While the exact causes of type 2 diabetes are unknown, the result is still that the pancreas does not create enough insulin or the body does not know how to properly get rid of insulin excess. If either of these problems arises then you become diabetic. Type 1 diabetes often is found in childhood and is when the pancreas does not make enough insulin, so shots must be taken to help the body keep up with the demand. Type 2 diabetes is a huge problem with morbidly obese people, and when it is first diagnosed, can often be kept under control with diet and exercise. When a patient does not lose weight and continues to eat an unhealthy diet, the diabetes gets to the point where it must be managed with prescription medications.
There are many symptoms of type 2 diabetes, and if these symptoms are ignored or not recognized it can lead to death. Type 2 diabetes is a growing problem in the United States as the number of morbidly obese people increases. There are many on-going studies right now that are researching the positive effects between gastric bypass surgery and remission of type 2 diabetes. While they cannot call surgery a cure for type 2 diabetes, many patients are able to stop taking their prescriptions days or weeks after surgery and never go back on them.
My information on type 2 diabetes came from this website
Sunday, December 7, 2008
What is morbid obesity?
In order to qualify for gastric bypass surgery you have to be morbidly obese. There is a very specific definition to what this means. "Morbid obesity—sometimes called "clinically severe obesity"—is defined as being 100 lbs. or more over ideal body weight or having a Body Mass Index(BMI)of 40 or higher." In the United States there are 5-10 million people who are considered to be morbidly obese.
The numbers that are shown through this website are staggering. The fact that nearly 1/3 of all American adults are considered to be morbidly obese shows the proportions of this problem. We, as a nation, cannot continue along this path. Something needs to be done now in order to solve it. I'm not saying that every one of these people should get gastric bypass surgery, but I am saying that many of these people would look at it as a strong option, but are unable to obtain the surgery because of a lack of ability to pay for it.
The information used in this post was found on this site
The numbers that are shown through this website are staggering. The fact that nearly 1/3 of all American adults are considered to be morbidly obese shows the proportions of this problem. We, as a nation, cannot continue along this path. Something needs to be done now in order to solve it. I'm not saying that every one of these people should get gastric bypass surgery, but I am saying that many of these people would look at it as a strong option, but are unable to obtain the surgery because of a lack of ability to pay for it.
The information used in this post was found on this site
Amazing Results
The gastric bypass operation reduces the progression and mortality of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
This is an article written for the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. In this study the group of researchers studied the effects of gastric bypass surgery on patients with type 2 diabetes. The research group was a group of 232 patients where 154 had surgery and 78 did not for various reasons, including not having insurance approval for the surgery. The results for this study were amazing. The patients who did not have surgery were unable to maintain any level of weight loss and their diabetes symptoms did not get any better, and in some cases became worse. In the patients who did have surgery, the diabetes either went away completely or the symptoms were greatly improved after surgery. Through the continued weight loss and the ability to keep it off because of surgery, many of these patients were able to get off of their medications completely and live much healthier lives.
The link for this journal can be found here
This is an article written for the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. In this study the group of researchers studied the effects of gastric bypass surgery on patients with type 2 diabetes. The research group was a group of 232 patients where 154 had surgery and 78 did not for various reasons, including not having insurance approval for the surgery. The results for this study were amazing. The patients who did not have surgery were unable to maintain any level of weight loss and their diabetes symptoms did not get any better, and in some cases became worse. In the patients who did have surgery, the diabetes either went away completely or the symptoms were greatly improved after surgery. Through the continued weight loss and the ability to keep it off because of surgery, many of these patients were able to get off of their medications completely and live much healthier lives.
The link for this journal can be found here
The "bible" of gastric bypass
For anyone considering gastric bypass the first book that they should buy is Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies. This book has all the information that someone could want about surgery. It covers everything from what the benefits and downsides of surgery can be to how to deal with your insurance company. This book is an amazing resource and is written by a weight loss surgeon, the publisher of a weight loss magazine, and a patient advocate for weight loss surgery.
