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MsBatt’s Posts
Post Date 2/26/04 9:18 pm
Topic: RE: REALLY TRYING TO STAY HOPEFUL
From what I've read, most surgeons who do the DS say it's the most effective form of WLS, especially for patients with a BMI over 50---but that it's suitable for any patient who qualifies for WLS. There's even someone on the duodenalswitch.com forum who had a BMI of about 30 who had the DS---more to control her diabetes than for weight loss. I don't think your size should keep you from having the DS.
Topic: RE: REALLY TRYING TO STAY HOPEFUL
From what I've read, most surgeons who do the DS say it's the most effective form of WLS, especially for patients with a BMI over 50---but that it's suitable for any patient who qualifies for WLS. There's even someone on the duodenalswitch.com forum who had a BMI of about 30 who had the DS---more to control her diabetes than for weight loss. I don't think your size should keep you from having the DS.
Post Date 2/26/04 3:04 pm
Topic: RE: Need help in finding successful plan for weight loss prior to surgery.....
Over the years, I've tried just about every diet known to Man---and nearly ALL of them worked, for a little while. (*grin*) Sticking with them was the hard part. Do you know about when you WILL have surgery? I lost 12 pounds in six weeks just by going cold-turkey on my Coke Classic addiction and starting a diuretic. And believe me, I WASN'T dieting---I was indulging myself in the "Last Meal" syndrome pretty heavily.
Topic: RE: Need help in finding successful plan for weight loss prior to surgery.....
Over the years, I've tried just about every diet known to Man---and nearly ALL of them worked, for a little while. (*grin*) Sticking with them was the hard part. Do you know about when you WILL have surgery? I lost 12 pounds in six weeks just by going cold-turkey on my Coke Classic addiction and starting a diuretic. And believe me, I WASN'T dieting---I was indulging myself in the "Last Meal" syndrome pretty heavily.
Post Date 2/24/04 8:59 pm
Topic: RE: Aetna Refused Duodenal Switch
I don't know if this will help you any, but a lot of people have been denied on the grounds that the DS is an 'investigational' procedure---or at least, their insurance company tried to say it was. If you'll read on down on this board, there's a post from a while back that includes an excerpt from the minutes of last spring's meeting of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons where they voted to endorse the DS as a fully-researched and very effective form of WLS. Maybe giving Aetna a copy of this might help. If you needed a heart bypass and none of their in-network docs did it, they'd okay you to have it done out-of-network, wouldn't they? Get yourself a lawyer and give 'em hell! You should NOT have to 'settle' for the form of WLS your insurance company wants you to have. YOU'RE the one who has to live with its' consequences for the rest of your life.
Topic: RE: Aetna Refused Duodenal Switch
I don't know if this will help you any, but a lot of people have been denied on the grounds that the DS is an 'investigational' procedure---or at least, their insurance company tried to say it was. If you'll read on down on this board, there's a post from a while back that includes an excerpt from the minutes of last spring's meeting of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons where they voted to endorse the DS as a fully-researched and very effective form of WLS. Maybe giving Aetna a copy of this might help. If you needed a heart bypass and none of their in-network docs did it, they'd okay you to have it done out-of-network, wouldn't they? Get yourself a lawyer and give 'em hell! You should NOT have to 'settle' for the form of WLS your insurance company wants you to have. YOU'RE the one who has to live with its' consequences for the rest of your life.
Post Date 2/23/04 9:58 pm
Topic: RE: Long Term Post Op Diet Ideas Needed!
It's possible your body is already at ITS ideal weight. Remember, having been morbidly obese for a while, your bones are probably more dense (and therefore heavier) than the 'textbook' woman of your height and weight.
Topic: RE: Long Term Post Op Diet Ideas Needed!
It's possible your body is already at ITS ideal weight. Remember, having been morbidly obese for a while, your bones are probably more dense (and therefore heavier) than the 'textbook' woman of your height and weight.
Post Date 2/23/04 9:52 pm
Topic: RE: Worried Caffine Addict...
My surgeon did NOT tel me I had to cut out caffeine, so I didn't. (*grin*) Then I started reading all sorts of post about the evils of caffeine, so at my check-up I asked him about caffeine, and he said it wouldn't hurt me any. I drink between a half-gallon and a gallon of iced tea EVERY DAY. Tea was even one of the liquids I could have the day before surgery, when I was doing the clear-liquids bowel-prep thingie. I didn't have anything caffeinated in the hospital, but I started drinking tea the day I came home. Having said that---do whatever YOUR surgeon tells you. Otherwise, you can't complain if something goes wrong. (*grin*)
Topic: RE: Worried Caffine Addict...
