CathyKy
You name the diet and I've been on it. My weigh has gone up and down more than a Macy's elevator during the holiday season. I first started looking at WLS after my Mother's passing in July 06, and after hearing from my brother about some people he knew. My former voice teacher had RNY in Feb 06 and is down to her goal weight.
My first step was to see her surgeon who is local. I first went in wanting a lapband but was turned off at the thought of having a port implanted in my tummy for the rest of my life (for fills). The cost of the lapband over two years is the same as the one-time cost of the RNY ($25k). I sensed the surgeon recommended the RNY but he did not come right out and say it. I also thought he was very arrogant and I HATE that!
My voice teacher was the first to tell me about ObesityHelp.com and I started reading posts on RNY. It was on one of the posts that I saw a gastroentologist who said he opted for Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) because he did not want his intestines messed with. THAT got me really interested in learning more about VSG, particularly since he noted the connection between stomach size and production of ghrelin, the hunger hormone that tells the brain you are hungry. Cut out a lot of the stomach and cut out a lot of ghrelin production. Interesting! Note ghrelin is also manufactured in the intestines.
So my focus changed to VSG and my forum interest changed as well. More and more I saw people who posted "I love my sleeve!" In the RNY and Lapband posts, I had not seen that. Plus, Dr. gastroentologist's testimony. It was starting to feel like diving intervention.
So I contacted Dr. Arrogant's office and his staff informed me that he is not able to do the surgery due to the hospital's legal team--they have not developed the consent forms. Duh! Lawyers!
Next I found a doc in Ohio but did not like one of the posters comments that the hospital STAFF was not fluent in how to treat VSG patients. if you have ever been in a hospital you know that nursing staff is EVERY BIT as important as the doc--they are the ones that take care of you 24/7.
I keep reading the VSG posts on OH.com and am seeing more and more how happy people are with their ‘sleeves’ which continues to give me confidence this is the route I need to take.
I remembered that the Dr. Arrogant's staff said there are places close that do the VSG and I found two docs operating out of a community hospital just about 1/2 hour away. I started the process to get information from these docs. I’m close to a decision and letting loose of $16k when I ask my nurse friends what they know about these docs. Two are recovery room nurses and if you ever want to know something about a surgeon, ask a recovery room nurse. One of my friends told me to ‘run’ from one of the docs. So that axed this resource in my mind.
By this time I had seen plenty of wonderful posts about Dr. Alvarez and had entertained the idea of going to Mexico. Through process of elimination on the regional/local docs, my focus change to Dr. A. But I had nagging issues. Would my family freak out? Is the care and technology in Mexico up to standards with the US? How will people react when I say I’m going to Mexico? Will I be able to convince anyone to go with me?
After reading hundreds more posts and talking to Dr. A’s intake nurse, my comfort level soars and I make the decision. I have been talking to my family about some kind of WLS surgery but I know this will be a bombshell. Like a real bomb I drop it over dinner one night with my father and sisters. As expected they overreact. My father was so stunned he did not speak. He even called me the next day with a lump in his throat asking if I was sure I wanted to do this and to let me know he had serious concerns.
I sure was glad I had read so many posts and done so much research! I was able to calm everyone down about the idea with all the information I had gathered. I promised to see my own doctor for an opinion. She is also a personal friend so I knew she would view anything with a more critical eye than just any physician. Her immediate reaction was “we don’t have a lock on good care here in the US—you can get it in other countries too.” WHAT A RELIEF!! I could now go to my family and tell them that my own physician and friend gave me the thumbs up.
At this point there was no turning back! I was going to see Dr. A and I was going to change my life—something that I resolved to do with my mother’s passing. I did not want to go to my grave postponing my life until I lost weight like she did. She was known to say things like, “I’ll go on another cruise when I lose weight,” or “I’ll buy that when I lose weight” or ‘I’ll do this or that when I lose weight.’ I was one year away from my 50th birthday, have back and knee problems and was already and early stage breast cancer survivor. And I knew I’d rather live ten more years as a skinny person than 20 more years as an obese person.
I also have to say that around mid-March, I bought “The Secret” DVD and through their website links found a WL specialist counselor online who uses EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique www.emofree.com). So along with exploring WLS I was also in weekly phone counseling with Ann Smith to see if there might be one more tool to use that might work. I have to say the technique almost immediately broke my addiction to Dairy Queen—THAT is a huge accomplishment alone! Every time I was bored, lonely, sad, tired, or happy, my care would somehow find its way to DQ—sometimes even twice a day! Anybody who has ever looked at the calorie count of blizzards knows how easy it is to put on pounds daily with a DQ addiction! I can honestly say I have not had a DQ or even a craving or temptation since Ann and EFT broke me. That was a HUGE step forward.
There is no doubt in my mind that I explored every option and diet available. I suffered from depression for years, largely due to the obesity and there was no turning back as of late June 07. Initially I scheduled surgery around Labor Day with Dr. A. thinking it would minimize me off time with the extra holiday. But once I make up my mind, there is no turning back. I knew I was going to have VSG WLS and I knew I was going to see Dr. A. So I contacted the intake nurse, Susan (who was wonderfully helpful throughout the process) and decided on July 27, 2007.
It’s behind me now and I have absolutely no regrets other than I wish I had done it sooner!