This book does what many of the books in the "for Dummies" series does. It takes the very complicated subject of weight loss surgery and breaks it down. It makes the information much more manageable and guides you to other resources when necessary. It helps to guide you through all of the possible questions that you could have about your surgery. How to pick a surgeon and what you should bring to the hospital. It even has some personal stories from people who have been on the journey through weight loss surgery and how they dealt with the changes that they have experienced. This book is a wonderful resource and a basic must for anyone who is considering any kind of weight loss surgery.
This book does what many of the books in the "for Dummies" series does. It takes the very complicated subject of weight loss surgery and breaks it down. It makes the information much more manageable and guides you to other resources when necessary. It helps to guide you through all of the possible questions that you could have about your surgery. How to pick a surgeon and what you should bring to the hospital. It even has some personal stories from people who have been on the journey through weight loss surgery and how they dealt with the changes that they have experienced. This book is a wonderful resource and a basic must for anyone who is considering any kind of weight loss surgery.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Where to go from here...
In thinking about how to write my paper, I think I'm going to go with the idea of all of the things that, medically, improve as a result of having surgery. I don't know that I can find the facts from the insurance company's side as to why they won't cover surgery. I think that my best bet is to look at data that is already out there proving the benefits of surgery. I already personally have seen these results, now I just need to find sources to prove it.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Why this blog...
Well... honestly I'm doing this blog because it's for my english comp 2 class. I probably wouldn't be doing it otherwise. I'm writing a research paper for my class on gastric bypass and the fact that it should be covered by all insurance companies.
A lil background on this. I had surgery in May of 2007. It honestly was life changing for me. I have lost, well... an entire "healthy" adult. I am extremely grateful for my surgery and the fact that I have basically been given the life that I always wanted. I am 100 times more active and my life is completely different then it would have been had I not had surgery.
For people who can't get surgery because their insurance doesn't cover it, it's one of the most defeating things. They have finally come to the extremely difficult decision to take the step to get surgery only to be shot down by their insurance company. By the time you come to the decision to get surgery you are basically at the end of your rope. I often have equated it to an addict finally hitting "rock bottom". You have no where else to go and you have nothing left to try and this is really what you see as the final option to getting your life back. To get to that point only to be turned away by your insurance is one of the most dissappointing things in the world and honestly it's something that shouldn't even be a worry. The cost of NOT getting the surgery for many people is way higher. There is the potential of developing diabetes, heart conditions, high chlolosterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, the list goes on and on. Most of these conditions are made better if not completely go away for most gastric bypass patients. Why wouldn't an insurance company want to spend $40-60,000 in order to save far more rather then a lifetime of treating all of the complications that come with being morbidly obese.
Anyway... I've now written a practical book and I'm hoping that I can actually deliver on what I'm proposing for my paper. :)
A lil background on this. I had surgery in May of 2007. It honestly was life changing for me. I have lost, well... an entire "healthy" adult. I am extremely grateful for my surgery and the fact that I have basically been given the life that I always wanted. I am 100 times more active and my life is completely different then it would have been had I not had surgery.
For people who can't get surgery because their insurance doesn't cover it, it's one of the most defeating things. They have finally come to the extremely difficult decision to take the step to get surgery only to be shot down by their insurance company. By the time you come to the decision to get surgery you are basically at the end of your rope. I often have equated it to an addict finally hitting "rock bottom". You have no where else to go and you have nothing left to try and this is really what you see as the final option to getting your life back. To get to that point only to be turned away by your insurance is one of the most dissappointing things in the world and honestly it's something that shouldn't even be a worry. The cost of NOT getting the surgery for many people is way higher. There is the potential of developing diabetes, heart conditions, high chlolosterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, the list goes on and on. Most of these conditions are made better if not completely go away for most gastric bypass patients. Why wouldn't an insurance company want to spend $40-60,000 in order to save far more rather then a lifetime of treating all of the complications that come with being morbidly obese.
Anyway... I've now written a practical book and I'm hoping that I can actually deliver on what I'm proposing for my paper. :)
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