Jerzygurl

I have no friends left. I have literally alienated myself from everything and everyone. I feel like I am trapped in my life and trapped in my body. I thought I was ok with it until I realized that my anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, tiredness, and lost sex drive ALL have to do with my self esteem and weight. I have turned into a lazy, unmotivated, grumpy person. I used to have tons of friends, be outgoing and very social.. now I am a hermit. I dont love myself, I dont even like myself. Luckily, I have a long term boyfriend that loves me for who I am and is supportive and happy for me.
I want to have a baby. I am 34 years old and I want to be happy and healthy for a child. I want to get married. We have talked about it. I will not be a fat bride. I just wont.
I am tired of having my life feel like its over at 34. I want it to just begin. I want to start over. This time I will make the most of it.
this is the most empowering choice I have ever made. for the first time in years, theres a spark of life in my eyes and hope in my heart.

It might not take as long as you think. I went in on May 29th of last year, and they said it would take at least 6 months to get approval. I went home, and the very next day on this message board I read that Cigna had changed their approval rules and instead of having to have 6 months meeting with the NUT I would only have to have 3 months. I had my surgery September 26th. I've lost 71 lbs so far, 39 lbs to go.

I had an appointment with my gynecologist where she discussed the risk factors with fertility-related cancers ( which run in my family) and she used the words "morbidly obese" in relation to me. She basically said that my weight greatly affected the chances of me going the same way. She was quite straightforward and unflinching as well as being entirely professional. It was a sobering wake- up call for me and I've never looked back.
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I never thought I would have any type of weight loss surgery. When I was near my goal weight a few years ago I was pretty smug when I heard about someone that had WLS. Now I'm humbled, and miserable, desperate, scared... My highest weight was 275. I'm now at 220. When I was at 145 I had a Tummy Tuck so most of the weight this time has plastered my hips, legs, and back. My tummy is still pretty flat. I don't think I totally ruined my tummy tuck. I hope not anyway.
I'm a cancer survivor - three years cancer free. I had ovarian and uterine cancer. Carrying all this extra weight puts me at a higher risk for a cancer recurrence.
What was my final straw? I'm just so tired of looking for something that will work. I really do feel desperate. I've had so many health problems in the past few years, and most will be at least less serious when I've lost the weight. I have my first appointment with the surgeon on July 19th. I know it may take months to get approval, but I really hope it doesn't.

Like many of you I have had many events that made me want the surgery.
My kids said that the kids were making fun of me because of my weight
My body is in pain and tired and I need much more sleep than ever before
My blood tests didn't come back good (pre-diabetic, high cholesterol, etc)
I finally came to the conclusion that I'm just not strong enough to lose the weight AND keep it off (I've lost many times and it came back)
I'm starting to restrict the places I go based on weight (afraid of airplane seats, movie seats, etc) I've had people close to me die of heart problems recently
I wake up in the night because I stop breathing sometimes
etc etc.
This summer I went to a water-park and got a tube stuck around my waist. My kids couldn't help me so finally some man came to pull it off. I didn't dare even look at him. It was HORRIBLE I don't want to have any more experiences like that ever. I saw some other people, even chunky ladies, that had tubes around their waists with plenty of room to spare.
I can't wait to have the surgery already

Hurting a lot and listening to my knees sounding like rice krispies every time I sat down.
That and going to the drive in movies and feeling the camping chair slowly bend closer to the ground until it wouldn't close up any more.
We wanted to go to Six Flags before school starts but I got so depressed thinking about walking, riding and just sitting while everyone had fun, we decided to cancel. And that depressed me even more. We cancelled a mini vacation because of my weight.
Been toying with the idea of WLS, but I just got sick and tired of being sick and tired, you know?

What was the final thing that you encountered that made you say this is enough? I have had numerous.
1. Leaving a wife and 2 sons, Husbandless and fatherless.
2. Not being able to get on amusement park rides with my sons.
3. Not being able to take my wife to a concert, because i could not fit in a seat.
4. Avoiding restuarant,movie theaters and sports complexes with tiny seats.
For me, walking through a a department store and some little child looking at me like im a alien had to be one the hardest things.
Respectfully,
Joe

I am ready for this guy to drop some pounds!

