gettingpissed

I just want to give everyone heads up regarding insurance coverage. I spoke to my carrier BC/BS of New Mexico. They do cover lap band for patients with a BMI 35-40 who have co-morbidities, without a huge list of other hoops. That was the good thing I have been very excited because knew I was qualified and just had to wait it out.and go through the steps. I called again today and asked some more questions. What I found out is that even though those are the requirements for the insurance company , my employer has tacked on another more strict condition and you have to have a BMI of 40. No exceptions for co morbidities, or the fact that the plan covers it. I am so upset right now. ( crying of course ) So I either an sol or I would have to gain a minimum of 25 lbs to qualify. So I am basically out the $450 program fee I paid, and the $250 copay for the endoscopy. I was too upset when I spoke to the surgeons office to ask for a partial refund of the program fee. ( they will probobly remind me that it was non-refundable) Anyway just a heads up for those who are borderline, to not take the insurance companies or surgeons word without asking a ton of probing questions, and restating the information back to them, to make sure it is correct.

I just got off the phone with the pre determination unit wonderful i have empire uhc bcbs and she assured me im approved just has to follow protocol with inline pts i haunted the i am so happy i cried i told her i dont take surgery lightly and i need this! GOD IS GOOD!

Good for you!
I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone here who didnt have concerns going in, what if there are complications, excess skin, how do you handle social engagements,,,the what ifs.
I came to the conclusion that I could not do it on my own before I chose this particular surgery.
I did alot of research before selecting which helped ease some of the issues. My normal doctor had not even heard of the surgery, but I found an awesome surgeon who put me at ease with it. Not to say on the day of the operation I was not freaking out, hell I was loosing most my stomach...voluntarily.
But even at only 6 weeks out I would not change a thing. food does not have the hold over me that it did before. I am able to get around easier, already feel the benefits, am loosing weight. I am starting to feel comfortable in my own body for the first time in along time.
Good luck with your journey!

OMG 6 months to a year!!!! I will be bald by then!!!! EEEEEKKKKK!!!! ;(

What's scarier; surgery, improved health, a little excess skin, OR ending up in a pine box 10 years earlier?
That's all the rationalization I needed to make me get over all the little things that had me "worried".
I'll gladly take my wrinkly, excess, flabbiness over back fat rolls and thighs that rub together all the time.
Every one of your concerns about food intake/water/dehydration are all very temporary in the grand scheme of events. At over 2 years out, I guzzle Water, I eat normal bites, don't chew things to mush, and have had zero issues supporting my body and another developing human in my body through this pregnancy. I have zero issue consuming 1700-1800 calories a day. And, if I really want to do so, I can easily hit 2000 calories by eating more mushy/sliderish foods. Most days, I forget I only have 15% of the normal sized stomach, it's just life now.
Fears are normal, but at the same time, my fear of dying early was far scarier!

I don't think that anyone goes into this without some fears or doubts. I was scared and had doubts up until the minute they put me on the operating table. When I woke up, I was groggy enough to think that I could still change my mind! One of my biggest ones was that I would be the only person on the planet that it didn't work for. The decision to have surgery isn't really the big question. It is about the decision to make a MAJOR life change for the rest of your life.

I'm almost 2 years out now, and most days I don't even remember that I had the sleeve. Life is normal. I wish I did this 20 years ago. Don't let your fears prevent you from making the best decision you will ever make by getting this surgery. It will change your life. I've not met anyone that regrets it. Good luck on your journey.

I am not quite three weeks out and I have definitely had my moments where I wondered what I had done to myself. My first couple days home from the hospital were pretty rough. However, I am a little more than 25 lbs down (including my 1 week preop diet) and I know in my heart that I would not have been able to do that without the surgery. There is a period of adjustment, but it is necessary.
If you know in your heart that you want to do this, don't let anyone stop you. Keep a response in your back pocket to be able to quickly respond to those who are negative. I had to tell someone that I wouldn't let someone cut the majority of my stomach out just because I am lazy. Some people don't get it and aren't going to get it, regardless of what you tell them.

I am not even 3 months out and I can say NO WAY. I also had a lot of people discourage me, saying "you're not that big, you can do it on your on etc." well actually, I couldn't. I am very happy with my sleeve of steel!

