My Bariatric Surgery Consult Firstly, it was a long ass 2 hour drive to and from my appointment, yuck! 4 hours in that tight seatbelt is beyond my limits! Also, I hate doctors... You could get a hang nail and its because you are fat, am I right?! Anyway, moving on... So my weight at the appointment was 433.6 pounds. I am 57 tall, and my BMI is approximately 69 (i think) which according to one chart made me mega mega superobese. Even I think thats a bit much people. Who frickin designs these charts?? In order to get my insurance to cover the surgery 100%, I have to prove medical necessity, which should be a slam dunk. I demonstrate all the required paramaters. High BMI, over 100 pounds overweight, significant history of failed weight loss attempts, and several obesity related comorbidities (like sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome, edema, high blood pressure, or diabetes type II) that would be significantly improved or cured with bariatric surgery. I also have referrals from my primary physician and my psychiatrist stating that gastric bypass surgery is priority numero uno as far as my healthcare plan is concerned. So,...check! My surgeon agreed with my research that the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass would be the best choice for me. The three surgeries he provides are the LapBand, the RYGB, and the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG). Anyone who has researched gastric bypass knows all about these procedures so I wont waste your time explaining what they are, but I can tell you why the other two types are not the best choice for me. The LapBand will not help me lose the amount of weight I have to lose... i need to lose approx 280 pounds and the lapBand would prob max out at about 150 to 200 if you stretch it... and not fast enough - would take about 5 years+ if it worked for me at all. Now the VSG seemed like a good idea, no malabsorption, less complications - but it doesnt not help with the comorbidities. And the main reason i want to lose this weight is to help with all the complications, you know, like my high blood pressure and my metabolic syndrome, my sleep apnea, my swelling, and etc, etc, etc.... So my choice fell to the third choice: RYGB. Surgeon wants me to lose 30-40 pounds by December, As well as, get a sleep study with CPAP titration (aka split night polysomnigram) and an ultrasound of my gall bladder. I also need to get psych clearance from my psychiatrist and finish with my 6 month supervised diets with my PCP ( I am on month 3 :) ). I have to sign up for some bariatric nutrition classes which will be out of pocket, and I have to be smoke-free for 60 days prior to surgery (they TEST you for this!! so no cheating, lol). Seems like a lot, but its the best tool i can think of for me. I ve tried doing it without surgery since 6th frickin grade, you know? Now, I am 36 and I dont want to live the rest of my life like this!!! I am ready to make some changes, but I need some help too. Thanks for being here yall, it means so much to know I have support and interest making these changes and taking this journey! Love to you all
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 18:18:04 +0000
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