am i "big enough" for revision?
here's the scoop:::
i am 5'4, my highest weight was 248lbs. when i first began asking for Gastric Bypass, doctors litterally laughed in my face and told me i wasnt big enough. this only made me MORE determined and in Dec 05, I found a doctor who agreed that i was a good candidate & Tricare Prime approved me-.
i lost 80 lbs by july 06 and had a paniculectomy- bringing me down to my lowest weight 140lbs.
in Dec06, my husand was killed in Iraq and my grief journey has brought me UP to an alarming 173lbs. I know that doesnt seem much- but, it just keeps climbing. i have tried liquid diets, protein shakes, i have become a regular at my gym.... nothing is working.
am i an idiot to be wanting revision? something is wrong- i dont know what it is. my pouch too big? maybe. not enough channel removed? just stress and depression that caused the gain (which is seriously possible & understandable, i hope).
but will i be laughed at?
anyone here have revision while they were still "small"... i am a sz 10-12, um.. bmi about 30. am i a candidate? please help. any advice is desperately needed!
i am 5'4, my highest weight was 248lbs. when i first began asking for Gastric Bypass, doctors litterally laughed in my face and told me i wasnt big enough. this only made me MORE determined and in Dec 05, I found a doctor who agreed that i was a good candidate & Tricare Prime approved me-.
i lost 80 lbs by july 06 and had a paniculectomy- bringing me down to my lowest weight 140lbs.
in Dec06, my husand was killed in Iraq and my grief journey has brought me UP to an alarming 173lbs. I know that doesnt seem much- but, it just keeps climbing. i have tried liquid diets, protein shakes, i have become a regular at my gym.... nothing is working.
am i an idiot to be wanting revision? something is wrong- i dont know what it is. my pouch too big? maybe. not enough channel removed? just stress and depression that caused the gain (which is seriously possible & understandable, i hope).
but will i be laughed at?
anyone here have revision while they were still "small"... i am a sz 10-12, um.. bmi about 30. am i a candidate? please help. any advice is desperately needed!
Ahhhhhh! I am sooooo sorry about the loss of your sweetheart! Please know that we are so grateful for his sacrifice and now YOUR sacrifice as you direct yourself down a new "unplanned" path!!! My heart goes out to you.....sincere prayers are sent in your behalf!
As for being too "light" for a revision? It's up to you and a great surgeon to decide. I was 172 at 5'4" when I had my revision. It didn't qualify me by itself to get covered by insurance but other medically necessary issues got the needed coverage. For my body.....even 10 extra pounds messed with my blood sugars and put me back into danger of being insulin dependent once again. I weight around 115 and holding now and other than cramming in handfuls of vitamins daily and some special pills for my "stinkiness" (part of the sad truth accompanying a Ds and/or ERny common channel)....I am medication free! It's a trade-off I guess
Good luck with your quest! .... I've always been about setting out for my own personal goal and then tailoring my medical decisions and choice of surgeon's by who and what can best get me to MY goals! I chose Dr. Schlesinger and the ERny. It's working for me!
Grief messes with our mental, spiritual and physical! Maybe consider getting counseling as you do your revision research and let us send as many cyber hugggzzzz your way as you need!
As for being too "light" for a revision? It's up to you and a great surgeon to decide. I was 172 at 5'4" when I had my revision. It didn't qualify me by itself to get covered by insurance but other medically necessary issues got the needed coverage. For my body.....even 10 extra pounds messed with my blood sugars and put me back into danger of being insulin dependent once again. I weight around 115 and holding now and other than cramming in handfuls of vitamins daily and some special pills for my "stinkiness" (part of the sad truth accompanying a Ds and/or ERny common channel)....I am medication free! It's a trade-off I guess
Good luck with your quest! .... I've always been about setting out for my own personal goal and then tailoring my medical decisions and choice of surgeon's by who and what can best get me to MY goals! I chose Dr. Schlesinger and the ERny. It's working for me!
Grief messes with our mental, spiritual and physical! Maybe consider getting counseling as you do your revision research and let us send as many cyber hugggzzzz your way as you need!
Joyce Rny 2/11/03-> ERny 12/26/07-> Duodenal Switch 5/12/2010
www.dsfacts.com , www.dssurgery.com , & www.duodenalswitch.com
thank you for such a detailed, informative and encouraging response!
before i lost my husband, my entire focus was my gastric bypass journey. i was counting calories, hanging out on message boards, taking vitamins, being religious about changing my life after gastric bypass. suddenly, though- it all just didnt matter. i took an entire 1 1/2 yrs to focus on greiving and healing for my daughter & i. grief took over and while i am very proud of how far we have come in THAT journey, i neglected and abandoned my battle with weight.
i feel selfish for wanting a 2nd chance. i called Dr S's office in Phoenix today and had a length conversation with his staff member. i feel hopeful.
i've never really been one to take 'no' for an answer. once i have my mind set on something- i am pretty determined. i am doing my best to educate myself on different procedures and that is where you & all of the amazing people on this board come in!
my bloodwork shows that i am not lacking anything. that sounds like great news, but i have been told that may indicate that i am in fact absorbing too much and need a ERNY.
