New guy - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

k5james · 08-10-2004, 04:34 AM

Hey everyone. I just found this great forum today and after browsing a few threads here and there for info I thought I'd join because you all seemed like such nice people. Let me introduce myself. My name is James and I'm 25 but the reason I joined is for my brother Jacob who is 20.

Jacob is an awesome guy but he has some health issues that could get very bad in the near future. He's about 5'4" 375lbs and has Type 2 Diabetes. He's been heavy all of his life and his eating habits aren't the best. I've been trying to help him the last few years by trying to get him to workout with me and also try to help him eat a little healthier but we've had little luck dropping his weight. It's kind of hard for him to stay on the diets since hasn't had much of a support group around him since I moved out a few years ago. I've been wanting him to look into Gastric Bypass Surgury for some time now as from what I've read and heard it would force him to develop better eating habits. I'm sure it would also be a lot easier for him to develop good exercise habits when he wouldn't be lugging around all of that extra weight.

In the past he wouldn't even consider the surgury as he has a fear of hospitals, needles and things of that nature. I think recently he's had a change of heart and is realizing that if he keeps up the bad habits he's going to end up with some very serious health issues due to his diabetes. We had a long conversation the other day and he is really starting to lean towards going for it.

Anyway, he recently got a new job that actually offers health insurance and I've saved a nice chunk of change to help him pay for any costs that might come up. Here's a few questions I have (sorry if they've already been asked a million times):

1. I think I know most of the pros but what are some cons to having this operation done?

2. I know we can't just go to the doctor and say "cut me up doc" so where should we begin? Any recommended weight management physicians in the greater San Diego area?

3. I'm hoping he can get a PPO but if not, is there a good chance an HMO would approve coverage for this operation?

Wells thanks for your time and sorry for the long winded post.

Thanks in advance,
James

Americanwoman397 · 08-10-2004, 08:16 AM

James
You are the best brother a guy could ask for and I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you. I would like to introduce myself first to you I'm Tonya a 22 year old female and I had surgery on July 16th. To answer your questions:

1. In my experience my only con as of now is the emotions. You need to make sure he joins the support group. It helps more than I can put into words. Make sure he knows not to be shy and ask any question he can think of. Tell him I'm a big chicken like him I do not like hospitals or needles. I had never spent any time in the hospital until this surgery. My biggest fear was the IV and that was nothing. The DR's are great and very gentle .

2. If he has tried a lot of other things I would start at his Primary Care Dr (when he gets one) You want to make sure his primary believes in surgery because HMO's want a referral from the Primary Dr first. I would suggest trying to get in with Dr. Callery or Dr. Potts because the office is great. They have support groups that meet at the office each month to talk about what's going on in your life as well as this support group online. Let me tell you this support group is the best out there (in my opinion) and I’ve made some truly great friends.

3. I have 100% HMO and they covered every last penny of my surgery I had no out of pocket expense at all.

I really hope I have helped with most of your questions. If you have any more feel free to ask I'm sure someone else will post what it took for them to have surgery.

XOXO

bridgetgirl · 08-10-2004, 08:53 AM

James, you are an awesome big brother! I agree with Tonya about the emotional support, one of the keys to success with WLS is having a great support system... your brother has that with you alone and you deserve a big high five for your efforts. Many of us dont have the support at home or work, so this where we get our fill... many of us have become the best of friends and this sugery is what brought us together!

To get your brother going in the right direction, first and foremost he has to have a 6 month documented weight loss program. If he doesnt have one, get him on one right away! Suggestions may be weight watchers or simply by calling his Dr. (if he has one right now) and telling the Dr. you would like to discuss weight loss options... be put on a diet (AHHHH!) if you will. The Dr will discuss different options/eating and exercise plans and perhaps suggest some medication to help... Merida for example if thats still around. Anyways, your brother will be weighed that day and that starts the documented weightloss program. Just make sure he follows up with that Dr. every 4-6 weeks so he is constantly weighing in. Also, have him make up a list of every friggin' diet he has ever been on... you need to month and year and any weightloss success he had with it, and how much he gained when it didnt work.

