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I am scheduled to have surgery in a couple of weeks and I'm a little concerned about my stomach acid I have now and how that will affect me post op. I take omeprazole daily but sometimes I still have problems with heartburn. Has anyone had this problem and if so was it better or worse after surgery?
I've been thinking about weight loss surgery since 2008. I'm just fed up with the up and down roller coaster so i was thinking of moving forward with the Sleeve.
Does anyone e know what insurance will cover it? I have Ambetter and they do not cover it. Help?
Suggestions?
F.L.Y.
Has anyone had the endoscopic sleeve procedure? I'm considering it and I like that it seems less invasive than traditional VSG but I've read these patients lose less weight? Any experiences?
Congratulations on your 10yrs! Whatever bit of advice you can pass along I am sure is welcomed by anyone who sees your post and we appreciate you sharing your voice and journey. Whether you are a regular poster on ObesityHelp or drop by from time to time, each person has their own voice to lend to the community and in some way, it will help someone!!!
Wishing you continued success on your journey!
Congrats on your 10 year surgiversary. The boards are quieter & I get that the newbie stuff is ancient history. I'm not that active on here either. After awhile it's like oh another protein shake, how much water, it's been 3 days & why aren't I losing more weight question, that you end up scrolling right on by.
I'm guessing that there really aren't that many old timer problems or maybe just thoughts of the day postings on here anymore. So people just leave & only come back for a problem or a driveby look at me post, & no I don't think your post is a look at me post. I know it's the internet so I don't want it to get twisted. 
No one surgery is better than the other, what works for one may not work for another.
T-Rebel
I'm 15 years out and am here most days. I'm not able to answer newbie questions, protein shake questions (never drank one) etc, but I do have information, and hopefully wisdom, that I get to impart now and then.
There are several long term veterans here almost every day paying it forward.
Can't remember the last time I posted a surgiversary - I think I have more to offer than praise to receive and honestly, the support I get from my peers is invaluable.
Congratulations on your 10 years, I hope you'll stick around a bit more
Proud Feminist, Atheist, LGBT friend, and Democratic Socialist
I do stop by every now and again. Honestly, the boards are a lot quieter now then when I was new to this, not sure why. Unfortunately, if you're here frequently you'd know that people have the most questions in the first year or two. Maybe its different for you, but those first two years for me are kind of a blur. I tried stuff, I failed a few times, I figured things out with time and trial and error but as to the specifics of how much protein did I eat? Or how did I deal with X problem? Or did I have X problem, it's just a distant memory.
I try to offer assistance to people farther out when I can, trust me. People who are struggling with weight regain, or fear they need revision. But I'm afraid I'm not much help to the true newbies, other than to say "it'll all work out in the end."
HW: 227lbs Weight at surgery: 209lbs CW: 153lbs GW: ~145lbs.
VSG w/ Dr. Dunnican 8/10/2009; Revision w/ Dr. Wayne Weiss 3/31/14
Yeah, it was a few years ago (you might be able to find some of the same research I did online) but basically I used the Prilosec only when I absolutely needed and treated any "break through" indigestion with Zantac. I believe that, in and of itself, helps "break the dependence on the PPI while still treating the GERD. Then I started using the Zantac only when I absolutely needed it, but to otherwise grin and bear mild reflux. I also continued to try to avoid trigger foods so as to not aggravate the GERD (tomatoes, tomato sauce and citrus food were huge triggers but so was coffee and I love my coffee so I just tried to cut back on the number of cups but didn't completely eliminate it). Over time, I found myself not using the PPI and then using the Zantac 3x/day...then 2x/day...then not at all.
Again, you might be able to find a more detailed plan online for how long to continue using the PPI, and then other meds. And its definitely dependent on not having anatomy that contributes to the GERD (fixing my huge hernia was definitely key).
Good luck! The freedom from meds is great, so I hope you are successful!
HW: 227lbs Weight at surgery: 209lbs CW: 153lbs GW: ~145lbs.
VSG w/ Dr. Dunnican 8/10/2009; Revision w/ Dr. Wayne Weiss 3/31/14
My machine is very quiet. The tiny sshhh sound it makes provides a nice "white noise" to fall asleep to.
Congratulations on Year 10. I was just there recently myself.
It's good that you dropped by to offer your experience, but it would truly help others if you'd consider sticking around. Contribute here regularly, share those hard won lessons with those who are coming up behind you. Be to others what others were to you when you were first here.
We see plenty of people here who do the drive by postings on their surgaversary (sp?). We hear from them once every year or five. It's nice to celebrate with them, but it would be much nicer to see more participation.
Everyone's busy and believe me I get that. But honestly it doesn't take more than five or ten minutes to swing by every couple of days. We all are plenty occupied living our lives and we all get that. But this is your opportunity to be a mentor, and you'd make a good one.
There is a gap here that only those with long-term knowledge can fill. Please consider it.
