Newbie here! Hi There! Lions, Tigers and Questions, oh my!
Hi there everyone! My name is Christy. I just turned 34. I am 5'2 ( I swear I think I have shrunk an inch this past year) and 193lbs. roughly.
Long story short, I have always had issues with food addiction, I am the largest person in my immediate family, and have always been. I was always told I was "big boned" but personally, I've never seen a fat skeleton!
I am very interested in getting some type of weight loss surgery. I say some type because, I know I am not eligible for the roux-en-Y or regular gastric bypass surgery with the re-routing of intestine surgery, because I had colon cancer at 28, and I have no large intestine, they performed a procedure called a total colectomy on me, so basically my small intestine is connected to about 2 inches of my rectum.
I am interested in having the sleeve gastrectomy done, however, currently my insurance will not cover this unless my BMI is 50 or above, however, I am going to consult with my doctor, (once I decide on one-a doc that is), about writing a letter of medical necessity for this, because of my previous colon cancer surgery.
I am fearful of the LapBand and Realize Band, because of the risk of slippage, infection-internally and externally, the whole port process and having a foreign object in my body.
I am writing to find the opinions of others concerning LapBand or Realize Band surgery, pro's, con's and estimated weight loss and time. I am also seeking out for a physician referral. I live in Md, so doctors in Northern VA, DC, and MD are welcomed. I found a Cynthia Long on this site, and she's gotten good reviews, but when I called the number was disconnected. Ugh.
I have the following other medical issues that will accomodate my reasoning for my surgery:
-high blood pressure
-GERD
-infertility
-sleep apnea-I don't use a CPAP though
-Disc disease-along with 3 slipped discs, an impinged nerve and annualar tear in my lumbar spine.
-I've already had my gallbladder removed-but I had issues with this
the increased weight bothers my knees and my carpal tunnel as well.
-Depression
I am hoping that once I find a surgeon, and move forward that my insurance will cover my procedure, and I can begin a new healthly lifestyle.
Thank you for reading my post!
Christy :)
Long story short, I have always had issues with food addiction, I am the largest person in my immediate family, and have always been. I was always told I was "big boned" but personally, I've never seen a fat skeleton!
I am very interested in getting some type of weight loss surgery. I say some type because, I know I am not eligible for the roux-en-Y or regular gastric bypass surgery with the re-routing of intestine surgery, because I had colon cancer at 28, and I have no large intestine, they performed a procedure called a total colectomy on me, so basically my small intestine is connected to about 2 inches of my rectum.
I am interested in having the sleeve gastrectomy done, however, currently my insurance will not cover this unless my BMI is 50 or above, however, I am going to consult with my doctor, (once I decide on one-a doc that is), about writing a letter of medical necessity for this, because of my previous colon cancer surgery.
I am fearful of the LapBand and Realize Band, because of the risk of slippage, infection-internally and externally, the whole port process and having a foreign object in my body.
I am writing to find the opinions of others concerning LapBand or Realize Band surgery, pro's, con's and estimated weight loss and time. I am also seeking out for a physician referral. I live in Md, so doctors in Northern VA, DC, and MD are welcomed. I found a Cynthia Long on this site, and she's gotten good reviews, but when I called the number was disconnected. Ugh.
I have the following other medical issues that will accomodate my reasoning for my surgery:
-high blood pressure
-GERD
-infertility
-sleep apnea-I don't use a CPAP though
-Disc disease-along with 3 slipped discs, an impinged nerve and annualar tear in my lumbar spine.
-I've already had my gallbladder removed-but I had issues with this
the increased weight bothers my knees and my carpal tunnel as well.
-Depression
I am hoping that once I find a surgeon, and move forward that my insurance will cover my procedure, and I can begin a new healthly lifestyle.
Thank you for reading my post!
Christy :)
Christy,
Welcome to our little slice of rainbow interwebs. lol. I live in California so I dont have any dr recommendations for you. I personally had RNY. I would suggest talking with the surgeon who performed your other surgery and removed the cancerous portion of your intestines. Maybe they can recommend a good bariatric surgeon in your area. Given that your digestive system is already "creative" they would be the best ones to point you in the proper direction based on your unique body.
I wish you the very best and congratulations on taking this first step towards your health and vibrancy.
~Maryn
Welcome to our little slice of rainbow interwebs. lol. I live in California so I dont have any dr recommendations for you. I personally had RNY. I would suggest talking with the surgeon who performed your other surgery and removed the cancerous portion of your intestines. Maybe they can recommend a good bariatric surgeon in your area. Given that your digestive system is already "creative" they would be the best ones to point you in the proper direction based on your unique body.
I wish you the very best and congratulations on taking this first step towards your health and vibrancy.
~Maryn
Our little miracle baby boy is on his way!
I think Maryn's advice is perfect. Going to talk with your previous surgeon makes alot of sense. I also think ( once you research names of local surgeons or get some names here) it will help to make an appointment with a bariatric surgeon to have exactly the same talk discussing your comorbidities and what will exclude you from specific surgeries and what options you have left. Certainly the surgeon's office will also have experience in addressing denials from insurance companies etc..
As for the bands, I have a lap band ( for about 18 months now) and have done very well. It is a strict task master in that it is a slower way to lose the weight and it takes constant work to choose the right foods, eat at a slow enough speed not to get anything stuck and cause the food to have to come back up and deal with your head hunger. I chose it because I knew that I have a pattern of weight loss that lets me charge hard and lose weight for many months but then I drop off in my energy. I wanted an option that would always be there for me, with no time restriction, when I caught my own motivation wave and ride it back up!
Knowing your own psychology, weight loss style, eating styles, food preferences when you eat addictively etc.. will really help as you decide on the narrowed options your surgeon gives you.
Good luck to you Christy!
As for the bands, I have a lap band ( for about 18 months now) and have done very well. It is a strict task master in that it is a slower way to lose the weight and it takes constant work to choose the right foods, eat at a slow enough speed not to get anything stuck and cause the food to have to come back up and deal with your head hunger. I chose it because I knew that I have a pattern of weight loss that lets me charge hard and lose weight for many months but then I drop off in my energy. I wanted an option that would always be there for me, with no time restriction, when I caught my own motivation wave and ride it back up!
Knowing your own psychology, weight loss style, eating styles, food preferences when you eat addictively etc.. will really help as you decide on the narrowed options your surgeon gives you.
Good luck to you Christy!
Jill 
Christy,
I had Lapband surgery 2 1/2 years ago. The risk of slippage and band erosion is so so low. I personally know no one who has had this issue. Be wary of folks in chat forums who diss surgeries unless they can personally speak to their reasoning. In my 3 years of hanging around here and other forums, I see both good and bad on all surgery choices. Success and failure is more due to the person and not the surgery.
I think the key thing for you do is find a reputable surgeon. Keep trolling these boards and looking for suggestions from successful post-ops. If you want to know more about Lapband, go to http://www.lapbandtalk.com/ and www.bandedliving.com. There are probably many forums that can help you.
I had some very candid and interactive discussions on surgery choice with my surgeon. I went in with many questions. You can find several of these surgeon question lists in other forums here. Make sure he/she walks through all of them with you. My surgeon laid out a comparison chart on a whiteboard that we discussed. It came down to my goals and my comfort for me to make a decision. He was very concerned that I make the correct choice for me. So many times people make assumptions and are disappointed by their weight loss. He laid out what I could expect to lose with the different options. The good news is that I beat his estimates!
My recommendation is to concentrate on finding the best surgeon you can. Aaron who chatted on here a lot is from MD and has a surgeon he likes in Baltimore. I don't know his name. Let me see if I can contact Aaron and have him reply to this post.
Tom
I had Lapband surgery 2 1/2 years ago. The risk of slippage and band erosion is so so low. I personally know no one who has had this issue. Be wary of folks in chat forums who diss surgeries unless they can personally speak to their reasoning. In my 3 years of hanging around here and other forums, I see both good and bad on all surgery choices. Success and failure is more due to the person and not the surgery.
I think the key thing for you do is find a reputable surgeon. Keep trolling these boards and looking for suggestions from successful post-ops. If you want to know more about Lapband, go to http://www.lapbandtalk.com/ and www.bandedliving.com. There are probably many forums that can help you.
I had some very candid and interactive discussions on surgery choice with my surgeon. I went in with many questions. You can find several of these surgeon question lists in other forums here. Make sure he/she walks through all of them with you. My surgeon laid out a comparison chart on a whiteboard that we discussed. It came down to my goals and my comfort for me to make a decision. He was very concerned that I make the correct choice for me. So many times people make assumptions and are disappointed by their weight loss. He laid out what I could expect to lose with the different options. The good news is that I beat his estimates!
My recommendation is to concentrate on finding the best surgeon you can. Aaron who chatted on here a lot is from MD and has a surgeon he likes in Baltimore. I don't know his name. Let me see if I can contact Aaron and have him reply to this post.
Tom
Follow my journey to a happy, healthy, active life at TomBilcze.com
Maryn, Jill & Tom,
Thanks so much for the wealth of information and warm welcomes! I am finding out what an invaluable resource this site, as well as, the other sites mentioned are becoming for several different reasons.
I have contacted my previous colon ca surgeon and am awaiting a recommendation pending his response. I currently am set up though for a seminar on Monday with the surgeon I think he will suggest, they are affiliated at the same hospital.
Thank you all again for your suggestions, replies, and thoughts!
Best wishes,
Christy
Thanks so much for the wealth of information and warm welcomes! I am finding out what an invaluable resource this site, as well as, the other sites mentioned are becoming for several different reasons.
I have contacted my previous colon ca surgeon and am awaiting a recommendation pending his response. I currently am set up though for a seminar on Monday with the surgeon I think he will suggest, they are affiliated at the same hospital.
Thank you all again for your suggestions, replies, and thoughts!
Best wishes,
Christy
Most Active
Recent Topics
