleeve. I have my first appt. with the surgeon in two weeks. I'm afraid to get my hopes up again, I was so disappointed last time. But I feel that if I don't do something now with a bmi over 60 I will probably die of other causes.

Hang in there Lou, I too have lost weight too many times and gained them back +.

[NY Lou 204]

hi aloco53. your story definitely rings a bell with me as i too didnt get any surgery done although i was thisclose. like me, maybe it just wasnt your time back then and maybe now the sleeve is the right thing for you. good luck with whatever you decide to do. hopefully when it happens, it will be the right thing for us both. take care.