Hi all,

I am just starting this journey but have been dealing with being overweight for a long, long time.  I am going to a couple of information seminars but have my heart set in having Dr. Roslin do my surgery.  I want a VSG.  I also want to do it at Northern Westchester Hospital instead of Lenox Hill as I live in Westchester County.

Anyway, here are my questions and concerns and if anyone can help with feedback.answers I greatly appreciate it.

1.  weight history goes back way more than 5 years BUT the last 5 years I actually did have success with losing 100 lbs (gained it back)  Due to being at a semi normal weight in that time will that work against me?

2.  Also in that 5 years I was pregnant.  So I'm hoping that there is enough documented time being overweight for the insurance if that makes sense.

3.  My insurance is Empire BCBS which I've heard is pretty good with WLS.  Does anyone else have this?  How quickly did they approve you and what did they require?  My BMI right now is a little over 50 so that shouldn't be an issue. 

4.  How long did it take you to get to surgery from the time of the info session?  I'm trying to do everything I can to expedite this as I am in a lot of pain due to weight related arthritis and edema of the legs.  I don't know how much longer I can live like this!

I think that's it for now.  I'm sure I will have more as I think of them.  Thanks so much!

First, I just wanted to apologize to everyone who I was so close to-I have been so depressed and miserable, I barely even looked at my computer over the last year and a half.

I had the Duodenal Switch done in October of 09 at Adirondack Medical Center. Unfortunately my body has been uncooperative ever since, and to make a very long and painful story short, I am having a partial reversal done at Ellis. I was there for about 2 weeks a couple of months ago for them to prepare me for the surgery. As soon as my weight goes up to a comfortable level, and the dr feels I am strong enough, I will be coming back to Ellis for him to perform the revision. At this time, I am taking feedings through a picc line in my neck for 12 hours every night. Basically my weight went from 395 6 months prior to surgery, to 325 after 6 months on weigh****chers preparing for the DS. Since the surgery, my weight plummeted to 119, due to the fact that I am maleabsorbing everything I ate. Even after they placed a regular feeding tube I couldn't absorb any of the nutrients. It got to the point where I put on 125 lbs of water weight over a 3 month period, and it took months for the doctors to figure out that it was due to a lack of protein, and basically I was starving. I couldn't move due to all the extra weight-I had to rely on my husband to practically carry me to the bathroom, and he and my kids had to lift my legs ofr me to get into and out of bed where I was basically living because I was too big and weak to move around at all.

Once they started feeding me through the picc line in my neck, my weight finally started working its way up, and the water weight finally started coming out. Basically I was peeing every 15 minutes for 3 days straight. I am now 135, and about 30 lbs of that is extra skin. So as soon as I am "healthy and strong enough", I will be going back into Ellis to have the revision. I thank g-d every day that they figured out the problem, and although the dr said the surgery is risky (he said I could even end up worse off then I am now), I have faith on the doctor-and I also feel very comfortable going back to Ellis-they took excellant care of me when I was there.

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well, I just wanted to check in to let everyone know that I am still alive and kicking-although I almost wasn't-aside from all the problems I mentioned, I got hit with pneumonia, pleural effusion and both of my lungs collapsed about 6 months ago due to the weakened state of my body-and because of everything I was going through I basically had a meltdown, and was in the psych ward for 2 weeks. Now I see a psychiatrist and psychologist, and am on 2 anxiety meds. They are helping me cope with everything I have already been through-and will help me get through the next few months as well....

Would I do it again?? Hell no. I would not have the Duodenal Switch if I had it to do over again-I would have done the gastric bypass. The partial reversal I am having done is very iffy as far as hoping to have a fully normal life after-even if everything goes perfectly. In the meantime, I have a feeding tube in my stomach that is not being used at the moment because the food wasn't being absorbed through it anyway-but they want to leave it in because after the surgery they may have to use it if I cant eat by mouth. In addition I have a very obviousm 9 inch long picc line sticking out of my neck which briings alot of stares from anyone who happpens to see me when I venture out.

I am not trying to scare anyone-and please don't come down on me for speaking poorly about a surgery that has helped so many take their lives back-I just wanted to let everyone know what has been going on-and where I am at at this point. I have had numerous doctors working with me, and it absolutely does not appear as though the doctor that did the surgery did anything wrong. Since the surgery 2 other doctors did endoscopies trying to identify the problem, and basically they both told me that other than some scar tissue(I did have a few strictures at the surgical site and a hernia in the last 2 yearsthat had to be taken care of) everything else appeared normal. Basically the bypass may have caused the same problem, however it is a much easier surgery to reverse, and there are many more doctors who do the bypass and even those that don't actually perform the bypass, they pretty much know how its done and what it is supposed to look like. Unfortunately there are very few doctors that are aware of the DS, so my choices were very limited.

What makes things even worse is, we have 2 young special needs children, and due to all of the times I was hospitalized, and the care I needed at home, my husband has been unable to work-so we are also suffering financially. I don't know what we will do if this surgery doesn't allow me to at least be left alone at home-and I also need to be able to care for my kids while hubby gets back to work. So everyone please keep me in your prayers.

It does get easier as time passes.  At first it is hard to drink, eat etc.  slowly but surely it not difficult at all to get in your fluids, protein etc without even thinking about it.

Jim

 Home for the Holidays!

Despite all the changes due to flooding, we are finally "Home for the Holidays" at the Vestal Library at 5:30 p.m. tonight.  

I hope to see you there!

Teri

 Hi Lin! I'm an AMC patient as well! Dr. Hill did my surgery in Nov 2010, I had the DS done, different surgery, but still I can say that AMC Bariatric Program is great!