HalloweenBaby24

I try my best to stay positive and fun, Especially when It come's to the forums here. But today left me feeling blue (Yeah here it come's my first really negative, possibly sad post) Not that it was a bad day, I have a lot to be grateful for..The sky was blue, It was warm, Money in my pocket and got to spend it with my husband and 4 year old daughter outside all day. When I got home I logged onto Facebook to check in with my friends and family and got to see all the great thing's they were also doing on this wonderful day, Pictures of my close friends spending time together, smiling and my 55 year old Mom who raises my 8 year old niece pictures of them at the park together..All of these great pictures with people I love, But there was something missing...Me. For those who don't know my story, I am 24yo and a stay at home mom. I live in NJ which is 3 hours away from my home state of Maryland where all my friends and family live, We live in NJ for my husbands work, I have been living here for the past 5 years and have stayed home for every single one of them. I have no friends here, No one other then my husband and daughter. And though I love them to pieces I miss those close friendships I had/have with other people. It get's very lonely staying home and I can't help but feeling like I'm missing out on life when I see my friends and family moving onto great thing's without me. I'm a pretty strong individual and I've endured a lot in my short 24 years on this earth, So I don't feel as though "Lack of support" will get in my way of success with the surgery. I just wish I had someone to spend it with... I guess a support group of sorts would be great, But I'm not there yet with being approved by my insurance and there's no guarantee that I will be so right now I feel like finding a group is a waste of time. The forums are a great way to socialize, But I guess I'm just looking for more. Is there anyone else out there in this position or have any suggestions to get out of this slump?

Glad to hear it. Hope it's a quick, smooth journey ahead!

@@SherB Same here!! I've never been able to wear dress boots because they don't fit over my calves. I wear those off brand Ugg's lol.

I just couldn't believe that a Dr would alter a patient without their consent like that. I mean ok I believe it to some degree But then to get away with it?! I don't think the family friend is willing to do anything about it at this point 2 years out..I will make a note that she doesn't have a good reputation for telling the truth about things, So who knows she could just be blowing smoke up my a**.

I'm excited to feel cold, I love big cuddly sweaters and boots. I want to know what it's like to tuck myself up tight with a book and not sweat between chapters. Unfortunately this past winter I purchased an amazing Steve Madden wool horizontal-zip jacket, that I know won't fit this coming winter after surgery :/ I'm contemplating putting the money in to get it altered.

I have a friend who is totally against me getting WLS, He is very big into the "Fat Positive" Community and thinks that surgery is a horrible idea. We got into a heated argument about it and he had a bunch of his friends who also have had WLS at some point and regretted it email me. One girl wrote this: "I'll start this by saying, I'm not totally against it. I have seen it work for a few ppl. However, it is literally a lifestyle change. I thought I was ready to have the surgery when I was 19 (24 now). I weighed 427 pounds the day I went to surgery. I am currently down to 302 and have maintained this weight for most of the five years. I don't plan on losing anymore weight bc of the surgery. I am mentally still the person/eater I was before the surgery. Because of the surgery, I no longer can eat meat, carbs (breads, pastas, potatoes) or anything that is not basically a vegetable, fruit, liquid or junk food. I throw up daily because of this. I regurgitate food every time I eat. I get food blockages that can only be alleviated by purging. Basically, I'm a fat girl with an eating disorder. I have to explain to people why it takes me 1 1/2 hours to each lunch or why I have to constantly get up and go to the bathroom at restaurants. My whole life has been surrounded by this weight loss surgery. Because of my age at the time, I was only allowed to get the Lap-Band put in, instead of the actual gastric bypass. So I have a plastic tube around the opening of my stomach and a port in my stomach that gets injected every so often to make my band tighter. When it's tight, food doesn't pass through and then I get sick. After the surgery, I lost 75% of my hair, now deal with adult acne, and have lessened my chances of pregnancy (although it has happened, but I lost the baby). My suggestion would be, if you truly think this is something you want to do, please make sure that mentally you are ready. I thought I was and on day 2 I sat at my kitchen table crying while eating because my brain said I was hungry and my stomach said I wasn't. To this day, I still struggle with the fact that I have a fat person's appetite but the stomach of a 6 year old. upon hearing this I questioned why she simply didn't have the thing removed... Her response: "Because to have the surgery all over again just to have it removed is unheard of and doctors will only remove it if 1. You're getting a different weight loss procedure to replace it or 2. You have been completely successful with it for more than 10-12 years." Is this True?...Can it only be removed if one is to choose another surgery to replace it, or have success with it for 10-12 years?..I'm not trusting one of his friends, This could possibly be a scare tactic to make me sway from getting WLS.. I asked her why not get a revision to band and she gave me some hoopla about not having time and not wanting to put herself through it all again.

