Proud2BMe

@@ojibway
???????
I'm very confused. Are you saying you cancelled your surgery because your family or friends did not want you to have it? Is this correct? Or do you mean that you were hoping that they would help pay for it and then they told you no?
I guess I'm a bit confused because I don't want the surgery based upon the opinions of my friends and family. I'm doing this for myself. Even if every single family member or friend were against this surgery I would still get it because it ultimately is about my health and my body, not theirs. Right now my sister is dead set against me having the surgery and tries to scare me by claiming she has psychic premonitions that I'm going to die and be horrible pain. So my response is to cut her out of my life until after the surgery. I don't want her negativity in my life right now. And this is sad because she needs the surgery more than I do. She thinks that she can do this on her own and now is into this crazy notion of hypnosis to make you think you have a lap band. Well, good luck to her but I'm getting the surgery.
Good luck to you but I would never cancel my surgery just because my family and friends didn't approve.

@
If you can't stick to it or are disqualified later for either not loosing enough weight or gaining weight then I would strongly suggest you go to Mexico to have your surgery. You can find a qualified surgeon there for about $4500, hotel included. All you need to pay extra for is airfare and possibly meds, though some doctors have that in the price as well. I will be going to Tijuana because I'm not going to waste time jumping through hoops for an insurance company. There is a sub-forum here for self-pay and Mexico if you are interested. Many report it's better treatment than in the U.S.

@@ojibway
???????
I'm very confused. Are you saying you cancelled your surgery because your family or friends did not want you to have it? Is this correct? Or do you mean that you were hoping that they would help pay for it and then they told you no?
I guess I'm a bit confused because I don't want the surgery based upon the opinions of my friends and family. I'm doing this for myself. Even if every single family member or friend were against this surgery I would still get it because it ultimately is about my health and my body, not theirs. Right now my sister is dead set against me having the surgery and tries to scare me by claiming she has psychic premonitions that I'm going to die and be horrible pain. So my response is to cut her out of my life until after the surgery. I don't want her negativity in my life right now. And this is sad because she needs the surgery more than I do. She thinks that she can do this on her own and now is into this crazy notion of hypnosis to make you think you have a lap band. Well, good luck to her but I'm getting the surgery.
Good luck to you but I would never cancel my surgery just because my family and friends didn't approve.

@@Jersrose43
Wait until she gets the bill to have the final total. Because I've been quoted prices as low as $3500 in my area but when you ask if there's any add on they always say yes. Just like with the gastric sleeve, in my area I was quoted $11,500 for the procedure. When I asked about any extra fees she said yes and told me that it would be $16-$18k altogether.

@@ojibway
???????
I'm very confused. Are you saying you cancelled your surgery because your family or friends did not want you to have it? Is this correct? Or do you mean that you were hoping that they would help pay for it and then they told you no?
I guess I'm a bit confused because I don't want the surgery based upon the opinions of my friends and family. I'm doing this for myself. Even if every single family member or friend were against this surgery I would still get it because it ultimately is about my health and my body, not theirs. Right now my sister is dead set against me having the surgery and tries to scare me by claiming she has psychic premonitions that I'm going to die and be horrible pain. So my response is to cut her out of my life until after the surgery. I don't want her negativity in my life right now. And this is sad because she needs the surgery more than I do. She thinks that she can do this on her own and now is into this crazy notion of hypnosis to make you think you have a lap band. Well, good luck to her but I'm getting the surgery.
Good luck to you but I would never cancel my surgery just because my family and friends didn't approve.

@@ojibway
???????
I'm very confused. Are you saying you cancelled your surgery because your family or friends did not want you to have it? Is this correct? Or do you mean that you were hoping that they would help pay for it and then they told you no?
I guess I'm a bit confused because I don't want the surgery based upon the opinions of my friends and family. I'm doing this for myself. Even if every single family member or friend were against this surgery I would still get it because it ultimately is about my health and my body, not theirs. Right now my sister is dead set against me having the surgery and tries to scare me by claiming she has psychic premonitions that I'm going to die and be horrible pain. So my response is to cut her out of my life until after the surgery. I don't want her negativity in my life right now. And this is sad because she needs the surgery more than I do. She thinks that she can do this on her own and now is into this crazy notion of hypnosis to make you think you have a lap band. Well, good luck to her but I'm getting the surgery.
Good luck to you but I would never cancel my surgery just because my family and friends didn't approve.

@@ojibway
???????
I'm very confused. Are you saying you cancelled your surgery because your family or friends did not want you to have it? Is this correct? Or do you mean that you were hoping that they would help pay for it and then they told you no?
I guess I'm a bit confused because I don't want the surgery based upon the opinions of my friends and family. I'm doing this for myself. Even if every single family member or friend were against this surgery I would still get it because it ultimately is about my health and my body, not theirs. Right now my sister is dead set against me having the surgery and tries to scare me by claiming she has psychic premonitions that I'm going to die and be horrible pain. So my response is to cut her out of my life until after the surgery. I don't want her negativity in my life right now. And this is sad because she needs the surgery more than I do. She thinks that she can do this on her own and now is into this crazy notion of hypnosis to make you think you have a lap band. Well, good luck to her but I'm getting the surgery.
Good luck to you but I would never cancel my surgery just because my family and friends didn't approve.

