CarrieNita

I am using Dr. Dewitt in Birmingham. He has a great reputation and people come from all over the US to see him.

Carrie, I don't have much to add but I wanted to lend my support and say hang tight. Time will fly and before you know it, you will be on your way. Others have already given you wonderful suggestions. I just wanted to wish you luck with this journey and your health! You sound so determined and ready to make a change. I look forward to reading about your progress! Be well!

Welcome to VST :smile1:
It does sound like you have a case for you to bypass the 6 month insurance guideline. I wish the very best for you, and much health to you in your future.
Having the sleeve was by far the best choice I've ever made, I don't regret one single thing about it. I don't even regret the little bit of buyers remorse I had in the very beginning. It has made me who I am at this very moment - and I quite like who I've become.
Read up and plenty, there are so many stories here you wouldn't believe. The sleeve has worked for thousands upon thousands of souls!

I was in pretty much the same boat as you with many of the same symptoms and a few different ones. I had (still have) real good insurance and was not wanting to wait the 6+ months for acceptance, I literally thought I would be dead in a few months, I was doing that poorly. I had some cash and decided to go ahead and go to Mexico. It saved my life.
Now 11+ months later I am 170+ pounds down and feeling great. I swim 5 days a week and have more muscles than I have EVER had in my life. As of today I am bouncing around a weight of 205 and LOOK thin even though I am still 15 pounds overweight.
A woman here at my work decided to have WLS after I had mine, she started the process in February. She just had her surgery last week, an almost 10 month waiting period while they jerked her around, "lost" her "paper work", changed her requirements and generally screwed the pooch consistently over and over. She was worried she'd have a stroke over the sheer aggravation and lies they told her over and over - when they suddenly just DROPPED her from the roster with NO explanation. She finally waited them out and had the surgery, she had a RNY bypass despite the fact that she wanted a VSG, they talked her into getting a full bypass instead or threatened to make her start all over again through the insurance waiting game.
I told that horrible story above to let you know that others have done it in MX and survived and thrived. Whatever you choose IT IS WORTH WAITING FOR. It's also worth taking the risk and paying out of pocket for too.

Tonya, no worries...it just means your mind is going a gazillion miles an hour LOL.
I am an Army brat and I remember what it was like waiting for my father to come home from VietNam. You are in my prayers.
As soon as my foot ulcer closes I will be in the Water. I have to drive 26 miles to the Y, but it will be completely worth it. Meanwhile I will be doing chair exercises and anything else I can do without putting my foot on the floor. I am so ready to get un-kinked and stretch...

hey!
i know waiting sucks but its honestly not that bad. at first, the thought of waiting 6 months made me want to jump out a window! dec 1st marks my 6th month appt and i cant believe it!
just stay busy, read and research! everyday i learn something new as i research! start a vlog on youtube to keep you busy! thats what i did. with the health problems you have, i would recommend staying local. good luck to you and your journey! stay positive

I think staying local is a good idea too... for followup. The time will fly!

Carrie,
Don't give up! Waiting is a pain, but we have to jump through those hoops to get to our goal. I decided 9 months ago to begin my journey. Now I'm down to a round of testing and my consultation/set the date on Dec. 6th. It is worth it, and I can see that you are determined. As Journey says, "Don't stop believin' "...
BeyoncSleeve

im praying to be sleeved by dec 20th. i meet my surgeon tuesday and hopefully ill get a tentative date. dec 1st marks my 6months so they send my stuff over to my insurance and i wait!

Another way to save time is to call your insurance and ask what their requirements are. Believe it or not, a lot of people do not do this. If you pick a surgeon of excellence (which you should in my humble opinion), the insurance coordinator will call your insurance at the very beginning of the process and CONFIRM what you were told so there are no surprises. They might even provide you or your primary physician forms to fill out so it is all in the exact way the insurance wants it.
I see a lot of delays here because the surgeons staff is inexperienced and they send the wrong or incomplete information to the insurance. An experienced team is essential for your health and speed. Best of luck!

