Aryiana

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Wow... didn't mean to have so long go before I posted again.  Went to see Dr. Greenbaum on 3-19.  He took one look at my Upper GI and felt that first off, since my RNY was done horizontal the pouch was way too big, and he said the free flow thru the pouch is just wrong and not helping.

Bottom line is that he feels that with my co-morbidities that he was able to document (cholesterol of 220 -- borderline anywhere else is high cholesterol here) that there shouldn't be a problem with showing there is medical necessity as well as proving that the re-gain was not due me failing the surgery, but the surgery failing me because if it not being done correctly (or maybe more accurately would be that it wasn't done as efficiently as it could have been done).

So now I have to have a physical by one of the docs that will be following me in the hospital, a nutritional consult and a psych consult.  Before leaving, I asked Ann if she could call around and find the soonest appointment for the physical.  I was able to get one with Dr. Levinson on Friday, March 27 at 1:30.  I made a follow up appointment on April 10 and figured I could get the other appointments just as quickly.  As we left the office I was on the phone with my kids' therapist making an appointment for my psych consult which she was able to fit me in on the 25th.

This left the nutritionist.  To get on the list for Olivia at Dr. G's office it wouldn't be until April 17th and would cost $50.  I hoped I could do better and came home and spent the next day (Friday) on the phone trying to get a nutritional consult.  The other two listed by Dr. G both required multiple visits (4 hours and 3 appointments) and when I called the one local nutritionist that could do DS counseling she wasn't sure it would be a conflict since I would not be having my switch done by that doctor (only because he doesn't do revisions).

I called the office back and decided to go with Olivia, filling a spot for April 17 and also moving my follow up appointment to April 24.  I've waited this long, 2 more weeks won't kill me, right?

So... that's where things stand.

Oh, so before I finish this post, I have to add that I am dragging a friend along on this ride.  I met Maddie uhm.... about 7ish years ago - she had an RNY and was the originator of an RNY support board that I was on early in my original bypass days.  She also goes to the NY Renaissance Faire with me and I've known her husband longer than she has :).  She too has gained back a significant amount of weight since her RNY and I think I got her thinking about a revision too.  I brought her with me to Dr. G's visit and she ended up asking more questions than I did.... .however, I also did book her nutritional consult with Olivia when I am going and she has her initial appointment with Dr. G on April 24th with me.

Welcome Maddie!!!  At this rate, perhaps we can be roommates ;)

Today I went for pre-op stuff just to be ahead of the game.  I had a million labs, chest xray, ekg and a really fun Upper GI.  Will I ever learn?

The UGI was written for barium only, however they usually do an air pic first to have something to "compare", so of course I said "go for it -- more data is better".... What I didn't realize is that drinking the 5 ccs of water with Gas-X would hurt worse than a sip of soda (which I really haven't had in 7 years)!!  It was almost like very carbonated seltzer but hurt like hell... I thought I was going to pass out at one point -- and the doc was trying to get me to swig the barium right then too.  All I wanted to do was lay down on my left and curl up and die.

Results of the UGI was that my pouch is "normal" for this far out -- 1/4 - 1/3 the size of normal and altho I again had "rapid emptying" of the pouch he felt it was normal and that it shouldn't be restricted.

The problem I have other than the weight gain is that I eat a decent meal and then a half hour to an hour later I am physically hungry again and CAN eat again.  The restrictive part of the pouch is not working and I am hoping that this will show (along with an endoscopy perhaps) that the tool is broken and therefore Empire BCBS will pay for my revision without having to worry about denials and re-submitting and stuff.

In the meantime I am upping protein again and seeing if that makes any difference, altho I am convinced that I want/need a switch for anything to be somewhat permanent .  Without the malabsorption I'd do just as well going back to my anorexic college days altho I wouldn't have my ballet this time around.

Will pick up the radiological reports in the morning - have the EKG already (all normal) and hope to see labs on the fax tomorrow.

Today I went for an appointment with Dr. Bonanni's office (Paula).  I had received advice from OH that Dr. B is not the one to go to for a revisional DS, however, I kept the appointment just to see what Paula had to say.  What she DID say was that Dr. B has not done ANY RNY to DS revisions, but I took the prescriptions for the EKG, Chest xray, Upper GI and labs just so I would have them done before I do anything else.

I was also able to make an appointment with Dr. Greenbaum in Willingboro, NJ who seems to be  "the guy" to go to for revisional DS surgery in this area.  My appointment is next Thursday - 3/19.

Meanwhile I called my insurance company (Empire BCBS) to find out the criteria they use for revisional surgery and what they look for (again, to be ahead of the ball).  Well to get any of those answers, I have to submit a request IN WRITING and send it USPS - then they have 30 days to respond.  That doesn't do it for me.  I am going to just blindly put my faith into Dr. G's office and assume they know the ins and outs and how to make this happen for me.

If anyone is interested in chatting, I am on AIM (Aryiana1) and Yahoo (wench_aryiana).  I am hoping to find a new friend or two from this site that I can also discuss this stuff with.