My last straw was a couple of years ago. I kept getting tired of buying new clothes (bigger sizes), taking HBP meds, being uncomforable and being disguted at my image in the mirror. I started to do something about it too, even went to a surgeon for the lapband, but shortly thereafter, I had a reoccurrence of cancer. So that was postponed, from there it was two long rounds of chemotherapy. Meanwhile, I kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger... I ate mostly from depression and self-isolation... I had lost four people very close to me to cancer within a year's time, plus I had to deal with my own cancer issues.. truth is, I had completely given up and just ate and ate and ate..like I wanted to die too.. I thought what the heck, we are all going to die anyway--then my doctor put me on an anti-depressant last Christmas and I started to feel much better..even while currently in chemotherapy. I finished chemo this past may and knew it was time to do something; to get serious and to take control of my life and my actions. I must say, I am also completely tired and fed up with wearing out the thighs of all my pants too.. I am embarrassed to be this size..this is the largest I've ever been and I'm uncomfortable, my knees hurt, my feet and back ache and I now have urinary stress incontinence attributed to my weight gain! My blood pressure stays high even w/meds (PCP added another pill today to bring it down or I won't be able to have surgery), my feet and ankles swell..ugh.. I'm just ready to get this party started... I want this weight off.. and I'm ready to tackle it...seriously. In a way glad the lapband didn't happen back then, going for the sleeve now and the process with my insurance company is much quicker than it was before, now its immediate approval with my health issues as opposed to a 6 month wait...
Gotta look at the bright side...
Thanks for reading...

I just got my approval from my insurance and I am ready to go. Start my pre-op diet on Wed.!

Good luck! You will do great!
You are so lucky to be able to have this chance so young. I wish I could have had it in my 20's!

Mine got moved to the tenth! I have to start my pre op diet in 5 days. Just went to the anaesthesia pre op today and signed all my paperwork. One more blood test and I'm good to go!

The last straw was a second knee replacement last November. My legs do not want to hold my weight. I have 14 ruptured discs in my back - just had four in my neck repaired in February 2013. Sciatica has become a big problem. It is getting more difficult to maintain proper hygiene because of places I cannot reach. Thank goodness for a shower hose, but I refuse to ask someone else to trim my old lady toenails. My weight causes so many other related health issues that I would not have otherwise. My weight keeps increasing in spite of my best efforts, and now I am carrying a whole 'nother person as a belt. I cannot enjoy shopping in a big box store. It's got to go.

Planning an Alaskan trip last year and realizing that everything hinged on what I could and couldn't do. Also, seeing my daughter who had the sleeve before me and the progress she had made and feeling good about herself!!

My final straw was my first wedding anniversary we went away to a fancy hotel and I snored so badly my poor husband was miserable. I told him that our second anniversary everything would be different. It will be! I stopped snoring almost right after surgery.
I'm so grateful for that.

Hey everyone, my name is Travis. This is my first post here and the beginning of what I hope to be a very fulfilling and powerful journey to a healthier body. I guess I'll start by talking about the root of the problem and why I have decided to do this. I am currently 25, will be 26 in October, and currently sitting at 330 pounds. I have always been larger ever since I can remember and it has always been something that has been a part of my life. Thankfully I do not have any kind of health problems from my weight yet. My joints, cholesterol, and blood pressure are all fine. Obesity does not run in my family, my parents are average and my sister is a varsity cheerleader and a flyer at that. I also wouldn't say that I'm sedentary. Even at my size I play full court basketball, can run a mile, and I am an avid kayak fisherman. It's almost been like I have had these chains around me slowing me down my entire life, and quite frankly I'm tired of it. That is why I am counting down the days to my surgery date, September 13th, 2013. I simply cannot wait to start my new life. My surgeon is Dr. Jaime Ponce in Chattanooga, TN. He seems to be a very knowledgeable and kind doctor with pretty good bedside manner. Haha he managed to handle my mother's 1,000 questions and concerns very well during our pre-op meeting last month. So anyways this is me, I look forward to posting here more and speaking with all of you!

Wonderful News for you!! BCBS/Horizon of NJ is pretty much the same. Very fast with approvals. I'm looking at middle of Oct for surgery (hopefully). I've finished everything but the cardiologist appt (9/4 was soonest I could get) NUT & the Psych visit (9/3 & 9/11). Got an appt in the a.m with PCP to sign off... oncologist must also sign off (due to cancer history) appt tomorrow afternoon for that.... All should be finished by middle of September!!

