Birdy18

Thanks for sharing! How was the pain and recovery time?

Hi everyone! My surgeon asked if I wanted to have my VSG with a single incision vs. the multiple small incisions. He said there was a slightly higher risk of a hernia with the single incision through my belly button, but that it was up to me. Is anyone else having this? Or, has anyone else had this with success? I'd love to know if you had complications, how you felt, etc. I did a search and found a few people who had it done, but didn't see a ton of comments about it. Any help would be appreciated!

You look AMAZING and thank you so much for sharing your story. I think it's really easy to get sucked into these boards (I think I overdid it the past few weeks), but reading the success stories and seeing such amazing and inspirational photos are what calms me and makes me think that I can do this too. Out of curiosity - you had no pre op diet? No 1-2 weeks of liquid diet? How come? Thanks again!

It is definitely not just you! I can absolutely relate to your thought process. I was offered an Aug 20 or Aug 28 date, I opted for Aug 20. Things have happened really quickly for me too - from seminar to nutritionist and psychiatric appointments, my pre op diet starts in 6 days. I too am starting a new job in the next month and the decision coupled with fears of energy levels at a new job, insurance concerns, and a big trip in September have my head going a mile a minute. However, I know I want this. And I know the sooner I do it, the sooner I'll be to recuperating, past the liquid diet stages and working toward a better and healthier me! It helps when I just breathe and take one day at a time - as corny as that sounds. Good luck to you - you can do it!

Holy crap - that's amazing. To both the weight loss and the 100 push ups!! Thanks for the inspiration. I'm going to need this as I go through my pre op.

Thank you for sharing your thoughtful comment and experience! It definitely makes me feel better. I know I'm not alone in that feeling. Insurance forms were officially submitted for me today and the insurance coordinator and nurse admitted that she didn't think I'd have an issues (with a BMI over 40) but did say a lot of those approvals sometimes seemed to be whomever's desk it landed on. She did say calling for follow up on a response after a week would help too. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! Also, do NOT feel like a failure. You're taking the step to do what's right for you, it just takes time. And like you said, I'll continue thinking positive thoughts. Woo!

AMAZING. Great job!! I love hearing great updates like these - my surgery's scheduled in 28 days (who's counting? ), and hearing great positive attitudes and success stories are great. Also, what a cool way to look at your weight loss!

Thank you! For loving the list and for the kind words of encouragement. Do you share any of these NSV goals.. or have you achieved any? Any weird ones you have of your own??

So is it weird that I scheduled my surgery date (Aug 20 which is permanently etched into my brain, lest I forget) before I've had insurance approval? For a whole slew of life reasons, I actually need to have this surgery as quickly as possible. First, I've moved from deciding on the band to the sleeve. Initial PCP appointment? Check. Psychiatric? Check. Nutritionist? Check. I have to go in to see my surgeon tomorrow morning so it can officially be noted that I've seen him for the sleeve instead of the band. THEN, in go the insurance forms. In addition to everything going through my head - first surgery ever, weeks of liquid diets, fears of will this work - I'm now one thousand percent terrified that my insurance company won't approve me. I can't really afford the actual time to delay the surgery during an appeal so this has taken over my all-consuming thoughts. I have BCBS Illinois/PPO, and from the looks of things it looks like that's a good thing. I had the least amount of prereq's - no requirements for 9 month long medically supervised weight loss attempts (hi, welcome to 28 years of my life kthxbye) - but aside from having a BMI over 40, I'm 28 and don't have any other health issues or co morbidities: no sleep apnea, normal blood pressure, no joint pain, etc. I know NOTHING about insurance approvals, but I'm wondering if not having any of those issues will actually hurt my approval or not? I just need to know soon - put me out of my misery!! Anyone have any good luck with a BCBS of IL PPO? Would love to hear the positive insurance approvals at this point. Yours in all my neurotic glory, Birdy

Thanks for the words of encouragement! I've decided that I'm only telling my immediate family (dad, mom, brother) but not anyone else beyond that. You can just PM me any time you need the support! I know I need all the help I can get. One step at a time!

