I can't decide what to do

Hi! I've been approved by my insurance company to have gastric bypass, but am scared and can't decide what to do. The doctor I was approved with is no longer doing the surgery...won't say why only that he has decided to no longer perfom it. I know this is my only option to ever lose weight, everything else I have tried has failed. Any advice??? Thanks, Jen

Jen..Its a decision only you can make. It also one that every one of us on here has made. Its a decision that we have all thought long and hard about as its definitely a life changing move. I only recently had gastric bypass (9 Dec 03). Its been a rocky 6 weeks adjusting to this new way of life but, its one that I do not regret what so ever. For me I have fought with my weight for yrs. My final downfall was having at son when I was 35. I was never able to lose the weight afterwards. He's now 19 and I am not as healthy as I used to be. With hypertension, bad knees and mild arthritis, I felt it was time to take the bull by the horns and get back on track. Nothing else worked for me and I've tried them all. Who of us hasn't? Everyone of us has run the gamit of being scared of having this surgery. But, I figured life's a toss of the dice. My chances of living a longer life after WLS is much greater than trying to beat the odds by being obese. As far as a surgeon, there are many great Dr's. You can check them out at the site located in the blue column to the left here. I personally think Dr Oh is one of the best. He has only lost one patient and that was due to other extenuating cir****tances. He is thorough and methodical in both before and after care. I had laproscopic bypass and he took 6 hours to make sure all was done exactly right. You also need to find a surgeon that your insurance covers. So there are several things to take into consideration. Take your time, do your research.... ask all the questions you can think of.. we are all here to walk with you on your journey... its the same path we are all taking..... Good luck in whatever decision you decide! ~~Carla

Carla, Thank you very much for your insight. I know that ultimately, this is a decision that I have to make. I just I was just a bit rattled that my doc no longer does the procedure. I'll do some more soul searching. Thanks again for responding.

Hi Jen, If you think chosing bypass surgery is easy, ask me!! I labored with the idea for about 15 years!! My surgery happened in September of last year and I am so happy that I went through with my decision. I too, had exhausted all options and suffered from bad knees, arthritis, plantar facitis and mild (?) depression because of weight. I am a professional who travels all the time and hated "bleeding" my body over into someone elses airplane seat space. I hated not being able to walk across a stage to present without being winded. I hated not being able to buy clothing except at the "fat lady's store..where everything looked alike...and not very fashionable. I believe the decsion has to be yours. It worked for me. I am ever so happy. I have found life again! I went through the WISH center and was pleased with the care, both before and after surgery. A difficult decision? You bet!! Even on the prep table prior to my surgery, I was having second thoughts. Was it easy? Nope!! There were times when I doubted my decision even after surgery. Now? No doubt about it...I am glad I did it!! Good luck to you as you make your decision. THere are great doctors in our area. Dr. ALperovich was my docotr and he was terrific. I appreciated Valley Medical Center and their staff and their special facility for this surgery. Let me know if you need more information. My world has changed drastically in the last four months..and I love it!! Dee

I don know where you live but I had my surgery 9 months ago today. So far I have lost over 110 pounds with ZERO complications. Send me an e-mail at [email protected] if you want to get some comments about my experiences. Richard Danielson, Edmonds