Bypass Surgery...

[praline3001]

Hey, I just told DH that I posted these pics and he wanted to know if anybody responded. I told him Brook said he's a hottie! (scoring me some point!) And that cocowum thought we were a same sex couple and he laughed so hard!

We chose the RNY GB because our insurance would cover it and nothing else. Honestly. I mean we also considered other options, but this was really our best one. DH wasn't a big sweet eater, so it's not a big deal. He's only had a few bad dumping episodes. The first was when we were out to eat and the waitress must have poured sweet tea in his glass to refill it but he dumped sweetner in there so he couldn't taste it. Now he tastes every time they refill.

I had the SAME EXACT thing happen to me! I posted it on that other gastric bypass thread a week or so ago! Those servers can be evil

 

[sconnell]

For ME my insurance paid for it. Many insurances cover it so check there first.
If your paying OOP the cost varies depending on the type of weight loss surgery your having and the doc. Generally its 20 grand give or take for RNY...

It is major surgery and there are risks. I had the gastric bypass RNY surgery. The doc did it laproscopically and I was walking the same day around the halls. The pain is suprisingly NOT bad. There are 5 teeny tiny cuts in your tummy, they don't even need stitches! since its laproscopic there is no cutting into muscle! I was on vacation 10 days post op. The BIGGEST issue as a post op (at least with me) is the mental side. You do go through a form of grieving at first and buyers remorse the first weeks
Seriously, it was the BEST thing I have ever done for myself hands down. I am able to run around with my kids, do kart wheels in the backyard. I am much more pro active with my family... I don't EVER sit on the side lines of life!

DH would say the same thing. ALL of it. Though he did have a bit of pain, but it was worth it.

Now the first step is finding out if it's done in your area or if you should go somewhere else. (maybe if your area doesn't have an experienced dr in this then you might want to go elsewhere anyway. We did, we just felt better with Emory than our local Dr who'd only done 50 of them.) BUT, most dr's have a free no obligation educational seminar. ALSO, contact your insurance and see what they cover. The whole process can take a while, but if you think this might be the right direction for you, don't get discouraged.

 

[NWOhioAngela]

My advice would be to research all the surgeries and surgeons thoroughly. Don't settle for a surgery just based on if your insurance pays for it or not. Some people chose to travel out of the country to have their surgery for much less money when insurance does not cover it. Ask about morbidity rates, life long aftercare, what percentage of weight you could be expected to lose, and regain rates. Study up! Know what you're getting yourself into. Brook is right--this is not a quick fix or a cure all, its a tool. Your entire life will change.

I'd be happy to discuss in more depth if anybody wants to PM me.

 

[praline3001]

My advice would be to research all the surgeries and surgeons thoroughly. Don't settle for a surgery just based on if your insurance pays for it or not. Some people chose to travel out of the country to have their surgery for much less money when insurance does not cover it. Ask about morbidity rates, life long aftercare, what percentage of weight you could be expected to lose, and regain rates. Study up! Know what you're getting yourself into. Brook is right--this is not a quick fix or a cure all, its a tool. Your entire life will change.

I'd be happy to discuss in more depth if anybody wants to PM me.

Also make sure to look at the risks of each surgery. Each one holds its own set of them.... there is a good website to get you started, those who want information but I am not sure if I can post it on here? I will try...

obesityhelp dot com
It works a lot like the DIS... good info to get your pointed in the right direction and to start your research but no amount of information can take the place of what your doc says.

 

[praline3001]

Did any of you have plastic surgery after losing the weight? I am tossing this one around... i would like to but that is some painful surgery and I am a total wimp!!!!!

 

[sconnell]

Did any of you have plastic surgery after losing the weight? I am tossing this one around... i would like to but that is some painful surgery and I am a total wimp!!!!!

DH has had 3! Waist all the way around. Chest all the way around. And then a revision... The day after Easter. We started October of 2006. Then May of 2007. And March of 2008. 23 lbs of flesh. 12 feet of scaring. (stretched out) very painful recovery. And worth every bit of it!
We are lucky enough to have a plastic surgeon as a friend of the family. He did it at cost. Which was still enough to buy a car total. lol.

 

[praline3001]

DH has had 3! Waist all the way around. Chest all the way around. And then a revision... The day after Easter. We started October of 2006. Then May of 2007. And March of 2008. 23 lbs of flesh. 12 feet of scaring. (stretched out) very painful recovery. And worth every bit of it!
We are lucky enough to have a plastic surgeon as a friend of the family. He did it at cost. Which was still enough to buy a car total. lol.

My insurance will cover the belt TT but I helped a friend recover from it and lets just say I was tramatized
I do work out and it does help SOME but I look at before and after pics of the TT and I try to get motivated to get it but I am such a chicken you know what


I also wanted to add to the previous poster about going out of the country for this surgery. I am sure there are people who do this but for me... I much rather have any elective surgery in the good ole US of A. I just feel safer doing so.

 

[sconnell]

Night all, I'm on EST. Talk more tomorrow...

 

[NWOhioAngela]

... I much rather have any elective surgery in the good ole US of A. I just feel safer doing so.

As I'm sure you know Brook, in order to get this surgery you must be at least 100 pounds overweight and most if not all insurance companies would require a letter of medical necessity from a physician. There's a reason they call it morbid obesity. Surgical intervention should be a last resort. Calling it elective surgery reinforces that "quick fix" mentality.

I understand how you would feel about traveling outside the country for any surgery. I personally wouldn't choose it either, but it is an option and many people travel to Mexico and especially Brazil for the procedure as well as follow up reconstruction.

 

[praline3001]

As I'm sure you know Brook, in order to get this surgery you must be at least 100 pounds overweight and most if not all insurance companies would require a letter of medical necessity from a physician. There's a reason they call it morbid obesity. Surgical intervention should be a last resort. Calling it elective surgery reinforces that "quick fix" mentality.

I understand how you would feel about traveling outside the country for any surgery. I personally wouldn't choose it either, but it is an option and many people travel to Mexico and especially Brazil for the procedure as well as follow up reconstruction.

Yes and my doc requires his patients not only get a phyc eval, he requires you to go for 6 months to deal with your addictions to food. I also had to see a nutritionalist for 3 months and take nutritional classes before I could have this life saving surgery. The elective part is what the US lists this surgery as. I chose to have it done...as in I elected to have it done. There are other ways to lose weight. The good old diet. Diets do work for some... there are people all the time who elect to drop 200 pounds with just diet. I tried it and failed several times but there is that 1% who can do it and for them.
I love my little pouchy and I thank the good Lord every single day for it.