***crossing my fingers*** thank you for your reply! congrats on your success!
before i lost my husband, my entire focus was my gastric bypass journey. i was counting calories, hanging out on message boards, taking vitamins, being religious about changing my life after gastric bypass. suddenly, though- it all just didnt matter. i took an entire 1 1/2 yrs to focus on greiving and healing for my daughter & i. grief took over and while i am very proud of how far we have come in THAT journey, i neglected and abandoned my battle with weight.
i feel selfish for wanting a 2nd chance. i called Dr S's office in Phoenix today and had a length conversation with his staff member. i feel hopeful.
i've never really been one to take 'no' for an answer. once i have my mind set on something- i am pretty determined. i am doing my best to educate myself on different procedures and that is where you & all of the amazing people on this board come in!
my bloodwork shows that i am not lacking anything. that sounds like great news, but i have been told that may indicate that i am in fact absorbing too much and need a ERNY.
***crossing my fingers*** thank you for your reply! congrats on your success!
Hi Meagan...I sent you a private note, too. I just wanted to say that if you think something is wrong, then go see the doc. I did have something wrong, but I let it go on too long and now all my weight has returned.
Don't feel selfish at all! You need to be healthy for you and your daughter.
If your PCM doesn't think there is a problem, then see another one and another one. You know your body.
I wish you all the best...
Becca
Don't feel selfish at all! You need to be healthy for you and your daughter.
If your PCM doesn't think there is a problem, then see another one and another one. You know your body.
I wish you all the best...
Becca
Hi Meagan,
I am so sorry for the loss of your husband.
Regarding revision, and whether you would qualify, you should start with checking to see if anything is wrong with your initial surgery. If something has gone wrong, causing the weight gain, the medical necessity to fix it would qualify you. There would not be a weight requirement.
I also have Tricare Prime. I am scheduled for a takedown of my vbg in Sept. There does not seem to be any problem due to my complications in getting approval. I do insurance for a dentist, and if I am interpreting Tricare's list of benefits, revision due to mechanical problems should be covered. There are revisions to some wls surgeries that Tricare will not cover. DS and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. You may only need lapband over your rny. Or possibly stomaphyx(?spelling) You might want to try the 5 day pouch test also, to see if your "tool" is still working.
Just start at the beginning and see where you stand with the original, then proceed with a plan. Maybe go back to the basics, protein first, lots of water.
You can do it, and there are always helpful friends here at OH to cheer you on.
Take care,
Kim
I am so sorry for the loss of your husband.
Regarding revision, and whether you would qualify, you should start with checking to see if anything is wrong with your initial surgery. If something has gone wrong, causing the weight gain, the medical necessity to fix it would qualify you. There would not be a weight requirement.
I also have Tricare Prime. I am scheduled for a takedown of my vbg in Sept. There does not seem to be any problem due to my complications in getting approval. I do insurance for a dentist, and if I am interpreting Tricare's list of benefits, revision due to mechanical problems should be covered. There are revisions to some wls surgeries that Tricare will not cover. DS and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. You may only need lapband over your rny. Or possibly stomaphyx(?spelling) You might want to try the 5 day pouch test also, to see if your "tool" is still working.
Just start at the beginning and see where you stand with the original, then proceed with a plan. Maybe go back to the basics, protein first, lots of water.
You can do it, and there are always helpful friends here at OH to cheer you on.
Take care,
Kim
First of all, I am so sorry for your loss.
As far a the surgery goes, the only feedback i can offer is that when i was pre op and yo-yoing i searched high and low for a surgeon to perform RNY of me. like you, i'm 5'4 (also i'm in early thirties, no co-morbidities other than depression.)
i was making the calls, i was around 175 (so i guess bMI 30-31 as well) , down from the high of 209 (south beach dies worked for a while but i was spiraling out of control with eating disorders, etc.).
unfortunately, no surgeon (including the self-pay ones in Mexico) would agree to operate om me b/c in their book (but certainly not in my mind) i was a lightweigh.
ironically, about a year or so later, whe i balooned up to 225 or so, i finally found a wouderful surgeon (dr. Acevez in Mexicali, MX) who performed RNY of me. So far it's been a sucess. I got to as low as 116 and while i bounces back a bit and am fluctuating btw. 125 and 133, i can certainly live with the results.
so that has been my personal experoence. try looking around for qualified surgeons in Mexico (it's less pricey and just as safe there, maybe you'll have better luck than me.
again, i'm profoundly sorry for your loss
mew6495
on 8/21/08 9:34 am - MI
on 8/21/08 9:34 am - MI
Hi Megan,
My highest weight before my RNY in 2001 was 243 lbs. This put me slightly over the BMI requirement for a person of 5'3". I to have gained over 50 lbs now since the surgery. And I will admit that I did not always use the RNY as the "tool" it was meant to be. I now weight about 184 lbs so you can see I am around the same weight as you.