My surgeon did NOT tel me I had to cut out caffeine, so I didn't. (*grin*) Then I started reading all sorts of post about the evils of caffeine, so at my check-up I asked him about caffeine, and he said it wouldn't hurt me any. I drink between a half-gallon and a gallon of iced tea EVERY DAY. Tea was even one of the liquids I could have the day before surgery, when I was doing the clear-liquids bowel-prep thingie. I didn't have anything caffeinated in the hospital, but I started drinking tea the day I came home. Having said that---do whatever YOUR surgeon tells you. Otherwise, you can't complain if something goes wrong. (*grin*)
Post Date 2/17/04 10:07 pm
Topic: RE: Hi everyone. I have my fi...
Well, immediately post-op, eating WAS drinking, lol! But as another poster pointed out, there's no reason we DSers can't drink with our meals. Drinking a LOT with your meals can cause you to fill up too fast, but in the first couple of weeks you're going to be eating every 2-3 hours anyway. As for sipping vs. gulping---I have been in full guzzle mode from the beginning. You'll know if you're drinking too rapidly---you'll feel pressure, then pain. And right after surgery, I just couldn't get over how much air I was swallowing---then I 'wised up' and realized that I was swallowing no more air than I'd always done, I just no longer had room for it. (*grin*)
Topic: RE: Hi everyone. I have my fi...
Well, immediately post-op, eating WAS drinking, lol! But as another poster pointed out, there's no reason we DSers can't drink with our meals. Drinking a LOT with your meals can cause you to fill up too fast, but in the first couple of weeks you're going to be eating every 2-3 hours anyway. As for sipping vs. gulping---I have been in full guzzle mode from the beginning. You'll know if you're drinking too rapidly---you'll feel pressure, then pain. And right after surgery, I just couldn't get over how much air I was swallowing---then I 'wised up' and realized that I was swallowing no more air than I'd always done, I just no longer had room for it. (*grin*)
Post Date 2/16/04 10:11 pm
Topic: RE: PLZ HELP
Bonnie, I read your profile, and I think you need a bariatric surgeon who's experienced in doing revisions. Yes, I realize you DON'T need a revision, but someone who does do them is generally a more experienced surgeon. I can personally recommend Dr. John Husted in Nashville, TN, at the Cumberland Center for Obesity Surgery. His website has some good info on the DS, and he also has a message board where you can ask questions of other patients and of the practice's nurses---http://www.ccfos.com You can also read up on the DS at http://www.duodenalswitch.com , http://www.asbs.org , and http://www.thinforlife.med.nyu.edu . And if you'd like to e-mail me, feel free. I love my DS, and would recommend it to pretty much anyone.
Topic: RE: PLZ HELP
Bonnie, I read your profile, and I think you need a bariatric surgeon who's experienced in doing revisions. Yes, I realize you DON'T need a revision, but someone who does do them is generally a more experienced surgeon. I can personally recommend Dr. John Husted in Nashville, TN, at the Cumberland Center for Obesity Surgery. His website has some good info on the DS, and he also has a message board where you can ask questions of other patients and of the practice's nurses---http://www.ccfos.com You can also read up on the DS at http://www.duodenalswitch.com , http://www.asbs.org , and http://www.thinforlife.med.nyu.edu . And if you'd like to e-mail me, feel free. I love my DS, and would recommend it to pretty much anyone.
Post Date 2/16/04 7:30 am
Topic: RE: Help! Insurance denial
Well, you've got a good appeal available, then! The DS is NOT considered investigational by the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons (and they ought to know!), and if you'll look a few days back on this board, you'll find a post that includes an excerpt from their newsletter where they stated that. Give 'em hell! (*grin*)
Topic: RE: Help! Insurance denial
Well, you've got a good appeal available, then! The DS is NOT considered investigational by the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons (and they ought to know!), and if you'll look a few days back on this board, you'll find a post that includes an excerpt from their newsletter where they stated that. Give 'em hell! (*grin*)
Post Date 2/15/04 9:12 pm
Topic: RE: Please Help! Confused!