I had more problems with my PCPs office than I did with my surgeon's office, however my process was extremely fast. I would wait until after you talk with your surgeon and insurance coordinator before I made any decisions to go elsewhere. I am also a fan of instant gratification, but my process went so quickly that I felt like I didn't have time to change my mind!
There are a lot of differences in insurance requirements, but I would think that your large amount of comorbidities will work in your favor. Hang in there. Ask lots of questions and get your insurance coordinator to give you a list of what you need to do for them to be able to send your case to insurance for approval. I actually left my initial consultation appointment and made my appointments with my PCP and the psychologist before I left the parking lot at the surgeons office.

Good Evening,
First of all let me just tell you that I am like you. When I decide to do something I don't want to wait I want it RIGHT NOW! So trust me its easy saying this then doing it. But this will happen and you've got to hold on until then. Get all of the information you possibly can for your insurance. Be you are best advocate. No one wants this more then you do, so speak up for yourself. I LOVE my surgeon but can't stand his administrative assistant. She is terrible with communication but the surgeon will email me back within an hour. When I didn't hear from his assistant for a few weeks, I didn't sit back and worry and fret about it, I took matters into my own hands and emailed both her and the surgeon and I called. Well I guess she got sick of hearing from me because she gave me my first appointment to see him one on one on a day that he wasn't supposed to see patients and the same day she gave me the appointment she gave me a surgery date AFTER she asked which date would be best because she knows I'm a music teacher and hubby is deployed and should be home soon.
I truly believe that even if you have to wait you WILL get there and use this time to get yourself educated on the good, the bad, and the ugly on this surgery. Take the time the time to heal. I've been on blood thinners before because I had a blood clot in my lung and I know how much it sucks and how careful you have to be. But maybe try going to a pool that way you can start preparing for the surgery physically as well as emotionally. I went out and brought a bodymedia fit so I can try all of my calories and steps. I've had small goals that I want to have BEFORE the surgery so it will take my mind off the wait.
Send me a message if you need to vent because I totally understand! Good luck and see you on the losers bench soon!
T

It's almost impossible for the sleeve not to work. I mean, you'd have to try awfully hard eating absolutely terrible foods to actually GAIN with 85% of your stomach gone.
Now, does that mean you'll reach goal? No. You have to do the head work to get the eating under control. Grazing isn't good behavior, but if you choose the sleeve and continue to graze I'd highly suggest you be doubly diligent about logging your food. You MUST log your food or it's easy not to realize how much you're eating and to live in total denial about your food choices.
The VSG will remove 85% of your stomach and leave your entire brain behind. So any food addictions, overeating problems, coping mechanisms - any food issues you have are still going to be there. The sleeve is going to keep you from sucking down a Big Gulp slurpee in one shot. It's going to keep you from eating half a pizza. But it's not going to choose healthy food choices for you or make you stop bad habits. So you have to really evaluate what's going on when you eat before you can stop that. Yes, you can "abuse" the sleeve and not lose weight. I think it would be a real challenge. I'm no role model. I follow the rules about 60% of the time. I'm a SLOW loser as a result but I don't gain weight. So to me, imagining someone actually gaining back is bizarre. But yeah, you could easily eat such crap, even in small portions, that you won't lose. So if you think this will be an issue, I recommend some counseling or support group time before you opt for surgery again.
I was in absolute denial about my overeating and my food behaviors until post op. It's been a struggle at times but I wouldn't trade my surgery for anything. I'm totally happy with my choice.
Now, about your husband. Look, my husband was the exact same way before my sleeve. He liked me bigger, has never been attracted to skinny women, etc. Once I told him how I feel and why I want this surgery he was supportive. We've still had some tug-o-war over the fact that I'm now thinner than he prefers. But as long as I've given him the option to vent he's felt like I'm taking his opinion into consideration, too.
I won't lie - your lack of success with the band is already going to be an issue. He didn't want you to lose weight and now he's watched you struggle post op. Convincing him to jump on board for another surgery will not be easy. I hope that you'll do what's best for you but also try to take his feelings into consideration. Sometimes if both partners aren't on the same page it can get ugly as the weight falls off. I don't say that to worry you. It's a very real thing. I recommend you search the forums here for more posts about this post op relationship stuff. But the general rule seems to be that if you're on the same page and doing well before the sleeve you do great post op. If you're not both on the same page it sometimes causes friction.
Look. It is genuinely hard for our husbands to understand WHY we feel the need to lose weight. My husband took it as a sign that his love and acceptance of me just wasn't enough. Communicate and figure out where you both stand on this before charging ahead and you should be fine.
Good luck. Do lots of research and scope out this board for a good long while before making a choice. I think I watched the boards for five months before even creating an account, and watched another seven months after that before having surgery. I wanted to see the real story about the sleeve and feel like I knew what to expect after surgery. It worked really well for me.
~Cheri

