gastricsleever

:faint: My answer to that would be' date=' "Do you REALLY need those front teeth!?!?!"[/quote']

My grandfather and aunts and uncles would ask me that. I remember as young as 11 or 12 when I wasn't even *that* fat at that age!!! I would just leave the room crying and go home and binge... Even when it happened 2 years ago when I was 27! And that is why I am not going with my family this year for Thanksgiving . I have my surgery scheduled for February and I can't wait to go back next thanksgiving and see what they have to say then!

Oops I posted this in the wrong category. Did anyone else get this email?!

Did you guys get this email too?

VerticalSleeveTalk.com! In a few days, VerticalSleeveTalk.com and the other Weight Loss Surgery Boards (WLSBoards) will join together and transition to BariatricPal.com! We’re excited to be leading the movement to support weight loss and health for all members of the weight loss surgery community!

I'm kind of bummed. Every other website has combined wls boards... I loved that vertical sleeve talk was just for sleevers.... I hope it doesn't change the boards too much. Do you think we will lose the boards and forums already posted? Or will they carry over?

. When my husband had United they didn't cover WLS either. That makes no sense to me especially if it means helping the person have less needs for medication and medical attention.

I have united as well... Lousy lousy insurance!

I'm scheduled with Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in February 2014. I have read nothing but amazingly positive things about him and everyone who works with him. All of the things I read on here about him have put my mind to ease. I'm so excited to have my surgery Dr. Ortiz and cannot wait! I reviewed many of the doctors and made my pros and cons list… it came down to Dr. Ortiz and another doctor and ironically right now I can't even remember the other doctor's name. I remember that his surgery was cheaper but in the end my gut and my level of comfort was with Dr. Ortiz.

I'm scheduled with Dr. Ortiz at the MCC in February 2014. I have read nothing but amazingly positive things about him and everyone who works with him. All of the things I read on here about him have put my mind to ease. I'm so excited to have my surgery Dr. Ortiz and cannot wait!

I've made the decision to have my surgery at OCC! Thank you all for giving such great info' date=' it has been awesome reading what a great experience you have had! Can't wait to join you all on the losers bench.[/quote']

SoCal, when are you having your surgery? My date is set for February 17… I'd love to have a buddy

I went for my consultation last week. Although my doctors thinks I will have better resolution with the gastric bypass I'm still opting for the sleeve. When I sat down with finance I found out Aetna has a crap load of hoops and hurdles that have to be done before they will even allow the request to be submitted for approval. Are all insurance companies like this or just Aetna?

All insurance companies are like that, if they even cover the surgery. You're lucky your insurance covers that, my insurance covers nothing even if I were to jump through hoops there are no hoops for me to jump through… They just don't cover the surgery.

take a deep breath and remember that you do have a medical necessity with your hip. what is your BMI? Do you have any medical issues such as diabetes and/or sleep apnea' date=' high blood pressure? Talk to your PCP and see how he/she could help you.....[/quote']

The problem is if there is an exclusion policy to her policy, it will never be covered

Or what issues she has that could make it medically necessary. It sounds like that is what she's dealing with…

So i'm wondering if your doctors office didn't follow through and do the initial paperwork and see if your insurance covers it? When I went to the bariatric Center at my local hospital the first thing I asked was how do I know if this is covered? I called my insurance company and they said the same thing there is an exclusion it will never be covered under my policy. The initial tests and labs could be covered but the actual surgery wouldn't be covered. That really had me upset for a while until I started researching my options as a self-pay are in Mexico. It was the only choice I had because there's no way I can afford surgery at my local hospital it'll take me years to save up that money. I feel your pain and I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of this. I wish you the best.

Never finding clothes that I thought I looked good in, ever. Now I grab size large anything and rock it out. I had an athletic fit shirt on this past Saturday and got a lot of compliments on my body.

Yes, shopping! How could I forget that one?!

I, too, feel like I may need to remind myself after surgery when I'm not feeling so good or want to give up about why I really wanted to do this in the first place, so here are some of my things:

1.) Sitting on a chair in a restaurant and hearing it squeak and wondering if any minute now the legs are going to give out!

2.) Going through those STUPID turn-style things in the subway or into a concert and SQUEEZING sideways to get through, while all my friends have gone through and are waiting for me.

3.) eating out and wondering if everyone ELSE is looking at what I'm eating and judging me.

4.) my mom being thinner than I am!

5.)Sitting in the chairs on an airplane, in the theater or at plays and feeling so squeezed in and worried about bothering the person next to me

6.) Speaking of airplanes! SEATBELTS BARELY buckling

7.) Not going on amusement rides because I'm afraid I won't fit.

8.) Always being HOT, even in the winter when I should be cold!

9.) Working out for only short periods of time because I'm out of breath, sweating, bright red and in pain.

10.) My family asking me at thanksgiving in front of EVERYONE "Rachel, do you really need that piece of pie?"

I'm looking forward...not back, not down...The best is yet to come for me!

dont worry.. I was at a cookout yesterday... almost 3 months out.. I ate' date=' I didnt eat as much as i used to.. but i ate.. Quality of life afterwards for me has been nothing but smooth... I dont have to worry about dropping dead everyday.. Im on ONE PILL... a high blood pressure med which i plan on being off real soon.. Down from 5 pills... No more diabetes, No more cholesterol meds... no more anxiety meds.. .. Your not weak,.. This process is not a "I give up". This process is a "I give in" I have actively chosen my life over what I used to live which was sad... What if, what if, what if, no.. So what, Now what? I made myself fat and I tried many things to help me not be fat and not be unhealthy, it didnt work.. SO WHAT, NOW WHAT? Now i had to decide if i was going to do what i needed to do to live.. I chose LIFE! and I want you to chose life also.. sorry if i come off passionate about it, but i am.. Life is amazing when you are taking life by the wheel and controlling it.. I wish you the best[/quote']

Very well said!!!!!

Yikes. I've been wondering if negative reviews get removed from the forum as it seems 99.9% are glowing. Will be interesting to see if yours remains. Thanks for the feedback. I hope to hear more from you. W

I am going for my surgery February 17th with dr Ariel Ortiz at the OCC. I'm in contact with several people in these message boards who used him and highly recommend him and his hospital. It's a center of excellence- my PCP was even impressed with him.

I feel like I have so many "final straws".... But my final, final one? I will be 30 in April. I have a good job, I put in the time and take care of my work, my coworkers, my friends and my family but not myself. It's MY time now. I want to feel and look good and I want to be happy. I'm still thinking realistically, I Know this surgery can't make all my dreams come true...but I certainly feel like it's a stepping stone to getting me there

Ugh I understand completely. Anytime I would go on a new diet whether my decision or one my doctor put me on, my mom would follow do the same. The only difference… I would lose five, maybe 10 pounds my mom would lose 20 to 30. I was always the healthy eater in the house and I was one of the heaviest ones, my mom is a baker and she would eat donuts galore Cookies all kinds of junk (she still does) and she is the "small one". Now when she comes to my house sometime she will say something like I'm chilly and she will open my closet and pull out a sweater and then say oh, that's too big for me that won't fit. Or if I go over her house she'll say I got this really cute shirt or these really cute pants they would look so great on you… But they didn't have them in your size.

I love my mom… But the competition thing has got to go! healthy competition is one thing if you are both encouraging each other but to put someone down is just plain wrong and mean, especially when you have other issues affecting your lack of weight loss and the other person is only overweight because they make poor food choices or choose not to work out.

So the answer to your question, is my mom! LOL (and I cannot wait to be skinnier than her! Haha)

Thoughtful' date=' funny, sharing books always welcome! Well the tummy support things might not help but they can't hurt right?? I just ordered one of the wear your own bra flexees. And the fact is, only ONE person ever sees me naked and he loved me before. Well two, I see me naked too but I hated my body before. So in that sense, nothing will have changed Fact is, looking great with clothes on and being healthy are not bad things anyway. My big surprise is for some reason, I didn't think that would happen at 3 months. I thought that like maintenance, that was a "vet problem" not a "newbie problem". Surprise![/quote']

Oh that is a scary newbie problem to have! Best of luck...I'll tell u all about my jiggles when I am 3 months out in may next year lol

Incredible!! I'm so jealous! My surgery date can't get here soon enough!