They're the same thing. The BPD---Bilio-Pancreatic Diversion---can be done without the DS (duodenal switch). You can read more about this on the "history of WLS" page at http://www.asbs.org The BPD by itself involves cutting away the bottom of the stomach and forming a pouch with a stoma. Back in 1988, Dr. Hess developed the DS part of the procedure in order to eliminate the problems associated with the stoma, like ulceration and strictures. Nowdays, the stomach is cut longways, keeping the pyloric sphincter and the first couple of inches of the duodenum (the uppermost part of the small intestine) intact. Joining intestine to intestine allows better healing than joining stomach to intestine, because the stomach contents are acidic and the intestinal contents are alkaline. Keeping the pyloric sphincter intact allows the stomach to remain fully functional and eliminates dumping syndrome. It also allows us to still absorb pretty much any kind of medication post-op. Some surgeons still do the BPD without the DS, but I personally would NOT want to have it done---keeping the pylorus was very important to me for several reasons.
Topic: RE: Please Help! Confused!
They're the same thing. The BPD---Bilio-Pancreatic Diversion---can be done without the DS (duodenal switch). You can read more about this on the "history of WLS" page at http://www.asbs.org The BPD by itself involves cutting away the bottom of the stomach and forming a pouch with a stoma. Back in 1988, Dr. Hess developed the DS part of the procedure in order to eliminate the problems associated with the stoma, like ulceration and strictures. Nowdays, the stomach is cut longways, keeping the pyloric sphincter and the first couple of inches of the duodenum (the uppermost part of the small intestine) intact. Joining intestine to intestine allows better healing than joining stomach to intestine, because the stomach contents are acidic and the intestinal contents are alkaline. Keeping the pyloric sphincter intact allows the stomach to remain fully functional and eliminates dumping syndrome. It also allows us to still absorb pretty much any kind of medication post-op. Some surgeons still do the BPD without the DS, but I personally would NOT want to have it done---keeping the pylorus was very important to me for several reasons.
Post Date 2/15/04 9:01 pm
Topic: RE: Help! Insurance denial
What reason did they give for denying you?
Topic: RE: Help! Insurance denial
What reason did they give for denying you?
Post Date 2/15/04 2:52 pm
Topic: RE: Post-op food and juice
The first two weeks post-op were the hardest for me---I hated not being able to eat foods you could chew. (*grin*) I ate a lot of cottage cheese, SF popsicles, Carb Smart ice cream, chicken and beef broth, peanut butter, and Spam spread. I drank a lot of orange juice, even though it DOES have a lot of sugar in it. (At that point, I really didn't think it could hurt my weight loss.) While my doc said I was permitted to eat anything that would pass through a straw, let me warn you---most things are not fit to eat after they've been through a blender. Only puree a little bit at a time---if it's good, you can always do more, but if you do a lot and can't eat it---well, my dog got VERY fat VERY quickly, LOL!
Topic: RE: Post-op food and juice
The first two weeks post-op were the hardest for me---I hated not being able to eat foods you could chew. (*grin*) I ate a lot of cottage cheese, SF popsicles, Carb Smart ice cream, chicken and beef broth, peanut butter, and Spam spread. I drank a lot of orange juice, even though it DOES have a lot of sugar in it. (At that point, I really didn't think it could hurt my weight loss.) While my doc said I was permitted to eat anything that would pass through a straw, let me warn you---most things are not fit to eat after they've been through a blender. Only puree a little bit at a time---if it's good, you can always do more, but if you do a lot and can't eat it---well, my dog got VERY fat VERY quickly, LOL!
Post Date 2/13/04 10:05 pm
Topic: RE: It's All Over (Fat Lady has Sung, Cried, Over & Out)
Get your surgeon to re-submit, not as surgery for weight loss, but as surgery to treat your thyroid condition. This surgery is now also being used to treat type II diabetes.
Topic: RE: It's All Over (Fat Lady has Sung, Cried, Over & Out)
Get your surgeon to re-submit, not as surgery for weight loss, but as surgery to treat your thyroid condition. This surgery is now also being used to treat type II diabetes.
Post Date 2/13/04 9:22 am
Topic: RE: Ok..this is what it says
"Well, DUH!" Judith says, smacking herself up side of the head. (*grin*) So if one had a BPD without the DS, then one WOULD have a gastric bypass, right? (I wonder why some surgeons are still doing that---keeping the pylorus was a big plus for me.) Living and learning!
Topic: RE: Ok..this is what it says
"Well, DUH!" Judith says, smacking herself up side of the head. (*grin*) So if one had a BPD without the DS, then one WOULD have a gastric bypass, right? (I wonder why some surgeons are still doing that---keeping the pylorus was a big plus for me.) Living and learning!
