Hey everybody! I have a surgery date of February 11th, 2005. I am miliary(wife) and the only choice you have as military is to do it their way. I have researched WLS for 3 years. I was convinced to go the Band way. Thats not an option with the military. They do RNY and its open, to make it worse. I know enough about the surgery, that's not a problem. The doctor that is doing it has only done 36, and has had 1 complication, and it was blockage(where you have to go back in and open the hole to your new tummy). His complications are normal, but is 36 bad? The doctor I was going to have it done by last year had done like 800! But it turned out all he wanted was money and didn't care about me so I canceled the surgery the day before it was going to happen! Now I'm military-and I don't have options. I am 33, 290lbs., I don't have any co-morbidities. I'm happy, feel mostly healthy, and I could care less about public opinion. I am REALLY worried about being hungry after the surgery. This is the whole point of the surgery for me. I need to feel full. If I can't feel full, then I can starve on a diet. I'm not real fond of being cut open but Ive been putting off this surgery for so long! The only reason I can figure why is because death is not an option for me. I have 2 beautiful babies and I would rather starve myself to anorexia than die trying to be thin. I know all the things I'm supposed to say and feel, and for the most part I do. There is one thing I have always kept to my self though, I feel surgery is the easy way out. I have tried dieting-alot, and my problem was the starvation-it wasn't anything else. I think its the easy way out because its a tool to make me feel full. Am I wrong? All I want is to be full! But only 36 patients-I wonder if I'm crazy. I would appreciate any and all feedback, even the negitive. Thank you so much!
tfarah,
I am also a military wife and had my surgery in October 2003. I weighed about what you did and had my RNY doen laproscopically. I don't have any idea where you live but I would give Tricare a call and see if there are any other providers in your area who could do your surgery. If you don't feel comfortable with this docotr I would say follow your instincts. Thin you I did not have alot of comorbids either, my doctor said I was one of the healthiest obese people he had ever met
However I knew that I was in a really good program and had the utmost confidence in my doctor and his staff.
Please please if you have any questions at all feel free to ask.
Hi. I've never posted here before but felt like I should reply to your question. I am a RN. I will say that experience is definitely a plus when it comes to surgical procedures. BUT every good doctor gets his start somewhere and those sound like pretty good statistics to me. There are also many people who have started out weighing more than you who have lost the weight with diet and exercise rather than a risky surgical procedure (and there's always risk involved with any surgery). I used to do the quick fix, such as diet pills but always gained the weight back. This is the first time I've ever done things the right way. I've been doing ww for 3 months and have lost 20 pounds. I'm also exercising 4 days/week and it's amazing what a difference it makes especially with stress, energy, and overall mood. I will be praying that God will help you make the right decision. God bless you!
whew! what a lot of great thoughts here... but first, to answer the hunger question. it's VERY unlikely that you will be hungry. for at least the first 6 months, the only sign i had that i needed to eat was that i was dizzy and almost passing out.
as for the experience... while i'd be VERY nervous about being a surgeon's first person, after 36, they really DO have some idea of what they're doing. and they're still careful. the really important thing is the aftercare... and how attentive he is afterwards. returning phone calls, availability, support, etc.
things to think about.
as for the diet and exercise thing. while kimberly is indeed correct that many people lose weight the 'old fashioned' way, but often regain the weight. of course, we can debate the reasons for that, but bottom line - at least for me and for many others who decide to have the surgery - we can't lose weight successfully and keep it off. we hit a wall. and only YOU can decide on when that's happened to you.
and we can assume that since you've made it through all that approvals process, that there is considerable evidence that you really have tried to lose repeatedly and without success...
sooooo. ,keep posting around here. keep asking questions.
hello there. I felt a need to post, just because we may be in the same area. My surgeon as well has done 36 (tricare) procedures. But when i took him aside and asked him, he said that the hospital themselves had only preformed that many and that he had already reached his 100 mark. Although, my surgeon stated no complications thus far, i fully trust him and the team. I feel that is extremely important.
I read somewhere where a military wife passed away due to complications in North Carolina (God bless her and her family), the major issue was she complained of severe pain for two days after leaving the hospital and did not feel comfortable enough calling her surgeon. To me that is such a sad thing. You need to be able to listen to any signs your body may be giving you as well as listen to all instructions given by your surgeon and after care team in order to stay healthy, and alive.
I also agree with what was said above, only YOU can make this decision. You need to feel comfortable not only with your surgeon but with the procedure in its entirety.
Ill pray that you find the answers you are looking for, i know that once we had our open session with all the surgeons and 8 other woman who were having it ( it was like a pre surgery meeting, that answered everything you could think of) i walked away feeling much more secure in this decision for myself. And some woman walked away making the opposite decision.
I know that too, that communities like these, can help calm the nerves and be such wonderful support in whatever decision you decide is best for you. God Bless All of You
Hi, as I mentioned to MysTek and Pookie, TriCare West has just approved for the military doc's to discharge their patients to a civillian to surgeon to have a laproscopic RNY, if that is more of a preferrable option to you than an open one. I also went to the same pre-op meeting MysTek went to. The post-op weight regain for the lap band proceedure at about 5 years (I think) is 50-60% of the original weight lost. The typical regain for RNY is 10-20%. I know it is a more drastic approach, but I have been researching WLS for over a year, and I knew more about some things than some of the staff did. Good luck, I hope you are pleased with your choice and ensuing results.
