Five Years Later - Seeking Approval for Gastric Bypass

[shparks]

My maximum weight was 415. I was 390 at the time of surgery. I dropped about 100 pounds. I plateaued. My weight started to creep up again. I let it happen. Now I am around 360 pounds. I recently went to my primary care provider to seek medicaid approval for gastric bypass surgery.

[Dutchie]

Can you do that in the US?
You get a sleeve, then eat around it and then just get another surgery?
That would never be approved, where I come from.

[Christie13]

You can eat around bypass as well. My father had bypass and lost all his excess weight. Then over the years he allowed himself to gain about 80 lbs of it back. Once he got serious about being healthy again, he was able to lose all the weight again. It is a matter of a lifestyle change. I wish you the best of luck. I agree with Sraerbaer that you should be able to start back to the basics. I would actually start back with what it was like post op. Two weeks on liquids, 2 on soft, and then start back to solids. It would be a good way to jump start and retrain your mind and body. Good luck to you.

[azladyrider]

You can eat around bypass as well. My father had bypass and lost all his excess weight. Then over the years he allowed himself to gain about 80 lbs of it back. Once he got serious about being healthy again, he was able to lose all the weight again. It is a matter of a lifestyle change. I wish you the best of luck. I agree with Sraerbaer that you should be able to start back to the basics. I would actually start back with what it was like post op. Two weeks on liquids, 2 on soft, and then start back to solids. It would be a good way to jump start and retrain your mind and body. Good luck to you.

Yeh I've got friends who had the bypass done years ago and they all gained it back. I just cannot understand it.

[simplyseahorse]

I, too, have a friend who had a bypass - this was back when that was about the only option, and she regained all of her weight over several years' time. She tried getting back on the wagon, all kinds of diets (AGAIN) but what finally got her on track and got her weight back off was exercise. She became a crossfit member, never did any exercise before, but something just clicked with it - and now she looks wonderful.

I agree - you have had the one surgery, and with a bypass, you are still going to have to make the same lifestyle changes. I would hate for you to have another surgery and no success. Of course, maybe it will be just what you need. Most everyone here has experience with the sleeve, since it is www.gastricsleeve.com haha, but I know some have previously had a bypass as well.

Best of luck to you - I am sure you can get advice and questions answered from people here - I am still waiting to complete requirements for insurance to even get my sleeve, but wanted to say hello.

[Dutchie]

Under your avatar is the text "i had a gastric sleeve", so you did have the sleeve in 2012?

[Luna354]

Can you do that in the US?
You get a sleeve, then eat around it and then just get another surgery?
That would never be approved, where I come from.

insane isn't it? I'm in the US and paid out of pocket for my surgery because my insurance doesn't cover it. Then to see people get multiple surgeries makes me bonkers.

[AmyLess]

They have started doing lapbands over VSG for gaining weight issues. Restriction is restriction and the lapband will work. You could try a pouch reset as well.

[mellowjoy]

I don't have a problem with insurance paying for a different type of surgery when a patient has failed at weight loss. We give drug addicts multiple chances at recovery, yet we hold people with eating disorders to a higher standard. You have to have food to live but you don't need illegal or over prescibed drugs to live. I'm just grateful that insurance companies have finally acknowledged that obesiety is a true illness and should be treated as such.

[LadyMI]

Well, since I am going through the same process; it may seem easy for me to say "congrats." However, I would congratulate you no matter what. I am going from sleeve to RNY. In this community, I didn't realize there would be so much negativity and blatant jealousy.

People in this community should realize that we are all addicted to food. 90% of addicts relapse at some point.
I am also in the process of revision approval. I have GERD and weight gain. For the previous 18 months I followed the rules. I could not lose much weight. I was on my own for years.


This time, I am in counseling and have medical support. My previous doctor bailed a month after my procedure.
After my sleeve, I had a hysterectomy and am now diagnosed with depression. I stayed in my room for years.