@@Rocky1
I'm sorry but you are wrong and are way off base in your posts here. $4,500 for a gastric sleeve is not ridiculously cheap. It is a good going rate among most doctors in Mexico. You need to realize that there is a reason why people go to Mexico and that reason is that it's at least half that or more than it is in the U.S. for this surgery. If they increased the prices then there would be no motivation to go to Mexico and people would stay in the U.S. to have their surgeries.

@@Kindle
Back in 97/98 I lost a major amount of weight and got down to may goal weight (170lbs) for the first time. Within months I started having gall bladder attacks and they were horrible. As I slowly started to regain weight the attacks stopped. I had an ultrasound done and the lady said I had huge gallstones. So it needs to come out. I'm actually not worried about the gallsones I have as I believe they are too big to even go down the duct and cause pain, but I'm afraid of forming new ones when I lose weight again. So it needs to come out.

Fight it or go the self-pay route. If you decide to fight it then just know the battle can rage months to years without any progress. If you chose the self-pay option I would recommend Tijuana. Many people go to Mexico because it's far cheaper at about $4,500, including hotel.

Fight it or go the self-pay route. If you decide to fight it then just know the battle can rage months to years without any progress. If you chose the self-pay option I would recommend Tijuana. Many people go to Mexico because it's far cheaper at about $4,500, including hotel.

@@Sandyryan
Tijuana is very safe. You shouldn't have anything to worry about. On top of that you will not be sight seeing. The most you would leave the hospital/clinic for is that some coordinators will take patients shopping. That's about it. Otherwise you won't be leaving the building until it's actually time to leave.

@@Dreamingofhealth
Good luck!
Makes sure to keep us posted on how it went.

@@ridingrae
I.V. is no problem. It's just like getting blood drawn except they leave it in. The only pain will be the initial prick but it's nothing. If you have good veins they will do it in your arm. If you are so obese that they can't get to them they will insert it in your hand.
Anesthesia is a bit more tricky but there's nothing to worry about. Anesthesia comes with an anti-anxiety medication plus a drug that causes amnesia. This way you are relaxed and will not remember anything that happens. The only real risk is a heart attack or stroke. It is possible for blood pressure to rise considerably during anesthesia. For most people this is not a problem to experience very high blood pressure for 45 minutes to an hour or so. However, a certain percentage will have a heart attack or stroke. The good news is that if you die during anesthesia you will not be aware of it. You will be unconscious so you won't feel any pain. Again, death from anesthesia is rare. One way to cut your risk is to make sure that if you have high blood pressure that it is fully controlled before getting surgery.
The only real major post-op complication, as in life-threatening, is a leak. Leaks are rare but do happen. About 1-3% of people will develop a leak, normally in the first three months after surgery. Symptoms of a leak include fever, abdominal pain, nausea and rapid heart beat. It's important that if you experience these symptoms that you seek medical attention quickly. If left untreated you can develop peritonitis and die. Again, this is rare. Around 97-99% of people never develop a leak. The higher your BMI the greater your chance of developing a leak and having other complications. One way to lessen your chance of developing a leak is to make absolutely sure that you follow the diet to a "T". Many people make the mistake of thinking that since they feel back to normal that they can go ahead and eat normally. Big mistake! It takes the stomach about 6-8 weeks to heal from the surgery. Too much pressure in the stomach before it is sufficiently healed can produce a leak.
I personally don't think there's anything to worry about. I plan on having the surgery in 2015. I've decided that it's worth the minimal risk in order to make sure I lead a normal life and am relatively healthy.

I read this the other day on a site and was intrigued by the results.
To find out what size your body frame is wrap your thumb and first finger around a wrist.
If the fingers overlap = you have a small body frame
If the fingers touch at the tips = you have a medium body frame
If the fingers do not touch = you have a large body frame
I'm currently a 350lb man who will be having his sleeve hopefully next year. I was shocked to learn that my body frame is medium. I always assumed I had a large body frame.

@@landerr
This is the reason why our health care system needs a massive overhaul. This is an absurd joke. There is absolutely no reason why a hospital would charge that much and especially give less care, i.e. just one night hospital stay.

Good post, Kindle.
I will add that your realistic expectations should be about 50-60% of the excess weight. That is the average weight lost with the sleeve. If you need to lose more then you will have to increase your exercise and physical activity as well as decrease your caloric intake. Also, the overwhelming majority of sleeved people will indeed gain some weight back.
When you first have the sleeve don't confuse the size of your stomach in the first 3-6 months after surgery. It's actually going to be bigger than you expected and in time you will be able to eat far more than you first did. This can lead to stretching if you aren't careful.

@@landerr
This is the reason why our health care system needs a massive overhaul. This is an absurd joke. There is absolutely no reason why a hospital would charge that much and especially give less care, i.e. just one night hospital stay.

