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"On the Road Again" / Surgery Approval Requirements in Process

H

Haymaker1

Member
Hello to all!

I had a consultation with the bariatric surgeon about a week ago to inquire about a sleeve or some type of revision. A little history: I had (now outdated) Open Vertical Banded Gastroplasty in 2001. I was successful until my staple partition eroded and has now dog-eared my stomach/gastric path to where anything I eat has to go down into the dog-ear and then, come back up and around to get to lower GI tract. I have terrible acid reflux issues as a result and am on routine proton pump inhibitor. I have regained weight over time. I also have hypertension and entering pre-diabetes. Gastric bypass is the only option for me. Because of the previous open procedure, the GB is gonna be somewhat more difficult and lengthy to preform, but the surgeon says I really need this to keep the gastric issues from eroding my esophagus. I'm also ready to get my life back. I have to complete 4 months of medically supervised diet, a psych evaluation and nutrition class. I have have adjusted my diet accordingly and am sooooo hungry! Oh man! I need lots of positive encouragement, any tips from bypass patients on tweaking my food ahead of time, advice from anyone who's had a similar revision...or just a simple Hello! Really hoping I don't run into insurance issues!
 
Hello!

It's going to be a little hard, but you're very motivated. You are absolutely going to get your life back. You've been through hell, and you need to get back.

Consult with your nutritionist to find out what you should be eating to satisfy your appetite. You'll find a lot of stuff about food among my profile resources. Check me out. And remember that I went from this to this:

oy, can't find my before/after. trust me. you will make it.
 
Hello! Something I keep telling my self through this process is, you can do hard things! I’m currently 4 days post-op from gastric bypass. It sounds like the procedure is definitely medically necessary for you due to esophageal erosion, you would think the insurance approval should be seamless. Good luck!
 
Haymaker1 said:
Hello to all!

I had a consultation with the bariatric surgeon about a week ago to inquire about a sleeve or some type of revision. A little history: I had (now outdated) Open Vertical Banded Gastroplasty in 2001. I was successful until my staple partition eroded and has now dog-eared my stomach/gastric path to where anything I eat has to go down into the dog-ear and then, come back up and around to get to lower GI tract. I have terrible acid reflux issues as a result and am on routine proton pump inhibitor. I have regained weight over time. I also have hypertension and entering pre-diabetes. Gastric bypass is the only option for me. Because of the previous open procedure, the GB is gonna be somewhat more difficult and lengthy to preform, but the surgeon says I really need this to keep the gastric issues from eroding my esophagus. I'm also ready to get my life back. I have to complete 4 months of medically supervised diet, a psych evaluation and nutrition class. I have have adjusted my diet accordingly and am sooooo hungry! Oh man! I need lots of positive encouragement, any tips from bypass patients on tweaking my food ahead of time, advice from anyone who's had a similar revision...or just a simple Hello! Really hoping I don't run into insurance issues!
Click to expand...
Here are a few changes you can make now to prepare for surgery, and it sounds like gastric bypass will help with acid reflux issues. The sleeve possibly could make GERD worse. Of course the type of surgery you choose is a decision for you & your surgeon. I definitely am not trying to give you any medical advice.

1. Try to increase your daily water intake to 64-80ozs. Staying hydrated is essential for good health, better bowel movements, and satiety. Wean yourself from all sugary and diet drinks including sodas, juice, frappy coffee drinks, etc. Diet drinks can stimulate your appetite. Water with lemon and/or lime juice might help you get your levels up.

2. Rethink your sugar and carb intake. Pasta, white rice, most breads, potatoes esp mashed or fried, corn, plus sugary treats and desserts, and overeating fruits are like putting time bombs into your body. Carbs turn to sugar in your body to give you quick energy. Unfortunately if you don't burn that sugar up through intense workouts, it will be stored in your body as fat. Great survival tool 10,000 years ago when feast or famine was the norm, but now it leads us down that road to obesity.

Breaking the carb habit takes practice and self brainwashing, but it is possible to do. You won't need to abandon every carb in your life. Just wean yourself from most of them as much as possible.

3. Try to increase your protein amounts. Good proteins from beans and many types of meats will help you stay fuller longer. You might start trying a daily protein drink/shake. It can give you 30 grams of protein in a serving.

Good luck! ❤❤
 
Hello, I hear so many horror stories with the band. Glad you found someone to help resolve your issues.

I would say to make small changes. Don't go from eating 3000 calories a day to 1000 calories. It is not feasible.
My first Dietician apt was to go over my current diet at that time and then adjust in small steps. It worked very well and was easy to adjust to it.
For example, she had me just track my food AS NORMAL for a week to see about where I was on calorie intake. Then to decrease by 500 calories a day for a month from there until I got to about 1800-2000 calories a day.
I was able to maintain the 1800-2000 calories 99% of the time all the way up to surgery (5 months). Also ended up loosing 26 lbs in that time.
 
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