jenniferhlee

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This is Jennifer's sister, updating her blog for her.  She had her surgery yesterday morning at 8.  She came through it successfully and was taken to her room around noon.  She had to be catheterized because of the anesthesia and was very nauseated until late last night.  While she is feeling a great deal better today, she is still struggling and I'm sure she would LOVE to hear as many encouraging words as possible.  She was prepared for this but I think actually going through it is harder than anyone (but you all) could imagine.  She has been able to get up and walk several times today and is drinking 2 oz of water and 1oz of protein every hour.  She sleeps a lot due to the medicine but is feeling much better when she is awake.  Again, any words of encouragement you could give would be SO appreciated.  Hearing it from people who HAVE been in her shoes is better than any of us could do!  Thanks so much and we will keep you posted! :o)

Okay, so a lot has happened since my last post....

I got the approval from BCBS before I even knew it had been submitted by the surgeon's office! That was a happy day! Then I got my date for RNY, which is January 6, 10. After much debate, I decided to save over 10k and go back to Monterrey, Mexico for my band removal. (Dr. Bauman wanted the revision done in 2 separate surgeries, and I trusted his judgement based on his blemish-free record) ....So, I went to Monterrey last week and had my band removed. I've been home 2 days and I'm feeling great! Definately glad to have the band out of my body!

I'm equally excited and nervous about my upcoming RNY. I have to get my butt in gear and lose about 10 lbs in the next few weeks because I've gained weight since my consult and was told that Dr. Bauman would postpone my surgery if I gained any weight.... I guess I better get moving!
Say a prayer and here we go...

So I was well on my way in May and trying to get everything done, so that I could be submitted for approval..... AND THEN.... I was informed that my surgeon had to have open surgery on his shoulder in July and would not be performing any surgeries for approximately 3 months. So I decided to slow things down and wait out the rest of the summer until they started scheduling surgeries again.
Well..... I had my Upper GI last week (one of the nastiest things, if not THE nastiest, thing I have ever had to swallow), which was the last of my pre-approval requirments. AND Dr. Bauman's office has started scheduling surgeries again.
SO....
I called the office yesterday and they confirmed that they have received everything and Dr. Bauman will be reviewing it within the week. Then they will submit everything to BCBS for approval. So it shouldn't be long.
The Upper GI showed a "moderate sized hiatal hernia which protrudes beyond the band." Hopefully that is a minor situation that can be remedied during surgery.

I had my appointment with the nutritionist and with Dr. Bauman on Tuesday (05/12). First, I have to say that Dr. Bauman is AWESOME!!! I had been told to prepare myself for him to be "direct" and "to the point." I was afraid that he would be unfriendly and dry. But I thought he had a great sense of humor and was very genuine. It was obvious that he is very good at what he does and that he takes every patient and every surgery very seriously. I LOVE that! I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a surgeon. (Not to mention, he's done nearly 2,000 bariatric surgeries and has a ZERO mortality rate).
So, we discussed my options regarding the fact that I already have a Lap Band. Ultimately we both agreed that the best way to move forward is to remove the band and have the RNY. He said that he would like to remove the band in an outpatient surgery at least 2 weeks prior to the bypass in order to give my stomach a chance to heal and regain its original form as much as possible. This will eliminate many of the risks associated with this type of revision surgery. I agreed with his logic. I have already completed all of the requirements, like the psych eval, nutrition visit, physical and bloodwork, weight history, etc. So all we need is pre-authorization from my insurance company.
Since the band was not approved by my insurance (BCBS of NC) in 2005, when I had my surgery, they won't pay for the removal. So I will have to self-pay for that. But the surgeon's business manager told me that she had no concerns about getting insurance approval for the RNY. So.....drum roll.....I have an appointment to have my band removed on July 17! They can't schedule the RNY until they get the approval but they expect to have it within 7 to 10 days. So it looks as if I will have the 2nd procedure done either the 31st of July or the first week in August. That's not a bad thing. I feel like I need the time to get as emotionally prepared for this as possible and start cutting out some of my bad habits.
The nutritionist said that I don't have to do a pre-op liquid diet, but I have to come back having lost a few pounds and definately not having gained. She said that if I have gained any weight, they will postpone the surgery because it's an indicator that patients are not taking this seriously enough. So that means I can't just blow it and eat whatever I want for the next 2 months with the rationale that I should enjoy binging now because it's almost over. That makes me a little nervous since my weight tends to teeter like a see-saw. But I think I'm up for the challenge. She said even if I've just lost 3-5 pounds, that would be enough to show that I have taken the surgery seriously. Anyway, whatever the logic, I'm going to do it because I don't want to sabotage my chances of having this surgery.
I actually have more to write, but I really should be working right now. So I'll finish the story later! 

