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Final decision.. Sleeve or gastric by-pass

A

Aquajogger

Member
Due to my case manager not doing things in a timely manner ,I finely received my insurance approval but since she took longer than expected to do things and than my doctor went away ..clearances from kidney and heart doctor needed to be done again ..

I had completed my 3 months with the dietitian . I was glad that she was a bariatric dietitian .
She explained more about future absorption of food. Now I know that I need and want weight loss surgery .
When I first made the decision to this this I thought lapband but did read and heard to much negative . After hearing about how the gastric bypass will help with me being a diabetic I thought I made my decision .. Three month delay in surgery and much more reading I am now questioning the sleeve . Did much more reading that says there is not some of the vitamin issues with the sleeve since part of the stomach is still there. Also did read that it takes long put it does help with being a diabetic but takes longer .
I do not know if it is last minute thoughts running through my mind or I want to go with the sleeve . so now I must be driving my new case manager crazy ..she made me an appointment with the surgeon to discuss my last minute questions in sleeve or by pass.. Any help or information from people who have had the sleeve .. Was it a good decision ?
 
AJ, I had second and 3rd thoughts, I was talking about cancelling the morning we were driving to the hospital.. My husband looked at me like I was nuts and asked me if I enjoyed having aspiration pneumonia 7 or 8 times a year. He reminded me of the fact I had to sleep with the head of my bed elevated or in a recliner in an attempt to prevent aspiration... It is very normal. Look at all of the benefits.

I feel the best I have ever felt in my life. I am sleeping better, My breathing has improved dramatically because I do not have all the aspiration issues, I am sleeping flat for the first time in my life and loving it

Only you and your surgeon can make the best decision for you.

I did not have a choice in my procedure. It had to be the RNY that would correct a recently, 2013, diagnosed esophageal birth defect. For me the weight lose was secondary to the repair of my esophagus.

I can tell you from my experience the RNY has been pretty much a breeze as far as getting my liquids in from day 1, my food intake is moving along, I am getting my protein in, I know everyone is different across the board.

I am no longer having to worry about long term steroids or aspiration pneumonia, I have only used my rescue inhaler 3 times since surgery and that was when we had the big fogs with our weather changes.

Look at the long term statistics and success rates of the sleeve vs. the GBP / RNY. I have seen mixed reviews. I have heard it is easier to increase your the volume of your food intake with the sleeve over time.
Each one has it pros and cons.

Only you and your surgeon can make that choice.

Let me know when you will be attending a support meeting prior to your surgery. I have a gentleman and his wife I'd like to introduce you to. He had the RNY a day before me and he can tell you firsthand about how it has effected his diabetes, BP and everything else.
 
Stinkerbelle, Maybe last minute jitters , or just that this all is taking too long and much to much time to think .. Do you go to the group every month ? . It is well over an hour drive for us .. My husband does the driving so I am sure I will not do as many of these as I should . Have been to 2. Would be easier to say . I am going to group on that day ..can you be there. Would be nice to put a face to some names .
 
Aquajogger said:
Stinkerbelle, Maybe last minute jitters , or just that this all is taking too long and much to much time to think .. Do you go to the group every month ? . It is well over an hour drive for us .. My husband does the driving so I am sure I will not do as many of these as I should . Have been to 2. Would be easier to say . I am going to group on that day ..can you be there. Would be nice to put a face to some names .
Click to expand...

I go at least once a month. The next one is on the 8th.
 
Aquajogger said:
Due to my case manager not doing things in a timely manner ,I finely received my insurance approval but since she took longer than expected to do things and than my doctor went away ..clearances from kidney and heart doctor needed to be done again ..

I had completed my 3 months with the dietitian . I was glad that she was a bariatric dietitian .
She explained more about future absorption of food. Now I know that I need and want weight loss surgery .
When I first made the decision to this this I thought lapband but did read and heard to much negative . After hearing about how the gastric bypass will help with me being a diabetic I thought I made my decision .. Three month delay in surgery and much more reading I am now questioning the sleeve . Did much more reading that says there is not some of the vitamin issues with the sleeve since part of the stomach is still there. Also did read that it takes long put it does help with being a diabetic but takes longer .
I do not know if it is last minute thoughts running through my mind or I want to go with the sleeve . so now I must be driving my new case manager crazy ..she made me an appointment with the surgeon to discuss my last minute questions in sleeve or by pass.. Any help or information from people who have had the sleeve .. Was it a good decision ?
Click to expand...

Just want to tell you my bypass surgery went great ,not much pain and I never felt better in the last 20 yrs as I do now.

