I may have made some headway

[DebbyA]

While he needs to be aware of this, and I'm sure he is, the fact remains that death is knocking on his door, so that sort of make all these studies irrelevent in his case. Granted, he's going to have a hard time during recovery, but it's better then death.

Please understand, I'm not knocking your post or the stats, though I don't believe in them at all. I'm just trying to bring a true life prospective to the issues at hand. He hasn't got time to lose the required amount of weight without posing a significant loss of life danger.

My post was just to show some key words used in a quick search that yielded something on the general topic. It would be up to John to evaluate the research he finds to see whether it supports him. He seems to be in the unenviable position of needing to do medical literature research for his PCP to present a case to the insurance company. My understanding is that he needs to bring his thoracic surgeon, weight loss surgeon, and insurance company around to your point of view.

John--I wish you well in your quest, and hope you get the help you need.

 

[Ross]

My post was just to show some key words used in a quick search that yielded something on the general topic. It would be up to John to evaluate the research he finds to see whether it supports him. He seems to be in the unenviable position of needing to do medical literature research for his PCP to present a case to the insurance company. My understanding is that he needs to bring his thoracic surgeon, weight loss surgeon, and insurance company around to your point of view.

John--I wish you well in your quest, and hope you get the help you need.

O.K. then, lets party on!

 

[Lynlw]

O.K. then, lets party on!

I thought the conclusion in that article was good info for John to use, (since he needs to do his doctors work) since it seems to say it will most likely be tougher, but doable.

"Conclusions: Cardiac surgery can be performed without significant increase in perioperative and 30-day mortality in obese and extremely obese patients. Overall complication rates and LOS in patients with BMI 40 is increased and demands attention. We provide evidence that rates of few specific complications increase with extreme obesity. For risk stratification in the setting of an obesity epidemic, we advocate an interdisciplinary approach in obese patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery."


Maybe John could contact the authors for a 2nd opinion, just to see what they suggest?

 

[RvUsa]

Thanks guys, I am going to definitely print that one out and send it to my PCP. He is a really good guy, he is just trying to present the best case he can to my insurance co, and heck I got nothing better to do, so I am helping him LOL.

I have been dieting, as part of the pre WLS stuff, and I am proud to say, I have lost almost 30 lbs. Other than the weight, and the heart, I am a pretty healthy guy, ( good lungs, normal cholesterol, good LFT, good kidneys, no diabetes) and I have the added bonus of having a critical care nurse for a loving wife, so I am sure she will be my best advocate during and after surgery, so that is a plus.

I will keep everyone up to date, hopefully I will know something pretty soon.

In the immortal words of Ross, PARTY ON! I am taking the cub scouts fishing tomorrow, it's my 1st official meeting as den leader, wish me luck!!! I think I might need it.

 

[Lynlw]

Good Luck AND from a past Den Mom, (who volunteered her husband to be Cubmaster when no one else would so ended up doing most of the work) ENJOY and take pictures, they'll come in handy for all the ceremonies ect

 

[Ross]

I am taking the cub scouts fishing tomorrow, it's my 1st official meeting as den leader, wish me luck!!! I think I might need it.

Oh lord, don't turn your back on them for a minute. Would you like to take my gun too? I was once Den leader (Little Satans).

 

[RvUsa]

Trust me, I am well armed!! LOL I'm new to this, I hope I didn't get myself into more that I expected.

 

[kfay]

John, I wish you well in this "fight" to get the results you want. Good luck and please keep up posted.

Kim

 

[Ross]

Trust me, I am well armed!! LOL I'm new to this, I hope I didn't get myself into more that I expected.

First meeting, have all the boys intro themselves after you intro yourself. Get to know what each of them like, then try to help them achieve those goals. If todays kids are anything like the ones I had, their interests are all over the map. I got mine into building and flying model rockets, took them on a tour of our National Guard Base and let them drool over the Cobra, Blackhawk and old Huey gunship helicopters and anything I could think of to keep them busy at some task. Pinewood derby time is a high scorer too, but parents HAVE GOT TO PARTICIPATE. Mine turned into a babysitting service for parents and I lasted only 2 years. Oh yeah, they also tried to chump me into being the Scout Master too.

 

[jjay32]

First meeting, have all the boys intro themselves after you intro yourself. Get to know what each of them like, then try to help them achieve those goals. If todays kids are anything like the ones I had, their interests are all over the map. I got mine into building and flying model rockets, took them on a tour of our National Guard Base and let them drool over the Cobra, Blackhawk and old Huey gunship helicopters and anything I could think of to keep them busy at some task. Pinewood derby time is a high scorer too, but parents HAVE GOT TO PARTICIPATE. Mine turned into a babysitting service for parents and I lasted only 2 years. Oh yeah, they also tried to chump me into being the Scout Master too.

Cub scouts can be fun, I have now been Unit chair for pack 497 for 5 years and popcorn kernel for as many years. Both of my boys have gone on to boy scouts ( my youngest just crossed over this last week) Last weekend the scouts did flags, survivor dinner and overall cleanup at our local Relay for Life. It was a great experience for all.

Jjay

 

[Lynlw]

Since we're talking scouts, let me brag. Justin is an Eagle Scout and for his big community service project, he got donations for materials and then he and a couple other teen boys, who had never touched a sewing machine before, made about 100 fleece hug pillows for the kids having heart surgery at one of the Childrens Hospitals Justin had his surgeries at. When he was 10 and had surgery they told him to fold a bed pillow and hug that when he needed to cough ect, and he figured out the needed small pillows and remeberred that a couple years later when he was working on his Eagle stuff.
(his favorite thing ever with Scouts was sailing the Florida Keys for 5 days, when he was 15, we live in NJ)

 

[RvUsa]

Lyn, that is awesome!! Sure sounds like you are raising a fine young man there. I think the scouts are a great organization, and can teach kids a whole lot.

I made it through the fishing, we had a really nice afternoon. All told, there were a couple of trout, and a couple of sun fish caught. LOL But the boys all had a really good time. And I had fun too, I am really looking forward to a fun year with em, I just hope I can get this AA taken care of and then be full speed with them the rest of the year.

 

[Lynlw]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the day,Do you have Tiger Scouts or bear/wolf ? I just rememberred here is a couple pics, at the site for CHD there is one of him giving his pillows to the nurse and Social worker (they met Justin when he was 1 day old) and one the day of his ceremony http://tchin.org/portraits/justin-2.htm
and I REALLY should update his portrait, he's 21 and was 14 then and has 3 more surgeries (and a pacer removal) since that update. I laugh when I look at the one picture, I always forget they made the pillows when his arm was in a cast from breaking it skateboarding and having to have rods put it then come out 3 months later. All his friends that broke their arms were jealous because Justin always had the coolest casts since he went to a Childrens hospital. (that also was when he actually got to use his Medic Alert necklace in the ambulance to the hospital since he wasn't home whne he broke it),

 

[MissMelis]

John, just wanted to wish you luck too...blarg, I can't imagine having to fight the insurance companies to top it all off. But then again, up in Canada I'm not sure we really have the same ability to 'select' our surgeons. So echoing Debby, I admire you not taking the easy road (though neither are really easy) and fighting for what you think is best for your health.

Keep us posted...I hope you get to go to Cleveland!