Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Recommended Posts

I was 5'4 - 212 and had zero weight related issues ( cholesterol but since losing almost all my weight it actually went up - hereditary) A my doctor told me I was about as "small " as he would do surgery on but that my BMI fit the criteria. My insurance didn't pay but it was worth every penny. Good luck to you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just have a heart to heart talk with the surgeon and your PCP, but refrain from getting emotional (even though it feels like an emotional situation). Give facts - I am obese, obesity is a challenging disease and the future without the surgery will lead to diabetes and this surgery has an 83% resolve factor for that and 92% for high blood pressure. Then say do you not want those successes for me?

Go into the meeting all dressed like a business meeting -because that is what it is.....he is in the business of bariatrics and you are the client - it is your RIGHT to get what you want.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi I went to a Bariatric surgeon for consultation who did not recommend surgery due to my low BMI 34.5 but recommended the gastric balloon only. I went to a different surgeon who stated I qualify for surgery due to my obesity related condition (PCOS) and Acid Reflux.

+ I have spent so many years trying to lose weight to no avail.

I am now 10 days post op gastric band.

I would recommend seeking a second opinion.

Good luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@tenseintexas, @Sosewsue61 and @dagirl92, thank you all for your advice. @Sosewsue61, I have a meeting set up with him Tuesday and I'm going to lay it on the line to him. You're right, I won't get emotional because then he'll say I'm unstable and need to talk to a physiatrist. I don't take this lightly, this is for my health. Just because I don't look like the average WLS patient on the outside, my insides say something totally different.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[mention=296164]tenseintexas[/mention], [mention=314618]Sosewsue61[/mention] and [mention=325862]dagirl92[/mention], thank you all for your advice. [mention=314618]Sosewsue61[/mention], I have a meeting set up with him Tuesday and I'm going to lay it on the line to him. You're right, I won't get emotional because then he'll say I'm unstable and need to talk to a physiatrist. I don't take this lightly, this is for my health. Just because I don't look like the average WLS patient on the outside, my insides say something totally different.


Back in 2010 when I had my first consultation for a lapband [emoji1361] my surgeon was taken back that my bmi was as high as it was. At the time I was 5'6 and around 240. He said when he saw me that I didn't "look" big enough. He never treated me differently though even after stepping on the scale. He was an awesome surgeon that even did my gall bladder removal a year later. Point being, having a good relationship with your surgeon is extremely important. I would have had him do my revision in a heartbeat if I still lived in that area.

If your talk with your surgeon doesn't satisfy you that he will give you the utmost care without judgement then I would find another surgeon. It's your health, your body. I do not know where you are in the world but there are several ways to locate surgeons.

Good luck [emoji173]️[emoji256]


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I definitely understand why you have concerns. I think your surgeon would just not recommend you for surgery vs pretending to do it. I think people have different pouch sizes so maybe you may be able to ask him if he can estimate how much of your stomach he will remove based on your BMI. Good luck

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@SIPS in Seattle,@NewShauna, if after our meeting I'm still feeling this way, I will let him know I will not be using him. I have two surgeons lined up to talk with. NewShauna, he is suppose to take off 75% of my stomach. I will let him know that's what I want and I will be getting an endoscopy done to make sure everything was done correctly.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I can't imagine going into the operating room with a surgeon I didn't trust.
For sure talk to your PCP.
Your mental health is essential through the process. Your fears of faking the surgery or doing an endoscopy to double check his work are signs that this is not a good match. Either the relationship needs to be repaired and the trust reestablished or you need another surgeon.
Your mental health and inner peace are worth it!!!

Sent from my SM-G920V using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@travelgirl, I agree with you 100%. I have a meeting with him Tuesday. If I still get this feeling from him and feel nothing was resolved, as much as I would hate to put my surgery off I will for my peace of mind.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You really think a surgeon would waste his time to take you into theatre to pretend to do surgery? Like what.. He will just put you under and then go golfing? Then be back intime when you are coming round? I just want to see what your logic in, in how this would be possible?

I would listen to my heart though my heart told me to change my surgeon and i did . you have to trust the person who is goign to ake this change for you

Dont you think of threatening him or saying " i will get an edescopy to make sure you did it right?" who would take such a risk lol your going under and the last thing i wanted to do was to make my surgeon think im doubting him or his capabilities .

Goodluck

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@dreamingsmall. I didn't say he wasn't going to do the surgery, I said I hope he takes out enough stomach. But that was me being all in my feelings. He will have to much to lose if he purposely didn't do the surgery correctly. No, I don't really think he would do that. At our meeting yesterday, I simply asked him out of the surgeries he's performed, has there been any complications were a patient has needed an endoscopy to see what the problem was? He assured me there hasn't been and I expressed my concerns to him in a very professional manner...of course I didn't say I hope you don't leave to much stomach in. "Mama ain't raise no fool". LOL!! I asked him to tell me again just how much stomach will be removed and he told me the usual is 75%. I feel much better after speaking with him and his nurse yesterday.

Put me under and go golfing...you're hilarious!! LOL!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×