My introduction... again =)

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

I signed up for this group in December or so, made introductions and

then kinda dropped off the planet for awhile. I wanted to re-

introduce myself and post my lil story for you all.

My name is Lorelei and I live in MD just outside the DC line. I am

30 years old, 5'7 " , 350 with a BMI of 54.9. I am completely healthy

outside of the weight. I have all normal levels, including my

cholesterol which has not been normal since I was 8 hahaha.

I have been overweight since I was 8, obese since I was 12 and

morbidly obese since I was 14. I was laid off in November with a

severence package that lasts me until the end of July and thought

that it was about time that I seriously looked into this whole weight

loss surgery thing while I had a ton of free time on my hands.

In early Feb, I went to Dr. Vanguri in MD first and then saw Dr.

Hazeem Elariny in VA a few days later. I felt totally at ease with

Dr. Elariny and we devised a little plan for me that I am not sure

has been discussed in this group yet.

On May 15th at 8am I will be going in to have the stomach part of the

DS done lapriscopically - this will be same day surgery - no hospital

stay. We felt that having the DS open for me was too great a risk

(5% risk), as well as he would be unable to perform the full DS on me

Lap due to my weight. Dr. Elariny is a lapriscopic bariatric surgeon

by trade and thus has more experience in lap work that most of the

surgeons I researched. He felt that if we did the stomach part now

(.5% risk) and then in a year when I have dropped quite a bit of

weight I can have the small instestine part done if I so choose to do

so (1% risk). He said to me, " now betting is against my religion,

but if I were a betting man.. 1.5% sounds much better than 5% risk,

right? " . I was totally thrilled.

I have United Healthcare insurance and in the middle of April a very

very nice lady called me and said, " This is Jane from United

Healthcare and I wanted to let you know that your surgery has been

approved. I also wanted to let you know that if they want to keep

you overnight, or for a few days, if they want to monitor something

extra, or need to perform any additional medical proceedures related

to this surgery, do not worry - we will cover everything - you don't

need to call us or worry about a thing. " At that point I fell off my

chair. I said, " Let me just confirm... you are my INSURANCE

company? " She laughed.

For me personally, I like this phased approach. If I had my dream, I

would have the full proceedure done Lap, but the learning curve for

doctors has not caught up yet with my desires. Therefore, this

allows me to be able to have the Lap DS proceedure done, just in

phases.

I know that technically this is not the full DS that all of you are

having done, but it is the same proceedure, just spanned over a

greater period of time.

I look forward to continuing to read the posts and asking questions

here as I get ready for my surgery date.

Thanks for listening =)

[Guest guest]

Hi Lorelei-

How great to have your first phase coming up so soon! May 15 is

right around the corner. I have heard great things about your

surgeon and there are others on this list having the DS in two

phases. It seems like you trust his decision and are at peace with

him as a doctor. GREAT! I will think of you on the 15th, I will be

in Spain, one day post op, so I will send lots of healing thoughts.

I'm sure you will do fantastic and we will all look forward to

hearing about your experience!

Jean in SC

Dr Baltasar, Spain

May 14 2001

> Hello everyone,

>

> I signed up for this group in December or so, made introductions

and

> then kinda dropped off the planet for awhile. I wanted to re-

> introduce myself and post my lil story for you all.

>

> My name is Lorelei and I live in MD just outside the DC line. I am

> 30 years old, 5'7 " , 350 with a BMI of 54.9. I am completely

healthy

> outside of the weight. I have all normal levels, including my

> cholesterol which has not been normal since I was 8 hahaha.

>

> I have been overweight since I was 8, obese since I was 12 and

> morbidly obese since I was 14. I was laid off in November with a

> severence package that lasts me until the end of July and thought

> that it was about time that I seriously looked into this whole

weight

> loss surgery thing while I had a ton of free time on my hands.

>

> In early Feb, I went to Dr. Vanguri in MD first and then saw Dr.

> Hazeem Elariny in VA a few days later. I felt totally at ease with

> Dr. Elariny and we devised a little plan for me that I am not sure

> has been discussed in this group yet.