I have had more then a seed of doubt... a whole garden.
I am frankly not worried about getting too thin. I have met enough people who have had this procedure, they range from trim to normal range, slightly overweight - not a one is too skinny. I figure excess skin is no worse then all this extra fat so I view that as damage I have already done by getting so fat, losing the weight doesn't cause the ugly skin, getting obese caused it. I am not saying that saggy skin is great, I am just saying it is already there, just disguised by all that unhealthy fat puffing it out.
What I have thought about is that feeling like I should able to do this without having part of my stomache removed! I mean, for Pete's sake, that is drastic. I have thought about some of the complications that are possible. What I if i have to miss a whole bunch of work due to a leak or something like that? I have also thought about, what if I only lose "some" of the extra weight and I am still fat? Or maybe worse yet, what if I get to a healthy weight and then can't control myself and regain it??? Those things worried me, but I am moving past it.
First, I got rid of the counselor I saw who was anti Weight Loss Surgery. She has never been an ounce overweight her whole life and i have been battling this crap since I was like 4 years old. I am 47!!! I think 40+ years of trying diets and stuff is enough to prove that I can't make that work permanently, don't you?
Second, I started to really understand obesity as a medical condition, as a metabolic disorder. I am not saying there isn't an emotional, and behaviour component - there is - but at this point, it is a metabolic disorder!!! I had to hear this from 2 different doctors before I started to accept that maybe I need help here, not just a new cookbook. My primary care doc suggest a cookbook, because clearly, if I knew how to use a crockpot I would lose 140 pounds. yeah, right Guess what, I switched primary care doctors too!
Third, I started sharing my struggles, my decision process with people in my life who care about me. These are not obese people, they are thin active people. (I am a horse lover, so i have horse loving friends who tend to be trim and athletic). Their support has been amazing. They WANT me to be healthy, live a long life, be active, and to be happy. I think it is obvious to the people that care about me, diets haven't worked for me and aren't likely to work next time either. I am blessed to have people in my life who are excited for my future after WLS, it is almost like they have more faith then I do, which can bolster me!
Finally, I had my failed gastric band removed. You think you feel skeptical and worried before your first weight loss surgery? Try going through the heartbreak of a failure. I felt like such a failure, just like all those diets. Reality is that the crapband failed me. That is the story for another day, but letting go of that both physically and mentally has made this so clear to me. I have been starving and wanting to eat 24/7 now that the band is out - which is further proof that there is a PHYSICAL component to this struggle.
Don't get me wrong, I accept responsibility for putting the food in my own mouth, but I am now understanding that this is such a complicated situation. Once you are morbidly obese it is so very hard to keep weight off without surgery. Seriously, the stats prove that.
The doc I see for my sleep apnea is my hero - the guy that started me on this journey more then a year ago. I had never heard of the sleeve and he was the one that told me it would extend my life. His frankness, done in a very caring way, really was a wake up call. I am on the road to early death, early disability - and that is just about guanteed unless I get the weight off. Yes, the surgery has risks, yes, it is drastic, but weigh the two paths and ask yourself what is the most likely outcome 5. 10, 15+ years from now. Without the surgery, disable and early death is a high probability. With the surgery, I have a shot of being an active senior, enjoying life, enjoying my horses, really living.
I think your doubts are normal and healthy. Educate yourself, go to a surgery support group and meet some people to find out the real story. Talk to people. If you don't quite trust your surgeon, how about consulting with another? I tell people, I am in this for a lifetime, so I am okay that the process has been slow for me to finally get to a firm decision set in my own mind.
I am scheduled for a December surgery. Yes, i am a little nervous still, but mostly, I want it DONE so I can start down the path to the rest of my life as a healthier, thinner person who can keep doing fun stuff for many more years.

Before getting the surgery you should see a therapist or psychologist and work these things out.
As for loose skin - ask yourself now, do you cover up when going out? do you go to beach in small bathing suit? If no then why worry you will still cover up with the loose skin.
As for to thin - you control that by maintaining calorie level.

I was on the Oxytrol patch for many years to deal with this. Stopped using it 4 weeks after surgery and have had no problems. No leaking when i laugh, cough or sneeze and I'm not always planning for the next bathroom stop. Freedom:)

You will be just fine. I got through it alone. I was engaged until early 2011 and we split. I decided to get the surgery shortly after. Your life is about to change for the better, and you will have to focus on yourself and your weight loss instead of the pain of your heartbreak. Plus, you are preparing for a new life, and possibly new love too, and just think how much more pleasant it is going to be with a new body you are proud of! Do this for your self!!

Not all therapists are like that. You got one for sure. He needs to do some more investigating into WLS so he's not so ignorant.

Therapists are supposed to monitor themselves against imposing their own opinions or biases on their clients. This one didn't. Not all therapists are like this. Just thank goodness that you are almost done with this particular requirement.

Your old boss walks right past you not realizing who you are. Happened to me last week.

