Thinking about surgery lots of questions!

How did you approarch your pcp?
6 month diet required?
What were the steps needed to take?
Did anyone's PCP not like the idea of surgery?
Anyone have BCBS of Arkansas???
If so what did they require?
How long was it from decission to surgery?
Did distance play a factor in your doctor?
Any doctor that is better than the other?  I'd like to live...

And last but not least how did you come to your decission to go with LB/RNY/DS/etc?

I am a 46 bmi 6'4" 385lbs.  Would any one thing be better than another?

first off welcome to the MO board....lots of good people here and you will get a lot answers especially to the last question but all i can tell you is about me ok?

I have medicare so some of the stuff that applied to me might not apply to you...

i just ask my pcp if she would be willing to write a letter of recomendation for me to have weight loss surgery. and list all the reasons why...some people have had to change pcps to get one that approves.

i didnt have to do a 6 month diet just had to find a facility and doctor that was approved by medicare and there was only one in the state of mo at that time, Sedalia and Dr. Hornbostel , great doctor , lot of people on here have used him...

my choice was the RNY because i am or was a food addict. it doesnt go away with surgery but you have a tool to fight it with.....lap band allows you to eat a bigger var. of food including all of the ones that made me fat, sugar, fried foods and bread with the RNY it makes you sick if you try those with the RNY good behaviour modification when you spend half a day or more being sick from one or two small bites of something you arent suppose to have....

besides my surgeon even tho he did them said that they didnt get as good as results as rny....and now he is not even doing them at all..

i had high blood pressure, border line diabetic, high cholestrol, high glicerides and sever arthritis. still have the arthritis but all the rest is gone...and have lost 112 pounds

you do have to make a commitment to change the way you eat and for the rest of your life stick with it...you have to know that you have to get a certain amount in of protein daily and you may have to use protein drinks of some sort for the rest of your life , and you have to take vits. DAILY this and the protein and water are the 3 things that you have to do for life ....if a person isnt willing to change and give up all the bad food things in their life they wont have as good of results ....and can make them sick. not saying that for the rest of your life you wont be able to have something or the other in very small quanities...but would be small and not everyday.  

How did you approarch your pcp?

I had been with my PCP for 20 years and he had documented my weight, my attempts at dieting, my knee reconstructions, etc.  He was also familiar with my family history of diabetes and heart attacks, so when I brought up the question of WLS he did not hesitate to encourage me to seek the surgery.

6 month diet required?   No.

What were the steps needed to take?

The very first step was to attend a informational seminar on WLS.  During the seminar, the program advisors will present you with a package of information which details the entire process, requirements, what to expect, the different types of procedures, and the statistics which accompany various procedures.  It was a wealth of information!

Anyone have BCBS of Arkansas???  Sorry, but I can't help you with insurance questions, I was a private pay patient...one of america's 40 million uninsured.

How long was it from decission to surgery? 

I attended my seminar in Febuary; however, it was June before I finally decided to begin the steps.  Due to the large number of patients in the KC Bariatric program, my surgery would have taken place around the end of the year or possibly early January.  However, a serious gallbladder infection bumped me to the front of the list because it had to come out!  I ended up having a RNY with gallbladder removal on October 29th.  Now my brother on the other hand had serious co-morbidity issues and his insurance approved his procedure within a month.  The center he attended in Oklahoma City...(which is an EXCELLENCE center extrodinaire) and he was able to get his procedure done within a 2 month period.  So much of the experience will depend on which center you attend and the requirements of your insurance company.

Did distance play a factor in your doctor?

It did for me because my husband is currently working out of town, most of my family lives out of town, and I have a son that needs me to be here.  So I felt like I had to stay close to home.  But given the experiences of my brother and sister, (yes all 4 siblings in my family have had an RNY), I wish I could've attended the OKC program.

Any doctor that is better than the other?  I'd like to live...

That is such a personal choice and comfort with your physician is sooooo necessary that I would suggest you make that choice on your own.  I know my surgeon specializes and is accredited with many awards, so I felt totally comfortable with my choice, but I still think that decision is best made by you. 

And last but not least how did you come to your decission to go with LB/RNY/DS/etc?

The only two procedures I considered were the lap band and the RNY because I really didn't know much about any of the others.  I ended up chosing the RNY because I was turned off by the thought of a foreign object in my body which had to be filled through a port regularly to maintain weight loss.  But again, that was a very personal choice because it was just something that bothered me.  I guess you could say it was like disliking opera music... it just turns me off.


Hope this has in someway helped you.  Good luck and keep us posted with your journey!