New member from AK

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I just joined up, haven't even gone through many of the posts yet.

I'm just starting to seriously consider WLS as the course of action

for me. Never thought I would, but I'm at my wits end. Have been

dealing with weight issues for 20 years, which is really sad

considering I'm only 26 y/o. Anyways, real quick intro, I have two

babies, 3 and 5 y/o, was a stay home mom until this May when I started

doing inhome daycare. I have a wonderful husband who's job requires

him to be gone A LOT, and am sick and tired of being fat and having no

energy!!

I've looked into WLS at the Wish Center, but it's not realistic for

me to get down to WA and back a few times. Then the other night I

found out that there is a surgeon here in town that does it, and this

opened up the subject again in my mind. So I made an appt (first in 3

years) with my new PCP, and I guess it will all go from there.

Sooo....any thoughts as to what I should talk to my Dr about to get

this ball rolling? I'd at least like to get a consult with the

surgeon to be able to talk face to face with him and get lots of info.

Better head off for now, thanks for this site, I appreciate being

able to talk to others like this.

~Lia in AK

[Guest guest]

Congrats on getting that ball rolling! It's so amazing the whole

process that we go through..

I would recommend that you go ahead and start compiling a list of

diets you have been on for the last 10 years, any weight related

problems you are having.. and medications that you may be taking and

really start searching the internet for some good information.

The other thing I would definately say is to find a support group..

get there and you can meet others who have gone through all stages of

this..

I wish you the very very very best of luck! Ask all the questions you

can think of.. this group is amazing!

Trish

> Hi,

> I just joined up, haven't even gone through many of the posts

yet.

> I'm just starting to seriously consider WLS as the course of action

> for me. Never thought I would, but I'm at my wits end. Have been

> dealing with weight issues for 20 years, which is really sad

> considering I'm only 26 y/o. Anyways, real quick intro, I have two

> babies, 3 and 5 y/o, was a stay home mom until this May when I

started

> doing inhome daycare. I have a wonderful husband who's job requires

> him to be gone A LOT, and am sick and tired of being fat and having

no

> energy!!

> I've looked into WLS at the Wish Center, but it's not realistic

for

> me to get down to WA and back a few times. Then the other night I

> found out that there is a surgeon here in town that does it, and

this

> opened up the subject again in my mind. So I made an appt (first

in 3

> years) with my new PCP, and I guess it will all go from there.

> Sooo....any thoughts as to what I should talk to my Dr about to get

> this ball rolling? I'd at least like to get a consult with the

> surgeon to be able to talk face to face with him and get lots of

info.

> Better head off for now, thanks for this site, I appreciate being

> able to talk to others like this.

> ~Lia in AK

[Guest guest]

welcome, lia! have you been to obesityhelp or asbs.org? when

talking to your doc, emphasize on all the improvements that wls offers

to your health, wellbeing & qulaity of life. if i remember right, on

asbs.org they even have some medical literature you can print out. &

on gastricbypassfamily.com there's a long list of ?s for your surgeon.

best of luck & keep posting.

lori h.

> Hi,

> I just joined up, haven't even gone through many of the posts

yet.

> I'm just starting to seriously consider WLS as the course of action

> for me. Never thought I would, but I'm at my wits end. Have been

> dealing with weight issues for 20 years, which is really sad

> considering I'm only 26 y/o. Anyways, real quick intro, I have two

> babies, 3 and 5 y/o, was a stay home mom until this May when I

started

> doing inhome daycare. I have a wonderful husband who's job requires

> him to be gone A LOT, and am sick and tired of being fat and having

no

> energy!!

> I've looked into WLS at the Wish Center, but it's not realistic

for

> me to get down to WA and back a few times. Then the other night I

> found out that there is a surgeon here in town that does it, and

this

> opened up the subject again in my mind. So I made an appt (first in

3

> years) with my new PCP, and I guess it will all go from there.

> Sooo....any thoughts as to what I should talk to my Dr about to get

> this ball rolling? I'd at least like to get a consult with the

> surgeon to be able to talk face to face with him and get lots of

info.

> Better head off for now, thanks for this site, I appreciate being

> able to talk to others like this.

> ~Lia in AK

[Guest guest]

Lia,

Welcome! I just got back Monday from a 3 week vacation in your neck

of the woods (Yukon and Alaska). It was wonderful. Where are you in

AK?