Very true, gamer girl!

Ok so my friend just had a baby and she wears all kinds of Spanx or tummy supports and things. The dr told her something like that it will help the muscles heal and keep some of the elasticity a little better than if she didnt wear any kind of girdle/spanx. So my hope (surgery is in February) is that if I wear spanx while im losing weight and work out, that will help?! Obviously I know 10 years of your body being overweight and over stretched is different than 9 months, but hey, I can dream right? I mean Let me be realistic- I hate my fat body now... So I think I'd rather be healthier skinner and able to do the things I want to do and have to wear spanx the rest of my life than to be fat and unhappy the rest of my life! Woah- sorry for writing a book

So true. I have a girlfriend that went to Mexico' date=' so did her mother and brother with wonderful results. I just chose not to. Mexico leaves me with horrible concerns.[/quote']

I was a little concerned at first but to be honest I have the same concerns having surgery here... Who actually likes to go under the knife?! Doesn't matter if I'm near home or not! But I talked with my doctor and it's not the first time he heard of partients going there. He said a center of excellence is recognized internationally which is very high quality, just as good if not better than some of the places in US. Also I've heard patients get treated very well and had not one complaint with the nurses at the place I'm going...which is more than I can say of some of the overworked, underpaid, exhausted and not patient-friendly nurses at the hospitals near me! Plus...it's Mexico- automatic vacation for me

Now think about Mexico....what if you have complications after surgery....maybe you would have trouble finding someone in your area at home to fix what is wrong. Something to think about. Complications.

There are a lot of positive things about going to Mexico for your surgery if you are a self pay. I'm scheduled for February 2014 and looking forward to it. Then I will go back to the bariatric program at my local hospital for follow up care. Complications can happen anywhere you have surgery...

The Vitamin never upset my stomach at all and never felt sick with the shakes. The only real nausea I had was postop at the OCC and EVERYTHING was making me nauseous a few days prior to purées but that was scent just as much if not more than taste. What vitamin do you take? Iron may be the culprit. {)i(} Sent from my iPhone using VST {)i(}

I have to be honest- I haven't been as consistent taking my Vitamins for the past year or so. This past year I really gave up as far as weight loss and trying to be healthy because I really felt like I was out of options and why bother when nothing was working anyway?… until I started researching the sleeve in February 2013. I truly believe that getting the sleeve will help me immensely. I also think that I need to start taking vitamins again just to get used to taking them since my surgery is in February 2014. I've stopped little things such as drinking soda and alcohol so my next step to prepare myself I decided I would drink a shake for Breakfast every morning and start taking my vitamins… I have to purchase both of those and start that this week. Sorry that was the long way around to your question of what vitamin I am taking LOL. And the answer would be… None.

I was scared at first about going to Mexico as well. I was terrified in fact… But as I read reviews and did a lot of research I'm pretty impressed! I will be going to Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in Mexico in February.

I am from Pennsylvania and also a self payer.

I take the Enspira Vitamins too. I have had no trouble swallowing them from about a week and a half after surgery. I have been a little worried that I was able to eat too much. I can eat a whole gee with no problem. Today I found my limit. After the egg at lunch I tried to eat some greek yogurt. after 2 bites I was very uncomfortable. I had to get up and walk around the house for a few minutes. I found it again at dinner when I ate about a quarter cup of refried Beans. One more spoonful and it was too much. I'm glad the sleeve works.

Sometimes now when I take a vitamins (I'm pre-op) if I don't have enough food in my stomach I feel sick... So I think if I mix up these capsules in my Protein Shakes I'll be ok. Did any one have any problem feeling sick post-op taking their vitamins?