What's Next? Bariatric Surgery

In February, I attended a webinar about bariatric surgery options at my health care system here in southern Indiana. I asked the surgeon, Dr. Gore, at the end of the session if he had any patients with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and he said he did and they did well. Then I asked him about the pancreatic enzyme insufficiency I have been diagnosed with since January 2024. He said the Gastric Sleeve Surgery would be best as it only involves operating on the stomach and not other organs (including the pancreas) as well. 

I looked into it some more, filled out the paperwork, and attended the information class in April. They gave me a binder of information and I had a consult with Dr. Gore after the endoscopy and lab work was completed. It turns out I am a good candidate for the surgery. Plus, since my BMI is over 40, my health insurance covers it and I've already spent my deductible and maxed out my out-of-pocket expenses this year, so the surgery itself has no expenses.

I am doing this surgery for the following reasons: 

1) I need to weigh less to prevent diabetes (I am prediabetic now) and I have lost over 100 lbs in the past (Dec. 2020 - Jan.2022) and could not maintain the weight loss. I have close relatives who are or were diabetic so I'm at a higher risk.

2) When I gained all of the weight back this time (between March 2022 and November 2023), it landed in my midsection instead of evenly distributed as it has been the rest of my life. (Thank you menopause). I now resemble what my aunts and grandma on my mom's side looked like at my age and they had health problems later in life I'd like to avoid if possible.

3) I'm really hoping that keeping the weight off will help with my joint health and with recovery from the future surgeries I will have (I already know of one I need, and 2 possilbe others). 

4) I worked with a dietician for most of 2024, after I was diagnosed with the pancreatic enzyme insufficiency in January of that year and now have figured out the foods that do not upset my digestive system. I have maintained the same weight - within 5-10 pounds for over a year so I feel I'm in a good place to be able to maintain the weight loss I will have as a result of the surgery and postsurgery diet. 

5) When I moved to Indiana in 2023, I chose an NP who worked in a DO's office as my primary care provider. She was sweet as can be but she was way into Wegovy and how it would help me with weight-loss and heart health. Due to insurance not covering Wegovy, she got Ozempic approved and I tried it in early September 2024 and felt awful with heartburn and reflux after the first dose (0.25) which was only 1/4 of the regular dose. It took a week to feel back to normal so I didn't take a 2nd one. Then I found out that my NP had left the practice. So, I got a new primary care NP and she told me that people who suffer from heartburn don't usually do well on GLP type drugs. I've had heartburn since I was a child so I never really should have tried it or been prescribed it.  

I hope you see that I have put lots of thought into this decision. I'm now one week away from surgery (September 2nd) and only wish for positive thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. It will take about 4 weeks to get back to my normal foods, though some soft foods will be allowed sooner. I hope to share my progress with y'all.