Making the decision to do this earlier in life rather than later is

great. You have so many years ahead of you to enjoy your new healthy

life, your babies, and your hubby. I had mine done at 42 and I can

tell you 5-1/2 months later I no longer feel like about 90 and don't

even feel like 42, probably more like about 32. I have way more

energy, can do so many more things not to mention wear much smaller

clothes. I can't even imagine how my life might have been different

if I had the surgery at 26. I certainly would have qualified, as I

know I weighed over 300 by then. I made it to 442 before I stopped

the insane train, hopefully for good. I even managed to lose 200 lbs

when I was 33-34, but as you can guess it found me again. However,

this time my depression is under great control and this is such a

drastic, but wonderful, change that I truly feel I will succeed this

time. It won't be a cake walk but I have the tool to help keep

things in check and the support to kick me in the butt when I need it.

Since you are going to a PCP you have not dealt with much, I would

put together a diet history of what you have tried and approx. how

many lbs you lost. Also if you remember any milestone weights

document that. For some reason I remember weighting 197 at 11 and

238 at 15. So it certainly showed a pattern of life long weight

problems. Also put together a list of any symptoms or difficulties

you are having. Since you haven't been to doctor in quite a while, I

assume you do not have any diagnosed co-morbidity conditions. So you

will want to help the doctor identify what things would be helped by

your weight loss. Especially if you are a borderline qualifier (40

BMI) you will want some other things to support your request.

Also, have you called your insurance or looked in your insurance

booklet to make sure there isn't a clear exclusion for WLS or other

treatment? It would be best to find that out right away, so you go

in with your eyes open. Also find out if they have any specific diet

requirements. Some insurances require a doctor supervised diet of

like 6 months within the last 2 years etc. Some are even more

strict. My policy accepted what I provided as a history and in the

past 6 years I had tried Redux, Xenical and Wellbutrin. The only

success I had was on Redux but that was only 39 lbs. They did not

ask for anything more. Even when I lost the 200 lbs I did it on my

own but weights were documented in my medical file when I was in for

appointments. So I didn't have much to provide them but it was

enough to show a long history of weight problems and some valid

attempts to resolve it.

More and more people are opting to go ahead with surgery even if

their insurance won't cover it. Some refinance their homes etc.

While this may seem drastic it really is a life saving thing and in

my opinion worth investing in over years if that's what it takes to

pay for it. I was fortunate that mine was fully covered but if I

pursue plastic surgery I doubt it will be covered, so I will need to

make a decision at some point how important it is to me. From

strictly a vanity standpoint it's not very important, however the

excess weight on my gut puts constant strain on my low back, which I

already have problems with and some degenerative joint disease in.

So it may come down to being really important in order to do the

things I want to do.

I hope you are able to get the process moving soon. It truly is a

wonderful new life and I'd encourage anyone who has fully checked

things out and understands what is going to be done and what changes

they are going to have to commit to for the rest of their lives, to

go for the surgery! They won't regret it! But it is critical you

have done tons of research and truly understand this new life. It is

the difference between success and failure!

Again, welcome and come back often!

D.

5'9 " – Age 42 – BMI 65.3

442/319/Anywhere under 250 lbs

-123 lbs as of July 15th – BMI 47.1

21 before surgery, 102 after

Open RNY-150 cm, 1/2 oz pouch - Feb 3, 2003

Surgeon - n, MD - Neenah, WI

> Hi,

> I just joined up, haven't even gone through many of the posts

yet.

> I'm just starting to seriously consider WLS as the course of action

> for me. Never thought I would, but I'm at my wits end. Have been

> dealing with weight issues for 20 years, which is really sad

> considering I'm only 26 y/o. Anyways, real quick intro, I have two

> babies, 3 and 5 y/o, was a stay home mom until this May when I

started

> doing inhome daycare. I have a wonderful husband who's job requires

> him to be gone A LOT, and am sick and tired of being fat and having

no

> energy!!

> I've looked into WLS at the Wish Center, but it's not realistic

for

> me to get down to WA and back a few times. Then the other night I

> found out that there is a surgeon here in town that does it, and

this

> opened up the subject again in my mind. So I made an appt (first

in 3

> years) with my new PCP, and I guess it will all go from there.

> Sooo....any thoughts as to what I should talk to my Dr about to get

> this ball rolling? I'd at least like to get a consult with the

> surgeon to be able to talk face to face with him and get lots of

info.