>

> On May 15th at 8am I will be going in to have the stomach part of

the

> DS done lapriscopically - this will be same day surgery - no

hospital

> stay. We felt that having the DS open for me was too great a risk

> (5% risk), as well as he would be unable to perform the full DS on

me

> Lap due to my weight. Dr. Elariny is a lapriscopic bariatric

surgeon

> by trade and thus has more experience in lap work that most of the

> surgeons I researched. He felt that if we did the stomach part now

> (.5% risk) and then in a year when I have dropped quite a bit of

> weight I can have the small instestine part done if I so choose to

do

> so (1% risk). He said to me, " now betting is against my religion,

> but if I were a betting man.. 1.5% sounds much better than 5% risk,

> right? " . I was totally thrilled.

>

> I have United Healthcare insurance and in the middle of April a

very

> very nice lady called me and said, " This is Jane from United

> Healthcare and I wanted to let you know that your surgery has been

> approved. I also wanted to let you know that if they want to keep

> you overnight, or for a few days, if they want to monitor something

> extra, or need to perform any additional medical proceedures

related

> to this surgery, do not worry - we will cover everything - you

don't

> need to call us or worry about a thing. " At that point I fell off

my

> chair. I said, " Let me just confirm... you are my INSURANCE

> company? " She laughed.

>

> For me personally, I like this phased approach. If I had my dream,

I

> would have the full proceedure done Lap, but the learning curve for

> doctors has not caught up yet with my desires. Therefore, this

> allows me to be able to have the Lap DS proceedure done, just in

> phases.

>

> I know that technically this is not the full DS that all of you are

> having done, but it is the same proceedure, just spanned over a

> greater period of time.

>

> I look forward to continuing to read the posts and asking questions

> here as I get ready for my surgery date.

>

> Thanks for listening =)

[Guest guest]

Welcome Abord Lorelei! and who cares how you get it done, as

long as it gets done to your satisfaction! I wish in some ways

that Dr. A at USC would consider doing the surgery in two parts.

For him, two parts consists of removing a heap of excess fat

from the abdoman in a pannieculectomy (removes abdominal apron

of fat) and then doing the whole surgery open after that heals.

With y BMI of 71, this will instantly reduce the BMI and help me

to be more mobil which should improve my odds in the " big

switch " surgery. Fine. but I really think the 2 stage lap

proceedudre might be a better option. (there I said it out

loud.) But either way, it is still two major surgeries in a

year!

Nan E. in SO. CA, pre-op and waiting. (BMI 71, 386 lbs. and 5'2 "

--- dreanika@... wrote in part:

> Hello everyone,

> > My name is Lorelei and I live in MD just outside the DC

line.

> I am

> 30 years old, 5'7 " , 350 with a BMI of 54.9. I am completely

> healthy

> outside of the weight> I know that technically this is not the

full DS that all of

> you are

> having done, but it is the same proceedure, just spanned over

> a

> greater period of time.

>

> I look forward to continuing to read the posts and asking

> questions

> here as I get ready for my surgery date.

>

> Thanks for listening =)

>

>

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Re: My introduction... again =)

> Welcome Abord Lorelei! and who cares how you get it done, as> long as it gets done to your satisfaction! I wish in some ways> that Dr. A at USC would consider doing the surgery in two parts.> For him, two parts consists of removing a heap of excess fat> from the abdoman in a pannieculectomy (removes abdominal apron> of fat) and then doing the whole surgery open after that heals. > With y BMI of 71, this will instantly reduce the BMI and help me> to be more mobil which should improve my odds in the "big> switch" surgery. Fine. but I really think the 2 stage lap> proceedudre might be a better option. (there I said it out> loud.) But either way, it is still two major surgeries in a> year!> > Nan E. in SO. CA, pre-op and waiting. (BMI 71, 386 lbs. and 5'2"

Nan:

It occurs to me that it might be a good thing to mention this to Dr. A. He might think it's an excellent idea which simply hadn't occurred to him. Or he might have thought you would have some objection. If you ask all he is likely to tell you why he thinks it is not appropriate for you. Or possibly he would like the idea and do it.

Regards.

Joe Frost, old gentleman, not old fartSan , TX, 60 years oldSurgery 11/29/00 by Dr. Welker Lateral Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch340 starting weight, currently 244http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/Joe/joe.html

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the welcome Nan. I have to admit I was a bit concerned

about posting how I was having my surgery done as it is not the full

DS off the bat. There is always a possibility that I might not have

the second part done if I am able to reach a reasonable weight with

just the first part of the surgery. I am guessing, knowing my body

that that will probably not be the case. I think genetics is just

not on my side on this one.

