Going again... Hoping for Revision to DS

Nov 17, 2016

In Dec 2005 I had my Vertical Gastrectomy with Dr. Feng at LAPSF. I remember having lost 30 lbs in the first 30 days! I went from 340 to the lower 200s in two years, and we threw a huge party when I could get into size 30 women's jeans. That was the first time I'd worn women's jeans since mid high school. Oct 2007 I had an abdominoplasty and breast lift to put everything back where it needed to be, and after removing 15 lbs of skin, my old photos remind me I was something like 205 lbs. 

After losing both my parents, and surviving an abusive boyfriend that eventually turned into my many-year-long stalking nightmare, I regained to about 260 and stayed there for years. Two years ago I had my son, and my end of pregnancy weight was 280. Since then I've been about the same and weighed in at 287 the other day. 

Apparently in 2009 I was looking into having a revision to the duodenal switch, but life happened and insurance didn't. I am revisiting the issue now and want to document my progress thus far. 

On Monday the 14th I started scouring my insurance documents to see if they might consider covering weight loss surgery of some kind. I have CalPERS Kaiser, and they say little other than yes they do cover it. I immediately requested an appointment with my PCP and got in that same day. He barely seemed surprised and asked only a few questions, then submitted the referral to the Kaiser Bariatrics Center. He also referred me to the Kaiser Sleep Center.

My first appointment with the Sleep Center gave me a wonky device I wore overnight to monitor my sleep pattern and see if I qualified for the next step. My results showed Moderate Apnea, and I'm scheduled for whatever awaits me regarding Phase Two, next Wednesday the 23rd.

Today, the Bariatrics Center called me and scheduled me for an appointment on December 1st. We shall see how that goes. 

In the mean time, with a million questions and a mountain of anxiety, I'm scouring the web and OH's forums for answers, and so far I've learned that the pre-surgery weight loss requirement is garbage and easily fought if they throw that at me. Class series and orientations are not mandatory, and while are a good idea for some, I'm the type that was faithful in execution of my new lifestyle, went through all that education for my first surgery, have researched the heck out of any new information, and feel those classes hold nothing of value for me. Psych evals may be necessary, and I'm fine with that. Oodles of pre-op testing and blood work is almost a certainty, and I'm fine with that too. I wonder how this will go and if the timeline can be fairly swift. I was a self-pay for my first surgery and that was the only way to get people to respond to me in a timely manner. 

My list of things to bring up with the Bariatric Center surgeon:

inadequate weight loss from first surgery

returning sleep apnea 

was borderline gestational diabetic whilst pregnant and concerned that's the future of my current state 

family history of hypertension - may have contributed to my father'a sudden passing

severe and chronic acid reflux, controlled only through medication - maybe GERD?

returning pain in joints and feet

frequent vomiting and nausea - so much so that my husband was certain I was pregnant again!

Anyway, I'm hoping for the best. Until I reach a hurdle, I'm using this to help vent some anxiety and organize my thoughts. 

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About Me
Georgetown, CA
Location
Nov 02, 2004
Member Since

Before & After
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Mom snuck a pic of me 2002-ish
Halloween 2013

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