I don't want to start any "my surgery is better than yours" wars here, but I have trouble believing the regain statistics you quoted for lap band. One of the reasons I chose lap band is because of the ability to keep weight off with it. If at any time you are gaining weight, you can have the band adjusted. Of course, you have to make good food choices (not the same as being on a diet!) but as they say, "the tool works if you work the tool".
I'm not sure where your statistics came from, but they sure don't mesh with any I found in my research or with what my surgeon said. There are some old statistics from the original FDA trials floating around on the internet, but they aren't very accurate.
I think I was at the same Pre-op meeting in San Diego as you all. My surgery date was suppose to be the 25th of Feb, but the Surgeon said at the meeting he needed to reschedule it. That kinda upsets me as I was in the program for surgery before they closed it for 6 months, and now I have to wait again. It is very depressing and very frustrating.
I was glad to see that Tricare-West is now letting outside surgeons do Lap surgery. I would prefer that. Less scarring. I had not heard about it before reading it here. I am suppose to see Dr. Egan again on the 16th to reschedule. Is that who you all are having surgery with at Balboa???? I know that prior to this new program Dr. Egan had done many lap RNY's.
tfarah, You have to follow your gut instincts on this kind of thing. If you don't feel comfortable, ask for another surgeon. That is what I did. I figured the senior surgeon would have the most experience, so that is who I decided on. Plus, my therapist, who is a retired Navy knows this Doctor and said he is very good.
MysTeK, has your date been set yet?
I know for me, I have tried to lose weight with diet and exercise for years. Was also skinny as a rail until I started working, then with kids and life style changes, there went the thin and here came the fat, and with each diet, I would loose about 10 or so pounds and then put back on 20, thus bringing me to my large size.
It is not the easy way out by any means. My daughter had the lap band, and it was done open as that was the only way her surgeon would do it...but she has lost about 80 lbs, and now just had a breast reduction and is looking great!
This is such a cool site! I love you people! Thanks for all your input, and advice. I just got the greenlight today-my surgery is Feb 11th with Dr. Egan. I'm ready, I'm tired of being fat, and I'm tired of not being able to run in the park and on the beach with my kids. I am going to check out the laproscopic though. I was told by Triwest that they do not cover the banding-I got a letter of denial. But I will check the lapriscopic. Thanks everybody! Y'all are so cool!
I'm a military wife also, and had my RNY done laproscopically in a military hospital. First I want to say, that this is definatley not the easy way out. As I'm sure that others who have had it done will attest. As for the hunger, I had my surgery a little over 5 months ago, and I still rarely feel hungry. I was really worried about how I was ever going to feel like I had enough to eat after surgery, but believe me in the beginning you feel like you just have to force yourself to eat. You really don't feel hungry.
I also wanted to say that I had the complication that you were talking about were the opening of new connection for my pouch nearly closed, and I had to have two endoscopic proceedures to open it back up. While it was a very difficult time and it definatley wasn't fun, I still don't regret having the surgery at all. That said, I think that it's good that you are giving this a lot of thought. It is a huge decision. Just know that whatever your decision is, we will stand behind you 100%. And, you are right. There is a risk of death. But then, even though you don't have co-morbidities right now, you are at risk of developing them and those could also cause you to become very ill or even die. I hope that didn't sound too harsh, but it's true. If you do decide to have the surgery, please pay close attention to your body, and talk to your surgeon if you feel that anything at all is not right. My doctor told me if you have thoughts of impending doom no matter if you can put your finger on it or not. Tell someone. I think that would apply after having any kind of surgical proceedure. Good luck to you. Looking forward to getting to know you.
I simply had to reply here -- first, this surgery is NOT the easy way out!! You will go through more with this surgery than you ever went through on a diet. There will be days where you will cry and think "OMG, what have I done??" And I can honestly say that I get ravenously hungry when I don't eat, but I can't eat more than 3/4 to 1 cup of food so hungry isn't the problem. I'm a little concerned that you are worried about hunger. After this surgery you should be more concerned with eating! I am also a military wife, BTW ) I wish you the very best and will be looking for your post -- I am 3 years out and my stats are 270/160/150.
All these people from SD, Pretty cool. I know we could all use eachothers support and since it seems most of us newbies from SD are also military means that we should all be at the post-op support meeting. So I guess I was just wondering what your final decision was? I know that you mentiond your surg date was the 11th, but later you said you were going to wait a while and also check into the lap approach? I think I would personally rather have my surgery lapriscopically but my Doc said it my case w/ my blood it would be better to have an open procedure since the procedure takes alot less time. but like everyone has said before we are all different. My surgery is going to be Feb the 14th. I CAN"T WAIT. I too have two beautiful childeren and I love them so much, that's the reason I choose to have this procedure done.(Not the only reason) But i want to be a healthy mom and be able to play with them alot more than I do. I am having my serg at Balboa and really feel confident with everything. i would love to hear how everything is going with you. Just make sure you don't rush anything.
Take care
Doctor with little experience + hunger!
) I wish you the very best and will be looking for your post -- I am 3 years out and my stats are 270/160/150.