Cheyenne :)
 
Cheyenne ..thanks for the replay .i think that I am over thinking things because I have just had too much time..surgery should have been done I Nov. after I finished with dietitian ..I kept waiting and waiting to hear from insurance weeks went by .. Contacted my case manager and she said she thought she would have heard something by now.. Almost a month .. I called my insurance company the next day to see what the problem was .. Imagine my surprise when I was told " we just received request for approval from your doctors office TODAY.."
So my insurance company just got the information and and my clearance were only good for 6 months..and I had to get them again including a other EKG . I had had an EKG and stress test from the heart doctor who gave me a clearance.
Too much time waiting started this whole process beginning Jan.2013..
Too much time to question myself .
 
I am happy with the decision to have the sleeve. I just didn't want my intestines re-routed-- everybody's different and has their own hang-ups.
 
Aquajogger said:
Cheyenne ..thanks for the replay .i think that I am over thinking things because I have just had too much time..surgery should have been done I Nov. after I finished with dietitian ..I kept waiting and waiting to hear from insurance weeks went by .. Contacted my case manager and she said she thought she would have heard something by now.. Almost a month .. I called my insurance company the next day to see what the problem was .. Imagine my surprise when I was told " we just received request for approval from your doctors office TODAY.."
So my insurance company just got the information and and my clearance were only good for 6 months..and I had to get them again including a other EKG . I had had an EKG and stress test from the heart doctor who gave me a clearance.
Too much time waiting started this whole process beginning Jan.2013..
Too much time to question myself .
Click to expand...

I'm sure you are right. The more a person thinks and frets about surgery then the more nervous it can make you. I know I was very excited yet very scared up until the morning of surgery when I accepted that all would be fine and put my faith in my surgeon and relaxed. Up til then I was worried and couldn't sleep much yet I wanted the operation very much. Conflicting emotions!!! Just try to relax and talk to your surgeon and you will make the right decision. Good Luck! :)

Cheyenne
 
Hi, I was planning on the Sleeve, but my insurance company said no, but I could have R-N-Y, so I did. I would do it again in a heartbeat. i've been very lucky in that I haven't had any real issues until last month. I did have an umbilical hernia and had it repaired. What I like most about R-N-Y is that if I eat too much sugar, I will suffer from dumping. It's kept me on the straight and narrow, I do NOT want to experience dumping. Either surgery will get you to your goal, if you follow the plan from your Doctor and Nutritionist. Good luck and let us know what you chose.

Frank

:cool:
 
Aquajogger said:
Due to my case manager not doing things in a timely manner ,I finely received my insurance approval but since she took longer than expected to do things and than my doctor went away ..clearances from kidney and heart doctor needed to be done again ..

I had completed my 3 months with the dietitian . I was glad that she was a bariatric dietitian .
She explained more about future absorption of food. Now I know that I need and want weight loss surgery .
When I first made the decision to this this I thought lapband but did read and heard to much negative . After hearing about how the gastric bypass will help with me being a diabetic I thought I made my decision .. Three month delay in surgery and much more reading I am now questioning the sleeve . Did much more reading that says there is not some of the vitamin issues with the sleeve since part of the stomach is still there. Also did read that it takes long put it does help with being a diabetic but takes longer .
I do not know if it is last minute thoughts running through my mind or I want to go with the sleeve . so now I must be driving my new case manager crazy ..she made me an appointment with the surgeon to discuss my last minute questions in sleeve or by pass.. Any help or information from people who have had the sleeve .. Was it a good decision ?
Click to expand...

I am so sorry it is taking you so long.

I was so lucky. I decided to have the gastric bypass and moved quickly through all my clearances and did it.

I see that you are diabetic. I am as well type 2. The main reason I picked gastric bypass over the sleeve is to be done with all the maladies of type 2 diabetes. My diabetes was immediately normalized.

I am completely off all my diabetic meds. I was taking 2000mg of metformin ER and up to 90 units of Novolog (fast insulin) to keep my blood sugars in check and maintain an A1C in the 5's.

This should be your major key point for going with the gastric by-pass. Secondly, since gastric by-pass has been around for awhile now and improved considerably, it has a great success track record. The sleeve is relatively new and time will tell how well everyone does with it.

BUT THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR ME GOING WITH GASTRIC BY-PASS IS TO NORMALIZE MY DIABETES AND END THE AWFUL LONG TERM RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH T2 DIABETES.


Good luck,

Ralph
 
dancinbr said:
I am so sorry it is taking you so long.

