HOLY COW! I'm suddenly freaked out!
Hello all!
The end of my 6 month presurgical weight loss is fastly approaching. I am seeing the GP on Tuesday for my final weigh in, and then heading to the surgeons office to hand in the remaining paperwork. They will be submitting it to the insurance company with in the week!
I decided to have WLS after both my mother and my brother had strokes. This past October I announced it to my family. I started the monitored weight loss in January. I have done so much research, and I knew my surgery inside and out. Risks, complications, highlights, the good the bad and the ugly. I was choosing RNY bypass because my insurance only covered the band or the RNY. I knew the band was not for me.
Last night I logged into my insurance website. I wanted to be sure that I had all of the presurgical qualifications covered and under wraps. Much to my surprise, the insurance company has changed what it covers for bariatric surgery. They now allow for the band, RNY, VGS, & biliopancreatic duodenal switch.
HOLY MOLY! From the first time I looked into surgery I had hoped my insurace company covered the VGS. Now they do! *BUT* all of the research I have done, from October to now has been on RNY! My head was set. I have changed eating habits (which I would have to do for any surgery), and had my mind completely set on my new life as an RNYer. Now, with just a few days to go... I am thinking about changing my choice.
VGS appeals to me because it is not malabsorbtive. I understand that there is not as much long term data available, and that concerns me to a certain degree. But regardless of which surgery I went in for, I wouldn't go in thinking that I'm going to fail at this.
So, I guess right now, I would like some support. Some suggestions (no arguing over who's surgery is better, but more about why you chose your surgery.) I need to lean on somebody, and who better than my fellow WLS pals.
Any suggestions, support, words of wisdome would be greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Michelle
The end of my 6 month presurgical weight loss is fastly approaching. I am seeing the GP on Tuesday for my final weigh in, and then heading to the surgeons office to hand in the remaining paperwork. They will be submitting it to the insurance company with in the week!
I decided to have WLS after both my mother and my brother had strokes. This past October I announced it to my family. I started the monitored weight loss in January. I have done so much research, and I knew my surgery inside and out. Risks, complications, highlights, the good the bad and the ugly. I was choosing RNY bypass because my insurance only covered the band or the RNY. I knew the band was not for me.
Last night I logged into my insurance website. I wanted to be sure that I had all of the presurgical qualifications covered and under wraps. Much to my surprise, the insurance company has changed what it covers for bariatric surgery. They now allow for the band, RNY, VGS, & biliopancreatic duodenal switch.
HOLY MOLY! From the first time I looked into surgery I had hoped my insurace company covered the VGS. Now they do! *BUT* all of the research I have done, from October to now has been on RNY! My head was set. I have changed eating habits (which I would have to do for any surgery), and had my mind completely set on my new life as an RNYer. Now, with just a few days to go... I am thinking about changing my choice.
VGS appeals to me because it is not malabsorbtive. I understand that there is not as much long term data available, and that concerns me to a certain degree. But regardless of which surgery I went in for, I wouldn't go in thinking that I'm going to fail at this.
So, I guess right now, I would like some support. Some suggestions (no arguing over who's surgery is better, but more about why you chose your surgery.) I need to lean on somebody, and who better than my fellow WLS pals.
Any suggestions, support, words of wisdome would be greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Michelle
Your journey sounds quite a lot like mine. I was all set for the RNY because I thought my insurance only covered the RNY and lap band. After completing the diet and getting insurance approval for the RNY I got some last minute jitters and did more research. I looked again at the insurance website and the DS (biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch) appeared with such glory. I must have been overlooking it before because 1) my surgeon didn't do it and 2) I'd never heard of it until the additional research.
I was scheduled for RNY in less than 10 days and had already started my liquid diet when I did a 180 and switched to the DS. I found a new surgeon and once all the paperwork was re-submitted, my insurance approved the DS in 4 days.
I ended up choosing the DS because statistcally it offers the most weight loss, the weight loss is maintained longer, absorbs half of what is eaten, no pouch, no chewing foods to a pulp, can drink and eat at the same time, and no dumping. And for those who suffer with diabetes, it has the highest cure rate.
Best to you.
I was scheduled for RNY in less than 10 days and had already started my liquid diet when I did a 180 and switched to the DS. I found a new surgeon and once all the paperwork was re-submitted, my insurance approved the DS in 4 days.
I ended up choosing the DS because statistcally it offers the most weight loss, the weight loss is maintained longer, absorbs half of what is eaten, no pouch, no chewing foods to a pulp, can drink and eat at the same time, and no dumping. And for those who suffer with diabetes, it has the highest cure rate.
Best to you.
.
START 318 | CW 179 | GW 165 | --- Updated Feb 3, 2012 (-139)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you researched all of your options?
Duodenal Switch--Check it out at DSFacts.com and www.duodenalswitch.com/
START 318 | CW 179 | GW 165 | --- Updated Feb 3, 2012 (-139)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you researched all of your options?
Duodenal Switch--Check it out at DSFacts.com and www.duodenalswitch.com/
Yes my insurance now covers pretty much everything. My surgeon doesn't offer the DS. But he does do the sleeve. Excuse the typing error LOL in my original post. I mean VSG not VGS.