I'm so sorry you're going through all this.. Don't give up "Just Keep Swimming" and defiantly ask you're surgeons office to send in an appeal.

@ It might not be as long of a journey as you think. I had my consultation appointment in May and I finished all the requirments for insurance 2 weeks ago, and now approved for my Surgery September 8th.

All I can think that this decision for an out patient procedure was decided by my insurance due to me having no other issues other then a BMI of 41. Thankfully after my surgery my 4 year old daughter will be staying down with my mother in MD for a week, So I'll be able to get plenty of rest.

So yesterday I got my approval for surgery (yay!) and emailed my insurance coordinator back asking " Does this mean my surgery will be kept on the same date I was given during consultation? " Her answer was yes, It will be kept for September 8th and also its an In and Out procedure.? I wasn't aware it was in and out after the amount of stories I've read on here about hospital stays, walking the halls and yeah.. Is that normal? I'm a little nervous about it.

@@crysco Thanks for elevating my fears! It's good to have someone going through the same thing, and with the same surgeon!

So me and my mom are not on the same page when it comes to me getting the sleeve (Not that I thought we would be) so we often argue about it and sometimes I wish I wouldn't have told her, But she's my mom and I thought she had a right to know. She always brings up stories about WLS she's seen on tv, or a friend of a friend and it going wrong or them dying, She also believes I'm getting this done for all the wrong reasons and that the only person it's benefiting is the surgeons pocket. Her thoughts have not swayed me either way, but I know she's super uneducated on WLS and I'm looking for some help to sooth her worried "Mom Mind". What Facts, Articles, Statistics or videos would you show a worried loved one who could use a little bit more education on the subject of WLS or Gastric Sleeve to calm them or at least show them the facts? I don't really care either way if she's against me getting it or not, But I'd like her to know all the positive/right facts and information instead of what she hears on television and through the grapevine.

@@Domika03 Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately she lives 3hrs away and never visits (she hates the drive). And I'm past the stage of Dr's visits and seminars, My surgery is scheduled for September 8th.

I have a friend who is trying to talk me out of having WLS and he has a friend (Yes a friend of a friend story!) who is a DR, I talked briefly with the DR and he sent me to this site... http://www.cswd.org/docs/opposewls.html Is this just being used as a Scare Tactic?, Is this all true...Is everyone who's ever said they were happy, wouldn't change a thing, And "Wish they had done it sooner!" gone through with a useless surgery and living the rest of their day's in a hopeless Hell with no way out?! Are they lying?

@McButterpants Thanks for the input!, I surely hope so *Fingers Crossed*

@Dr-Patient I had to get everyone's attention some how LOL I feel a little more comfortable now knowing what to expect, Thanks All!

I have no idea but I had the weirdest experience.. I called my insurance yesterday at 10am and the lady told me "Well it looks like we got the request on the 2nd of this month and it's still pending so call back at the end of the week" in reality it was sent in on the 27th of June, No big deal fine ill call back at the end of the week...Fast forward 4hrs later I get a call from my insurance coordinator from my surgeons office saying I've been approved.

I'll definitely call and ask..

@@Mrs.RRn Lucky you! I'm not sure yet if I'll have to drive back down to my surgeons office the next day or not to be checked out. I do know that they do the "Leak Test" while you're still under, pretty much right after they are done removing the stomach and stitching it up.

@@Texas Moon I though the same thing I thought I would at least have been a night , after all when I had my Gallbladder removed I was in hospital for 2 days and that was an easier surgery.

@@Myonlybattle It is weird how much they differ. My surgeon is well known in the area and every person I've talked to that went through him were happy, So I guess I'll trust in him.

@@getnhealthyintx Why did you have to stay a night? Due to complication?..Or just because.

@@Mrs.RRn Yeah I can understand being more comfortable at home, I guess I'm just worried about a complication arising and not being around any medical staff. Plus my surgeon's office/surgical center is 45min to an hour away.

@@KristenLee My consultation appointment with the Surgeon was March 14th, from there I had bloodwork, Behavioral Screening, Nutritional Screening, Gastro appointment/Endoscopy. My insurance did not require a 6month diet. Paperwork was sent into my insurance June 27th and I got approval yesterday July 7th.

@@blondebomb I haven't heard yet about any pre-op appointment, but I would think there would be one...The only thing I have scheduled already is a pre-op class August 12th and my post op appointment September 18th.