pushforth

I'm looking into VSG Surgeons in the Houston TX area and was hoping to find some forum users who can recommend a good surgeon as well has provide information on cost...
I have Blue Cross / Blue Shield of TX insurance and it does cover the VSG. However the one office I called came back with an out of pocket cost that damn near the cash-pay cost!!!
So I'm thinking I need to shop around and would love input from other Houstonian VSGers.
Thanks!
Mike

To be honest I found it difficult! I didn't have much for pain just the first couple days , but for me it was finding things to eat or drink that tasted good! My taste buds were out of whack for the first couple months so every thing tasted weird! But your stomach is so small that the smallest amount satisfies the hunger( well it's not even hunger it's just that you need to eat). During this time I wondered if it was all worth it.. But looking back those first couple months were nothing compared to how good I feel now and the result I have gotten in such a short time! Now I can say without a doubt this is the best decision I ever made for myself, and my life!!

I'm only 3 weeks post op... but I've found the recovery to be really easy. The first few days were hard, of course. The pain from the surgery as well as a kidney infection I picked up along the way. But I went back to work (I work from home) 1 week post op and haven't looked back.
I've lost 30 lbs in 3 weeks, and the energy level is amazing! My body already feels very different, and I'm feeling so optimistic about everything. I didn't have a scale at first, but realized at one point when I got up and put on my bathrobe it was HUGE on me. My 12 year old said "mom, my arms go around you further!".
The hard part is planning your meals. You do not feel like eating for the most part. Getting your Protein in as well as fluids is hard - but I've found that just planning ahead makes it work. I'm never hungry (I never ever thought I would say that!), so having a set plan for the day is key to making sure everything gets in.
The day I went home from the hospital I said "why did I do this???" 1 week later I said "why didn't I do this 10 years ago?!"
It's the best decision I have ever made.

I'm looking for input from those who are of similar age and circumstance who have gone through with the Gastric Sleeve... I'm not seeking specific medical advice or information. Just looking for a friendly conversation.
I am a 31 year old man who weights 405lbs. I've been overweight since childhood and morbidly obese for the last 8 years. At my heaviest I weight around 430lbs. When I realized that, I put forth a great effort and was able to get down to 360lbs. Over the last couple years, I slowly crept back up to 400.
I've scoffed at WLS for years. I thought of it as an unnecessary risk to my body when all I really needed was the drive and a stronger will to eat less and move more.
Well, now I'm finally admitting that I'm really terrible at maintaining the drive/will to lose weight. I'm starting to consider WLS to use what will I have left to force myself into the restrictions created by the surgery. It's like I know I need to do something, but no matter how hard I try, I just cant bring myself to do it enough for it to matter... so I want to make the decision to take the control of the situation out of my hands and force myself to do it.
I've read up on the various procedures and spent time in the forums here at BP and the Gastric Sleeve seems like the best option. I've read the success and horror stories. While I understand that serious complications only occur in about 5% of patients who undergo the surgery, it still freaks me out.
Anyone out there who is around my age and weight that went through with the surgery?
I'm not just simply asking if it's worth it, because I know most here will trumpet a resounding YES! I'm asking for a "here is what I wish I had known before getting the surgery" and "here are things I didn't expect".
I greatly appreciate your time and responses.

What I wish I had known, many years ago is that obesity is a disease process. Yes, our behavior (willpower) strongly influences it, but once you are super morbidly obese very very few can maintain a massive weight loss without surgery.
Developing a deeper understanding of the underlying medical condition relieved me of much of my guilt and self doubt. Like, if i can be successful at a million other things in life WHY CAN'T I STAY ON DIET? Well, that was my first misunderstanding, that I needed a diet. It really is a shift in mindest, behaviors and food choices that go along with the weight loss surgery. Understanding that my physical drive to overeat was a metabolic problem helped me accept myself alot more on this topic and tackle it like a medical not character problem.
that is what I wish I had known ages ago.

I'm a girl, and I'm 20 years older than you. However, I have been obese since childhood and in the past I felt that surgery was dangerous and I would never consider it. What changed my mind? 2 things: 1) Knowledge that aging is not kind to the obese, they suffer from immobility and die young and 2) It was possible to do this without re-routing digestion. Both of these were like a "lightbulb" for me as I realized that I did not want to be injecting insulin or have a stroke if I could avoid it, and that I didn't have to move stuff around inside which was really a deal-breaker for me. Instead, my stomach was made smaller and I am grateful for it. Good Luck.

I'm 32 year old female! And like you I dismissed the idea of wls surgery for years thinking that I could do it on my own! When I finally hit 336 lbs I decided I wasn't going to do it on my own.. I booked my surgery! On July 25 I had the sleeve done in Mexico and now just a little over 6 months later I'm down 92lbs!! This surgery has given me a new lease on life! I feel like I'm actually living now! I have a crazy amount of energy, I work out 5 days a week ( but only started that in the last couple weeks)! I would highly suggest having it done!!

You can answer, "Either is fine with me.", when asked, "Would you like a table or a booth?"