Jen35

You look wonderful!! My surgery is a week from today, so I can't relate to this completely. But I have been overweight most of my life and this may be an issue for me too. I've been seeing a counselor for the last 5 months and it has really helped me with some of my issues. I plan to continue to see her, because my problems with food is in my head, not just my stomach. Maybe finding a good counselor would help? Hang in there - you're awesome!

I'm kind of on both sides of the fence on this. I didn't really want to tell many people, but at the same time, didn't want to lie. I decided to tell people who are close to me and I told my boss (wish I hadn't). I thought she would be supportive, but I get this vibe from her about this being "elective surgery". Well, I just found out I have a hernia they will be repairing along with the sleeve. I wish I would have just waited and told her it was hernia surgery (not a lie). So, as others have said, you can't take it back once it's out there and it is personal, medical information that is up to you to share as you want. I am glad that I told friends and those closer to me. I don't want to lie to them and I need there support. There was only one reaction that suprised me. My sister has always been the thinner one, varying some, but significantly thinner than me. She has been gaining weight recently so that she is probably 210 or so pounds (but she's about 5'9 - much taller than me). As soon as I was approved for surgery, she started acting weird and started drastically dieting all of a sudden. It's clear to me that she is not okay with being the "fat" one once I start losing weight (but it's perfectly fine if I am the fat one). She has also made some hurtful comments. It's sad, because I've never been jealous of her being smaller and I always supported her when she lost weight. So be prepared to be suprised and/or disappointed by some people's reactions to the news.

I finally have my definite surgery date - May 22!! Yay:)

You guys are awesome - thanks for the great ideas! I'm going to try a few things and see what works for me. My counselor said I need to find something that fills each need (comfort, boredom, sad, happy). For instance, what works for boredom may not work when I'm wanting food for comfort. I was also thinking about painting. I don't think of myself as an artistic person but I've also never tried it. Even if I'm no good, it may be a helpful release for me emotionally.

Thanks for sharing. I can only hope to enjoy exercise one day . I think once I've lost some weight it will become more enjoyable and less painful. I enjoy swimming right now, but my knees don't like a lot of other cardio right now. I notice you started at the same weight I am (pre-op). You've lost so much in 5 months! I can't wait to see results like that. My surgery is 5/22

I will be sleeved in the next few weeks and I realize that I use food as my drug. I've been seeing a counselor for months and I know I'm a food addict. I'm trying to find things to help me cope when I can't use food for comfort or (fill in any other emotion here). I know I can't go back to my drug of choice when I'm feeling these emotions, but I want to be prepared with some other activities that could fill those needs. What have you found to fill this need? What do you do when you are craving food out of boredom, or when you're upset?

Hi Jen (from another Jen ) We have similar stats. I'm 5'4 and 1/2 and weigh 240. My tentative date is May 21st. I won't know until my final appointment with the surgeon, but that's the date I'm shooting for. I have my endoscopy tomorrow and I'm so nervous about that (more than surgery - go figure!) I have to do my pre-op diet for 1 week and that consists of Protein shakes and Clear liquids with the last 48 hours on just clear liquids. There is another thread called "Where are all the May Sleevers" and there are alot of us May sleevers. Just in time for Summer:) I've got my Florida vacay all planned for September, YAY

Thank you for sharing. I had a similar thing happen to me in a fold of skin and it is very painful. I even tried the over the counter yeast creams and they didn't work. But the prescription cream took care of it really quickly. It's actually really common. Hope you feel better soon:)

I'm near St. Louis in Illinois. My surgery is not scheduled but should be mid to end of May. My surgeon is Dr. Kumaran through New Start. I'm so excited and nervous!

I am definitely an addict and I consider the sleeve my rehab. I just got my approval and I'm so anxious because I'm going to have to face my life without my drug to comfort me. That's when it really hit me that I am sooo addicted. I started counselling several months ago because I knew this was going to be a head issue as much, if not more than a physical thing.

Hang in there:) I'm pre-op but I don't have my surgery date yet and I'm really nervous. I am definitely having surgery and I know why, but I'm still scared. food is my comfort and my drug, so I feel anxious about losing it. But I know this is for the best. I kind of look at the sleeve as my "rehab" and the only way I'm going to kick this habit for good. I'm not on my pre-op diet yet, but I know that will be very hard. It is probably making you more sensitive and amplifying your fears. But from what I've read here on this site, it's pretty common to be scared before surgery. I hope you feel better soon and I'm right there with you!

