Al - I don't know for sure yet (playing phone tag with the scheduling person) about the anti-coagulation, but I'd bet it will go the Lovenox route. I had my monthly anticoagulation meeting this morning, and talked to my manager, and she said "Oh, so you'll be going off warfarin." I've done the Lovenox shots for both my pacemaker procedures, and I am really looking forward to the muti-hued belly of bruises again
Marie - I get what you're saying and I'm sure the experience of the gastric bypass surgeries are just as individual as heart surgeries.
My main frustration with the flutter is that it's insidious and very subtle in its symptoms. The first two times were discovered by my doctor, but this last time I finally was able to correlate the weird things that I was feeling to flutter. I called and told *them* I was having flutter, but they didn't believe me. Had the EKG and it was verified. Score 1 for Johnny.[/QUOTE
Dear Johnny,
I have not had OHS but my husband did. I have had gastric bypass surgery, however, and believe me, you're right when you say the experiences vary a lot. I will mention, however, that most of my cardiac problems resolved with weight loss. I am still not at my ideal weight, but 127 lbs lighter.
Just like OHS, you find the best surgeon with the most experience. My surgeon was LaGrande Belnap in Salt Lake City, and he was one of the pioneers for laparoscopic bypass and developed much of the equipment. He's a bit eccentric, rounds at 2 A.M., but I understand that watching him in the OR is like watching a ballet. It was no great shakes for me to see him at 2 AM since I am used to ungodly hours due to my profession. His real avocation is as a transplant surgeon (abdomen stuff like kidneys, etc) but does the gastric bypass as a labor of love. That's the guy for me!
My insurance would not pay for my surgery even though it was medically necessary. I had to think long and hard before doing it, but in the end, it saved my life. Much like OHS, no? The worst case scenario was not even death-it was permanent disability. In which case we would have moved to California and gone on Medicaid while living with my mother-in-law.
Well, if anyone seriously needs info on gastric bypass or lap band, go to one of the classes offered by the nearest hospital performing the procedure. The websites for the bariatric specialists are pretty good as well. I don't have to tell you guys about the link between heart disease and obesity. The mortality rate for gastric bypass is 1 in 200, so it is definitely the treatment of last resort.
Hope your flutter gets better. New treatments come up all the time. Keep a stiff upper lip and all that.
Still sweltering in Idaho,
-Laura
