Has this happened to anyone?

Hi everyone- I'm a new member. (51 year old female.) Went for my surgeon appointment, and Psych eval 4/4/08.  (MMPC Grand Rapids Dr. Foote)  Prior to the appt. I had been researching and was 100% sure the VSG was the best choice for me. BMI -39 with a couple co-morbidities.  Long story short- I was informed at my appointment that my insurance (BCBS Federal employee plan) no longer covers the VSG effective 01/08 unless your BMI is greater than 50.  My options now include lap band or roux-en-Y. I don't think the lap band option is for me...... But here's my question.. About the Roux-en-Y- I really have some fears about a malabsorptive procedure.(I know this sounds vain- but the hair loss part scares me. I don't have the thickest locks to begin with.)  Anyone out there (similar age- similar BMI) have any words of wisdom for me?  (SORRY THIS WAS SO LONG) I was so sure of everything a few days ago-  now I'm apprehensive. Is this normal?

Jenny, I am also having a VSG.  I have BCBS but different from yours.  Mine is covered.  You can try fighting.  In fact, they say that BMI over 50 (which I have) is a better choice for RNY.  I would think VSG would be a great choice for you.  Here are the codes my doc told me to give BCBS.  Try calling them and see if they cover the procedure. Procedure code 43843 diagnosis code  278.01 Good Luck Bernice

I had an RNY and never lost one hair.  I also made sure I had between 80 - 120 grams of protein per day which I think made all the difference.  I was 55 when I had the surgery and it's the best thing I ever did.

My hair thinned a bit, but was taking biotin and using Nioxin shampoo and treatments.  I now have thicker and healthier hair.    I had thin hair to start with.   I don't know of anyone who didn't get their hair back. I had lap RNY, and it was easier than having my gall bladder removed. 

Best of luck

Pam

Pam- Thank you for your response. I appreciate it.         

Losing your hair after bariatric surgery can happen with ANY type of surgery -- lap band, VSG, DS or RNY.  It is caused by protein and calorie deficiency.  Protein is reponsible for: * healing wounds * repairing damaged cells * giving energy to muscle (your heart is a muscle) * creating new red blood cells * growing fingernails and hair When we have a diet that greatly restricts calories right after surgery the body uses every gram of protein we take in to do the most important tasks.  I personally would rather my body heal my surgery wounds and keep my heart healthy than worry about my hair.  Hair loss was a minor sacrifice for being healthy.  And it doesn't just happen with RNY or even just bariatric surgery.  Hair loss can happen during pregnancy, times of extreme stress or any other major surgery.  It's part of the natural way our body allocates energy.  I started losing my hair at about 3 months while I was eating about 60g of protein per day.  Within a few weeks I upped my protein intake to 80-100g per day and I've noticed a dramatic decrease in my hair loss.  It's slowed right down to almost nothing at this point.  (I'm 5 months out now.) I personally knew I needed a malabsorptive surgery because I was already a great dieter.  I didn't have a problem with portion control - I could easily stick to a 1200 calorie diet and still not lose any weight.  I needed a drastic intervention within my body to really change the physical aspect of how my body handled the food I give it.  That's why I chose RNY. Make sure you're chosing the surgery that works best for YOU and your PERSONALITY.  Don't make this big of a decision based on something so superficial as hair loss.  This is about your health and the rest of your life.  Do some more research and really figure out which surgery is best for how you will behave after surgery. Pam

Pam- Thank you for your insight. I appreciate you taking a moment to jot down your thoughts. It helped alot. Take care, and best of luck on your journey! Sincerely, Jenny R. ( AKA  Poneyexpress)

Please don't think me too harsh, but I want you to be sure of the utter seriousness of ANY weight loss surgery. 

This will have a permanent impact on your whole body, whether the weight stays off or not.  If your biggest concern is hair loss, please, please reconsider surgery. 

IF you have no complications, you will still have a permanently changed digestive system.  You will have strong possibilities of ulcers and worse, of hernias, of intestinal blockages, face it, of death.  (Take a look at the memorials posted here.)  There is no guarantee that you will lose all the weight you want to, or that it will stay off.  Surgeons call 50% loss of excess weight a success. 

No, I'm not crabby because I have had problems, but because I have seen people who sadly underestimated the effect this would have on their life. 

I am two years post-op and my BMI as of this morning is 33.9.  I never thought that I would just quit losing weight after 18 months, but I did.  No matter what kind of diet or exercise I do, my weight is here to stay. The surgery itself, anesthesia, and diet/malabsorption kick-started my hereditary hair loss that I wasn't experiencing before surgery.  My hair is gone where my bangs were, and it aint never comin' back.  I wasn't prepared for that because everyone told me it would regrow after a few months. Am I glad I had RNY?  Yep.  I know now that I'm not going to keel over at any given second because I'm carrying around over 300 lbs.  I lowered my cholesterol a TON and generally just feel better and eat WAY better. Cons?  I still have to buy some plus sized clothes, I have to listen to all these skinny chicks on this board that don't have a problem losing weight, and I have to constantly hear people comment about how I had GBS and still "look like that".   Oh yeah, and I look like a puddle of melted wax, pretty much.  My skin hangs down so much and really really really looks bad.   Went to a plastic surgeon that said they could fix my arms, but I'd have bad scars and wouldn't ever look very nice.  So no more short sleeves for me.  You have to consider that part, too.  A lot of us have turkey neck and  wobbly bits. It's a lot to consider, so just do your homework and think about everything.  Best of luck to you!