I think I am at peace with having the sleeve and not the RNY. I will let you all know tomorrow when I head in to talk to the doc!
I think I am at peace with having the sleeve and not the RNY. I will let you all know tomorrow when I head in to talk to the doc!
My surgeon at Emory didn't offer the DS, either. That's why I have a different surgeon now. Emory faxed my medical records over to another Center of Excellence. Just saying.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
.
START 318 | CW 179 | GW 165 | --- Updated Feb 3, 2012 (-139)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you researched all of your options?
Duodenal Switch--Check it out at DSFacts.com and www.duodenalswitch.com/
START 318 | CW 179 | GW 165 | --- Updated Feb 3, 2012 (-139)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you researched all of your options?
Duodenal Switch--Check it out at DSFacts.com and www.duodenalswitch.com/
I guess you'd expect me to say calm down and stop worrying, but this is actually serious business. You are going to have to live with the surgery and the results or lack of results the rest of your life, So NOW, before you go under the knife is the time to freak out, not 3 years from now after you start to put back on the pounds, or a year from now when you find you only lost 40 pounds because you went with the less invasive procedure.
Be honest with yourself.
How much weight do you need to lose?
What are your health problems that need to be resolved? Will the surgery cure the problem right away, or will you need to wait several months post op and lose weight before the problem will be resolved... ex. DS and rny can cure diabetes instantly!...
What are your eating habits (binger, snacker, sweet eater, volume eater)? Please don't say "I don't eat that much I just have a slow metabolism." or "I'm just big boned!!! " BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!!! WHAT MADE YOU THIS FAT???
What foods are you willing to give up the rest of your life, or do you want to give up anything at all (there is a wls that will allow you to enjoy normal sized meals and enjoy ALL foods in moderation, and still maintain a healthy weight! DS).
What potential side effects are you willing to live with to achieve your goals?
Will you be dilligent in taking your vitamins?
Do you want a surgery that will be a tool to help you do the work, or do you want a surgery that will do the work for you? Generally speaking, the more invasive the procedure, the less work you will need to do to lose. There may be more risk involved, but the risk will come with the reward of greater and more long term success. Now, I'm not saying that a DSer has a free for all diet with no restrictions, or a bander or rny'er can never have a cookie though some never do because they know one leads to the whole cookie jar for herself, but generally, the riskier surgeries will do more work for you through malabsorbtion and restriction, as opposed to restriction alone. Some surgeries like DS have extreme malabsorbtion, while others like vsg and band have no malabsorbtion at all.
The surgeries are riskiest in the following order, least to greatest:
Band
VSG (sleeve)
rny
DS
The amount of weight lost and kept off long term follows the same pattern. There are exceptions, but statistically, it's what you would expect..
What are you willing to risk?
Have you talked to real people with ALL these surgery types to see how they've done with their weight loss? Have you sat down and shared a meal with them and observed their eating habits? Research is beneficial, but a real life example is priceless.
If you are honest with yourself and research ALL the surgeries your insurance will cover, I am sure you will find the right wls for YOU.
Be honest with yourself.
How much weight do you need to lose?
What are your health problems that need to be resolved? Will the surgery cure the problem right away, or will you need to wait several months post op and lose weight before the problem will be resolved... ex. DS and rny can cure diabetes instantly!...
What are your eating habits (binger, snacker, sweet eater, volume eater)? Please don't say "I don't eat that much I just have a slow metabolism." or "I'm just big boned!!! " BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!!! WHAT MADE YOU THIS FAT???
What foods are you willing to give up the rest of your life, or do you want to give up anything at all (there is a wls that will allow you to enjoy normal sized meals and enjoy ALL foods in moderation, and still maintain a healthy weight! DS).
What potential side effects are you willing to live with to achieve your goals?
Will you be dilligent in taking your vitamins?
Do you want a surgery that will be a tool to help you do the work, or do you want a surgery that will do the work for you? Generally speaking, the more invasive the procedure, the less work you will need to do to lose. There may be more risk involved, but the risk will come with the reward of greater and more long term success. Now, I'm not saying that a DSer has a free for all diet with no restrictions, or a bander or rny'er can never have a cookie though some never do because they know one leads to the whole cookie jar for herself, but generally, the riskier surgeries will do more work for you through malabsorbtion and restriction, as opposed to restriction alone. Some surgeries like DS have extreme malabsorbtion, while others like vsg and band have no malabsorbtion at all.
The surgeries are riskiest in the following order, least to greatest:
Band
VSG (sleeve)
rny
DS
The amount of weight lost and kept off long term follows the same pattern. There are exceptions, but statistically, it's what you would expect..
What are you willing to risk?
Have you talked to real people with ALL these surgery types to see how they've done with their weight loss? Have you sat down and shared a meal with them and observed their eating habits? Research is beneficial, but a real life example is priceless.
If you are honest with yourself and research ALL the surgeries your insurance will cover, I am sure you will find the right wls for YOU.
**** I AM AN OH SUPPORT GROUP LEADER ****
WHY I CHOSE DS: No dumping. Highest percentage of weight loss, Best long term results, Won't regain weight! Eat normal sized meals, 96% diabeties, 90% high blood pressure, 80% sleep apnea cured. I 
MY DS!
My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four unless there were three other people. ~Orson Wells
Most Active
Recent Topics