I was so lucky. I decided to have the gastric bypass and moved quickly through all my clearances and did it.

I see that you are diabetic. I am as well type 2. The main reason I picked gastric bypass over the sleeve is to be done with all the maladies of type 2 diabetes. My diabetes was immediately normalized.

I am completely off all my diabetic meds. I was taking 2000mg of metformin ER and up to 90 units of Novolog (fast insulin) to keep my blood sugars in check and maintain an A1C in the 5's.

This should be your major key point for going with the gastric by-pass. Secondly, since gastric by-pass has been around for awhile now and improved considerably, it has a great success track record. The sleeve is relatively new and time will tell how well everyone does with it.

BUT THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR ME GOING WITH GASTRIC BY-PASS IS TO NORMALIZE MY DIABETES AND END THE AWFUL LONG TERM RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH T2 DIABETES.


Good luck,

Ralph
Click to expand...

You are so right, Ralph! Stopping diabetes in it's tracks is most important.. Diabetes is a killer disease!

My husband died in 2010 from complications (kidney failure, heart failure) from type 2 diabetes, and his cardiologist told me if he had gotten the gastric bypass 10 yrs before, that he would still be here. The cardiologist talked to me about the benifits of me getting a gastric bypass before I also ended up with diabetes too, as my tests showed I was insulin resistant. I had thought about getting this done for years but was afraid of the surgery. The cardiologist told me he had many patients whom he saw transformed from diabetic, sickly, extremely overweight individuals into healthy, trim people who now had a normal life span. I took a deep breath and went for it, and it was the best decision of my life, I have never felt better as I am shedding this weight. I just wish I had done this years before!

Cheyenne
 
Yes Cheyenne diabetes is a killer disease. Most people do NOT realize just how bad a disease it is.

I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes in 2007. However, I chose to be very vigilant from that day forward and I have controlled it. The ultimate step for me was finally going for the gastric by-pass as well. I am just about off all my medications at this point; and that is only 9 weeks post op!

I have to wait and see about the heart medicine which regulates my heartbeat. I have had mild tacacardia when consuming anything with caffeine and/or alcohol. I have started a few experiments. Yesteday, I had my first cup of decaf coffee in over 6 months at least. One cup of decaf coffee preop used to send my heartbeat up to 110 and it would stay there for a full day; sometime more. My cardiologist switched me to 10mg of bystolic and that seems to have controlled the tacacardia. However, if I had decaf coffee the heartbeat would go back up. An extra dose of bystolic brought it back down pretty quick usually overnight.

So, yesterday, I had a cup of decaf coffee and I was fine; no tacacardia. I also had two chocolate covered strawberries yesterday as well. No tacacardia. FANTASTIC!

So my experiment begins. I am still at 10mg bystolic with a resting pulse rate at 53. My primary doc said to reduce my bystolic dose. So starting tonight I will to see what happens. I will reduce to 5mg a day.

Ralph
 
Ralph .. Thank you for your feedback. I think I may be over thinking things. I did my 3 visits with the dietitian and got my clearances from kidney ,heart and primary care doctors very quickly but after waiting weeks longer than expect for insurance approval I called my case manager .She said ,"I thought I would have heard something by now." Called my insurance provider the next day..surprised and upset when I was told'" We just received a request from your doctor TODAY!" So a month lost and the surgeon going away... Hence my clearances have all been completed to long before surgery.
Already nervous about surgery and now this...Today is exactly one year since I attended my first information and orientation group. I certainly can not say that I did not think long and hard before doing it...
I am a diabetic but only on oral medication ..
Thank you .
 
I'm guessing you read about how the sleeve came to be used and why it was discovered to be a very successful surgery in itself. I won't go into that. I have Type 2 Diabetes and like most of us that was the major motivator in choosing WLS. I also have arthritis and need to take NSAIDs so this was the reason for my choosing the sleeve. I have not needed to take any of my Diabetic meds since surgery. My A1c test will be taken the end of this month at the 2month post surgery mark or close to it anyway. My morning Glucometer readings are in the low 90's. I'm not sure what that equates to in the A1c range. It seems the guys know, I'd like to know how the equation goes so I could figure it out.

