Long time listener, first time caller...

May 06, 2019

I have been to the OH website probably several dozen times, over the last 15 years.  I have told myself I could and would do this by myself, without surgery, every time I found out my insurance would not cover WLS of any kind.  Then, in December 2017, my company was bought by a bigger fish in the sea...and we got BCBS of Illinois.  And our plan was not local/regional which sometimes has worked against us Oregonians when it comes to coverage.  Then, it really hit, this COULD be a possibility.  It was just something I knew I wanted to do.  It is something I knew I would medically benefit from, too.

After discussing with my doctor, we decided to try again on our own with my pcp following me more closely.  It didn't work.  In fact, I gained, then my insulin requirements went up (I am type 1, yes, not type 2, nor am I a type 2 who is insulin dependent)    Now I can't stop gaining and am suffering from worsening gastroparesis (stomach motility/slow/partial paralysis are all terms I've been told are wrong with my stomach) and my diet to accomodate that is not diet friendly.

Last week I had to go to the ER with severe abdominal pain- upper abdominal- more specifically, my liver actually hurts.

After not much help in the ER, I went to my pcp's backup because she was out and he said to me:  you have liver disease, yes, its probably mild and early.  Plus,I looked at the CT from last year when you had chest pain.  Did you know you have fat infiltrating your liver, like in it?  Did you get told you have a fat pad that isn't supposed to be there at the bottom of your heart?  Did you know these things are indications that you are in need of action now?  Why not bariatric surgery?

 

Why not.  Well, since my coverage under BCBS IL began, and my pcp thought we should give it another shot, there has also been feer of persistent hypoglycemia and death from it and the diagnosis of gastroparesis last year, that was mild, but now seems to be worsening.    

I am still scared, but I just finished all of my paperwork and submitted to OHSU.  I don't know what doctor will have me, but I'll be sure to talk about T1D and gastroparesis.  I even heard some saying VSG ("the sleeve") can be curative to GP.  That would be amazing, because I've been suffering extra the last week and few months with any volume of food.  I'm already having to change my habits to accomodate that, and I think the time is now, I'm ready to deal with this change.

I am also feeling super thankful that my husband is considering taking this journey, too, because I want to live a long life, together, and go hiking, take trips, fit in airplanes, the list goes on and on!

Anyone out there reading this with T1D, Gastroparesis oh and or Oral Allergy Syndrome (where the body reacts to raw fruits and veggies whose proteins appear similar to your outdoor allergens proteins to your body and causes a reaction)?  I cannot eat:  raw tomato, banana, peppers, cucumber, avocado or melons of any kind, BOO!

 

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