Guest guest Posted December 30, 1999 Report Share Posted December 30, 1999 They Paid! Yippee! And you used Dr. R? Great. Did you have the lap? Please tell me more. You may have sold me. I am still doing the research. Thanks. Is your policy state or non stat employee? le Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 1999 Report Share Posted December 30, 1999 << They Paid! Yippee! And you used Dr. R? Great. Did you have the lap? Please tell me more. You may have sold me. I am still doing the research. Thanks. Is your policy state or non stat employee? le >> le, I used Dr. R (thank God for that man!) and I have four holes and a zipper. Dr. R started my lap procedure but ran into adhesions from previous surgery. He duked it out with the scar tissue for about two hours and then opened me up and finished the MGB. I have his regular procedure, and I feel great! This was so much easier than the abdominal surgery I had last December. I was up and around right away. I am a state employee. The state of Michigan has BX/BS administer its insurance money; the State DMB office is able to tell BX/BS to pay a claim. Keep talking with us on this list, woman; you'll find us 300% in favor of the mini-gastric bypass (compared to the Roux-n-Y or Fobi pouch) and rabid in our loyalty to Dr. Rutledge. Dee in MI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 1999 Report Share Posted December 30, 1999 << They Paid! Yippee! And you used Dr. R? Great. Did you have the lap? Please tell me more. You may have sold me. I am still doing the research. Thanks. Is your policy state or non stat employee? le >> le, I used Dr. R (thank God for that man!) and I have four holes and a zipper. Dr. R started my lap procedure but ran into adhesions from previous surgery. He duked it out with the scar tissue for about two hours and then opened me up and finished the MGB. I have his regular procedure, and I feel great! This was so much easier than the abdominal surgery I had last December. I was up and around right away. I am a state employee. The state of Michigan has BX/BS administer its insurance money; the State DMB office is able to tell BX/BS to pay a claim. Keep talking with us on this list, woman; you'll find us 300% in favor of the mini-gastric bypass (compared to the Roux-n-Y or Fobi pouch) and rabid in our loyalty to Dr. Rutledge. Dee in MI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 1999 Report Share Posted December 30, 1999 << They Paid! Yippee! And you used Dr. R? Great. Did you have the lap? Please tell me more. You may have sold me. I am still doing the research. Thanks. Is your policy state or non stat employee? le >> le, I used Dr. R (thank God for that man!) and I have four holes and a zipper. Dr. R started my lap procedure but ran into adhesions from previous surgery. He duked it out with the scar tissue for about two hours and then opened me up and finished the MGB. I have his regular procedure, and I feel great! This was so much easier than the abdominal surgery I had last December. I was up and around right away. I am a state employee. The state of Michigan has BX/BS administer its insurance money; the State DMB office is able to tell BX/BS to pay a claim. Keep talking with us on this list, woman; you'll find us 300% in favor of the mini-gastric bypass (compared to the Roux-n-Y or Fobi pouch) and rabid in our loyalty to Dr. Rutledge. Dee in MI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 1999 Report Share Posted December 31, 1999 Dee, I am not a state employee. Someone on another list told me I just have to provide my diet history for two years, weight documentation for two years, and supervised and other documented weight loss attempts. I have all that, so I am hoping it wont be a problem. I am new on my job, and it will be March before my insurance is in force. I have spoken with someone on this list who got approval from BC/BS of AL. So, by the time I am eligible, I will be done with all the research. I am still reading Dr. R's website. Its take awhile to get through it. On a layman's level, the MGB sound like an option, but it seems that his pouch is bigger and the weight loss statistics are not as great compared to the RNY. At least that is what the graph looked like. One of the advantages seems to the opportunity for reversal, but do very many people need that as an option? Please tell me more about your recovery and weight loss. le Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 1999 Report Share Posted December 31, 1999 << Please tell me more about your recovery and weight loss. >> le, hi! Hey, I may be different from the other folks in terms of recovery or weight loss, so please keep e-mailing lots of us from the list to get a broader view. (Don't forget those " old-timers " that Dr. R helped in '97 and '98; their stories are just fabulous.) I