Ryan Reynolds in anything! He is my ideal man - body, sense of humor and all.

Oooo - I second Wolverine! Thor has a nice body but I'm not too interested in the big hulky type. But Wolverine is perfect, and a bit of a bad boy!

I completely relate to your fears. I was just talking to my counselor about this. I just found out that I was approved for surgery and I have been trying for 6 months to get here. I thought I would be extremely excited, but I'm scared - primarily that it's "real" now and I'm going to have to give up my security blanket (food) and cope with my feelings in other ways. So scary! I have never been able to diet successfully because of food addiction. I wish I could go to rehab for this addiction, but it doesn't exist! That's kind of how I view VSG - it's my rehab that will force me to restrict my food since I haven't been able to on my own. Thank you for putting yourself out here - just know that you are not alone in these feelings. Take care:)

Yum - I need to try that. Thanks for sharing:) I'm born and raised in the St. Louis area (still here on the Illinois side). Do you still live there?

I just got my approval - waiting for that since January. So it looks like I will be a May sleever too. I have my pre-op appointment 4/19. Still need to schedule and endoscopy. Can't wait till I have a surgery date:) And I'm also scared, nervous and excited!

I am pre-op and I have a Ninja blender - got it at Target for about $100 - and a Breville juice Fountain Plus - got it at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $150 (before a 20% off coupon). I love both and, as you can see, not horribly expensive. Especially if you are talking about ordering from Pressed Juicery. You can experiment with small batches of veggie combinations to see what you like. Also, everything I have read says that the nutrients start to break down quickly after juicing and to dring within 30-60 minutes after juicing. So I don't know if you would be getting the full benefits from the juice by ordering it. As mentioned before, there are benefits to both juicing and blending. Juicing - I like vegetables but not so much veggie juice, but it works for me because I usually mix veggies and fruits together. I don't even taste the greens when they are with carrots and an apple. Yes it has carbs and surgar, but it also has healthy enzymes, Vitamins and minerals. And can curb a sweet craving without resorting to something that has empty calories. After the sleeve, I won't be able to eat as many veggies/fruits, but can get the same vitamins etc, packed into a drinkable form. As for cleaning, it's a breeze as long as you clean it right afterward. I reuse my plastic grocery bags to line the pulp container so I don't even have to wash that - just pitch the bag. The rest you can easily rinse out or put in the dishwasher. The only "hard" thing is the filter and it comes with a brush to clean it. Really not too bad. Blending - I love my Ninja! Not as good as a Vitamix but I wasn't willing to pay $400 or more for a blender. It does the job. It can crush ice into snow, so it's powerful. I make homemade sorbet for my kids and they LOVE it. I just use frozen fruit (we love raspberries and cherries), a little milk or Water (you don't need much liquid), a little vanilla and a bit of sugar or sweetener to taste. It comes out the consistancy of soft serve or soft sorbet. Eat it as is or put in the freezer if you want a firmer consistancy. I usually make smoothies with greek yogurt and frozen fruit.

I was finaly approved today!!! Now I just have to wrap my head around it. It's taken so long to get approved. I know I'm ready, but the nerves are really kicking in! I have to get an endoscopy first and I'm really more scared of that than the surgery. I'm just afraid of a complication with the surgery. I know nerves are normal at this point though.

I'm pre-op (since October) hoping for an April surgery. I wasn't planning on telling anyone but close friends and family, but then I figured that people are going to find out. So I've told a few more people, including my boss. I really expected my overweight friends to be more supportive, but I think it's the mentality that "wow - she is as big as I am. I don't think I need surgery!" So then they are talking me out of it out of denial of their own weight issues. Then there are those who just don't know enough about the surgery. It's frustrating though. One friend wanted me to try a diet pill and said "with the surgery you will have to limit what you eat". I'm thinking, yeah that's the point. I would have to do that with a diet pill and risk the side effects too. I've just decided to ignore the negative and focus on getting healthy. I know myself and I'm working with a counselor to make this successful. I don't owe anyone an explanation of my healthcare decisions.

