Failure

I knew this would not be easy and I was prepared for it. It still did not stop me from bawling my eyes out. We are trying to come up with ways that we can pay for this regardless of however much they give us, if it is $7,500 or more. We still need to make the difference because we do not think they will cover it 100% at this rate. It's unfortunate that the surgeon in Chattanooga accepts 4 different lending companies but the one here only has the 1. It's frustrating and it makes me angry but by golly I am going to figure this out and have this procedure. I need to do this for myself and for my health and for my life. I'm not giving up.

It just turns out that there were some numbers not being implemented accurately but I have to wait until morning to see what the difference will be. I still need hands and prayers. I can pay up to like maybe $4-5,000 through my fiancee being such a super amazing man. So let's see if this will work.

I'm not basing my surgery on money. I know the horror stories about a Lap-Band from this website I definitely don't want that. I can't use the financing money for something else other than the surgery for the surgeon I selected. I can't explain it any other way because I don't know why it's even like that. I'm going to go through the financing threads and see where we can come up with about $10,000. Maybe he can apply for a credit card with that kind of allowance, I don't know. There is still a small shimmer of hope as we had put down some estimates that turned out being a bit lower than actual and she's calling me back in the morning to let me know if there is a difference.

Mexico isn't in my price range because you can't finance it, that I know of. The specific surgeon you go to has to have CareCredit available to them. For this surgeon CareCredit only covers the Lap-Band. And no offense to Mexico surgery or people who had it but that really isn't for me. I can't justify going to another country and having little hope of followup care where I actually live. I don't feel comfortable with that. But even if I was able to get over that, I don't have a way to pay for it. The financing of $7,500 is only for the surgeon that I applied for, and the surgeon has to be one that accepts the financing or whatever. Idk.

In tears of course... I mean it always happens when I could really use something. They only approved $7,500 when I need $18,065. I don't know where on earth I would come up with $11,000.

And wait with me while I await this phone call back from the lending office. This is my make or break phonecall! If I don't get approved for this finance I'm not sure how I will be able to afford this surgery. I put my fiancee as a co-signer who makes really good money and has excellent credit. My credit is OK but not amazing, but I make significantly less money than he does. But I don't know why I just feel like I have a 50/50 chance even with his co-signature. She called to verify a few things and stated she would be calling back TODAY to let me know the results of my application. So please hold my hand and pray with me that everything goes through alright! I'm so excited and nervous and 5000000000000000000 emotions are swirling!!

I had a chat with someone today on the phone at the surgeon's office and I did get a chance to ask about this, and they said it was a good question to ask but quite often females who are over weight end up having hiatal hernia's and they will go ahead and fix those up if they see any at no extra cost.

Congrats!!!!

Oh my gosh I called today to talk to someone about a few questions and also to set up a consultation with the surgeon. And since I am doing this through medical financing they said I can go ahead and do that since I have the pricing sheet from an email the person I spoke with sent to me. So I went ahead and they have already called me to verify a few income related things for me and my co-signer and she said she would call back TODAY and let me know the result of my application. I'm so nervous and on edge, my life is awaiting this phone call and it will be the deciding factor of my future, at least in the immediate. This is my only option right at this moment. I pray to God that this is it for me, I need this for myself. Dear God help me now and please please please let this lender approve me!!!!!

As your stomach reduces in swelling there will be more room for the room vs acid ratio and won't have so much reflux going on. But if you're not far out from your surgery then you still have swelling going on probably that is contributing to this.

I am replying unofficially because I don't know, but I would guess you should take them all out just in case but remember the procedure only lasts a couple of hours at most. I can't imagine there being any reason you can't put them back in after you wake up. Unless they are brand new piercings, they shouldn't close up any by the time you're awake and able to put them in (or have someone help you..). Sometimes I take my lip ring out for a number of days and it won't close up, but I've had it for 12 years.