would especially recommend that you speak with Kaleva@.... He had this procedure done about a year ago; he's lost approximately 150 pounds and his health is greatly improved. E-mail him as well. Recovery: I was out of bed and walking late Thursday night/early Friday morning. The hallway was less congested then It took me a little time to learn how to get out of bed again. But the guard rails have all the necessary buttons on either side of the bed. I was connected to the wall by two different tubes (JP and the oxygen) plus the silly plugs for the tripod. I soon learned how to slip those collars and run from my kennel! I had minimal discomfort (4 on a scale of 10) and while I knew that my tummy was " open " the only time it really mattered was when I had to cough. (I had a respiratory flu prior to surgery that postponed it for a few days.) The wounds were dressed daily and they did just fine. We finally left the bandages off so that they could " air dry " and heal more quickly. The day I achieved separation from my nasal gastric tube (because Dr. R had to convert me to an open procedure), I also had to wait for a new IV placement....so I was allowed a shower. What a blessing to stand under running water! (What is it about us women that we love water???) Dr. R released me on Wednesday morning, seven days after the surgery. I spent the next day in my hotel resting and trying out my juices, then flew home the 24th. That was a long day, but Dr. R gave me excellent advice on how to handle it without getting lightheaded in the airports, etc. I arrived home with my family just around m idnight...Christmas! What a wonderful present from the Christ child...time with our youngest son and a chance at living my life fully once more. My weight loss (remember that I am larger than some of Dr. R's patients and therefore lose more at first) is now at 26 pounds since the surgery. I haven't felt weird except for the recent attempt to eat mashed potatoes and gravy....that was too heavy. Sat like a brick. I'll stick to my juices! le, keep e-mailing Dr. Rutledge and keep asking questions. To help you a bit with the adhesion dilemma, my work buddy had also had abdominal surgery. Dr. R was able to complete her procedure lap. She went home with just five holes! So, you see, this adhesion business is a crap shoot. Dee in MI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2000 Report Share Posted January 3, 2000 le wrote: On a layman's level, the MGB sound like an option, but it seems that his pouch is bigger and the weight loss statistics are not as great compared to the RNY. At least that is what the graph looked like. One of the advantages seems to the opportunity for reversal, but do very many people need that as an option? Please tell me more about your recovery and weight loss. le, I know when I was looking into WLS, I was really desparate for some help and answers to some of my questions so I wanted to try to give you some input. I felt like the MGB had benefits over the RNY like the opportunity for reversal that you mentioned. (I don't think that reversals/revisions are often necessary but as I once heard - before you go into a burning building, you want to know there's a way out). I also definitely wanted a laparoscopic procedure so that narrowed it down quite a bit. I liked that with the MGB, you are 'under' for a shorter time and the recovery is quick! Dr. Rutledge also has excellent qualifications as a surgeon and his postops have very little side-effects from the MGB. The 'bigger' pouch size is compensated (in my mind) by the fact that he bypasses about 6 feet of intestine. And the pouch allows postops to eat more like 'normal'. As for myself, I am satisfied with my progress so far. I have lost 37 lbs in 8 weeks time. My BMI has gone from a 47 to a 41. My blood pressure is no longer dangerously high. I no longer suffer from overactive bladder troubles. I have hopes to be a size 10 one day and perhaps, conceive and have my first baby. I expect to live a long and healthy life without the fear of developing diabetes like my mother or chronic heart disease and sleep apnea like my father. About the variations in weight loss - I think that Dr. Rutledge's patients experience similar results as RNY postops after one year. It seems to me that the difference is that MGBer's have weight loss that is slower but steady for a year, losing an average of about 130 lbs in 12 months whereas RNYer's seem to lose more weight more quickly up front, but then lose less each month after the initial burst with a final result of losing about the same amount (130 lbs) in a year...My personal analysis...When I 'compare' my progress to those who have had other procedures around the same time that I had the MGB, I find that some have lost more than I have, others have lost less. Weight loss rate seems