Your brothers fear of hospitals, doctors, etc., may be stemming from the fact that he is an obese person and as obese person we NEVER liked going to the Dr.'s office. It is humilating as an obese person... every problem, ouch, cold we ever had was blamed on our weight and often left the Dr.'s office feeling ashamed or embarassed. It is all apart of the life long cycle of emotions we have developed regrding out weight issues.... because going to the Dr. has often been embarassing we tend to not want to go, feeling like the Dr.'s office is just a negative place to be. This will change for your brother. He has to accept who he is now.... and what he wants to be. 20 years old with type 2 diabetes does not sound fun... He's a young guy he deserves his life.
"It's never to late to change into who you want to be."
Additionally, call Dr. Callery's office and let them know you want to sign up for an educational seminar. It usually takes a couple of months to get into one and this way your brother can see there are many people just like him wanting to do the same thing, who are just like him. Dr. Callery and Dr. Potts are very upfront about the risks of the surgery (which I found refreshing) to the best of my knowledge, my surgery was 2/9/04 we havent lost one person... everybody is still with us... on our way to optimal health and being BIG LOSERS!
Insurance regardless if it is PPO or HMO (except Kaiser... dont choose Kaiser) should approve your brother for surgery as long as he has the 6 month weightloss plan... he obviously has serious co morbidities if he has diabetes.
One more thing, if you want support/advice from some dudes, Gerry "BigBaldBuddie" and Stuart are great to talk to... if you send them a private message I am sure they would respond. They are both active in this forum. Best wishes! Great to meet you. Keep us posted on your brothers progress. Take it easy.

Karen Wright · 08-10-2004, 09:15 AM

You have found the best forum for San Diego Gastric Bypass on the net, James! Jacob will be pleased with it too.

I have Blue Cross of CA HMO and they covered 100% of my surgery costs also. I only had to pay for co-pays at Dr. C's office. I started by going to my PCP and asking about weight loss options, she is an advocate for this surgery as she has seen it work in many of her patients! She sent me a letter to the insurance to get approval and that's where it all started for me. It took me about 1 year to get the surgery from start to finsih....but I dragged my feet for about 6 of those months so, it does go fast!

Maybe you and Jacob should try to get to a few pre-op support groups at Dr. C's office....a lot of questions get answered there. Good luck to you both!

jmccabe · 08-10-2004, 05:26 PM

James, you are one heck of a brother! I agree with what the girls said and if you follow their advice your brother will be right on track. Funny, my name is James and my son's name is Jacob so we have a little in common, sort of. I had the surgery 9 weeks ago and don't regret it a bit. I know Jacob, if diligent, will have a great outcome, especially with a partner like you. Start the process, you're burning daylight. I'm looking forward to meeting you both at a support group some day soon.

Blueyz · 08-10-2004, 07:42 PM

Welcome James. You are such a great brother. ...and to save money to help your brother is awesome. You are in the right place. Ask questions and you will receive great advice. I know that the people here in this forum are genuine, honest people and they are willing to help with any concerns you may have. good luck.....I hope all works out for your brother.

brutherford · 08-10-2004, 08:51 PM

Ditto what everyone else said about you being such a wonderful brother! I know that it's got to be hard to break down the emotional walls that your brother probably has about his weight - but thank goodness that you're still trying, because it really could mean the difference between life and death.

Cons: besides the emotional stuff (which will happen, no matter how you lose 100+ lbs), many people find that they are intolerant of one or all of the following things:
sugar
alcohol
milk or dairy products
greasy or high-fat foods
He will have to take vitamin supplements for the rest of his life because his new stomach cannot absorb nutrients the way it used to. He may have loose skin - some of the heavier patients have reported having 25+ lbs of loose skin. If he expects to have long-term success, he will no longer be able to use food as a coping mechanism or crutch, and some patients move on to other substances when they can no longer binge like they used to. (Addressing the psychological components of why you are obese is key to ensuring that you don't trade a food addiction for another substance addiction.) As a rule, gastric bypass patients are not to drink carbonated beverages (ever again), and shouldn't drink with their meals (15 minutes prior and 1 hour after eating).

I don't want the list to look overwhelming, but thought you should be aware of these things. Of course, complications from surgery can be a considered a "con" - and they do happen fairly regularly. The vast majority of complications are not cue to errors by Dr.s Callery or Potts, but due to unforeseen medical conditions and the overall poor health of the patients. Of course, they're not infallible, but they are very honest when they present at all of the Information Meetings.

All of the other advice given above is very good - get your brother to build a relationship with his doctor and then go from there. His primary doctor can make wonders happen for him, whether it's referrals or insurance approvals, so a relationship will go a long way in this process. I didn't make my final decision to have surgery until about March and I went under the knife at the end of April, so there's really no telling how long the process will be for your brother. Of course, having someone as caring and supportive as you will help him to get through the process in as short a time as possible.

Good luck!

k5james · 08-10-2004, 08:58 PM

Thanks for all of the info and support, all of you. The main reason I decided to join the forum was seeing all of the support that you all gave each other. When my brother gets off of work tonight I'm going to get him to join that way he can talk to you guys personally about his doubts or fears. Again thanks for all of the help.

James

Karen Wright · 08-11-2004, 09:26 AM

James,

Did your brother sign up?

Jacob...are you out there somewhere??

Come on out and introduce yourself!