I am currently going through the approval process for an ERNY with Dr. S. I am almost there. What I did to get the ball rolling was get a recent blood work indicating my vitamin levels, had an upper GI from my PCP scheduled and got a copy of my "surgery notes" from the hospital who performed the original RNY. Dr. S also mentioned that I would need a psych eval, but not the full blown MMPI. Rather I just had to see a doctor that would send in a letter stating that I understood the decision I was making, capable of understanding the life style change and that I did not suffer from any severe form of mental disorder like bi-polarism and such. If you schedule your initial consult on the phone with Dr. S he will answer all of your questions and let you know what you will need to proceed. He is a wonderful doctor and does not judge you for the path that brought you down the revision route.
Every insurance is different and this is where I am running into my biggest battle which is not uncommon in the least. Most insurance companies will cover if there is a mechanical problem with the original procedure. Hang in there, be prepared to be patient.
Good luck on your new journey. God Bless you and your daughter. I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I have a son who just received his orders that he will be going to Afghanistan. We can only pray and hope the leaders of this country start finding different means to settle these conflicts.
My highest weight before my RNY in 2001 was 243 lbs. This put me slightly over the BMI requirement for a person of 5'3". I to have gained over 50 lbs now since the surgery. And I will admit that I did not always use the RNY as the "tool" it was meant to be. I now weight about 184 lbs so you can see I am around the same weight as you.
I am currently going through the approval process for an ERNY with Dr. S. I am almost there. What I did to get the ball rolling was get a recent blood work indicating my vitamin levels, had an upper GI from my PCP scheduled and got a copy of my "surgery notes" from the hospital who performed the original RNY. Dr. S also mentioned that I would need a psych eval, but not the full blown MMPI. Rather I just had to see a doctor that would send in a letter stating that I understood the decision I was making, capable of understanding the life style change and that I did not suffer from any severe form of mental disorder like bi-polarism and such. If you schedule your initial consult on the phone with Dr. S he will answer all of your questions and let you know what you will need to proceed. He is a wonderful doctor and does not judge you for the path that brought you down the revision route.
Every insurance is different and this is where I am running into my biggest battle which is not uncommon in the least. Most insurance companies will cover if there is a mechanical problem with the original procedure. Hang in there, be prepared to be patient.
Good luck on your new journey. God Bless you and your daughter. I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I have a son who just received his orders that he will be going to Afghanistan. We can only pray and hope the leaders of this country start finding different means to settle these conflicts.
i went away from OH for so long,,,, i almost forgot why i use to LIVE on here 24/7! you all are just wonderful!!!! thank you!
everyone advice and words of encouragement have been so helpful!
on tuesday, i had a phone consult scheduled for 10am with Dr S. i saw my PCM at 830 am and brought my little sticky note with my list of concerns on it. i have a hard time "complaining" about anything anymore. when it comes to Life- after everything we have "survived", i just have a hard time being negative about anything less than tragic. when it comes to WLS- i use to be a sz 22, 248lbs, with high blood pressure, aching back, high cholesterol, shortness of breathe, severe snoring,, and the list goes on,,, so i feel like an absolute brat when i complain about being a sz 10, 175lbs.
anyhow. my PCM responded very well to my concerns and was able to validate me in many ways. i have scheduled an Upper GI, an Endoscopy to measure my pouch & stoma and to check for ulcers, etc. that's the first task. i also got a full screening of blood work. i cancelled my phone consult with Dr S that day, because i felt unprepared. i had read that he asks alot of questions and if we are not informed, he may think i am not ready to pursue any reconstruction or revisions. i will wait until all of my results are in, and all of my records from my original surgeon arrive. i will forward it all to Dr S and reschedule my consult.
i am motivated and inspired by all of you! thank you for being SO supportive & informative! I live this site!!!
everyone advice and words of encouragement have been so helpful!
on tuesday, i had a phone consult scheduled for 10am with Dr S. i saw my PCM at 830 am and brought my little sticky note with my list of concerns on it. i have a hard time "complaining" about anything anymore. when it comes to Life- after everything we have "survived", i just have a hard time being negative about anything less than tragic. when it comes to WLS- i use to be a sz 22, 248lbs, with high blood pressure, aching back, high cholesterol, shortness of breathe, severe snoring,, and the list goes on,,, so i feel like an absolute brat when i complain about being a sz 10, 175lbs.
anyhow. my PCM responded very well to my concerns and was able to validate me in many ways. i have scheduled an Upper GI, an Endoscopy to measure my pouch & stoma and to check for ulcers, etc. that's the first task. i also got a full screening of blood work. i cancelled my phone consult with Dr S that day, because i felt unprepared. i had read that he asks alot of questions and if we are not informed, he may think i am not ready to pursue any reconstruction or revisions. i will wait until all of my results are in, and all of my records from my original surgeon arrive. i will forward it all to Dr S and reschedule my consult.
i am motivated and inspired by all of you! thank you for being SO supportive & informative! I live this site!!!
I am going from LapBand to RNY. I was worried that I was also too light as I am currently 175 with a BMI of 35. However Oxford approved me as the band has created havoc for me with chronic heartburn, acid reflux, I developed a large hiatal hernia as well. I was worried that once I am bypassed, can I get too thin?? Never thought I would hear myself say that?? Yikes!!!
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