to hinge more on the person's initial starting weight than on the surgery type that they have had - the more you need to lose, the quicker you lose...IMHO Well, I hope that gives you a bit more input. Good luck with your decision! Amber 11/5/99 __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2000 Report Share Posted January 3, 2000 le wrote: On a layman's level, the MGB sound like an option, but it seems that his pouch is bigger and the weight loss statistics are not as great compared to the RNY. At least that is what the graph looked like. One of the advantages seems to the opportunity for reversal, but do very many people need that as an option? Please tell me more about your recovery and weight loss. le, I know when I was looking into WLS, I was really desparate for some help and answers to some of my questions so I wanted to try to give you some input. I felt like the MGB had benefits over the RNY like the opportunity for reversal that you mentioned. (I don't think that reversals/revisions are often necessary but as I once heard - before you go into a burning building, you want to know there's a way out). I also definitely wanted a laparoscopic procedure so that narrowed it down quite a bit. I liked that with the MGB, you are 'under' for a shorter time and the recovery is quick! Dr. Rutledge also has excellent qualifications as a surgeon and his postops have very little side-effects from the MGB. The 'bigger' pouch size is compensated (in my mind) by the fact that he bypasses about 6 feet of intestine. And the pouch allows postops to eat more like 'normal'. As for myself, I am satisfied with my progress so far. I have lost 37 lbs in 8 weeks time. My BMI has gone from a 47 to a 41. My blood pressure is no longer dangerously high. I no longer suffer from overactive bladder troubles. I have hopes to be a size 10 one day and perhaps, conceive and have my first baby. I expect to live a long and healthy life without the fear of developing diabetes like my mother or chronic heart disease and sleep apnea like my father. About the variations in weight loss - I think that Dr. Rutledge's patients experience similar results as RNY postops after one year. It seems to me that the difference is that MGBer's have weight loss that is slower but steady for a year, losing an average of about 130 lbs in 12 months whereas RNYer's seem to lose more weight more quickly up front, but then lose less each month after the initial burst with a final result of losing about the same amount (130 lbs) in a year...My personal analysis...When I 'compare' my progress to those who have had other procedures around the same time that I had the MGB, I find that some have lost more than I have, others have lost less. Weight loss rate seems to hinge more on the person's initial starting weight than on the surgery type that they have had - the more you need to lose, the quicker you lose...IMHO Well, I hope that gives you a bit more input. Good luck with your decision! Amber 11/5/99 __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2000 Report Share Posted January 4, 2000 Thanks Amber. I appreciate your insights. And as soon as I am approved. I am running to Dr. Rutledge. I mean that almost literally. I have a question. I think I have sleep apnea but have never been diagnosed. Would it be beneficial to get a diagnosis before submitting for surgical approval. Will having at least one comorbidity and a high BMI (45) assist me in gaining approval more quickly? I am gathering my medical record and getting my ducks in a row now. Thanks. le Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2000 Report Share Posted January 4, 2000 le, If I suspected I had sleep apnea, I would definitely get it diagnosed. Not only to help your insurance approval (which it surely will) but for your own health reasons until you get the MGB done. Sleep apnea is not good for your heart or resp. system. I find it ironic that insurance will pay for a sleep study to be done, but so many balk at approving surgery to correct this condition! Just my thoughts, Karin Re: Need advice... > From: CUTEAKA2NV@... > > Thanks Amber. I appreciate your insights. And as soon as I am approved. I am > running to Dr. Rutledge. I mean that almost literally. I have a question. I > think I have sleep apnea but have never been diagnosed. Would it be > beneficial to get a diagnosis before submitting for surgical approval. Will > having at least one comorbidity and a high BMI (45) assist me in gaining > approval more quickly? I am gathering my medical record and getting my ducks > in a row now. Thanks. > > le > > > This message is from the Mini-Gastric Bypass Mailing List at Onelist.com > Please visit our web site at http://clos.net > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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