> Better head off for now, thanks for this site, I appreciate being

> able to talk to others like this.

> ~Lia in AK

[Guest guest]

Hi Trish,

Thanks for the welcome! I did start a list of diets I have tried

over the years, and was rather suprised at how many it's been.

Sitting down and figuring out approx dates and weights will be another

story though, lol, lots to try and remember. I think the most I ever

lost was 20lbs on WW many years ago. I do plan to make a list of

probs I'm having, I've never been to a Dr. for most, because I never

figured they could really do much for my back problems other than to

tell me to lost weight. I'm hoping to find a support group, I will

start asking around and see what I can find. I'm amazed at how many

people I've already run across here in town who have had it done.

Again, thankyou!

~Lia

> Congrats on getting that ball rolling! It's so amazing the whole

> process that we go through..

> I would recommend that you go ahead and start compiling a list of

> diets you have been on for the last 10 years, any weight related

> problems you are having.. and medications that you may be taking and

> really start searching the internet for some good information.

> The other thing I would definately say is to find a support group..

> get there and you can meet others who have gone through all stages of

> this..

> I wish you the very very very best of luck! Ask all the questions you

> can think of.. this group is amazing!

> Trish

K

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori, thanks for the welcome!! I have been to obesityhelp.com,

that's where I've been spending my time lately...reading through all

the journals from the others in AK. I'll have to go check out

asbs.org next! I'm hoping I won't get a Dr. who is totally against

this, I doubt I will, but I will try and be as prepared as possible

just in case. Looking forward to this first step though....thanks!!

~Lia

> welcome, lia! have you been to obesityhelp or asbs.org? when

> talking to your doc, emphasize on all the improvements that wls offers

> to your health, wellbeing & qulaity of life. if i remember right, on

> asbs.org they even have some medical literature you can print out. &

> on gastricbypassfamily.com there's a long list of ?s for your surgeon.

> best of luck & keep posting.

> lori h.

in AK

[Guest guest]

Hi Chris! Thanks for the welcome! Did you do a driving vacation up

here? I'm in Juneau, just moved back to southeast AK from up north

(Soldotna). I was born here, so it's nice to be back in southeast.

I'm glad you mentioned that about making the decision to have WLS

earlier in life. I have a friend who had it done at 20, and she won't

have to have any plastic surgery due to her skin being so resilient.

I'm hoping that would happen with me, which is another reason I'm glad

I found this now. Not to mention I just don't know how I could spend

another decade or more like this, it just drives me insane. I'm so

glad to hear your surgery did so much for your life.

As far as getting together lists for the Dr., would it also help to

put together somewhat of a family history as far as obesity related

conditions? I suppose they'll want a family health history anyways

now that I think about it. I am borderline I think, with a BMI

between 41-42, which makes me nervous that I won't qualify, or that

Ins. won't cover it. But I have hubby looking it up as we speak, so

hopefully I'll know something more today.

Well I think I will go try and call the ins co. Thanks again for

the welcome and I look forward to continuing with this group!

~Lia in AK

> Lia,

>

> Welcome! I just got back Monday from a 3 week vacation in your neck

> of the woods (Yukon and Alaska). It was wonderful. Where are you in

> AK?

>

> Making the decision to do this earlier in life rather than later is

> great. You have so many years ahead of you to enjoy your new healthy

> life, your babies, and your hubby. I had mine done at 42 and I can

> tell you 5-1/2 months later I no longer feel like about 90 and don't

> even feel like 42, probably more like about 32. I have way more

> energy, can do so many more things not to mention wear much smaller

> clothes. I can't even imagine how my life might have been different

> if I had the surgery at 26. I certainly would have qualified, as I

> know I weighed over 300 by then. I made it to 442 before I stopped

> the insane train, hopefully for good. I even managed to lose 200 lbs

> when I was 33-34, but as you can guess it found me again. However,

> this time my depression is under great control and this is such a

> drastic, but wonderful, change that I truly feel I will succeed this

> time. It won't be a cake walk but I have the tool to help keep

> things in check and the support to kick me in the butt when I need it.

>

[Guest guest]

Gosh, I am sooooo fortunate that I didn't have to provide past history on my

years of dieting. That would be really difficult.

Take Care,

Open RYN 4-7-03

351/281/???