Thenewdebbi

Hi, I am glad I found a supportive group to share my journey with.  I had a normal weight as a young child and started gaining weight around the age of 9 or 10.  My mom used to tell me that she never understood how I had a weight problem and my two sisters didn't.  She said that we ate the exact same food and portions and I was "chubby" while they always maintained a normal weight.  The first time I went on a formal diet was when I was 12 years old.  I joined Weight Watchers with my dad, and was successful with losing 15 lbs.  Unfortunately, I was not able to keep the weight off and it slowly came back on my body.  In college, I continued to gain weight and it has been a struggle my entire life.  I can't really remember a time when I was not on one type of diet or another.  I have been successful for a short period of time, but always gain the weight back plus more. 
 
I am very blessed, I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children. My kids are 8 and 10 and want to spend lots of time with me and my husband.  My weight has stopped me from enjoying a lot of activities with my family, because I can't physically do them.  I have been considering weight loss surgery for some time now, but I decided to move ahead with the process after my family's February vacation.  We spent a week with friends and family at a condo in NH where we spent the week skiing. I guess I should say "they" went skiing and I sat in the lodge all week because I am too out of shape to ski and even if I wanted to, they don't make ski boots big enough for  my very large legs.  When we got home, I researched two hospitals in my area that perform bariatric surgeries.  I attended seminars at both Middlesex Hospital and Yale.  I decided to go forward with the program at Yale, because the doctor at Yale favors the VGS, and that is the procedure that I feel is right for me. 
 
I met with Dr. Nadzam and his team on March 5, 2015 following an information seminar the night before.  His staff (Denise and Michelle) members reviewed my insurance, Anthem BCBS and told me that my insurance company just put a 6 month waiting period into all their bariatric surgery claims.  They told me that there may be a short grace period and if I wanted to have the surgery soon, I would need to get into all my appointments ASAP.  I spent the next week going to the psych and nutritionist appointments and had my blood work and upper GI series done.  They submitted my claim to the insurance company on March 10, and I was approved for surgery on March 13!!  My surgery date is set for March 31, 2015!!  I have my pre-op class scheduled for tomorrow, and look forward to learning what my pre-op diet will consist of.  I am nervous, but mostly excited to start this new chapter of my life.  Thank you for sharing your stories and support with me.  God Bless.