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie..and here's my story:
I've tried every diet and eating planning known to man, since the time I was 15 years old... some mainstream, some not so mainstream...from popping pills to the vinegar diet to the soda diet and from Atkins to the Zone... all over the course of 33 years. I've lost upward of 65 lbs, only to gain it back, plus some. I've had a personal trainer, a nutritionist, a dietician, a prayer circle and a shopping list...to enhance my weight loss chances. The only weapon (outside of WLS) I've never employed was a witch doctor, but if one could have promised weight loss, I would have probably signed up and tried it too.
Suffice it to say, at this point in my life, I'm ready, I mean absolutely ready for a permnanent alteration to my phsyiology, not as a short cut but as a life long tool to help me, not only mount the monster but to conquer it and bury it deep without any chance of recovery.
I have reached the point, after much careful study and research, after many discussions and conversations, where I am completely and utterly ready for WLS & the Gastric Sleeve. I am committed to completely changing my life, my eating habits and my exercise habits. I've been working out again with a trainer, light stuff, . I finished my final round of chemotherapy for OV cancer in May, and now I've gotten the approval to move forward with this new journey.
I'm ready. I've started the process. Yes, I am ready.
I look forward to reading everyone's story and being inspired by other's journey.
Bountiful Blessings to All

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie..and here's my story:
I've tried every diet and eating planning known to man, since the time I was 15 years old... some mainstream, some not so mainstream...from popping pills to the vinegar diet to the soda diet and from Atkins to the Zone... all over the course of 33 years. I've lost upward of 65 lbs, only to gain it back, plus some. I've had a personal trainer, a nutritionist, a dietician, a prayer circle and a shopping list...to enhance my weight loss chances. The only weapon (outside of WLS) I've never employed was a witch doctor, but if one could have promised weight loss, I would have probably signed up and tried it too.
Suffice it to say, at this point in my life, I'm ready, I mean absolutely ready for a permnanent alteration to my phsyiology, not as a short cut but as a life long tool to help me, not only mount the monster but to conquer it and bury it deep without any chance of recovery.
I have reached the point, after much careful study and research, after many discussions and conversations, where I am completely and utterly ready for WLS & the Gastric Sleeve. I am committed to completely changing my life, my eating habits and my exercise habits. I've been working out again with a trainer, light stuff, . I finished my final round of chemotherapy for OV cancer in May, and now I've gotten the approval to move forward with this new journey.
I'm ready. I've started the process. Yes, I am ready.
I look forward to reading everyone's story and being inspired by other's journey.
Bountiful Blessings to All

Congrats! BCBS is pretty quick in the approval process once you've met all your pre-surgical requirements. This process has taken me almost three months. The surgical center said they will submit the paperwork once I have completed my last PCP appt on 3 Sept. I have met all my other pre-surgical requirements so it will just be a matter of paperwork. I am getting all jittery with excitement!

I am new here! I didn't know where to begin with this whole process! I called the bariatric center 8/21 and asked them if I could just 'stop by' to get weighed and measured. I figured I needed to know how close I was to meeting the requirements for bc/bs il before I got all excited. They said to come right in! So, I did. I just made the 40 bmi ! They scheduled an appointment for me to meet the surgeon for 9/19. got home, called a recommended pcp and got appointment for the next next 8/22. They weighed and measured ( actually just asked for my height), gave me the ekg,and confirmed the bmi! So relieved! They gave me the orders for the lab work and I will go Monday 8/25 to have blood drawn. I am not sure what happens next, actually, but I will call the center to find out. Nutritionist? Psych eval? Whatever! The ball is rolling and I am hopeful that bcbsil is as good to me as they seem to have been with so many of you! Wow. I had more to say than I even knew. Pardon.

As of today 8/25/13, 20 weeks post op I've reached the 100 lb lost mark from my heaviest of 344 lbs on 1/1/13. Feel great, no regrets!

I feel that the number of calories is not going to be the same for everyone, that being said, I personally tried to stay as low as I could while getting my required Protein and feeling satisfied. drinks like frappe's are empty calories and worse yet the high number of carbs would also be adding to the problem. Good Luck.

I don't think you're crazy - I'd say hold onto those feelings but keep them to yourself. Being disgusted with bad food isn't a bad thing!

My neighbor had to go back to the NUT and the Psychologist several times before she finally understood, she had a food addiction and a killer sweet tooth that she had to conquer. As she stated: Both told her, the Sleeve and all WLS is just a tool, she must also be faithful and do her part for it to work properly..
She said, she finally realizes that she has an addiction like any other and must work to fight against it. She thought the WLS was going to end it all but it didn't it. Now she's back on track and losing. She also found out that she loved swimming and added that as her work out routine.
I really wish you luck in your journey. I hope you figure out your way in this new way of living. Just thought, I'd share someone else experience in hopes that it would help.
Peace and Love