worried about having surgery got approval letter today

Hi All   I got my approval letter from UHC today. I am going to have the RNY g bypass.  I am now worried about the surgery. I have waited a year to get to this point. I have a lot of weight to lose. I have lost 70 lbs in the past year. My current weight is 480. My overall health is pretty good. How do you get pass the worry?  Should I get the surgery done as soon as possible? like March or wait till June.....and how fast is the recovery time?  How soon can you get back to work?  How do you get your people to understand why you are doing it?  Has anyone used Dr. Whipple in Savannah GA?  Thank you for any information you all can give me.

If you are havind doubts, make sure you have researched ALL your surgical options THOROUGHLY to make sure you are chosing the right surgery for the amount of  weight you need to lose and your lifestyle/eating habits.

Have you reserached DS and distal rny. They offer better weight loss thatn the rny and statistically people keep their weight off longer.  They are the best wls for people with really high bmi. I have lost 110 in 6 months with my DS, and I enjoy a normal diet with very few restrictions.

If you want to narrow down your surgery choices check out the regrets and revisions board and note the types of surgeries those patients have.  You will rarely see a DS'er there. 


I am not sure if this answers your question. I am not sure if you are second guessing the surgery type, or if you are just scared about the surgery in general?


If you need more info PM me your number and we can talk more.   Hope this helps.

 How do you get pass the worry?  
I HAD VERY LITTLE WORRY ABOUT MY SURGERY OR SURGEON. I HAD DONE YEARS OF RESEARCH AND I KNEW 110% I WANTED THE DS AND NOTHING ELSE!  I WAS VERY MUCH AT PEACE ABOUT THE WHOLE THING.   I HAD BRIEF MOMENTS OF ANXIETY, BUT NOTHING MAJOR. ONE THING I DO REMEMBER IS HAVING WEIRD FOOD DREAMS PRE-OP THAT GOT A BIT ANNOYING AFTER A WHILE. MAYBE MY SUBCONSCIOUS WAS WORRYING FOR ME.  I WAS THRILLED ABOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS, AND I HAVE NO REGRETS LOOKING BACK EXCEPT I NEVER TREATED MYSELF TO DINNER AT FAGO DE CHAO.  NOW I CAN'T BEAR TO SPEND THAT KINDA MONEY FILLING MY SMALLER TUMMY.



Should I get the surgery done as soon as possible?
I AM NOT SURE HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS. ARE YOU 100% SURE THIS IS THE SURGERY AND SURGEON YOU WANT TO USE? SINCE YOU ARE ASKING ABOUT THE SURGEON'S REPUTATION, I THINK YOU MAY BE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM, BUT I COULD BE READING MORE INTO THE QUESTION.  IF YOU ARE NOT 100% COMFORTABLE WITH EVERYTHING, THERE IS NO HARM IN DOING MORE RESEARCH AND WAITING A COUPLE OF MONTHS.  YOUR APPROVAL LETTER IS GOOD FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. CALL THE INSURANCE TO MAKE SURE.  I WOULDN'T HOLD OFF TOO LONG THOUGH CAUSE YOU MAY HAVE TO RE-SUBMIT EVERYTHING AND IF SEVERAL MONTHS LAPSE YOU MAY HAVE TO REPEAT PRE-P REQUIREMENTS.  AGAIN, CALL INSURANCE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF TIME FRAME YOU HAVE.  IN MY SITUATION, I HAD ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AND DECIDED TO SWITCH SURGEONS. MY PAPERS HAD TO BE RESUBMITTED, BUT SINCE THEY HAD ALREADY APPROVED ME ONCE, IT WAS JUST A FORMALITY TO GET THE DOCTOR AND HOSPITAL NAME CHANGED ON THE PAPERWORK.

YOU ARE COMMITTING TO SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO.  

DO YOU GO TO SUPPORT MEETINGS? YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES THERE.

