LUCYCAT

I realize each surgeon is different. I am just looking for an average here. How long after your insurance company approved your surgery were you scheduled for your surgery?

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I MAY TRY THEM ALL AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS....CANT HURT

Hi there. I could use some advice. I have been doing a lot of research online but I am getting conflicting information. I am trying to avoid having loose skin after losing a large amount of weight quickly. I will mention a few things that I have read, and if anyone out there has tried them please let me know- and let me know if it has helped. 1. Wear Spanx and Ch’arms as you are losing weight to make your skin stay firm. 2. Use Vitamin E and skin firming lotion. 3. Lift weights and do situps to tone the muscle under the skin 4. Wait 2 years, it will take 2 years for skin to catch up to your weight loss. Anyone tried any of these? Or if you know of something else that works please let me know. I am tempted to try them all.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING TIME TO RESPOND TO ME. I AM SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY SIT STIL. MEDMGR CONGRATS ON YOU APROVAL!

I AM SO EXCITED. I HAVE FINALLY JUMPED THROUGH ALL OF THE HOOPS TO QUALIFY FOR MY VSG! I HAVE AETNA INSURANCE. MY SURGEONS OFFICE PLANS TO SUBMIT MY CLAIM FOR PRE-CERTIFICATION BY NEXT TUESDAY. ANYBODY OUT THERE KNOW ABOUT HOW LONG IT TAKES AETNA TO APPROVE SOMEONE?

Awesome! I am very happy for you. I also suffer from anxiety. I have not been approved for my surgery as of yet. I am still a couple of months out. I thought I would comment though because when I was 20 yrs old I lost from 300 pounds down to 180. I had issues with anxiety back then too. I've been told that when a person loses a lot of weight it releases hormones- which can sometimes maginify existing conditions. I ended up having some problems with body image issues. I still SAW myself as being 300 pounds. It took me a long time to get used to guys hitting on me. People treated me so radically different it actually caused me to slip into depression. Be mindful of how you feel and talk to your doctor if you notice any changes. The depression didn't last for very long. I am happy to say that in the end I wats much happier and much LESS anxious after I lost the weight. Alas, many years passed- and I have gained back up to 235. I hope to have my VSG the end of July- I am just waiting on approval. I wish I had been able to have this done when I was your age. I think it is wonderful you and your mother will take this journey together. You will be fine- you will be better. Just remember your doctor is there to help you-

By the time I came home from the seminar the end of January 2011 I had a list. There was a giant list of requirements from both my insurance company and the surgeon himself. 6 meetings with my PCP to chart my weight loss or gain. Three monthly meetings with a dietitian for behavior modification. A 4 hour long psychological evaluation. Stress test, chest xray, blood work and an EKG. There were online questionnaires to be filled out, and a 4 hour PT class to attend. The list seemed endless, and to be honest. I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off. I am about two months out. My PCP filled out a form for me in November, but we are not sure if my insurance company will count it since it hasn’t been consecutively . I have a PCP appointment in June and perhaps another one in July. I have cleared all of the other hoops. I am excited about the surgery. I wish they would give me a date. I wish my insurance company would just sign off on it. I am kind of stuck in the middle of nowhere now. I have all of these powders and shakes lined up ready to go. I am as prepared as I can be. I haven’t had the conversation with my shrew of a boss yet. I am not looking forward to that one. My boyfriend and I do not talk about it. He gets quiet when I mention it. He always promises to be there for me when I have my surgery. He just seems worried, but I guess that is a good sign. He has dropped about 30 pounds since I decided on the surgery. He constantly gives me diet tips- I am sure hoping I will lose lots of weight without going under the knife. I believe this will help me. I believe it will change my life. I don’t think it will change my relationship with my boyfriend. If anything, maybe it might get even better. There is just so much that is unknown now. I am ready to move on.

Had my Psych Eval today! So happy that is over with. I think I played it up way too much in my head. I was prepared for the hard quesitons.....How will you hadle stress when you can not eat? How do you think your life will change? Do you think that losing weight will make everything in your life better, or will it make some things worse? Why did you pick this surgery at this time? How do your friends and family feel about it? Prepared I was! The quesiton I got. What are your hobbies? Seriously? I actually stumbled a little. Hobbies? I totally wasn't expecting that one. Then she gave me a "personality" test. It was great. I was biting my lip to keep from laughing. True or False questions. 1. I would have liked to have been a park ranger. 2. Sometimes I feel sad. 3. I feel like someone is trying to poison me. 4. I like to plant flowers. 5. I love my mother. 6. Sometimes I hear voices when no one is around. It is too bad I need to pass this thing- because it would have been a lot of fun to totally screw with people. I am very happy this part is out of the way. I am still about 3 months out. My insurance requries a 6 month physician lead diet and exercise program. I need 3 more months. I wish it were over. I am soooo ready for this surgery. I had some doubts in month 1. I was almost 100% by month 2. Now- I can't wait.

awesome! Good for you!

