Amazing how, when you just reach out a little bit - as you did in writing and I'm doing in joining this forum 7 minutes ago and now responding - you find so many people sitting right beside you rowing the same boat. Comforting, at least. I am 47, 9 days post-op and have a very similar story to you. Always told I am beautiful, with personality and wit to match, but always overweight and riding the rollercoaster- and if there was one thing I would change about myself in the entire world, it would be to lose that weight. At any price. On the 6 year anniversary of my divorce, I got banded. I am now 9 days post-op and 10lbs down. Crazy!! I want my life back. I want to be everything I know I can be. I already run a successful business, have 2 great kids who are finally on their own (ish), great friends and family...but I want to feel loved and sexy and in order to get there I needed to do this for me. Insurance would not cover my costs either, as I didn't have enough to lose, and like you, I paid out of pocket - just some advice - I asked my surgeon if he would work with me on price if I paid cash and he actually came down a HUGE amount - over 40% of his fee! So ask and you might receive...
This 9 day journey has been hard, but I'm 100% in so I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do. Questions have definitely come up and I'm hoping to find friends on this site that I can trust to find answers through their experience and advice.
Thanks so much for sharing the start of your journey, and I look forward to reading more about you! Anything I can do to help - just ask!!! Meryl