HAVE YOU HAD A CONSULT WITH A SURGEON THAT DOES ALL 4 SURGERIES? IF YOUR SURGEON ONLY DOES RNY AND LAP-BAND, THEY WILL NOT INFORM YOU OF DS OR SLEEVE IN DETAIL, AND WILL PROBABLY NOT RECOMMEND IT TO YOU EVEN IF IT THE BEST ONE FOR YOU.

how fast is the recovery time? 
THIS WILL VARY FROM PROCEDURE TO PROCEDURE. RNY OR DS SHOULD BE A COUPLE OF WEEKS - 6 WEEKS DEPENDING ON THE PERSON AND HOW MUCH SICK LEAVE YOU WANT TO PLAY AROUND WITH .  THIS ALSO DEPENDS ON IF YOU HAVE OPEN OR LAPROSCOPIC SURGERY.  LAPROSCOPIC WILL BE LESS PAINFUL, LESS CHANCE OF INFECTION OR COMPLICATIONS, AND YOU SHOULD RECOVER MUCH FASTER.    IF YOUR SURGEON IS NOT DOING LAPROSCOPIC RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN TO ANOTHER SURGEON THAT CAN.  LAPROSCOPIC HAS BEEN DONE IN PEOPLE WAY OVER 500 POUNDS, SO AT THE VERY LEAST GET A 2ND OPINION IF THEY ARE TELLING YOU YOU CAN ONLY HAVE IT OPEN.


ONE THING TO CONSIDER ABOUT RECOVERY TIME, IS YOU WILL HAVE SEVERAL THINGS TO RECOVER FROM:

1. THE PHYSICAL PAIN AND DISCOMFORT FROM THE SURGERY.  THIS WILL BE A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE AND ANNOYING ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TRY TO SLEEP,  BUT CAN BE EASILY CONTROLLED WITH MEDICATION.   THE WORST IS THE 2ND DAY IN THE HOSPITAL FOR MANY PEOPLE.  THE 1ST DAY YOU ARE STILL PRETTY LOOPY FROM THE ANESTHESIA, SO IT WILL BE A BLUR, BUT THAT 2ND DAY IS SOMETHING ELSE.   FROM THERE, IT GETS A LITTLE BETTER EACH DAY.   I WENT HOME AFTER THE 4TH DAY AND WAS ABLE TO DO SOME SHOPPING IN THE OUTLET MALL ON THE RIDE HOME FROM NASHVILLE. I WASN'T TURNING CARTWHEELS, BUT I WAS OK.

2. THE PRE-OP DIET.  I THINK MORE PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH THIS THAN THE ACTUAL SURGERY,   PRE-OP WE ARE USED TO FITTING A LOT INTO OUR TUMMY.  GOING TO LIQUIDS EVEN A FEW DAYS WILL DEFINITELY CALL FOR SOME DAILY PRAYER AND MEDITATION.

3. THE POST-OP HONEYMOON:  SORRY NO ROSE PETALS ON THE SHEETS OR CANDLELIT BATHS.  YOU WON'T EVEN BE ABLE TO SIT IN A TUB FOR A WHILE WITH THE INCISIONS.   THE POST-OP HONEYMOON WILL BE A SERIES OF UPS AND DOWNS EMOTIONALLY.  IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO GET DEPRESSED, SAD, ANGRY. YOU MAY WONDER :

WHY YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF?

WHY COULDN'T I JUST STOP EATING?

WILL I EVER FEEL NORMAL AGAIN?

WILL THIS WORK? I'M A WEEK OUT AND MY SCALE SAYS I GAINED 10 POUNDS!!!  eEEK!!!

WHY DIDN'T MY SISTER/MOM/DAT/COUSINS HAVE THIS FAT CURSE? WHY AM I THE UNLUCKY ONE?

WHEN CAN I HAVE A HAMBURGER /ICE CREAM/ CAKE/? ....  I CRIED - REALLY CRIED CAUSE I WANTED A CHEETO SO BAD ABOUT A WEEK OUT, AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE CHEETOS! MY SON FRIED SHRIMP ONE NIGHT AND I WAS SO HUNGRY FOR SOME REAL FOOD I CHEWED THEM UP AND SPIT THEM OUT CAUSE I WAS STILL ON LIQUIDS.  I ALSO LICKED A ROLL AT RYAN'S.  AT A WEEK OR 2 OUT, YOU WILL PUT ANYTHING IN A BLENDER AND MAKE IT A LIQUID!  ONLY A TRUE WLS BUDDY WILL CONFESS THESE INTIMATE SECRETS TO YOU YA KNOW?  