Post Date 2/12/04 2:07 pm
Topic: RE: Ok..this is what it says
How do you get that, Dina? I mean, the DS is "small bowel reconstruction to limit absorption", isn't it?
Topic: RE: Ok..this is what it says
How do you get that, Dina? I mean, the DS is "small bowel reconstruction to limit absorption", isn't it?
Post Date 2/11/04 7:44 pm
Topic: RE: Message Boards Divided?
The vast majority of people posting on the Main board don't have a clue about the DS. Certainly the need for emotional support is the same no matter which form of WLS someone has had or is considering, but when it comes to actual 'facts' relating to post-op eating or complications, there's just so much difference between what's normal that advice from a RNY patient to a DS patient is usually meaningless---or even downright wrong. When I first came here, I did feel sort of shunned on the Main board, but now---at every opportunity, I try to bring the DS into the conversation. Several people have e-mailed me asking just what the heck the DS IS, and I hope I've helped at least a few learn more about is and how it can offer them a better option.
Topic: RE: Message Boards Divided?
The vast majority of people posting on the Main board don't have a clue about the DS. Certainly the need for emotional support is the same no matter which form of WLS someone has had or is considering, but when it comes to actual 'facts' relating to post-op eating or complications, there's just so much difference between what's normal that advice from a RNY patient to a DS patient is usually meaningless---or even downright wrong. When I first came here, I did feel sort of shunned on the Main board, but now---at every opportunity, I try to bring the DS into the conversation. Several people have e-mailed me asking just what the heck the DS IS, and I hope I've helped at least a few learn more about is and how it can offer them a better option.
Post Date 2/11/04 7:36 pm
Topic: RE: Vomiting - sorry not very pleasent
That should read 'barfing'. I actually BARK quite a bit. (*grin*)
Topic: RE: Vomiting - sorry not very pleasent
That should read 'barfing'. I actually BARK quite a bit. (*grin*)
Post Date 2/11/04 7:34 pm
Topic: RE: Vomiting - sorry not very pleasent
I can only speak for myself, but I've had NO nausea or vomiting post-op. Some DSers do, I know---but just from reading the boards, it seems to me that RNY patients suffer more from this. Part of that's due to the extremely limited pouch size---one bite too many can make any of us hurl, but if your 'normal' meal size is only three bites... I also see that most RNY patients are on a liquid/pureed diet much longer than DSers are. The closest I came to barking was a couple of times during the pureed food stage, and it was from the visual nastiness of most pureed food. (*grin*)
Topic: RE: Vomiting - sorry not very pleasent
I can only speak for myself, but I've had NO nausea or vomiting post-op. Some DSers do, I know---but just from reading the boards, it seems to me that RNY patients suffer more from this. Part of that's due to the extremely limited pouch size---one bite too many can make any of us hurl, but if your 'normal' meal size is only three bites... I also see that most RNY patients are on a liquid/pureed diet much longer than DSers are. The closest I came to barking was a couple of times during the pureed food stage, and it was from the visual nastiness of most pureed food. (*grin*)
Post Date 2/10/04 9:56 pm
Topic: RE: maybe DS is the way to go....
Melissa, with the DS you DO have to count protein, just to make sure you're getting enough. But it's pretty much the only thing you have to count.
Topic: RE: maybe DS is the way to go....
Melissa, with the DS you DO have to count protein, just to make sure you're getting enough. But it's pretty much the only thing you have to count.
Post Date 2/10/04 9:51 pm
Topic: RE: File under review
Hopefully they'll give you good news. As of 2/1/04, BC/BS of Tennessee is covering the DS!
Topic: RE: File under review
Hopefully they'll give you good news. As of 2/1/04, BC/BS of Tennessee is covering the DS!
Post Date 2/10/04 9:48 pm
Topic: RE: Big bump or little bump?
Some insurance companies have been denying the DS because they calim the DS has "investigational" status. But back in the spring of last year, the ASBS passed a resolution that basically said that the DS was a good and well-accepted form of WLS. There's a couple of posts on this board that quote the whole resolution. If that turns out to be the reason they give for denying it, you should be able to easily win an appeal. Fight for the surgery YOU want! Remember, this is a forever thing, and it's up to YOU to make sure what kind of quality of life you have post-op.
Topic: RE: Big bump or little bump?