So, yeah I am doing a revision to push me back on track. My health is far more important anybody's opinion of my opportunity to do this procedure. My friends and colleagues who have watched me over the past 2 years; "why do you work so hard on your health? I haven't seen much change in your body." That really pushed me forward. It also hurt like heck.

[AnnieG]

Well, since I am going through the same process; it may seem easy for me to say "congrats." However, I would congratulate you no matter what. I am going from sleeve to RNY. In this community, I didn't realize there would be so much negativity and blatant jealousy.

People in this community should realize that we are all addicted to food. 90% of addicts relapse at some point.
I am also in the process of revision approval. I have GERD and weight gain. For the previous 18 months I followed the rules. I could not lose much weight. I was on my own for years.


This time, I am in counseling and have medical support. My previous doctor bailed a month after my procedure.
After my sleeve, I had a hysterectomy and am now diagnosed with depression. I stayed in my room for years.

So, yeah I am doing a revision to push me back on track. My health is far more important anybody's opinion of my opportunity to do this procedure. My friends and colleagues who have watched me over the past 2 years; "why do you work so hard on your health? I haven't seen much change in your body." That really pushed me forward. It also hurt like heck.

I'm sorry you felt people were not being supportive; I'm sure that was not anyone's intent. Without knowing how someone eats (that is daily tracking) and what they eat, regardless of their procedure, it's hard to know what to say to be helpful.

I think its a good thing to want your health. Without it, the rest of life is much more difficult.

[LadyMI]

If it didn't work the first time it won't work the second. Either surgery is not some miracle cure where you can eat how you have always eaten. If you were sleeved you still have restriction if you eat what you should. Why not try it? Get out your old materials and study up. Then do protein first, then veggies, then good carbs if room. Don't drink with meals. Take your vitamins. Cut out the junk. Exercise. Don't blame the surgery, blame what you put in your mouth.

The science and research does not support your opinion! I am going for it. The worst living outcome would equal me still being fat. That will not happen. I been through some of the most horrible things since being sleeved. I am now more emotionally stable. Watch me make this next step work. It will assist me in getting to my weight loss/ health goals. It will also remove GERD from my life. Plus, again I will workout even harder. See my post in Fall 19. I will be a better me! Thanks for your criticism.

[JulieJ]

Well, since I am going through the same process; it may seem easy for me to say "congrats." However, I would congratulate you no matter what. I am going from sleeve to RNY. In this community, I didn't realize there would be so much negativity and blatant jealousy.

People in this community should realize that we are all addicted to food. 90% of addicts relapse at some point.
I am also in the process of revision approval. I have GERD and weight gain. For the previous 18 months I followed the rules. I could not lose much weight. I was on my own for years.


This time, I am in counseling and have medical support. My previous doctor bailed a month after my procedure.
After my sleeve, I had a hysterectomy and am now diagnosed with depression. I stayed in my room for years.

So, yeah I am doing a revision to push me back on track. My health is far more important anybody's opinion of my opportunity to do this procedure. My friends and colleagues who have watched me over the past 2 years; "why do you work so hard on your health? I haven't seen much change in your body." That really pushed me forward. It also hurt like heck.

You go girl! Good luck to you! Some people are just mean spirited and jealous. I, too, am looking at a possible revision, and although I appreciate well meaning advice, I don’t appreciate mean-spirited condemnation. Never give up trying to help yourself and make yourself better. Good luck, my friend.

[sraebaer]

You can eat around bypass as well. My father had bypass and lost all his excess weight. Then over the years he allowed himself to gain about 80 lbs of it back. Once he got serious about being healthy again, he was able to lose all the weight again. It is a matter of a lifestyle change. I wish you the best of luck. I agree with Sraerbaer that you should be able to start back to the basics. I would actually start back with what it was like post op. Two weeks on liquids, 2 on soft, and then start back to solids. It would be a good way to jump start and retrain your mind and body. Good luck to you.

My nut calls it a mind-reset rather than a pouch reset.

[sraebaer]

So what happened shparks? I see this original post is almost a year old!