When I started this process I was of the mindset that I would NOT have surgery. However, I knew that everything that I had tried - all the "fad" diets out there were not working for me. I needed something else. So, I searched out a weight loss doctor who was not just a weight loss surgeon - but worked with patients via non-surgical methods. That's when I found my surgeon. After going to his seminar and talking to some of his staff there, I discovered that while I could see him for non-surgical methods, that surgery would most likely be a better option for me to keep the weight off permanently - and they provided me with some information. However, they told me to research it and decide for myself. I did. I saw through my research that WLS is not the easy way out as most think. It also is not the cure to obesity or magic pill or whatever. It was a tool to help me learn a new lifestyle. It also was not as dangerous as I was lead to believe.
I really had to think it through. If I did not have the surgery, would I be able to "stick with the diet" that would lead to permanent weight loss. I knew myself and the answer is no - I would not have been able to stick with it. That's why every diet that I tried in the past failed. I would get discouraged when I saw a plateau and "fall off the wagon" or I would get tired of having certain foods only, or get cravings for sweets that I would cave into, etc. That was true even when I saw other improvements like looser clothing and health improvements. The stopping of the weight loss would override any positives that I had seen and I would give up. It was also true when I did see a weight loss doctor in the past - I couldn't stick with the diet he gave me (optifast).
I have only been sleeved for a month. I have definitely thought in the last month why the heck did I do this? I have wanted to "give up" on the diet and start eating the way I used to - but I literally CAN'T. My stomach will not allow me to go back to the way I was before surgery. It's forcing me to keep on track and stick with the program. Even with this plateau that I was just on (it lasted a week and half, but it finally broke) and I got discouraged, I still could not give up on the plan because it was impossible for me to do so. Now, I am loosing weight again. Still not where I was before this plateau - but closer (I had gained 4 pounds - in the last 3 days, I have lost 3 pounds - so I'm still up by 1). Had I not had the surgery, I would not have lost these 3 pounds again - instead I would have gone back to my very bad habits that I had before and would have gained back all 15 pounds that I had lost to that point and probably would have gained even more. This despite the fact that my clothes are fitting looser and I was feeling better - I have more stamina now and can actually walk again without it "killing me". So, even though I had these positives to help reinforce that I was doing the right thing and to stick with it - I know I would not have - I never had in the past. But with this tool, I had to stick with it. While I know that I am in the "honeymoon" phase with the sleeve and it won't function exactly this way forever, it is giving me the time I need to change my habits permanently.
Now that I'm starting to lose the weight again, I'm grateful for my sleeve for not allowing me to give up. I still have issues to work through obviously, but it's nice to know I have this "friend" who will keep me on track no matter what at this point and give me the time I need to literally change my mindset and habits. None of my other friends could do for me what the sleeve has in the last 2 weeks.
I don't know if that is helpful to you, it's just been my experience.

Hi all,
I have been giving little updates on my progress since surgery. It seems to help me mentally to just jot down whats been happening. Maybe it will help others too. Yesterday I overdid it a little by taking my 13 year old shopping for school supplies and running a few errands. I had my husbands truck since he took my car to work. Its a tall quad cab dodge and our driveway is on an incline. It was hard to get in it but once there driving was fine. We only stayed out a few hours but I was pooped by the time we got back. I was really sore last night and it was hard to sleep soundly. I woke with a little nausea... my first nausea! I did not throw up but my body was screaming for something warm. I made Decaf coffee and sipped that. I noticed gurgling and gas moving so when I tried to pass the gas a lot more came with! TMI I know... so I had a touch of diahrea sp? but now I feel better. So I am calling that my first BM after surgery. It was not bad, no cramping or anything. I have had a bout a half cup of coffee in the last hour and i feel some better now. Still sore from yesterday especially on the left side. Not horrible though. My bandages are itching now. I gained 14 pounds in Water weight at the hospital. My right hand where the iv was is still puffy. I had lost 9 pounds with my postop diet and to see that I gained that back plus 5 more was disheartening. I have lost most of that back now. As of yesterday I was within 3 pounds of my preop diet weight. SW 234, preop 225, home from hosp. 239, yesterday 228. I have not weighed this morning. I will keep you all posted on how Im doing. Thanks for listening. Tammi

I get so tired of those making comments with no facts. I had surgery with Almanza and I survived with no complications. He has never killed a patient unlike Dr. Rodriguez but I don't hear anyone advising against him. Whomever decides to go to him trust me and the countless others who have gone through him you will be fine.

