Newbie

Hey all,

Just wanted to introduce myself, not sure how much to put on here so I may put a little or not.  I started looking into WLS about a year or so ago (I've been yo yo dieting for 5 years now) but thought to myself that I didn't give everything a good hearted try.  So I buckled down and did weigh****chers and did some slim fast and got no where.  I decided in May that it was time for me to do something more about it.  I can't live like this and can't have fun with my kids.

So I went to my seminar, got in to an appt. the next Monday.  I had a stall in everything because I needed to get an outside psych eval.  so it was a couple week wait there.  Finally got the test results back on Thurs and  I got a call today to set up to see the surgeon and they behaviorist and they happened to have one on Monday (someone canceled).  

Right now I'm freaking out, I know it will be some wait after I see the surgeon until the the actual surgery but still.  I haven't told all my family about it and I don't know if I will.

I'm freaking about the eating afterwards, I've been told they will give me a list (which is great) and I have been looking up websites and recipes but I feel un prepared.  I think I'm over thinking everything. Ahhh that's how I am.

Any way just wanted to say "Hi" and any websites you can recommend or any questions just ask. Oh and I'll get a picture up here soon

Jenn

Hi Jenn.....Welcome aboard....I had surgery with Dr. Foote on March 10, 2009...I have to say I was very pleased with everyone I work with at GHP...You will like Dr. Foote..all the surgeons are great I have been told...I am three months out (just had my three month checkup yesterday)..I am down 65 lbs...I am not sure what surgery you are hoping to have ..but I had the RNY...and I have to say I am pleased with the results...If I can answer any questions feel free to email at [email protected] a BIG hug to you.........Bev in  Battle Creek

Hey Bev,

We or I haven't heard from you in a while.  How are you????  Sounds like things are going good for you....what do you think??????

Hope everything is going good for you!!

Edie

Good Morning Edie
Yes I am doing great...well I am at a stand still with the weight loss...hopeful I will start to lose again...I am down 65 lbs...and enjoying life again...I can't believe how much more I can do now....Its wonderful...I still have 70 lbs to go...but  I know its not going to happen over night..
I LOVE MY RNY...So how are you doing??...Finally summer is here...and I plan on doing everything I can to enjoy it..I don't have to hide in the house anymore...Thanks for saying Hi...and hope you have a great summer also........Hugs Bev

Right now I'm looking into just doing the VSG but possibly doing the two step thing so it would be a DS in the end. 

I guess I'm just going to wait and see what Dr. Foote recommends. 

Well after I wrote the earlier post I went and told my brother and his wife and to my surprise they were both very supportive of the surgery and my decision and asked if there was anything they could do to help. 

Now I have to tell my other sister she's already said negative things about WLS and she has a wedding coming up next April and I'm sure she's going to freak about that because I'm in the wedding and am going to wait as long as possible to order my dress (I already spoke to the lady we are getting them from and she said 3 months before to order mine and she will fix it and make it look beautiful on me when we get it in).

Oh well, I'm going to tell her and get it over with after I speak with the dr.

HeHe...I can tell you what Dr. Foote with say:  VSG.  He is very pro VSG for the majority of patients, and I don't happen to agree with him about this.

Please, be honest with yourself about your eating patterns -- grazer, volume eater, willing to be on a *diet* forever, etc...(so many people think that surgery is going to change their head, and it does for a period of time, but not long-term).  Be honest with yourself about your diet history (can you take it off but not keep it off?).  And, be very clear with yourself about what you will deem a success (is being obese or overweight going to be good enough?).

I am very pro-VSG, for the right reasons, and not the "let''s see how you do with it" reason Foote likes to give.  I would recommend it far and above a gastric banding. However, there are no long-term studies to prove that it is effective, and the short-term studies that exist really show that at the 4 year mark things don't look so good at keeping the weight off.  Wi**** was different, but that is the reality.

I can also tell you that GHP (as is the case with most surgical practices) is dead wrong about the *issues*  DSers have post-op.  I could go into a long rant about it, but I will just say that if they provided the proper information for after-care, people would not have these issues and I have experienced none of them.

If you happen to want to explore the DS further, please spend time on the DS Forum here on OH, as this end up being your support system for the true information on staying healthy.  Also check out DSFacts.com, for the true scoop on the DS.

There are some very real life issues that Foote doesn't go into great detail about when recommending the VSG, and suggesting that the switch can be added later, if needed -- so, please, consider:

If you have the VSG thinking you can "just add the switch later" if it doesn't work for you, you may be sadly mistaken:

1)  Will you still have insurance in 2 years?  In 4 years?
2)  Even if you do, will it cover revisions?  Many insurance companies are adding "one bariatric surgery per lifetime" restrictions.
3)  If you end up with a BMI of 39.9, are you going to be allowed a revision?
4)  If you get down to a BMI of 39.9 with your VSG, even if just for a little while, is your insurance company going to require FIVE MORE YEARS of MORBID OBESITY in order to get a revision?
5)  If you are diabetic, are you going to be risking your diabetes never resolving, or coming back when you regain?
6)  Ditto the hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, sleep apnea?
7)  If you don't do the switch at the same time as the sleeve, you are unlikely to get the synergistic benefits of the two parts together.  Normal or overweight diabetics who just get the switch as a stand-alone cure for their diabetes lose a few pounds immediately post-op, and then regain the weight.  The malabsorption does not by itself induce weight loss.  So, after a couple of years with a less-than-satisfactory VSG, you aren't going to be benefitted by "just adding the switch" -- you are going to have to ve RESLEEVED as well.  And resleeving is a significantly more risky surgery than a virgin sleeve.  And the entire revision will be LONGER and MORE RISKY.

All of these things need to be considered with a REALISTIC understanding of the facts, risks and the statistics.  While a particular individual person can have the strength and ability to make the VSG work, the odds of being able to do so need to be considered realistically.  The long-term struggle needs to be considered realistically.  The consequences of failure need to be considered realistically.

Thanks those are some very good questions and definietely some I've been thinking about others didn't even think of.

And for the website I don't think I've been to that one, at least its not in my book marks.  

And reading up on all the issues after surgery is something I unfortunely like to do....sounds bad I know but if I know the good, the bad and the ugly of any surgery it helps put my mind at ease and how to deal with it and look for it. 

And I'm thinking maybe I'll see Dr. Kenmeter too, another opinion never hurt anyone. 

Hopefully you don't mind if any questions come up that I might pm you.

I never mind questions -- I'm an open book.  And, a very opinionated one!!
I wish that I would have known even one DSer prior to getting mine.  While I knew it was what was best for me, I was prepared to accept all of the issues that I was warned about -- none have happened.  I promise you, if you meet me, I don't stink and I don't spend my life on the toilet.  As a matter of fact, the many many many DSers I have met IRL don't either.  Those who have issues are not taking care of themselves, and unfortunately get really bad advice from GHP.

Two of my friends have just consulted with Kemmeter, and both will be getting the DS soon.  He is the only surgeon I recommend locally, and that is not because he  *was*  my surgeon -- he was my surgeon because of the research I did.  He and Foote are the only two surgeons in Michigan that perform all four major WLS options lap.  Had I not gone with Kemmeter, I would have gone to CA to Rabkin or Husted (who has now relocated to KY).

Here is a link to some pics of a recent DS GTG in Lansing:  Michigan DS GTG

Sounds like thing are moving really fast.  Just a question; are you self pay or going thru insurance?  If you are going thru insurance, have you already been approved?  OPPS that was two questions

I am going through insurance and I have so many approvels sitting in the drawer but not one for surgery yet.  I'm optomistic that it will go through smoothly and if it doesn't well there's appeals.  It's just all going so fast from when I went to the seminar to all the required stuff I didn't expect it I guess.