Hi everyone. My health insurance just began to cover gastric bypass surgery and I am strongly considering it. The problem is that I live in a pretty small city and the insurance doesn't cover the surgery "out-of-network", which means I would have to have the procudure done at the hospital I work at (on the floor I want to work on in the future!) I am a pretty private person, and this makes me a bit uneasy. Anyone have any experience or advice?
I have been researching GBS for about a year. I know that it is risky and that in the end, I still have to make the changes. The surgery will be a very powerful tool in my weight loss, but I still have to work at it! I do appreciate the advice and encouragment. I am very excited about this possibility. I just hope that I will be approved by my insurance company. Although I qualify by the amount of weight I need to lose, my weight loss attempts have not been MD supervised. I guess I will just have to "weight" and see. hehehe :)
I have been researching GBS for about a year. I know that it is risky and that in the end, I still have to make the changes. The surgery will be a very powerful tool in my weight loss, but I still have to work at it! I do appreciate the advice and encouragment. I am very excited about this possibility. I just hope that I will be approved by my insurance company. Although I qualify by the amount of weight I need to lose, my weight loss attempts have not been MD supervised. I guess I will just have to "weight" and see. hehehe :)
Why am I overweight? Well, I have been overweight all of my life. Not sure when exactly my issues began, but I didn't even realize it was a problem until highschool. I began my attempts to lose weight when I was around 18 years old. It is a struggle for me now just not at gain weight. My main issue is portion control, because I usually make pretty good food choices(not always, but I try). I think the surgery will help me control my portions and lose weight, which will in turn make it easier to exercise. I realize that "maybe" I could be this without the surgery, but I have yet to do so (after trying just about everything). This surgery has worked for MANY people like me and I am will to try anything at this point.
I am very ready for this change. This is hard to explain and I am sure it is difficult to understand for someone who has not had a problem with their weight...
Why am I overweight? Well, I have been overweight all of my life. Not sure when exactly my issues began, but I didn't even realize it was a problem until highschool. I began my attempts to lose weight when I was around 18 years old. It is a struggle for me now just not at gain weight. My main issue is portion control, because I usually make pretty good food choices(not always, but I try). I think the surgery will help me control my portions and lose weight, which will in turn make it easier to exercise. I realize that "maybe" I could be this without the surgery, but I have yet to do so (after trying just about everything). This surgery has worked for MANY people like me and I am will to try anything at this point.
I am very ready for this change. This is hard to explain and I am sure it is difficult to understand for someone who has not had a problem with their weight...
Angie
The surgery will force you to relearn portion sizes. Of course there is the case that I described in an earlier post but I do not believe you are similar to her.
The surgery will start you off eating just like a baby and you will gradually be permitted to add foods (just like you did at your moms hand - oh, no insult to mom there) until you stop at the portions/frequncy that is right for you.
Yes, everybody, I know you do not add food exactly like we do for the kids but the similarities are enough that it is an easy to understand comparative.
I am very ready for this change. This is hard to explain and I am sure it is difficult to understand for someone who has not had a problem with their weight...
Angie
A very good friend of mine tried everything -- I do mean everything -- to lose weight. Exercise. Eating less. Eating a balanced diet. Nothing worked. He rode his bike 100 miles a week, worked out at the gym, played racketball several times a week and still weighed over 350 lbs (when he did the MS ride in Denver, with all those hills, the sponsors were so concerned he'd drop dead that someone rode with him for the entire 80 miles, up and down all those hills).
In his life he's managed to quit drinking (20 years sobriety), quit smoking (15 years smoke free), but no matter what he did, he couldn't lose the weight.
He had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago. While he still isn't what I'd call svelte, at 240 he's much, much smaller than he was, and much happier. He did have a problem with infection afterwards, and tried to tough it out which made it worse. He had to be reopened to deal with that. The doc also put some kind of net in there to hold in his gut because his abdominal muscles were so weak; at one point almost a year later that came undone and had to be redone (which meant the 3rd time he had to be reopened).
He's also had a problem with getting enough iron because he finds he can no longer eat meat; his stomach now just won't take it. Before he realized what the problem was his hemoglobin got down to 7.1. Now he takes iron pills and that is no longer a problem.
All this said, however, he wouldn't go back to being big for the world; he says it's all worth it. And he loves feeling "tiny" now.
Posted by LPN2be2005: Why am I overweight? Well, I have been overweight all of my life. Not sure when exactly my issues began, but I didn't even realize it was a problem until highschool.
Why do you have this problem?
My main issue is portion control...
Why is that?
I think the surgery will help me control my portions and lose weight...
Why are you putting yourself into a situation where you really don't have control? You will either eat small portions or suffer!
which will in turn make it easier to exercise.
"Easier to exercise!" What's wrong with this picture? I'm not going to be easy on you...with your permission of course!
LPN2be2005
17 Posts
I have been researching GBS for about a year. I know that it is risky and that in the end, I still have to make the changes. The surgery will be a very powerful tool in my weight loss, but I still have to work at it! I do appreciate the advice and encouragment. I am very excited about this possibility. I just hope that I will be approved by my insurance company. Although I qualify by the amount of weight I need to lose, my weight loss attempts have not been MD supervised. I guess I will just have to "weight" and see. hehehe :)
Thanks again!
Angie