MINI-Me

I think the Devil himself created Protein shakes and powders. Just try to remind yourself that this is jus a very short phase and then you will NEVER have to drink that crud again.

It's hard not to do it, but try not to compare yourself to someone else. I'm near goal now & not quite 6 months out. But, if you go back and research some of my early posts, I was saying some of the same things. We all have different points in our journey when we stall & where it just falls off. You will have yours too. Keep the faith ... keep the Protein ... keep the Water ... keep the exercise ... it won't fail you!

I could have written that. Now I have to refer to people as "Forum Friends" or "People I Really Know Friends" or my poor husband gets so confused. :thumbup1:

If you are willing to travel, Medical Tourism can connect you to my surgeon in Las Vegas. My quote was $10,900.00. There was some pre-op testing by my PCP that was not included, but my insurance covered that. Send me a PM if you want more information.

Glad to help. I agree ... this is a great site for support. I've lost my head a few times (a.k.a. STALLS) and this group really pulled me through. Be a regular on here & get the support you need. Welcome!

Sorry to hear that you have not found the right group for you. Are there other groups you could try? Possible resources is looking at bariatric practices in your area - many times they allow patients of other surgeons attend those sessions. My WLS Suport Group does have a portion of each night focused on food - the leader (or designe) brings samples of items for us to try. There is no selling at the meeting, just suggestions for getting in Protein or healthy convenience foods. We also have a portion where we focus on a success of the month along with our struggle(s). We end each meeting by committing to a goal for the coming month - we say this out loud to help us feel support in that committment. Of course, it's mostly women so there is a lot of other chit chat, but I find that comforting. We all need to find what works for us - just don't give up. I bet the right group is out there. If not, just come out here and share away. (This is my daily group!)

Having fears before any surgery is completely normal. You are making a choice to change your body in a permanent way to ensure a healthier (and more likely, longer) life. Have you talked with your surgeon about your fears? If so, what did he/she say? They know your medical history & can walk you through all the possible complications and concerns. They can also calm fears of the unknown. You are definitely normal. It's "REAL TIME" now and not research. Just take a deep breath ... remind yourself of all the reasons you want to do this ... compare that to "what if's" ... and decide what you want to do. For me, my reasons for yes definitely outweighed the "what if's" and it was an easy decision for me. Best of luck!

That does seem high. I've heard anywhere from $9,500 to $25,000 for self-pay in the US. That quote seems more in line for an insurance reimbursement. You might want to check with them again to make sure they understand you are talking self-pay.

I am so sorry to hear of your battle. I have never had a band, but know people with them. Seems like it works for some, but not for many others. (And those it does work for usually have some sort of issues.) You are on the right track with the insurance company. Fight for the removal. If you are considering a sleeve, they might not be willing to pay for it, but you may be able to get them to pay for the removal (which requires surgery anyway) and just pay the surgeon and OR time for the sleeve revision. We have several people with Band revisions on this site. Look at threads by FabBy50 and Tiffykins. That will give you a lot of information. Tiffy also has some great examples of appeal letters that may help you. (Note - to see Tiffy's profile, you will need to send a Friend Request.) Good luck with your appeal and research. I can't imagine the frustration you must have right now. We are here to support you if we can.

Congratulations! Doesn't it feel AWESOME?????????????

I think a lot of tickers showing overweight are misleading. Many of us were advised that our goal should be to get to a BMI of 25. That is the top of the normal scale - I've set mine a bit lower since I want to be mid-way on the normal scale giving me room for a bit of bounce-back and to be a healthy me. The weight loss for me has been steady and quite frankly, impressive - I've never experienced anything like this before. I had nutritional counseling before surgery, but really haven't felt I needed support on the weightloss journey. I am now 8 pounds from goal & considering dropping my goal to 125 which, if achieved, would put my BMI at 20.2 (Normal is considered 18.2 - 25). As I get closer, I may decide that is too low and maybe just go to 130. I'm not sure at this point. However, I do plan on meeting with a nutritionist when I am ready to maintain. I don't want to go back to mindless snacking to get in extra calories. I want to be healthy and not fall into patterns that will cause regain. I figure I've invested this much into losing, isn't it worth a little more investment to maintain? Good questions ... let us know how we can help while you do your research.

Congratulations! It's amazing how fast the process goes when you are self-pay & make the decision to go forward. I would be more concerned if you weren't feeling a bit panicky. This is life changing & shouldn't be entered into without thought and research. My surgeon kept reminding me that this was major surgery, but he would take good care of me. Looking forward to hearing more about your journey. Welcome!