My husband took screen caps from the video I did as I started my pre-op on April 25th at 280 pounds. Then he did one from today with me head tilted almost the same way. I think I suddenly really saw how dramatic this change has been!
28 weeks out tomorrow, 96 pounds down, 24 to go. What a journey! I love my sleeve.

A year ago today I weighed 291 pounds. I had always wanted to run a half marathon but never thought that I actually would. Yesterday, I completed the Women's Nike half marathon in San Francisco. 13.1 miles. It was amazing. The hills were intese and the views of golden gate bridge and the city and ocean were beautiful. I finished in 3 hours and 18 mins. Not bad for someone who really didn't train or prepare. There was over 20,000 participants, mostly women and it was so inspiring. I am super sore today but so thankful that I was even able to do it. It was so awesome!

I had 2 lovely nsv today!!! First it was 1/2 price day on clothing at value village ( in canada) and I spent $100 on just me!!!! I didn't buy anything for the kids of hubby. Just me. Boy did that feel weird. I got pretty much a new wardrobe because lots of my clothing doesnt fit again ; )
While at value village, I had to try on clothing. I hit my alltime goal of fitting into size 9 pants!!! I even fit 2 size 8!!!! Holy crappola was I excited!! I laughed out load in the changeroom and scared the little old lady in the next stall ; ) lol
Now if only my size would suck back in...... Lol

We're stationed at the Embassy in Bishkek and recently attended the Marine Corps Ball. Days later, people are still coming up to me and complimenting me on my dress and how nice I looked!
I know it might seem odd to consider this a success story but I've always avoided attending the military balls because I always feel like the fattest girl in the room or the unattractive wallflower. I never felt comfortable enough to dance and I always left as soon as we could possibly break away.
This year I danced all night with my husband. I talked to everyone and had a great time. It was just an all around wonderful experience. My only issue was eating! They served about ten courses and it was hard to even try a taste of everything.
So I consider this a success story. Not only did I lose enough weight to look and feel great in my gown, but I shed enough emotional baggage to feel confident and have fun.
I just wanted to share!
~Cheri

Greetings folks! I know it's been a minute and wanted to poke my head in. I was wondering - how far out should one be from surgery to officially be considered a success? I mean, we all will lose a significant amount of weight - but what is the timeframe?
Only asking...because at 14 months post-op and 100+ pounds down, I sure as hell FEEL successful! But there is still a journey ahead of me. Just trying to Celebrate the small victories, yanno?
Also, I keep forgetting to post my "real" (ie: unfiltered *lol*) posts here - so I will link if you are interested. I've done 2 pretty significant updates - you can check them out here (with some GREAT comp shots *whew*)
http://vanishingvixen.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/who-wants-to-be-fat-seriously/
http://vanishingvixen.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/what-average-looks-like/
Also - I posted 2 recent pics in my album. *SMH* I still can't believe how awesome this experience has been...

Nine months ago today I had my sleeve surgery with Dr. Nick at the Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas. Highest weight (a year ago Septmeber was ~265. My start weight was 253, my weight Day of Surgery was 241. I now weigh 150 pounds, with 15 pounds to go to goal. My highest BMI wass 44.7 -now I'm at 25.3 - almost in the normal range!
I have lost 13.5" from my waist and 11.5" from my hips. I was in a 24W or 3X top, now I am wearing 12 Petites and a Medium top.
This nine months have been spent learning - learning how to make the sleeve work for me, learning how to handle stress without shoving food into my mouth, learning how to relate to food in a totally different way.
I still have a ways to go to cope with being a "normal size" food addict (kind of like a "dry" drunk) but life is really good now.
I have the confidence to jump into the job market. My company is offering me early retirement with a settlement, so I am going to take it and get back in the job market. I already have some companies interested in hiring me, but I know that is a long way from having a new job (yet). I don't think I would have put myself on the market this way if I had still been morbidly obese as I was before my sleeve. I am keeping my fingers crossed until I get a new job!
Thanks to all of you on this forum who have given me support and encoragement during my journey. It has really helped. I wish all of you continued success with your individual sleeve journies, and also a blessed Thanksgiving holiday.
Sharon
NB - I have attached a picture from today and one from about 2 weeks after my surgery.

