i need as much info as posable

i have been going through everything thats exspected to get this on its way, now i was told by natelie that i have to lose down to 350 to have this surgery i am 442 right now and thats almost 100 lbs i would have to lose before surgery if i could lose that i wouldnt need the surgery i need ur help to find other people that have had this surgery at my weight and that have made it. i dont have any health probs other then being over weight....i have gotten so close to be told i have to lose that much to have it im not given up but down hearted and i dont think its fair. if anyone here can help please let me know

Priscilla, Just remember that they are not asking you to do this to discourage you. It is for your safety. Just try to do the very best that you can and stay in contact with the surgeon to monitor your progress. They know that you really need this life saving surgery. A friend of mine was in the same predicament. He had to loose 60-70 lbs. He cut out the soda (even if it is diet), started the mega water drinking, started with 1 minute of exercise (walking slowly and adding 1 min each week) really looked at the quality of food he was eating and he did it. It would cross my mind that if I did loose 100# then they would say , well go ahead and loose the rest. BUT that is not the case. You are in extreme health danger and even the general anestheia poses a BIG threat. Even if you have no other health problems. It also helps decrease the size of your liver and increases the space they have to work. Go ahead and cut out the sugar now from your diet. You are going to have to do that anyway and this gives you a head start. Start eating more lean protein---gonna have to do that, too. Feel free to e-mail me. I wish you the VERY best. Don't give up. Katie 300/167 8/4/2003

I would suggest you check with other surgeons. Some are more experienced with operating on people with higher BMIs. There are certainly patients with much higher BMIs who have had weight loss surgery. Hang in there! ______ Jeanie in St. Louis DS 02/12/05 - Medicare Approved Dr. Gary Anthone - Omaha NE 5' 10" -85 big lubs Read about the Duodenal Switch surgery at http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/surgtype-forums/DS/ and http://duodenalswitch.com

I was at 381 and had to have the open RNY. They didn't even talk to me about losing down to 350 because of an abdominal hernia repair I'd had earlier and they said I needed the open RNY. I had that done in St. Louis with Dr. Fabito. Unfortunately he retired in May of this year. He was through New Start. He was the only one that my insurance would OK and that would take me. I tried to go through Dr. Hornbostle in Sedalia but United Healthcare wouldn't cover me last year. They may cover him this year. Of course, I don't know who you have. If you're willing to have the open RNY, you can go through other surgeons. Especially if they turn you down at the first place you go to which I assume is UMCHC. The other place you can go to find a surgeon who does open is Truman Medical Center in KC. Those are the only three places within a good driving distance to Columbia that I found. I was worried about driving home after the surgery. I had heard that it is uncomfortable riding after the surgery. They gave me a pain pill and I slept most of the way home with no pain. Really, the open RNY was one of the easiest operations I've had. So, don't give up. I would have been like you and very discouraged if I had to lose even the 31 lbs. After all, that's why we're doing this in the first place, right? So, hang in there and investigate other possibilities. Go to the surgeons' in Missouri list that's on this web site somewhere and see which ones do open RNY. Then call their offices (they rarely answer email) and ask if they take your insurance. Then, go to their info sessions and ask questions and get their packets. I filled out three packets before I found my surgeon. Just don't give up. Keep knocking on all the doors until one swings open. However, if you don't want the open RNY, the only solution is to lose down to 350. That is the weight limit for lap surgeries. I was told that the extra weight presents additional problems in the surgeon seeing where they are cutting. I don't know about you, but I want to be SURE they know where they are cutting. I was told that with the open surgery they can see what they are doing much better. i liked that idea. Of course, I'd had the abdominal hernia repair and two c-sections so I had an idea of what abdominal surgery was going to be like anyway. Good luck. Teresa

Hello, I weighed 402lbs before I had Gastric Bypass. I also had the open procedure, my surgeon would only do it lap if I had lost down to 350. Of course he wanted me to lose the weight but it wasnt a requirement. I lost a little weight(like 11lbs) before surgery but he put me on a 3 week liquid diet before I went in for surgery. I used Dr. Bruce Jones out of Jonesboro AR. It was alot closer for me and I also had trouble with the New Start Program in ST. Louis. I know AR is alot farther from you, but there are surgeons out there that do this surgery on even larger people. You just have to find them. Good luck. chas -132

Hi Priscilla, I was in the same boat that you are right now. I had a consult with Dr. Scott on 10/26/04. I was then 432 lbs and it took me over 3 years prior to seeking WLS. to loose from 486 lbs which was the highest I weighed in my life. I thought when I went in there it would be just a matter of him going, "hello, here is your surgery date" The need for WLS was pretty evident. It didnt happen, and all I got was the same montra all the Doctors were telling me for years... Loose weight then I'll help you... All that was going through my mind at the time was, "well crap here we go again". But you know what? It was just different this time. Even though what I thought was rejection Dr. Scott just encourged me to loose the weight to get the surgey... put me on a diet. I will never forget what he told me and that was that he wasnt going to give up on me and I shouldnt either. Then he told me he was still here to help in anyway he could. Dr. Scott isnt a man of many words, but his actions to me over this past year has spoken VOLUMES to me. He's my hero. He saved my life. Getting back to the frustration of having to loose weight.... I know it's hard. I had all the feelings that you are experiecing right now. But you know there was a little something deep down inside that decided I was worth the WLS, and I wanted the safest method possible and that was getting me to the 350 mark. So I went home and started the long hard process of loosing 80 pounds. When I got home I cried I was disappointed and discouraged and I knew that I couldnt even walk 500 feet let alone excersize for 30 minutes. I have a half mile long driveway and I knew that someday I was going to walk that mile.(up and back) I started walking 500 feet at a time. Stuck with the diet and got myself the best cheerleader in the world and that was my Mother... Quite frankly I had alot of back issues due to the weight and we wont go into the knee pain and it took me weeks to even think of going past the gate. But slowly the muscles started to cooperate and I was walking more and feeling better. Im not going to say that loosing the 80 lbs was easy... I really had moments of discouragement and I did the whys and how come I have to do all of this in the feelings department. I had to start now in changing how I ate, my excersize, and even how I thought about myself. For some reason I really came to the conclusion that I was worth the wait and work to get there. And that Dr. Scott and company will help and cheer me on, and they really did want me to suceed! So to make a long story longer... I did make the weight I had my surgery on the 31st of May and have been enjoying the precious gift of being lighter and healthier and finding new life and enjoying it! Yes it took me 8 months of work, frustration and tears to get to the surgery day... you can do it too! There's nothing so special about me. I'm just an ordinary woman that dared to do what the Doctor asked me to do and believed that if I did it then they would keep their word and help me in return.... and you know what? They did! They will do that for you too. You can do this it's a doable thing. It isnt impossible... I promise it isnt. Look at it this way too. When you get the weight off you are more in tune with your body and how you will loose the rest of the weight. Food issues for me have been easier because I cut those things out of my diet before surgery... I was excersizing before so it's easier for me to hit the gym and work out... It wasnt such a shock to me mentally because I had some idea what I have to do the rest of my life. This time helped me to realize that I am a food addict and will always be in recovery.... and how I can keep myself in the recovery side of my life. So for me the time of loosing weight before surgey was a good thing even tho most of the time it did feel like that. I encourage you Priscilla to take the leap of faith and try to loose to 350. Do it for you and only you. I know that if you make the decision to do this you will succeed. Use your resources deep within yourself and try to tell yourself you are worth the effort of all this... and you are. You deserve a second chance at life and have the moments of being breathless because you have found beauty in something you havent seen for a long time. You deserve all these things.... you need these things. In time you will have these things. One last thought and I promise I'll quit yakking but remember that Dr. Scott and Natalie arent there to make you sad and thwart your desire of having WLS at all... I want you to know that they are there to help. They want to help. They just want you to be safe, healthy and happy and for you to be safe you need to be at a lower weight. Honestly I havent had better advocate for me and my weightloss than Natalie and Dr. Scott.... and they have been patient with me in all of my questions and paranoia after surgery and they just patiently keep answering and answering..... You are in good hands! It just doenst feel like it right now. Try to trust them and I promise you will be glad you did! Take Care and if there is anything I can do for you let me know.... Ardie

Priscilla, The other option is to ditch that doctor and use mine, Dr. Van Wagner. I was 450 and 5' 9" when he did laparascopic, yes, laparascopic RNY on me June 1. He is an excellent surgeon and he's so good, I am going to trust my husband to his skilled hands next Thursday. Granted, you would have to come to St. Louis to get it done, but I don't know about you, if I could have lost nearly 100 lbs. on my own I wouldn't have needed the surgery. Good luck and if you need help w/ Dr. Wagner, let me know. His office number is (314) 776-7112; tell the office staff (speak to Sarah, who is the BEST) that I sent you.

Hun, when I started this around January or Feb of this year, I weighed 411. I was told to only lose 40 lbs. I actually only lost about 25 and got the surgery done. All he wants to see is EFFORT on your part. I got down to 385 and that was it. I had my surgery on June 6th, so there is hope for you. First of all, i see that Natalie is the one that told you to lose to 350. She is not the doctor, she is a nurse. She has told me several things that ended up being wrong when I actually talked to Dr Scott. Please dont take everything she says as FACT. She is a great person and nurse, but as far as what is expected, please only go by Dr Scott. He is the best in the land!