Thanks everyone. I have gone from crying to grinning so much my face hurts! :thumbup:

Even though WLS may not be covered by insurance, many items related to the surgery are covered. If the ER simply coded the visit as dehydration, insurance would cover it. I was self-pay, but fortunately didn't have any complications that required f/u care. Insurance did pick up my pre-op testing and pysch visit. They also covered my 3 month post-op labs.

In the Thrift Store dressing room. I fit into size 8 dress pants. Not just one pair ... but several. I could not believe it. The last (and only) time I wore a 8 was a brief moment MANY year ago when I was 17 (when I had just lost 63 pounds). I was a lot smaller then (126 pounds) compared to my ~143 pounds now, but I'm not going to even think about size differences over the years. I am just going to enjoy this. The point is ... I BOUGHT SIZE 8 PANTS AND THEY FIT ME!!!! Who would have thunk it? :001_smile: :thumbup1: :001_rolleyes: :001_smile: :thumbup1: :001_rolleyes: :001_smile: :thumbup1: :001_rolleyes: :001_smile: :thumbup1: :001_rolleyes: :001_smile:

That is awesome. So glad to hear from you. :cursing:

Anna ... just get back on that horse. You are doing AWESOME! You have the best attitude of just about anyone I know. You are a role model. So, today you proved yourself human. BUT, you were still calorie deficient. Think of that as a victory. You "PIGGED OUT" and you were still better than your best day "dieting". You are awesome. Tomorrow is a new day. You go girl!

Sorry to hear you are having issues. I had terrible shoulder pain as well. The good news is that it really does end quickly. Here's my story ... http://verticalsleevetalk.com/post-operation-vertical-sleeve-gastric-surgery-vsg-questions-answers/3493-surgery-recovery-sucks.html

Some surgeons place a drain tube in your abdominal cavity to remove excess fluids after surgery. My surgeon did not do this. Some have it & have very little drainage & others seem to have quite a bit. Just talk with your surgeon and see what he does. Ask questions until you are comfortable with the answers. At almost 6 months out, it is hard to remember the anxiety of getting the sleeve. I am truely happy with my decision. I love the new me & my ability to eat just about anything I want (not that it's always a great choice - I'm still working on that!) but just a small portion. Tonight I had 2 bites of birthday cake & it was enough. Before, I would have eaten a whole piece and wanted more. But, if I am honest, I remember the anxiety and the questions. I did my research and asked TONS of questions. My husband was concerned about the permanence of the surgery, but knew that I had done my research and fully supported me. Was he worried - of course! This is major surgery. Was he confident that this was the right decision for me - of course! Not that it's all about looks - it's really about being healthy ... but today, I was wearing a cute dress & driving in the car in the heat. I had my dress pulled up about mid-thigh since I was warm. My husband kept glancing over & grinning. When I asked what was up, he just said "You look so good. Cute, happy, and adorable". It just confirmed that I made the right choice. Like I said, ask questions of your surgeon, ask questions of us, do your research ... and have your surgery. There are tough moments, yes. But overall, I would do this again in a heartbeat. But, luckily, this is permanent so there is no need to go back to the old me. I wouldn't want to be her again!

I think the reflux issues you are describing are quite common with the band. I've never had one, but I have friends who have. I had intermittent acid reflux issues before the sleeve, but Prilosec keeps my symptoms at bay. My doctor and I have decided to keep me on it for 1 year & then try to wean off - just didn't want to have to deal with new eating, losing weight, and possible reflux at the same time. Don't cancel your surgery. Talk to your surgeon about your fears and his plans if you do have reflux issues. Best of luck!

Could not agree more!

Sorry to hear about the pain, but glad to hear that the surgery went well. Welcome to the Loser Bench!

This happens to some people who are doing very low carb diets. There is a lot of information out there about ketosis - this is one site with a very basic definition: What is Ketosis? Is Ketosis Dangerous? How to Detect Ketosis

So sorry to hear about your dx. I am on my phone so it's not easy to access your profile. Are you at goal or do you have more to lose? Do you think this may have been a problem for a while and just now found? Are you on medications to treat or at the eat better/exercise stage? Let us know how we can support you. Yes, it is a bummer. But witha diagnosis comes a plan - we are here to help you with that plan. You can beat this!

It never hurts to try. You will have a better chance if you can document the high bp.