@@Jersrose43
I didn't miss the nuances. I know how to read and you clearly wrote that you had good insurance.
One of my online friends had insurance and was sleeved in NY but most likely not NYC. The price was $37,0000.
Just so you know, there are doctors who do purposefully overcharge insurance companies. This is one of the reasons why insurance rates went through the roof pre-Obamacare.

Quote
Jersrose43, on 26 Nov 2014 - 08:37, said:
Sweetheart I don't know where you live but it's clearly not a major metropolitan city like la, nyc etc. Because you would keel over from a heart attack if you saw the charges around here. I am in north jersey

Nyc is notorious for large charges

It costs money to get sick
The average price of a VSG in NY is $23,000. And I've found a post on another board from a woman who claimed her VSG in NYC cost $30,000.
The average price for VSG in California is $17,000. I've found posts from people on other boards who claimed they paid $20-$30,000 for their VSG in LA.
Having a VSG in a major metropolitan city only slightly raises the price. You are the first person that I've ever come across who claimed it cost them nearly a 100 grand for their VSG. VSG is not a difficult surgery and an experienced surgeon can accomplish it in 30-45 minutes. In some place, especially in Mexico, they have VSG mills where they churn out large numbers of patients a day because the surgery is rather easy.
To see the average rate per state, click on the link below and then click on the image.
http://obesitycoverage.com/insurance-and-costs/how-much/average-cost-of-gastric-sleeve-surgery

You got scammed. There's no way in the word that a VSG would cost that much and especially since you only spent one day in the hospital. In my state it's about $16,000, self pay. The average seems to be $25-$30,000.

I read this the other day on a site and was intrigued by the results.
To find out what size your body frame is wrap your thumb and first finger around a wrist.
If the fingers overlap = you have a small body frame
If the fingers touch at the tips = you have a medium body frame
If the fingers do not touch = you have a large body frame
I'm currently a 350lb man who will be having his sleeve hopefully next year. I was shocked to learn that my body frame is medium. I always assumed I had a large body frame.

1. To be able to wear normal, fashionable clothes.
2. To be able to run and move fast as I once did.
3. To be able to ride roller coasters and other rides.
4. To be able to go swimming without being self-conscious about my weight.
5. To be viewed as sexually desirable again.
6. To be able to go out and socialize, parties, clubs, bars, etc.
7. To have my outsides match the person I've always known myself to be internally.
8. To become healthy. (I've already quit smoking.)
9. To hopefully lengthen my life span.
10. To be able to fly comfortably and not be self-conscious about my weight or worry if I'm offending people sitting near me.
11. To further my career.
12. To be able to travel.
13. To not have to be buried in a piano box.
What's yours?

@@ridingrae
I.V. is no problem. It's just like getting blood drawn except they leave it in. The only pain will be the initial prick but it's nothing. If you have good veins they will do it in your arm. If you are so obese that they can't get to them they will insert it in your hand.
Anesthesia is a bit more tricky but there's nothing to worry about. Anesthesia comes with an anti-anxiety medication plus a drug that causes amnesia. This way you are relaxed and will not remember anything that happens. The only real risk is a heart attack or stroke. It is possible for blood pressure to rise considerably during anesthesia. For most people this is not a problem to experience very high blood pressure for 45 minutes to an hour or so. However, a certain percentage will have a heart attack or stroke. The good news is that if you die during anesthesia you will not be aware of it. You will be unconscious so you won't feel any pain. Again, death from anesthesia is rare. One way to cut your risk is to make sure that if you have high blood pressure that it is fully controlled before getting surgery.
The only real major post-op complication, as in life-threatening, is a leak. Leaks are rare but do happen. About 1-3% of people will develop a leak, normally in the first three months after surgery. Symptoms of a leak include fever, abdominal pain, nausea and rapid heart beat. It's important that if you experience these symptoms that you seek medical attention quickly. If left untreated you can develop peritonitis and die. Again, this is rare. Around 97-99% of people never develop a leak. The higher your BMI the greater your chance of developing a leak and having other complications. One way to lessen your chance of developing a leak is to make absolutely sure that you follow the diet to a "T". Many people make the mistake of thinking that since they feel back to normal that they can go ahead and eat normally. Big mistake! It takes the stomach about 6-8 weeks to heal from the surgery. Too much pressure in the stomach before it is sufficiently healed can produce a leak.
I personally don't think there's anything to worry about. I plan on having the surgery in 2015. I've decided that it's worth the minimal risk in order to make sure I lead a normal life and am relatively healthy.

I read this the other day on a site and was intrigued by the results.
To find out what size your body frame is wrap your thumb and first finger around a wrist.
If the fingers overlap = you have a small body frame
If the fingers touch at the tips = you have a medium body frame
If the fingers do not touch = you have a large body frame
I'm currently a 350lb man who will be having his sleeve hopefully next year. I was shocked to learn that my body frame is medium. I always assumed I had a large body frame.