We share our operation dates you and I, so we are sleeve brothers, My surgery went very well too, considering that I was in an ER with chest pains two days before I was to fly to Mexicali. I informed Dr. Aceves and he said - "C'on down" we will retest you here and send you back if we need to. Great, I'm 63;how many more shots am I going to get at this? The tests were negative again, for an attack, but he used additional drugs and precautions during the procedure. When tried to administer a spinal epidural my heart rate dropped to 50 bpm. 'You're one of the sensitive types,' my anesthesiologist told me later. They got it done though, even though it took them almost two hours.
Such a ninny... I had my PCP write me a weak prescription for Ativan (Lorazeapam) because I hadn't flown in 15 years. It did help with the flights, but it REALLY helped after the operation getting to sleep for naps and at night Combined with the pain pills of course. I have had some queasiness but no nausea or vomiting to this day. The only thing that is troubling me now a depression that I can't seem to shake off or figure out. It started, I think, when my ride and I left Mexicali for the return trip to San Diego. We headed out across the desert where i was born and raised. The desert has always seemed like the sea to me - a great mystery. Not this time though; it just made me sad. Sad to think of all the people that I had know there in my youth, and knew I would never see again. Sad because my Grandparents and Uncle are buried beneath its sand. Sad too, because I was leaving warm and caring people to return to uncertain life of self-inflicted solitude. Maybe I'll just go and get some more Ativan and mix another shake.< /p>
Best wishes, and when you find out how to insert those things please let me know.
Steve
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Hi. Just signed up and e-mail from Alex said to tell my story to get started. So here goes.
I had a VSG performed by Dr. Keith Kim at Celebration Florida Hospital on 29 July. Surgery went well and I didn't suffer any nausea other than from the pain meds. But the post surgery recovery time at home was definitely more hard core than I'd anticipated. I think the surgery group downplays the significance of the surgery but there's no denying - it's major abdominal surgery. I've had my gall bladder removed (old school style 20 years ago) and a c-section. And while I was much younger for both of those, the rebound on the VSG was nearly as bad as those prior experiences.
The path to surgery took 8 months. Between arranging financing (I was self pay), and pre-clearances - both cardio and pulmonary - it seemed like it was never going to happen. In total, the surgery cost me about 19K but I figure where is my better investment - a new car or a new me. I won.
So I'm 10 days out and pretty much back to normal. It's definitely taking time to get the hang of the eating/protein/vitamin/sip routine but I keep reminding myself to be patient. My first birth took 9 months....only makes sense that my rebirth take a while as well.
And to be honest, I'm making this post because I want to learn how to put up one of those cool weight loss count down graphics!!
Gastric Sleevely Yours

Super easy and full of Protein and very little carbs!
1 lb Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage
1 lb Ground Beef (93/7 or 80/20)
1 cup of shredded cheese
Mix all together in a bowl, roll into balls and baker on 400 for about 20 minutes! It makes about 30, and they freeze amazingly! Serve with eggs or a tbsp of sugar free jelly! Yum!

they have to do that. . . some of them work off commission i think. . . silly folks

So I had my endoscopy yesterday! I have always had this fear of going under anthesthesia well that was forgotten yesterday I did it! Looking like October I dont care what works says I WANT MY SLEEVE!

I have to travel quite a bit for work and for the last few trips that have been on the large jet planes, I have been pretty comfortable without a seatbelt extender. I celebrated my first flight without one in April but not all of my seven flights on that trip were as successful. On Tuesday this week, I had to fly to Orlando (yes, I know...I said, "had to"), and one of the segments of my trip on the way home was a short 30-minute flight on a teeny-tiny airplane that seats like 30 people. The seats and seatbelts on these planes are also teeny-tiny and when your butt is nowhere near teeny OR tiny an extender is required (or I would have to fake wearing the seatbelt because I was too embarrassed to ask for one). So, about 4 years ago, I "borrowed" a seatbelt extender from an airline for a regular plane and I brought it along with me every time I flew prior to surgery so I wouldn't have to humiliate myself by asking. I was almost a bit nervous about this flight because even though I was prepared by having it, I was secretly hoping I would not need it.
I got on the "plane", made my way to my seat, put my stuff under the seat in front of me, fidgeted around in my bag to put the extender near the top so I could quickly pick it up without anyone seeing in case I needed to use it, and then proceeded to attempt to buckle the actual seatbelt. I was waiting and then I heard...CLICK! I thought it was lying to me so I tried it again and...CLICK! What a GREAT sound.
Needless to say, I bid farewell to my seatbelt extender. I pushed it to the bottom of my bag. Now, I just need to decide on whether or not I give it back or if I keep it as a reminder of how far I have come.