I had initial set my goal weight at 220lbs. At the time, being 492, I never thought I would be able to get there. Well I did. On Nov. 14, 2011, 10 months and 4 days after my receiving my sleeve, I weighted in at 220 lbs.
It feels great to be here, but now I am reevaluating to see where I want to get to.....what a completely unique idea for me, being able to feel like I have the ability to control what weight I want to live my life. It's still all so surreal.
I have decided to reestablish my goal weight at 192lbs. Why? To have something to shoot for because I don't think I'm where I want to be just yet. Additionally 192 would put me at the total lost number of 300lbs. I have a slight numerology interest and 300 just seems like a cool number.
Ok, deep breath, appreciate where I've been and where I am going, now back at focusing on doing what I need to do in order to be successful. See you at the next stop.
Update: 11/21/11 weigh in, 215lbs.

I am one who has always hated shopping. Trying clothes on usually gave me heart palpitations and broke me out into a cold sweat. I seriously have had store clerks ask me if I was okay because I was sweating profusely (dripping wet hair and wet clothes kind of sweating) and it was cold outside. The whole shopping event was dramatic and traumatic to say the least but since I have lost weight the sweating has stopped completely. For that alone I would have this surgery again.
I recently went shopping for a couple of things because I am almost out of clothes. For years I held onto smaller sizes with the hope I would lose weight so until recently I have been able to wear what I already had in the closet. First I went and bought a blazer in a size 16 which for me being a more should I say top heavy gal with broad shoulders I need a bigger size on top. Boy was I surprised when I got home and it was too big. I thought about moving the button over a bit but it was more than a couple of inches too big. Shocked. It took awhile for it to register with me.
Then I went jeans shopping and took two pair of size 14s in to try on because last time I was at this weight I could just squeeze into 14s. I was shocked to discover they were too big and ended up buying size 12 jeans. It made me feel so incredibly skinny!
I am finding that I am smaller at my current weight than I was previously when I was this weight. Part of me thinks it is just the distribution of the weight but my mind also wants to rationalize it by saying sizes are probably bigger than they were or adding stretch into jeans makes it easier to go down a size or two. I don't know why it is but I am choosing to celebrate! Shopping without drama and trauma! Yeah!!

Today is my 3 month surgiversary and with Thanksgiving in two days I thought I'd post all the NSV's I'm thankful for at this point. I lost 30 lbs. last year before deciding to have VSG so I'm actually down a total of 74 pounds since this last Thanksgiving. I have been too embarrassed to post pics but in honor of my surgiversary, I've decided to finally post a "before" pic at my highest weight and also an "in progress" pic of me (10 lbs ago). Sorry, I don't have a more current one.

I'm 3 mo. post op and I know I'll be to goal before another 3 mo. has passed
I KNOW I'll lose the weight AND keep it off, instead of just hoping I will
When I said goodbye to the 200's, 190's, 180's, 170's, and now 160's - I knew I was never going see those numbers again
I'm wearing a size 8/10 pants, and medium tops
I enjoy clothes shopping again
I get to donate all my big clothes that I hid behind
I buy things that are form fitting now
sleep apnea is much better
My knees/ankles/feet don't hurt at night
My BP is great
I'm not constantly out of breath
it's easier to roll over in bed
I can cross my legs and keep them crossed easily
sex isn't filled with my wondering if he's noticing my fat rolls
I no longer am resolved to the idea that I'll live a short life - I can imagine I'll grow old some day
When I look in the mirror I no longer hear negative self talk, I like what I see, I feel pretty
My fiance is always checking me out
I'm not terrified that the holidays are coming and someone will post a pic of me on FB - posting my own pics now all the time
when I meet someone I don't wonder if they are thinking about how fat I am
I don't hide in my home anymore, I attend social functions or outings and enjoy myself
I'm no longer embarrassed all the time, or feel like the fattest person in a room, or worry that I'll run into someone I know
Eating is getting easier - haven't thrown up in several weeks (this was an issue the first 10 weeks)
food doesn't have the power it used to
I'm rarely hungry
a restaurant meal can last me two/three days
I look forward to getting on the scale
I'm no longer invisible, I'm treated differently
People are nicer to me