I recently watched this HBO documentary show thing called Weight Of The World and it wasn't in relation to a weight loss surgery but they actually had some good advice on this. It was a couple who was relearning how to appreciate food healthily rather than take advantage and scarf down food and be complete pigs (like we all are!) So basically they just said you turn it into a meditation. Prepare/receive your food, set it in front of you and just meditate. Take in the aroma and how much you enjoy the smell, close your eyes and think about the food you are about to eat. Think about the calories and Protein and whatever it is you need this food for. And then think about how you appreciate the food. You only need to do it for 2 or 3 minutes at most. It's not a long process. But just do it to sort of relax your mind and force yourself to tell yourself to eat it slowly, appreciate the food and not take advantage of it. I have honestly been trying this and it works. You eat so much slower but you have to WANT to do this. Otherwise your subconscious is just going to say hey this is stupid I'm not going to do this I'm just going to scarf it. If you want to do it, you will! Just turn it into a relaxing moment instead of a OH MY GOD IM GOING TO EAT THIS DELICIOUS FOODDDDDDD. I had to learn to do it too, it was NOT easy at first!

MrzSongbird it was the most selfish and hateful comment I ever heard out of my sisters mouth. I never knew she viewed me that way but it rolls off my back to be honest. If that's how she wants to act then that's ok, she can just sit back and watch me succeed with hazy eyes instead of us having a success "together" as a family and working together.

My sister had gastric bypass about 3 or 4 years ago now and it was probably about 1 or 2 years ago I had been seriously looking into some kind of weight loss surgery, I didn't have any particular one I wanted. I mean the bypass was the one that everyone heard about and not the sleeve, if it was even being done that commonly back then I have no idea. I only ever heard of the band and RNY. Anyway, the second I told her I was interested she told me this, word for word: "I kind of hope you don't get it, because you'll get skinny and be so much prettier than me and I won't be the pretty skinny one anymore". It doesn't even matter if the friend is big or small, weight loss surgery patient or not. People are just so terrible to each other when they hear about someone making a drastic change about themselves FOR THE BETTER because it means they will be left in the dust with THEIR OWN MISERY and feel that you won't be on that pity party bandwagon anymore. Which is true. Even with a WLS, not everyone suddenly becomes happy. I have seen that with my own 2 little eyeballs and it's sad. You'd think after bettering a large part of yourself (no pun intended) that contributes to your misery, that you'd at least find SOMETHING to be happy about and portray that onto other people. Nope. Not always.

Wow! I am definitely going to put this on my list of questions to ask at my consult! Thank you guys so much. What exactly is entailed in hernia repair?

Do you know if they had to charge her extra for it or anything?

So if you've been following my posts or my blog at all you'd know that originally I was waiting until I moved to Tennessee sometime around September/October and getting the surgery after that, but now it's not going to be then it's going to be NOW. I mean not literally this second, but since there is a surgeon in the area we feel it might be good that I do it here while I am still living with my mom so she can help if I need it and be there for the surgery, etc. There is a bariatric surgeon in the area and they take financing, too! I am only worried about the financing in the sense that now he won't be able to be the one who signs for it so there is a possibility I will be denied. I don't think I would be since my credit score is "okay" but I don't know if that's good "enough" for a lending company to want to accept me. It all depends. And if I did get denied, I don't know if they would let my fiancee sign from another state. Does anyone else know? So tomorrow (although I guess technically today, just after I sleep) I am going to be calling the surgeon's office to ask a few questions and see about setting up a consult date. I'm not sure if they are going to want me to attend the seminar first or not, since I have already done my homework but I'm sure they can't have any trust in that since they do not know me. So I'm not sure if I will be required to do that first or not. I'm just sooooo excited to get this done, I just wish I had a few hundred dollars extra to throw at my fiancee to come down here for the surgery time. I really want him to but I don't know that he would be able to. I miss him so much. I'm just overwhelmed and nervous because I've always had the kind of life where I try to do my best to be as nice to people and do nice things, but I don't always get that back at me. I sort of have bad luck a lot and people don't always treat me as good and I have been burned in a lot of aspects of my life. I'm just hoping and praying that this will not be another one of those moments where I am let down. This needs to happen for me, and for my health. I am 27 and have little issues that will only get worse as I get older. I want to stop them now from getting worse and live a young adult life like I haven't been able to fully enjoy. By the time I am 30 I want to be able to wear all of those clothes types that I really wish I could wear that have all the cool designs and features that I've desperately wished I could fit in to. That could happen for me. And that process could be starting SOON!!!