Some insurance companies have been denying the DS because they calim the DS has "investigational" status. But back in the spring of last year, the ASBS passed a resolution that basically said that the DS was a good and well-accepted form of WLS. There's a couple of posts on this board that quote the whole resolution. If that turns out to be the reason they give for denying it, you should be able to easily win an appeal. Fight for the surgery YOU want! Remember, this is a forever thing, and it's up to YOU to make sure what kind of quality of life you have post-op.
Post Date 2/10/04 11:12 am
Topic: RE: Researcing DS
Check out http://www/asbs.org , the website of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons. They tell the history of WLS, and sort of compare the various procedures. And check out my surgeon's website, at http://www.ccfos.com . And of course, you can always ask specific questions right here! I LOVE my DS, and at my 2-month check-up yesterday I had lost 52.5 pounds!!! Yippee!!!
Topic: RE: Researcing DS
Check out http://www/asbs.org , the website of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons. They tell the history of WLS, and sort of compare the various procedures. And check out my surgeon's website, at http://www.ccfos.com . And of course, you can always ask specific questions right here! I LOVE my DS, and at my 2-month check-up yesterday I had lost 52.5 pounds!!! Yippee!!!
Post Date 2/9/04 8:31 pm
Topic: RE: 2 stage bpd/ds ?
My surgeons recently did this on a guy who weighed 655 pounds the day of surgery. He had his two-week check-up today, and he's lost 60 POUNDS!
Topic: RE: 2 stage bpd/ds ?
My surgeons recently did this on a guy who weighed 655 pounds the day of surgery. He had his two-week check-up today, and he's lost 60 POUNDS!
Post Date 2/9/04 8:28 pm
Topic: RE: Not fair--no KY surgeons doing DS?
How far are you from Nashville, TN? I had my surgery with Dr. Bill Anderson at the Cumberland Center for Obesity Surgery there. The surgeons there are great, and their support staff is wonderful! There's usually not a long time between initial consult and a surgery date, either. Check them out at http://www.ccfos.com
Topic: RE: Not fair--no KY surgeons doing DS?
How far are you from Nashville, TN? I had my surgery with Dr. Bill Anderson at the Cumberland Center for Obesity Surgery there. The surgeons there are great, and their support staff is wonderful! There's usually not a long time between initial consult and a surgery date, either. Check them out at http://www.ccfos.com
Post Date 2/8/04 9:11 pm
Topic: RE: why DS?
Dawn, my surgeon sent me home on Bextra for post-op pain, and Bextra's a NSAID. Turns out Bextra does nothing for my arthritis, so they told me I could take one Aleve a day until I have my 2-month check-up (tomorrow, thank goodness!) and if all is well then, they'll release me to take any NSAID I prefer in the usual and customary dosages. It's my understanding that since DSers still have a fully-functional stomach, our chances of developing ulcers post-op is approximately the same as it was pre-op, once we're fully healed. So---some folks will tolerate NSAIDs just fine, but others won't. Just like the general public.
Topic: RE: why DS?
Dawn, my surgeon sent me home on Bextra for post-op pain, and Bextra's a NSAID. Turns out Bextra does nothing for my arthritis, so they told me I could take one Aleve a day until I have my 2-month check-up (tomorrow, thank goodness!) and if all is well then, they'll release me to take any NSAID I prefer in the usual and customary dosages. It's my understanding that since DSers still have a fully-functional stomach, our chances of developing ulcers post-op is approximately the same as it was pre-op, once we're fully healed. So---some folks will tolerate NSAIDs just fine, but others won't. Just like the general public.
Post Date 2/8/04 8:51 pm
Topic: RE: 2 stage bpd/ds ?
My surgeon has recently started doing this on his heavier patients. I lucked out and got mine all at once, but I know he's got some patients that have had the sleeve gastrectomy and will be getting the second half when they've lost enough weight to make the procedure safe for them. You can talk with some of them at his message board at http://www.ccfos.com I would think that since your insurance approval was for the whole procedure, and it was a "medical necessity" that you have it done in two parts, your initial approval would cover the second half as well. You might discuss this with your surgeon's office---surely they checked into this beforehand.
Topic: RE: 2 stage bpd/ds ?
My surgeon has recently started doing this on his heavier patients. I lucked out and got mine all at once, but I know he's got some patients that have had the sleeve gastrectomy and will be getting the second half when they've lost enough weight to make the procedure safe for them. You can talk with some of them at his message board at http://www.ccfos.com I would think that since your insurance approval was for the whole procedure, and it was a "medical necessity" that you have it done in two parts, your initial approval would cover the second half as well. You might discuss this with your surgeon's office---surely they checked into this beforehand.
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