I'm sure I could list another dozen if I thought about it some more. This really is a life changing experience. I knew it would be because I've lost all the weight three times before in my life but it's always come back on, plus more. The best NSV is just knowing that this is it. I never have to go through being obese again!
Thank you for the wonderful support I have received along the way. This is truly and warm, caring, educational group of people and I'm so thankful for this forum because you've answered questions, lifted me up, and shared unselfishly your own journeys in order to help others.

I think no matter which WLS you chose stalls will happen. No matter which you can sabotage. For me what decided it was the fact that with the sleeve issues with mal-absorption and dumping are not a problem. There are a certain class of cardiac drugs that you will not be able to take after the DS and if one day you need one of them you'll have to settle for a less successful drug. I liked the idea that with the sleeve you are left with a normal GI tract functionally it works like everyone else. Lastly with the sleeve if it doesn't work or you regain you can go on and get the DS. Originally the sleeve was developed as the first step in getting bypass for those whose weight made it too dangerous to just get the bypass.

I tell everyone. I don't care if I get the negative comments....I just think to myself nanananapoopoo I'm gonna be thinner than you whooo.....

One year through the trials of hell
I started off at size 54 jeans and 6XL shirt. They were tight. I didn't wear them much because I mostly sat at the house, sans the occasional Walmart run to gather 10 2-liter Cokes for my many nights of playing World of Warcraft. Every Saturday night, I ordered an extra large Papa John's pizza with a large breadsticks and ate only that for all day Sunday watching football and playing video games. I had no girlfriend, no real friends, just the random online people I chatted with. And no computer vid cam because I never wanted anyone to see me. People on the internet are harsh, cruel and unyielding.
My doctor had prescribed 3 blood pressure and 2 cholesterol medications. He told me basically that I was going to die if I kept my weight up. I was approaching 400lbs with no end in sight. Dieting had never worked for me, since I always gained the weight back. And bulletin boards were no help, since most of the people there gained it back too. I hadn't exercised in 4 years, what was I supposed to do?
He recommended the sleeve, but it would take 6 months to get approved. I was too impatient for that, so I continued my binge. The solution it seemed was to get a girlfriend! I posted my profile online, hit up every girl on the sites and got several dates. Nobody wanted a second date however after they looked at my fatness, bad attitude and social irregularities. I became even more depressed, scored more terrible dates and spiraled into a cycle of self hatred. The movie "50 First Dates" is a comedy, however in real life it's not all that funny. I actually had one girl see me from a distance, get repulsed and leave on our first encounter. She was my 50th date, and had successfully crushed what little self esteem I had left. I went home and repeatedly hit myself in the head until I was almost unconscious. Here I am, a highly educated man abusing myself because of my miserable life.
As I laid there hurting.
I decided to change.
I started the surgery approval process, and threw away every piece of fattening food in the house. The surgeon's office had these huge chairs geared for morbidly obese people like me. It was weird to know that many other people had been on this journey, but comforting at the same time. In only three months I'd be under his knife, so it was time to get busy.
I joined a local gym who's owner was a pure b***h. She was mean to me, saying I was too fat for most of the machines. As I took my first step onto the elliptical, it started cracking. Maybe that wench was right, I WILL break her equipment! After ten minutes at level 1, I thought I would pass out. So I sat on the floor hyperventilating as she ran over and started yelling at me for being on the floor. I hated her.
Fueled by hatred, frustration, with vivid memories of all the bad dates in my head and the gym owner's voice still ringing in my ear, I suffered through. The next day I did 10 minutes, then 20 and finally a full hour at level 1.
I started on Atkins figuring I could lose a few pounds before surgery to get a healthy start. Then focusing my rage, I jacked the machine over the next few months to 3, 5, 7 and finally level 20 for a full hour. If you've never done level 20 on an elliptical, you can see your life flash before your eyes after a few minutes. Nobody else at the gym wanted any part of it as I poured sweat, breathed like a workhorse and suffered through. Not one person talked to me at the gym. Ever. Because if I wasn't near death when leaving, I didn't consider that a valid workout.
Then came this happy HerbaLife guy named Lynn. He was very friendly, inviting me over to his weight loss challenge and encouraged me every few days. This was the first person in years that didn't look away, didn't ignore me and actually was fun to talk to. I dropped 13 lbs before this weight loss challenge began, and started my pre-op diet after few weeks in. And even had surgery on one of those Mondays so I missed that meeting. The VSG board said to walk after surgery so I did, even though it hurt like hell. I walked an hour the day of surgery, the day after and every day out of the hospital. My doctor said to not exercise for a month, but I didn't really care. I wanted the weight off. In my head, all I saw was that extra large pizza barely fitting into my refrigerator, the sickly smell of those breadsticks that weren't cooked properly half the time.
So I married the treadmill and the elliptical in a ceremony of pain, sweat and anguish. I probably injured myself a couple of times during this process, but never reported it. I threw all my medications into the trash, drop kicking the empty bottles into the wall. And put my doctor's phone number on call blocking and didn't attend the follow-ups.
It's me.
And the gym.
If we die together, so be it.
After a couple months I had upped my exercise to 2 hours a day. When football was on, I'd watch a whole game from the treadmill for 3 hours. And then there was Lynn and his weight loss challenge. At the end of their 12 weeks, I had dropped 47 lbs + the 13 before for a grand total of 60lbs. I obliterated everyone. There was no second place. But in the process I had stumbled upon what fires me up - a challenge. Competing with other people, and being accountable made me lose faster, and keep it off. If you've ever attended one of these events, it's a huge Herbalife advertisement spam. But - the challenge aspect is what hooked me.
I remember during this process the day that I stopped caring what people thought about me. It was a weird day, one where I decided to wear house shoes to workout. Working on my self-esteem, people skills and removing all the negativity from my life during this process freed me a lifelong burden. One where I constantly worried when someone didn't like me, or wouldn't make eye contact as I passed by. If you ever reach this point, your life will change dramatically.
Society is filled with social pressure towards food. Every time I'm out with other people, we eat. But I drink an Atkins shake before I leave the house and normally don't eat anything. Other people try to shun you, ask why, etc. We had these little Herbalife pies in class the other day, and people were trying to guilt me into having a piece. Seriously? What a joke. I'm not hungry, and that little pie is a stumbling block towards my goal of LIVING MY LIFE THE WAY I WANT. As a populous, we've descended into food social pressure, so the other people can feel better about themselves by making you eat more.
I signed up for another challenge, and am losing 7 lbs a week. I play Tetris on my phone during the videos, because I've seen them all before (sorry Lynn). At a social event last week, I had 3 women who were just fascinated by me and were all smiles and laughs. They actually liked me, which was strange from so many years ago. I've had several comment on my positive energy and great smile that I have all the time. NOT from losing weight alone, but working on fixing myself, my attitude, outlook on life, ridding myself of worry and fear. Sure the weight helps, but you can still be miserable while thin. The sleeve is not a panacea.
I've gone from a 54 to 42 pants, soon to be at my goal weight.
I'm off all medications.
I shop at Old Navy instead of the fat store.
I meditate an hour per day.
I look in the mirror and see a sexy beast.
Instead of the fat pig blood pressure velcro sleeve, I now can fit into the regular one.
The doctor can find a vein in my arm now, instead of taking blood from my hand.
And I'm under 300lbs for the first time since the 90's
I feel fantastic all the time. Why? Because I'm living the life I want and deserve.
Join me, find what FIRES YOU UP. Channel it into your diet and exercise, whatever it takes for you to reach your own personal goals and aspirations. Steve Jobs recently died at such a young age. Life is so short. If you get hit by a bus tomorrow, what will you see as your life passes before you? A miserable existence where other people AND FOOD control your happiness, or a life filled with self-love, joy and happiness? It's only food, guys. It was designed to keep you from being hungry for a few hours, not to reign control over your destiny.
You are in control. Find your motivator. And live it.
I saw a commercial for Papa John's pizza last weekend, and threw something at the tv. That vice is no longer a part of my journey.