Do you swim in a public pool? Maybe you can find one that you can swim in in open time at a gym or something where people are more understanding and not so ignorant and crude. I hate people who act like such dorks. A size 20 is amazing, you are doing great! I'm a size 30/32 now and I am waiting to be a size 20 again, but smaller still than that of course. It's just been such a long time. How does it feel??

Hmmm. Not sure what the difference would be doing it in U.S. though. They might not be so generous, lol

Angela that is so not true! You will be able to enjoy a meal, just not eat as much as them. Essentially you can eat whatever you want when your tummy is all healed up, but in a very tiny portion. You don't want to do that of course, but you CAN physically eat whatever. It's the beauty of the sleeve. Going out with people isn't always about eating as much as then, just remember that! Your presence is good enough And SOMETIMES, I only know this bc of my sister because I personally am pre-op also, but you can tell your waitress if you go to a buffet and say you had a surgery and that you eat only very little, and they will HALF the cost of your plate. I, too, am pre-op as I said. I know the fears too But just remember the 1 thing that I try to remind myself over and over. Doing a pre-op diet forever might sound all good and stuff, but you have to maintain that FOR LIFE to maintain a healthy weight after you achieve it. The surgery is a tool that will assist in that FOR EVER. A diet will not.

Everything will be A-OKAY, Angela! It's normal to have cold feet but don't give up now! Your body will love you for it after, and you will love the results. I think if you can stand a pre-op diet for a prolonged period of time then you would only benefit EVEN MORE from doing the surgery, too! No worries

Thanks so much you guys. I mean I sort of figured all of this, but I always like to double check! @vsginnj I already use myfitnesspal, I have a huge myfitnesspal ticker in my signature with the link to add me if you'd like to be friends on there

I guess that is true, it just seemed particularly high for a salt content. I know that sodium can have a hand in assisting Water retention so I would be concerned about intaking that much just from one packet let alone however many you generally would have in 1 days worth. I also have a 2nd question. On these Bariatric Advantage brand packets that I have some samples of, it seems their nutrition facts is a little weird on serving size. It says Serving Size: 1 packet (43g), Serving per Container: 24, Amount per Serving: Calories: 150 Are they saying that 1 packet has 150 calories, or 24 x 150??? That's 3,600 calories! That would be insane! It's confusing because it says serving size and amount of servings per container. Maybe they are just saying that their containers have 24 servings that you purchase generally but this is only a sample of? So confused.

So I know it is not that uncommon for obese people to have hernia's, sometimes we do not even know we have them. Do surgeons typically require us to have x-rays or whatever it is that they do to see if you have something like that? Do they still if you are self paying? Does it usually cost more than the basic surgery for the sleeve or do they just do it with the surgery in terms of money/charging you for it? I'm just concerned on the possibility of having a hernia ( don't know if I have one but I've just been thinking about it for some reason ) and since I am self paying, what would happen if they found a hernia. I don't know if I can afford 2 surgeries. Just worrying here, but don't read much about hernia's other than people had them repaired at the same time as their WLS.

I received a few samplers of Protein powders today and I got this one from unjury that supposedly tastes like chicken Soup. I thought this might be good to try for a nice replacement of broth, do like a combo of protein broth flavor thing. So I'm looking at the nutrition facts and for this packet that is 1 serving size it has 780mg of sodium, 30%. Isn't that a lot of sodium?? Will that be bad to have so much salt like that particularly post-op when I'm drinking this the 3-4 weeks or no? So confused here. Also, what exactly is a post-op liquid diet like. How many protein packets do you typically use in 1 day, is it based upon how much protein you need to add up to? It's about 64 grams a day, right? Or am I wrong? So confused here. I was hoping to get in sort of a practice round but I don't see where I could locate any kind of sample routine just to test what it's like ahead of time. Thanks in advance!