Question:
Has anyone had their PCP against you having surgery?
Went to see my doctor today for a follow up on some blood work I had done. I told him I had decided to have RNY surgery done. Well, he is against it to say the least. He worked with another specialist for years and said most people have severe abdominal pain around six months after having surgery. That he and other doctor had an ex beauty queen have the surgery done and that she was in so much pain she left the doctors a thank you note and committed suicide. I'm confused now to say the least! I'm waiting on ins approval now. Anyone who has had this surgery at least a year ago, please let me know how you are doing. Thank you. — Margaret B. (posted on March 8, 2002)
March 8, 2002
I am 18 months out and while it is no walk in the park; being MO was much
more taxing than anything I've endured since surgery. My biggest problem
is gas. I dont mean "poot poot" gas. I mean painful cramping
gas. Sometimes it's horrendous. In October I was in the hospital for
unexplained pain. Perhaps an adhesion? They never diagnosed it but it
never came back. While I was hospitalized, they did every test known to
man and I am healthy as a horse and as happy as a pig in mud. The only
time I was ever suicidal was when I lost 5 cm of hair from being on
Optifast and not knowing how else to get that weight off. (I gained 10
pounds!) I can tell you that there may be others that arent happy with
their surgery and post op life; but there are MANY more that are. I know
that I couldn't live that way anymore. I'd suggest getting a second
opinion and perhaps even changing PCPs. I did; less than two months before
surgery. And I was approved, no problem! Good luck.
— Jeannet
March 8, 2002
don't give in to scare tactics. some stories are based in fact but the
facts are usually blurred. If this beuty queen story is real why should you
be made to feel afraid, because some already unstable person trying to
regain her former glory through the miracles of WLS did not think through
her decision. She did it for Vanity, rather than neccessity to live. if it
is true it is too bad some people are not educated enough about the
surgery, and expect a miracle rather than hard work it takes to acheive
good weight loss. My wife's PCP had the same thing happen to her. I told
her to leave him, and come to mine. he has no problem with WLS at all, and
is educated himself enough to know the benefits.
— sbinkerd1
March 8, 2002
Isn't it interesting how horror stories get so much more attention than
success stories? I am exactly 1 yr. post-op and have had no pain
whatsoever since my surgery. I have lost 166 lbs. and am out of the
morbidly obese category (after 28 years of being firmly IN it!). I think
you need to trust the people who have actually had the surgery rather than
doctors who have "heard stories." Gosh, when you walk in your
PCP's office after losing your weight, won't he be eating his words!!!
— Terissa R.
March 8, 2002
Never had any abdominal pain unless I ate sugar...not following the rules.
Which is what I bet that person did. Do your research on your doctor and
find out from his/her patients how they are doing.Your going to find more
information on wls here and what to expect than from your doctor who gets
his info 2nd hand. PS: don't go to your doctor's specialist if "most
people" are having problems at 6 months. red flag there! Good Luck!!
— ZZ S.
March 8, 2002
Margaret ~ I would find a different PCP with a better bedside manner. He
sounds like he's uneducated in the subject or using outdated 1980's type of
material rather than the more current & up to date. I can't believe
he'd tell you something like that...my surgeon told me he has a lot of
PCP's are are in that old fashioned mode. I am thankful that my PCP not
only has been supportive, she's helped me to get all (and then some) tests
done before hand to make sure my body is prepared for surgery.
Best of Luck with Your Plight !
— Lisa J.
March 9, 2002
Boy- was mine when I first mentioned it!The first time I brought it up to
my PCP, she was so opposed to it that I left the office in TEARS!She said
my hair would fall out and was that what I wanted.Well, I would much rather
be bald and healthy than be dead with a nice head of hair!Fortunately,I
forged ahead anyway, and when I went back to see her for my pre op tests,
she said that she had just aquired a new paitent who had surgery a few
years ago and credited it with saving her life.She and my doctor apparently
had a long talk about it.Although I am the first patient of my doctors to
have had it while under her care, the last time I saw her she was much more
supportive and said she really hoped it worked out for me and that it
turned out to be something she could recommend to other people.I see her
for the first time post op next week.I think she'll be pleased.In my
opinion your PCP is just really uneducated and an alarmist!Being cautious
in your best interest is one thing, but that doesnt sound like your
situation.I would urge you to find a new doctor!!Good Luck!
— Stephanie H.
March 10, 2002
Margaret, my GP was and is still against WLS. He kept telling me,
"You're going to hate it!" Well, I'm eight months post-op, down
about 120 lbs. and my only regret is that I couldn't convince my prior
insurance company to allow me to have it ten years ago! When I'd made the
decision to go for it, I told my GP, "I really like you otherwise as
my physician...but if your continuing to treat me after my WLS will be a
problem for you, I need to know now so that I can find a different
physician." He just said, "No, no...it's fine...I won't get in
your way...you do what you want to do."
— CaseyinLA
July 14, 2002
Margaret, I was in tears when my pc told me flat out NO. He wouldn't
approve me for the RNY, that if I wanted it then I would have to find
another PC. So I did. My new PC also put me in touch with the surgeon.
Worked out just fine.
— Janet C.
July 14, 2002
My pcp said to me "if you have the surgery, you'll need to find
another doc to take care of you, I won't have anything to do with it".
So I had no trouble finding another doc. He is very interested in the
whole procedure, his hours are better than my last pcp, I get in faster,
and all in all, it is working out better.
— Judy M.
July 20, 2002
Many doctors confuse the older WLS surgeries with the modern ones. They
simply don't realize the advances that have been made.
Read Barbara Thompson's book "Surgical Weight Loss" and get a new
PCP.
Good luck,
Tom
— Thomas M.
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