Anyway this was the reason I chose the sleeve and I'm very happy with the results. Since my surgery I've lost 43 pounds. So I'm happy about that. I did hear that the sleeve can have a greater incidence of acid reflux disorder but that was from an unsubstantiated source from whom I don't remember right now. But I can say that I did have a lot of trouble vomiting and drinking fluids while in the hospital and therefore stayed for three days until I could keep 16oz of fluids down. Part of the reason was because I refused to take any pain medication since I wasn't in any pain, except when I sipped anything and that was more like heartburn, nausea, and vomiting so I didn't count that as pain. My doctor changed my pain med and my awesome nurse convinced my to try the pain med ( most pain meds either make me nauseous or stop breathing except for NSAIDs or the good stuff that isn't available anymore) well taking the Oxycodone did the trick and I could finally drink along with three anti nausea meds and two antacid meds. Now other than the Antigal and Protonics that we are all required to take to help with gallbladder problems and ulcers post surgery I am off all stomach meds and pain meds. I'm even introducing real food into my diet. Yeah.

I hope this helps you to decide. One last thing to consider, if you get the sleeve you can always get the RNY later since that is how the sleeve came to be performed in the first place.
 
Gr8k8..Tk..I have an appointment with surgeon on Jan.8..to discuss changing my mind from Bypass to sleeve. Not usually a person who can not make up my own mind but this is a huge decision andI do think I like what I have read and heard about the sleeve.
I am sure my new caseworker was surprised when I started asking about the sleeve after getting my insurance approval for the sleeve but I just need to be sure ..
When I saw the PA and my first appointment I did list that I was on Predisone.
She did not say anything but the dietitian said that I should talk to my
Doctor about that with the "pouch." May not be as much as an issue
With the sleeve. I like that the sleeve is a less invasive surgery.
It looks like I will make my decision next Weds.
 
Gr8k8 said:
I'm guessing you read about how the sleeve came to be used and why it was discovered to be a very successful surgery in itself. I won't go into that. I have Type 2 Diabetes and like most of us that was the major motivator in choosing WLS. I also have arthritis and need to take NSAIDs so this was the reason for my choosing the sleeve. I have not needed to take any of my Diabetic meds since surgery. My A1c test will be taken the end of this month at the 2month post surgery mark or close to it anyway. My morning Glucometer readings are in the low 90's. I'm not sure what that equates to in the A1c range. It seems the guys know, I'd like to know how the equation goes so I could figure it out.

Anyway this was the reason I chose the sleeve and I'm very happy with the results. Since my surgery I've lost 43 pounds. So I'm happy about that. I did hear that the sleeve can have a greater incidence of acid reflux disorder but that was from an unsubstantiated source from whom I don't remember right now. But I can say that I did have a lot of trouble vomiting and drinking fluids while in the hospital and therefore stayed for three days until I could keep 16oz of fluids down. Part of the reason was because I refused to take any pain medication since I wasn't in any pain, except when I sipped anything and that was more like heartburn, nausea, and vomiting so I didn't count that as pain. My doctor changed my pain med and my awesome nurse convinced my to try the pain med ( most pain meds either make me nauseous or stop breathing except for NSAIDs or the good stuff that isn't available anymore) well taking the Oxycodone did the trick and I could finally drink along with three anti nausea meds and two antacid meds. Now other than the Antigal and Protonics that we are all required to take to help with gallbladder problems and ulcers post surgery I am off all stomach meds and pain meds. I'm even introducing real food into my diet. Yeah.

I hope this helps you to decide. One last thing to consider, if you get the sleeve you can always get the RNY later since that is how the sleeve came to be performed in the first place.
Click to expand...
My surgeon told me that the sleeve has a higher incidence of gastric reflux, so he has me on Prilosec OTC 'for the rest of my life'. I have had a small amount of reflux in the morning before I get up, so I just put some TUMS on my bedside table and that helps.
 
Well good luck with your journey.

No matter what you decide be it the sleeve or the gastric bypass you will be a happier and healthier person.

Ralph
 
Thanks ..will see the doctor next Weds. to make final decision than if I choose the sleeve they will need to contact my insurance and have my approval changed . I just wish it were all done already .. Vacation planned mid-February but my husband and I discussing canceling since I would have to wait until we return .Thinking if I get it done soon should be up to travel by Jun.
 
I am with you Karenina...I also had the sleeve on December 17, 2013. I did not want to have the vitamin k deficiency that accompanies bypass surgery. :rolleyes:
 
Karenina said:
My surgeon told me that the sleeve has a higher incidence of gastric reflux, so he has me on Prilosec OTC 'for the rest of my life'. I have had a small amount of reflux in the morning before I get up, so I just put some TUMS on my bedside table and that helps.
Click to expand...
Surprisingly, I had reflux before the surgery and haven't had any since and I am a sleeve patient. I chose the sleeve for the absorption issues. I wanted to be able to absorb what ever I could.
 
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