IT IS HARD TO BE HAPPY WITH THE SURGERY WHEN YOU CAN'T EAT LIKE YOU WANT TO, AND YOU'RE STILL FAAAT.  THEY TELL YOU TO WALK AND REST. HOW TO YOU WALK AND REST AT THE SAME TIME HUH?  AND THEY TELL YOU TO SIP.  YOU WON'T EVEN WANT TO SWALLOW YOUR OWN SPIT SOMETIME, SO 64 OZ MAY AS WELL BE THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... YOU DON'T WAKE UP FROM THE SURGERY A SIZE 6 (DAMN TOO BAD HUH).  GRANTED THE WEIGHT WILL COME OFF FAST, IT WILL STILL BE THERE WITH YOU A WHILE, AND THAT MAY BE BOTHERSOME THE 1ST FEW MONTHS UNTIL THE  NUMBERS GO DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY. YOU ANYBODY THAT TELLS YOU THEY WERE 100% HAPPY EVERY DAY POST OP AND NEVER HAD 2ND THOUGHTS IS A LIAR AND IS NOT YOUR FRIEND.   I CAN PROMISE THAT ONE DAY YOU WILL WAKE UP AND REALIZE YOU DO FEEL NORMAL AGAIN, AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY AND WILL BE OK WITH YOUR DECISION TO HAVE THE SURGERY.

How soon can you get back to work? 
ASK YOUR SURGEON?  WHAT KINDA WORK DO YOU DO? PEOPLE GO BACK ANYWHERE FROM 2-6 WEEKS. REALLY DEPENDS A LOT ON YOU. IF YOU WALK, GET IN YOUR LIQUIDS, AND GET IN THE PROTEIN, GENERALLY YOU WILL HEAL QUICKER. SINCE YOU ARE A HIGH WEIGHT, IT MAY BE A LITTLE TOUGHER, CAUSE THEY WILL HAVE MORE TUMMY TO GO THROUGH. JUST ASK YOUR SURGEON...

How do you get your people to understand why you are doing it?  
WELL YOU ARE ALMOST 500 POUNDS DUUUH!!!   ONE SURE WAY TO AVOID NAYSAYERS IS NOT THE TELL PEOPLE YOUR BUSINESS!  YOUR MEDICAL ISSUES SHOULD NOT BE THE SUBJECT OF OFFICE GOSSIP. AND IF YOU TELL 1 PERSON AT THE JOB, YOU MAY AS WELL ANNOUNCE IT OVER THE INTERCOM.

 

AS FAR AS FAMILY,  I ELECTED TO ONLY TELL MY SON AND MY MOTHER.   I AM JUST A VERY PRIVATE PERSON.

 

YOU DON'T OWE ANYBODY AN EXPLANATION EXCEPT YOURSELF AND YOUR SURGEON.    If those you tell are not supportive, give yourself a break from that relationship for a few months and revisit the friendship after you are healed from the surgery, and can deal with the emotional drama.  I am sure you know *****ally loves you and you can count on to be in your corner...

Has anyone used Dr. Whipple in Savannah GA? 
SORRY NO, BUT I AM IN THE ATLANTA AREA. SO, HOPEFULLY SOMEONE DOWN THAT WAY WILL CHIME IN.



One thing I can say, I may have done differently is continue with some psych counseling post op. I had some rough moments in the 1st couple of months after adjusting to the new me.  I am down to a loose 16, tight 14, and I still automatically go to the fat girl side of the store. It just takes some time getting used to it all.

I was 333 at my high weight. I see your high weight was over 500.  We did not get that way without having some serious food issues and some other psych issues.  Getting help dealing with your food addiction and other issues is nothing to be shameful about. It may help you be a more successful post-op.

At the very least get into a good, live, face to face support group. You really owe that much to yourself.

Hello Julesiglow,

I don't have very much more to add because lashelle said  everything I was gonna say and more! I will add tho that you need to choose a surgeon and/or surgery based on your needs (meaning health wise, how much weight you want to lose, overall rate for curing comorbities sp/er)  Please!!! don't choose a surgery and/or a surgeon just because it is near you!
because if you do,that is just the wrong thing to do... I traveled to another state to get the surgery and surgeon I WANTED.(PERIOD) I will never sacrifice my health for conveniences(NEVER !!)

Please research all your options (meaning surgery types and surgeons)  

Hope this help somehow...
Izzy (co-obesityhelp leader)

Thanks everyone for the information and support. I guess I am just worried about surgery in general. I have done the group meetings. 

If you are afraid of the surgery, then I would suggest scheduling it as soon as possible.  That way you have less time to worry.  I had the Lap RNY in November.  I was really sore the first week, but after that started feeling better quickly.  I returned to work after two weeks.  I chose the RNY because I needed the physical affects, like dumping, to force me to eat healthy.  I am a junk food addict and would live off sweets and carbs if my body allowed it.  I realize that not every one experiences dumping, but just the fear of it has been enough to keep me eating wisely for now anyway.