New here - I have a few questions about Gastric Bypass

hey jessica,
welcome to the forum.  everyone here is sooo awesome!  I am in the insurance pending stage of gastric bypass and like you i have not been in a family photo in a few yrs.  I am 238 and 5'3.  If u click on my name to the left you can see all of my questions too.  I have asked a lot and have gotten great feedback.  goodluck on this journey  im hear if you want to chat along the way.

michelle

Hi Jessica,

I am 44 years old and know exactly what you mean about pictures.  I don't have hardly any with my 4 and 6 year olds when they were babies.   I hated myself.   I had the rny just over two months ago.  The only regret I have is I didn't do it years ago.   I am so very satisfied with the results.   I feel so much better, have so much more energy and my self esteem is the best it has ever been.   There was some pain and discomfort in the beginning and still when I am bad and eat something I know im not supposed to but those incidents are so few and far between.   The surgery itself is a personal decision but I would do it all over again in heartbeat to feel the way I do now.   Good luck in your decision. 

Hey Jessica,

I'm Shelley and I'm a Bay Area-ite as well. I live in Redwood City though. :0) I, like you, am undergoing the process of having WLS surgery. My Orientation for the Bariatric Program is next Tuesday!!! I'm so happy about that. I'm going through Kaiser so the approval process is much easier through them.

I love the idea of the RNY surgery; the Lap Band and it's slippage and leakage rates scare the hell out of me; the Vertical Sleeve sounds like a good option, yet I'm not too sure if the surgeons at Kaiser offer that procedure. I do know one person on here that went through Kaiser and was able to get that procedure, but they're also in So Cal... so, we'll see!

If you ever need another Bay Area-ite to talk to, feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to chat with you.

Best wishes on your journey!! 

Shells

Jessica, Don't forget there are other wls besides lapband and gastric bypass.  I had the Duodenal Switch (DS) and you've got one of the best surgeons right in your backyard ... Dr. Rabkin.

Come visit us over at the DS forum...just click on the drop down menu above.

Laurie

Without a significant comorbidity like sleep apnea or diabetes, you are unlikely to get insurance to cover it.  Getting sweaty isn't going to be a comorbidity.

You may wish to consider self-paying for a VSG -- forget the Lapband though.