I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD VSG SURGERY. I REALIZE THAT IT MAY BE EASY TO BE HAPPY ABOUT THE SURGERY DURING THE FIRST YERA WHEN YOU ARE LOSING A LOT OF WEIGHT AND LIFE IS ALL GOOD. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STOP LOSING WEIGHT? DO YOU REGRET HAVING THE SURGERY?

Hi There- I have not had VSG surgery yet but I have been seriously considering it. I am starting to jump through the hoops to get my surgery set up. My family and friends are trying to be supportive but I am getting these negative comments every now and then. I am not sure how to handle them. I am typically very good at making my own choices and having a devil may care attitude about them. This decisions however, has been different. The tiny shots of negitivity have me doubting myself. EXAMPLE; After attending the seminar with my boyfriend we were having dinner. I asked him what he thought. He said he thought the surgery was very risky and that it was really just a matter of will power. I am not sure what to say to people when they are supportive- but in a kinda negative way.

I talked to my boyfriend about the surgery. I told him about the seminar that will happen on the 25th. I had dreaded this for weeks. And I did not expect a happy reception. I was shocked. Not only was he supportive- but I hadn't even had the chance to explain- before he volunteered to go with me to the seminar. The doctor's office is 2 hours away so we plan to stay overnight rather than driving home in the snow late at night. He has been very nice to me this week. I wish this surgery were behind me.

I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I was an obese child. When I was in the 9th grade I lost weight. I lost down to 162. I was 3 inches shorter then. I struggled with my weight all through my teen years. By the time I hit 22 I weighed 300 pounds. Then something amazing happened. I developed gallstones. Having gallstones limited what I could eat. If the food was too spicy or too fatty- or even too much I would get sick. I started losing weight because I had a physical restraint in place that helped me lose. I lost down to 180. At 5’4” that was not small – but I was healthy. My blood pressure was 110/70 and I ran- for fun…nothing was chasing me. I kept the weight off until I was about 26 then I had to have my gallbladder removed- and slowly I have been gaining it all back. I am 36. I am 255 pounds. I have high blood pressure. I am on two different types of medication trying to control it. Some days it works, some days it doesn’t. I am borderline diabetic. I am right at the edge of needing cholesterol medication. My joints hurt. It is painful to walk up steps. I get winded walking the shortest distances. I feel bad and tired all the time. I need help. I have been considering vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery for a very long time. My insurance actually covers it. On Jan 25th I attend a seminar. The surgeon requires that everyone he operates on starts their journey by attending the free seminar. I guess it is so we will know what we are getting into. I am scared. I believe this is the right choice for me. I haven’t discussed it with my boyfriend yet. I have promised myself I would talk to him about it on Tuesday. It will be a week before the seminar and we will have a good deal of alone time on that day. I am worried about how he will react. I wish I could see into the future. I wish I could see myself 6 months from now…a year from now.

Hi There. I have been considering vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery for a very long time. I am starting to take the steps toward having the surgery and I have some questions. Anyone out there that has already had VSG if you could give me some advice I would greatly appreciate it. 1. What is a good way to talk about this decision with my boyfriend? I have tip toed around the subject a couple of times he seems to have a very negative view on bariatric surgery in general. Anyone else had to deal with this? 2. Do you lose a lot of hair? I have done some reasearch and hair loss seems to be pretty common. Is there anything that can be done to keep this from happening? 3. Is excess skin a common problem? I am 36- no spring chicken and I have been overweight my entire life- so my skin is used to being big! 4. Can you stop? I know that is a bit of an odd question, but I am not so very sure that I want to be ultra skinny. I would love to make it down to around 150- 160. But I am not sure that I would want to weigh less than that. I have watched Video Journals of people that have the surgery and they get down to the 150's and say that they plan to stay there and the next video they are 132....what happened? Makes me a little nervous. 5. How do you handle prying coworkers? I am a very private person, I do not want the entire office to know that I have had surgery- but obviously they will notice when I start to lose weight. What is the best way to handle this? i know them well enought to know that even though we are not close they will feel it is their right and duty to A. Talk trash about my decision and B. think it is an open door for them to tell me what I should and should not be doing. 6. Do you regret it? Are there days when you regret it. I know it isn't a magic cure. It has to be something that is both difficult and rewarding to go through. Are there days when the reward is not worth the struggle? THIS IS ALL I CAN THINK OF FOR NOW- ANY ADVICE YOU COULD THROW MY DIRECTION I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE.