I am new and scared, I need someone to talk to!!!

Hi, I am seriously thinking about having the surgery. I do not want the open kind. I am a vegiarian and am having a hard time finding out what to eat after it is done. I saw one surgen but he said that he only does the open kind. I asked why he said that it is better because he can feel things for himself. As it turned out I read on this site a person that went to him and part of her intestines died during surgery so they had to do the open kind. I would have preferred for him to be honest from the start so now I am looking for another doctor. I am wanting to have the surgery only because I have several medical problems that make it so I am unable to exercise. I would like to be able to weight less and feel better. If you have any suggestions what to look for PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Thanks and take care Sheri

Being scared ois normal. I did not want to have open either, and was thrilled when my doctor said he was doing lap. I have 4 tiny little scars, only about a 1/2 inch each. I had Dr. Georgen and Dr. Wasco in Neenha do mine. They are awesome. Check them out, and there is ALOT of info on their website. www.mwbariatric.com Good luck.

Hi Sherri- I had my surgery at Elmbrook Memorial - Lap. You can find my surgeon's website at www.bariatricwi.com . I adore these surgeons! Lori www.milwaukeewls.com

Sherri- I had my surgery with the same surgeons as Lori - I agree with her completely - those guys are the best!

Sheri, I went to Columbia-St.Mary's Bariatric Center for my surgery. Dr. Joseph Regan was my doctor and he is also the Head of Bariatric Surgery there. He only does Lap RNY surgeries and in my opinion, was the best Doctor I've ever had. The following website is their site that explains things and will also tell you dates that they have seminars to get more information. The best way to approach it at CSM is to sign up for the seminar first. Then make an appointment to speak to Dr. Regan. Sue is the head RN and the best person in the world to get you through this and she is the person you will be dealing with on almost every occasion. http://milwaukeebariatricsurgery.com/surgery/index.cfm Please feel free to contact me by email if you have any questions or concerns. I'm 6 weeks out and doing wonderful. Good luck! Jo

Hi Jo, Thanks for the info. I read on the website that they do somekind of test for your swollowing or ? I am going to Mt. Sini tomorrow to meet the docs there and am hoping to find out lots more information. It is really hard to know which Doctor to go to. I have been to one but found out that he was not telling me the truth about the surgery. In the meanwhile I am being open and trying to find out all I can. Thanks for the help Sheri

Hi Sheri: I understand your fear. I contemplated having the surgery for 2 years before I even went to my PCP for advice. Then I was on a waiting list for nearly another 2 years to see Dr. Starling at the UW Hospital just for a consult. He's a good surgeon, but lacks bedside manner. I was told by Dr. Starling that you can only have the lap procedure if you're under 350 lbs. Without going into all the details, my company switched insurance carriers and I had to start the approval process over again. So, I went to the Barix Clinics in Belvidere, IL and saw Dr. Brian Boe. He told me they do the open procedure on everyone because it is ultimately safer. With the open procedure they can see what they're doing better. While the risk of a secondary infection may be a bit greater with the open procedure, I would rather deal with that than to have to be opened up again because something didn't go right. There are no guarantees either way. Anyway, I'm a nurse, so his rationale made sense to me. And, this is also a new venture for me, so I think it's good to ask lots of questions and to see what others have gone through. Do your research and do what feels right for you. Good Luck!! Carmen

Carmen, Thanks for the words of encouragement. I went to a talk tonight with Dr. Chua at Sini in Milwaukee. He said that he does all of the procedures that are avalible. He was the first one in Wisconsin to do the bypass and has a great sucess rate. He seems very nice and I hope things work out. Take Care Sheri

Sherka, I was curious to see where you are in the process. I am experiencing many of the same fears you expressed. I have met with Dr. Chiang and started the pre-op testing but I have not made a final decision. Let me know how things are going for you. Thanks.

Vicky, I have decided not to go ahead with the surgery. I have to many health problems and I do not feel that the bariactric doctors really take everything into consideration. The surgery is VERY SERIOUS and I do not want to put myself into another very painful situation while I am trying to deal with the problems I have now. Since I have come to this conclution I have REALLY been watching what I eat and how much. If you think about it you can do the same things to loose weight but without the very invasive surgery. I have lost 6 pounds in one and half weeks and am feeling much better about my decision. I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do. I would suggest to anyone to really think about what you are doing, this cannot be reversed. It is forever! Sheri