Rose M.
I have recently had VSG. It took me 16 months to get this approved from my insurance company. Being in the medical field for so long makes it harder to understand insurance companies. They don't want to pay for surgeries. But they don't want to pay for preventative medicine. My BMI is in the 40's, I have no comorbidities. I am JUST FAT. My husband was approved last year. We started this journey together. He had lapband last June and has lost 125lbs to date. I had to get a sleep study done in order to have a "co morbidity". Seems I have sever sleep apnea and need a biPap. Well this bought my ticket for my surgery. However, I do not want to have the lapband because I see how much my husband throws up with this. I don't want that. My sister has had RNY and is doing great she has gone from a size 22 to a size 8 in 10 month. My surgeon no longer does this procedure. He no does the gastric sleeve. My insurance company does not pay for this procedure. So again it was back to square one. Karen at Dr. Meyer's office advised me not to settle for the lapband (she had this done also and has done fabulous) It has taken 5 months for Gilbar Insurance company to FINALLYY approve the procedure. I had my surgery 26 days after my approval.
I can't believe that I have had my surgery. It was rough the first 2 days, but I somehow got through it. I did not do so well. THe pain on the first night was rediculous. I had more pain in my shoulder than any place else. During the night my oxygen saturation went down in the 70's which is low. My Blood pressure plummeted to 70/ doppler. My heart rate stayed in the 140's. I became very diaphoretic and weak. I than started with abdominal cramps, was placed on a bedside commode and that was the beginning of diarrhea from hell for about a week. I was dehydrated and was given 2 liters of fluids. I had a hard time taking the esophogram because I was too weak and every time that they wanted to stand me up, they had to lay me down. I went down to the study in a wheelchair and was sent back on a stretcher. I was very glad to see that I had no leak and was then allowed to have some Ice chips and popsickle. I started feeling better in the afternoon and was able to get out of bed on my own. I was discharged the day after surgery. I know that it will take me a while to adjust to a meal plan, and getting my energy restored. (Not that my energy level was high to begin with).
I am a registered nurse and working the halls 3 days a week with all of my excessive weigh ( I weigh 287)t has been a fight. There were days when I wished that someone would wheel me to my vehicle. I had a total knee replacement two years ago. I was told last month that it needed to be revised since I am having significant pain, and I need the other knee replaced because I am bone to bone. I am hoping that the VGB will postpone this surgery for at least a year. We'll see.