However, I look forward to it nonetheless and feel that this has been

a long time coming, and am just as anxious to have it done, although

have the same " prep " issues as everyone eles... so much shopping and

cleaning to do.. and so little time. =)

A final thought.. you should talk to your doctor about this option.

Considering the stomach is behind your rib cage, Dr. Elariny felt

that it was easier and obviously less invasive to have the stomach

part done lap than to have it open where they have to go up under

your rib cage. However, as I said, Elariny is a lap surgeon by trade

and has now done numerous surgeries lap (DS and other bariatric

surgeries) - so that is also something to consider with you

surgeon... if he is not that adept at doing the lap stomach part..

then you just might want to do it the way that he has suggested.

It amazes me sometimes when I think about it that this is just a guy,

who happened to get a degree and spend some time in an operating room

cutting open other ppl that qualifies him to go into my body and do

what he is gonna do. He is only human, and thus when I think about

it, I am glad that he has the experience that he has to do this

proceedure the way he is going to do it. It makes me feel a bit more

at ease.

Thanks again for the warm welcome.

Lorelei

> Re: My introduction... again =)

>

>

> > Welcome Abord Lorelei! and who cares how you get it done, as

> > long as it gets done to your satisfaction!

[Guest guest]

Hi -

When I had my first consult with Dr. Elariny he had performed 12 lap

DS. I know that is not a lot compared to the other Dr's you listed

below, however the other Dr. that I had seen in MD had only done 3.

I wanted a surgeon in-network in order for insurance to cover

everything and they were really my only 2 options when I started

researching this topic. I had my first consult with Dr. Elariny on

2/7 and he had just started doing the lap DS in the first of the

year. Considering that he should be to above 30 or so at this point

if you average 12 a month. However, you can bet that I will ask

again when I call as you have my curiosity up. =)

I feel comfortable with this low number of surgeries given that he is

a lap bariatric surgeon and I am only having the stomach part of the

surgery done at this time. Dr Elariny has a lot of time in surgery

spent doing lap proceedures and so I will take his low number of DS

due to his high number of lap proceedures. All in all, compared to

the other Dr I saw who ONLY does RNY and DS surgeries (and as I said

had only done 3 DS and none of them were lap) Elariny sounded like a

much better option for me.

Thanks for asking tho.. I am going to be sure to find out. =)

Lore

> From the research I did recently, Drs Rabkin and Jossart have done

the most

> Lap DS procedures, between 150 and 200 now; Dr Gagner next with 100-

150. As

> I recall, Dr Elinary started doing the lap DS more recently. Do

you know

> how many he's done? I read recently that Dr Gagner has started

doing the

> lap DS in 2 procedures. Someone posted here recently that theirs

would be 6

> months apart. The 2 procedure method seems to make sense to reduce

the risk

> to people with extremely high BMIs.

>

> Wishing you an uneventful procedure and easy recovery.

>

> in Seattle

> DS 1/5/01 295# BMI 47.6

> 3/5/01 230# BMI 37.1

> Dr Welker - OHSU

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jean,

Thanks for the welcome as well. Now honestly, I would love to be in

Spain with you (I love that place!) but I will be thinking about you

the day before my surgery then - when I will be a nervous nelly and

probably unable to sleep =)

Best of luck to you.. Balastar is excellent and even tho you have to

go to another country to see him - it will be worth it!

Thanks again!

Lore

> Hi Lorelei-

> How great to have your first phase coming up so soon! May 15 is

> right around the corner. I have heard great things about your

> surgeon and there are others on this list having the DS in two

> phases. It seems like you trust his decision and are at peace with

> him as a doctor. GREAT! I will think of you on the 15th, I will

be

> in Spain, one day post op, so I will send lots of healing thoughts.

> I'm sure you will do fantastic and we will all look forward to

> hearing about your experience!

> Jean in SC

> Dr Baltasar, Spain

> May 14 2001

[Guest guest]

I believe it was just the ones he's done Lap.

[Guest guest]

Very good news.

----- Original Message -----

> I believe it was just the ones he's done Lap.

>

>