A Newbie!

Merry Christmas all. My name is Liz and I am 32 y.o.. I just sent in all 21 pages of paperwork to Dr Blackstone in Scottsdale, AZ. I am looking at the Sleeve procedure as my first choice, but it will ultimately be up to her of course. I have a severe migraine disorder called Intracranial Hypertension (IH) or Pseudotumor Cerebri. Obesity is  a co-morbid disease with IH, so i need rapid weight loss. My Neurologist and Neurosurgeon are both behind me 100% having this done. They have had great success with patients undergoing WLS and then experiencing a decrease in their migraines. Does anyone on this forum have experience with IH. My big concern is the diet before surgery. I don't know what type of diet I will have to be on my my options are limited since I can not have anything with artificial sweeteners and lack of food is a big migraine trigger for me.

What do you wish you would have asked you surgeon that you didn't?

Thanks for all your help and have a great Holiday Season!

-Liz

I was sleeved by Dr Blackstones colleague Dr. Reynoso in Oct. I would see if you can attend a post-op support group before you make a decision on what you get. The doctor is really like the bypass because it gives much more drastic results however after attending support group nearly every single person in the post op group who had a bypass had some kind of side effect. not that they were terrible or life-threatening but something I would not have wanted which is why I chose a VSG. 0 side effects for me. I can eat anything only small amounts. The hospital and its program are one of the best in the world! You will find that the recommendations will vary quite a bit from what you will see on these forums so make sure to ignore the advice on the forums and follow the advice of the center.

No it is up to you to have the knowledge to know what surgery you are willing to live with. Unless the surgeon has a medical reason for a particular surgery then they should do the surgery you want. You are the one who has to live with it so don't let someone else, even the surgeon, try to push you into a surgery you don't really want. Most surgeons have one surgery they prefer to do over the others but that doesn't mean you have to have it. Just be sure to get your input in there. Best of luck to you migraines are horrid to deal with so I truly hope this will help you!!

If the Sleeve is what you want, then the Sleeve is what you should get.

If your surgeon tells you a different procedure might be better for you, find out WHY, then do some more research. Get a second opinion, too. Remember, YOU are the only person who must live the rest of her life with the consequences of the surgery type you have.