It really depends on the insurance, the doctor's office and if they are all doing their jobs. My last appointment with the surgeon was Dec. 7th. They submitted my paperwork to the insurance the end of December and I'm still waiting. There was an issue with the doctor not being in network, so I had to switch to the other doctor in the same office. Should have been an easy fix IF the insurance coordinator at the office AND the insurance pre-cert rep were doing their job. They were not and I had to stay on them. At this point the insurance pre-cert rep is ready to approve me, but I need to meet with the new doctor and get his okay. That happens tomorrow. So I'm hoping by early next week to have an approval. Some get approved right away, and some have issues (like me). Hang in there and stay on top of everyone involved. I wasted a few weeks waiting to hear something and it turned out that the insurance was waiting on the office and vise versa. So FRUSTRATING!

I've been trying since the first of January to get approved. They originally denied me because my surgeon was out of network. Since then it has been a circus getting the doctor changed (same office) and the pre-certification contact has to be constantly prodded to do her job. I'm so frustrated, but I'm getting there. I'm hoping for surgery mid to late April. Fingers crossed.

Update: It's been over a month since I've posted this and still waiting to hear if I'm approved. Turns out that when the practice moved at the end of the year, the new doctor did not have his address updated with Cigna. Sooooo, I had to have the doctor's office submit the address change. I gave it some time and I was very patient (not like me!). I finally called Cigna and the pre-certification nurse (I snagged the direct line of the pre-cert nurse for my case which means I can bug the CRAP out of her!!). After a long conversation to reminder her what is going on, she tells me that , Oh, the address has been changed in the system. I guess if I hadn't followed up, nothing would have moved forward. She told me I just needed the dr. office to fax her something stating we are changing the doctors and she would review. She basically told me over the phone that it looked like I had all the required information submitted. Called the coordinator - she was faxing it that day. That was over a week ago. A couple days ago I called the coordinator and the pre-cert nurse and neither have called me back. I am so close!!! It just is really driving me insane to be this close and nothing is happening! I really want to be wearing a smaller size this summer. At this point, I'm so discouraged.

I just started so really I've only had one session. The research I did prior showed great results for trama and PTSD suffers. It is supposed to work much quicker than just talk therapy and it reorganizes your thoughts, etc. related to the trama. For me, I have a lot of untrue emotions and beliefs about myself (I'm worthless/helpless/alone, etc) related to the abuse that lead to emotional eating. I went in with an open mind and I was pretty amazed at the emotions that came up in just that hour session. Prior to this session we worked on establishing a "safe" place (for me it's the beach) and I used the last week to practice visualizing that as a relaxation technique. During my session, she had me think about the tramatic experience (the emotions I was feeling, the physical sensations, etc.) while she moved her hand from side to side and I tracked her hand with my eyes. Every 20-30 seconds, she had me take a deep breath and update her with my emotional/physical feelings. At one point I actually felt panic and the physical feeling of being unable to run away (very strange). At the end she had me visualize putting all this "stuff" in a box and locking it up and leaving it in her office for next time so I don't dwell on in outside of our sessions. Then I visualized my safe place until I was calm and relaxed. The rest of the day I was kind of down, I think because my mind was still processing things. It's intense, but worth it if it's effective. I'll know more about that as time goes on.

I'm pre-op and started therapy to get a jump start on my emotional eating. I am just starting EMDR and I'm so glad to hear that it helped you. My eating is tied emotions stemming from abuse so I'm hoping this therapy helps me. I have an amazing therapist and she is really helping me so much already. VGS will help with the physical restriction of eating but not why I eat - that is what can lead me right back here even after surgery.

food is my drug. After seeing a counselor and realy analyzing why I eat, I have concluded that I am a food addict. Some people think this is a cop out or not a real thing. But for many, food works on the brain in the same way drugs do. And when you consistently drug yourself with food to cope with pain, anxiety, etc., it's an addiction. I wish I could go to food rehab! Instead, I see my thearpist weekly and I'm working toward getting the sleeve to help facilitate the changes I'm already making. I also can't exercise like I used to because of RA and other health problems. I'm hoping that losing weight will improve those conditions and I can be more active again.