Hello, world. I thought I'd take the time to formally list out my non scale victory goal list. Having been around the weight loss block and back again oh say.. 10 times over (enough already!).. I recognize the importance of setting scale and non scale victories for myself. As a young lay-daaay (oh, haaaai!) who has been overweight all my life but with a trendy, fashion-loving sense of style, I have a long one. Sure, I have my weight and health goals. Of course. I've had them for years. But now's the time to list out every detail - big and small - that I have wanted to get to my entire life but due to my weight, have yet to achieve... and keep. Mr. List - I vow to come back to you throughout my weight loss journey for motivation, reminders, celebrations and reality checks.. for those plateaus and frustrating times to keep me going. I'm starting with 18 because I'm a superstitious freak and that's my lucky number. Ready, set... Fitting into designer skinny jeans. Not James Jeans from Salon Z at Saks (though I do love you, boo), but honest to goodness designer denim: Sevens, J Brand, Joe's. Tankini... or, dare I say it.. bikini? Sitting in a chair without something in my lap - a sweater, HUGE BAG, or hiding behind a table to hide the rolls of my stomach. Who am I fooling? The end of thigh chafing. TMI, but Chicago summers? Come ON. More easily tying or strapping on m'shoes sans tummy to make things difficult. The end of plus sized clothing options. Confidence to show my arms. Rock a Rent the Runway dress (standard sizing) for the next wedding I attend! Courage and energy for spinning classes at Fly Wheel or Soul Cycle Easily do ten perfect push ups - the bain of my existence in all my current workout vids! Zipping into my favorite top from my studying abroad (thinnest days) Fitting into any clothing item smaller than an XL or single digits Shop in the same stores/sections as my girlfriends and be able to buy more than just accessories! Take photos without hiding behind people. Actually needing a belt. (Not just for a fashion statement) Able to be carried... On top. Nuff said. Cross my legs... easily, with a sky high pair of platforms, natch. More to come! Anybody else? What are your NSV goals, hopes or achievements? Mine may seem random or superficial, but so many times in my life I've wanted to be able to more easily do these things but my weight has prevented me from enjoying them.

I'm 28, live in Chicago, love to travel, discover new restaurants, all things girly or glamorous, and big cities. For the most part, I've lived a happy, healthy life despite being overweight for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was always chubby... soon that turned into overweight. Despite having an outgoing personality and great friends, I still remember every mean comment hurled at me from grade school, middle school and high school. As a young child, I remember one of my aunts would pull me aside and have me do arm circles. I remember hearing family members and family friends ask my parents how I would find anybody to love being as big as I was. I come from a family who loves food, who's full of great cooks, and is centered around grand meals. I myself, love to cook. I'm what I say an equal opportunity food lover - I love all kinds of food, ethnic, hole in the walls, five-star gourmet, you name it. My father used to reward me with bad foods - whether it was because I earned it, he wanted it, or to cheer me up. As a senior in high school, I began what would be ten years of up's and down's on Weight Watchers - losing about the same 40 lbs over and over again only to restart a bit higher every time. Ten years later, I'm at my highest weight at 249 when I decided on WLS. After discussing it with my family, surgeon, primary care physician (whom I love and adore), I went from thinking about the band to firmly on the sleeve. I have 100 lbs to lose. I don't think I've ever said that before or put that thought out there in the world. One hundred lbs. That is a terrifying, daunting thought. But I know I can do it. I know that everything from here on out will be challenging. I'm full of terrifying fears. The same thoughts run through my head as I wait for insurance approval and the date of my surgery: August 20, 2012. What if I can't do this? What if I fail? How will I mourn my relationship and comfort with food and get past the mental hunger? I'm so terrified I'll go through a permanent, life altering surgery and not have the will power or strength to succeed. ... And yet, I know I will. I will because I have to. Because I deserve it. I don't underestimate the constant battle that I'll have missing how I am used to eat, what I do to comfort myself during sadness, stress, hell - even happiness. And that I'll have to work out a lot of those mental issues. But I've struggled with my weight for my entire life. I don't have any comorbidities now, but I know that if I stay my weight or on the track that I've been headed - that I will. I want a chance at a healthier, happier life. Full of scale and non scale victories. To stop the torturous relationship and horrible cycle that I have with my weight and food. I want, for once in my life, to be within a healthy weight range! To not always be the fat friend or get the line, "but you have the prettiest face!" I want so much more out of life than what I've been able to do for myself so far - and I know I will find the strength in me to work, challenge, encourage and most of all, be kind to myself to do this. For me. That's my story so far, but this is only just the beginning...

Great post. I'm a month away from my surgery (so nervous, so excited, so scared!) but this is a really great insight. When I was successful and going up an down with my weight loss, I was so hard on myself with everything I did or didn't do with food, exercising, you name it. Weighing myself twice daily just made me think and feel crazy. I like that how you're saying to think is a way to pay attention to your body in a sane, healthy, re-establishing a relationship with food type of way.. I think that would be helpful for me to remember as I continue!

I'm so glad I found this thread. Everyone's responses are so helpful - it's definitely something I'm fearful of. Part of me is questioning if I can "last" that long - through the pre op liquid diet and post op, but it does help knowing that I just don't yet know how I'll feel post op yet, so it's hard to wrap my brain around it. I think it's natural, having gotten to the stages where we are, to simply question if you can do it. I know it will be challenging (for me, mostly mental) every day and having tried and failed at so many different weight loss diet and lifestyle attempts, my biggest fear is - what if it won't work? What if I'm not mentally strong enough to do this? Reading people's experiences and positive encouragement and support makes me think I can.