I'm going to meet with my surgeon tomorrow and I'm equally excited and nervous! I called his office this morning and made sure that all of the results from my preliminary tests are in. So we'll see what happens tomorrow!

Okay, one more item checked off the block. I had my psyche tested yesterday morning and I think it went pretty well. He wanted to know about my weight history, what I had done in the past to lose weight, why I wanted RNY, what my support system was like, family history, surgery expectations/risk awareness, weight loss expectations, my plan to keep the weight off in the distant future, and other stuff related to that. Then I took a few computerized psychological tests that asked questions like, "True or False: I often hear the voices coming from the television even when it's off." LOL! I was like, "True, and they're telling me I need gastric bypass surgery!"

So, it wasn't bad at all, just a couple of hours and out the door. He said they would send over the recommendation in a week or so, which is good, because my appointment to meet with the surgeon is May 12 (eleven days and counting).....
I'll post more as the process moves forward!

Okay, tomorrow is the second step of my journey towards RNY! I have my psych eval at 10am tomorrow morning! I will post the details after! ......Hope they don't realize how crazy I really am!

I had my appointment at my Primary Care office and Heather (the PA who I usually see now) was AWESOME! She was so supportive and made me feel so great about my decision. She said that she would write a letter on my behalf and that she would do anything I needed her to do to get it approved with my insurance. She went ahead and ordered all of the labs and tests that my surgeons office requested so that I would be able to get through the process quicker. She also encouraged me not to give up no matter what it takes. I felt so good about my decision. Oh yeah, she also said that she knows the surgeon I chose and that she feels he is the best in the area and that I made the best decision by going with him. I really feel so good about moving forward. Will keep posting because reading the posts of people who have been through all of this is so helpful.

Just want to admit that I am completely addicted to this site and especially the before and after photos!!!! :)

My story is long and has been frustrating. The short of it is that I went to Monterrey, Mexico in 2005 and had LAP BAND surgery. Eight weeks later, I went back to Mexico and had what ended up being my first and only fill. Over the past 4 years, I have struggled with the decision to have more fluid put in my band but never did. There are several reasons I didn't. One is that I have had a strong feeling from the beginning that my band is not "right." After doing some research, I think it may have been placed too high. Everything I have eaten for the past 4 years either goes straight through my band or gets stuck and I end up "sliming" and throwing it all up. That is not normal and I don't think that tightening my band is going to help the situation. In addition, it's hard for me to get even the smallest pill through my band. I always ask for liquid forms of medication, like antibiotics or whatever else I have to take. I've even resorted to taking Children's Motrin for aches and pains because the pills get stuck and burn like crazy!
After years of hearache, frustration, and HARD WORK I'm ready to take control of the situation and make the switch to Gastric Bypass. I have an appointment to see Dr. Baumen, in Concord, NC on May 15th. I have a psychological evaluation scheduled for April 23rd and I'm waiting on a return call to schedule my nutritional counseling appointment. I am contacting my family Dr today to get all of my records together to show a 5 year weight history, which definately shouldn't be a problem. So, here we go! The ball is rolling forward again and I am excited (and nervous) about getting on with my life as a happier, healthier person!