veronica97

PLEASE EXCUSE THE LONG POST :( Hi all. I had my first VSG consultation on 4/19/2018. My surgeon told me I would need to lose 100lbs during my pre-op stage (6 months required by insurance co) and prescribed phentermine. I lost 20lbs in 2 weeks but it gave me terrible side effects (depression, suicidal thoughts, insomnia) so I quit. At that point I was faced with calling my surgeon and asking for something else and I never did it. The week following that I tried intermittent fasting and lost another 10lbs. Then, foolishly, I thought to myself just as I had a million times before, “I can do this myself!” And when it came time for my next appointment, I didn’t go. I didn’t call and cancel, I didn’t reschedule, I just. didn’t. go. I was struggling very hard with the idea of ever telling my family. My sister Kayla lost all her weight through diet and exercise and has kept most of it off for years and years and would NEVER support the idea of me have surgery. She has my dad’s ear and he would listen to whatever opinion she had about it. I live with my dad and he’d always thought if I would just exercise more and eat less the weight would fall off. I hate myself for not going to that appointment. If I had persevered, I’d be sleeved by now and well on my way to my new life but instead I gave up. The fad diet again proved unsuccessful and I put all the weight back on and then some. I’ve been lost these past nine months trying to figure out what to do and then last week Kayla was home visiting and she handed me a stack of papers. She had gone to a WLS seminar, my skinny sister, and taken pages upon pages of notes. She had done research. She had prepared a speech to tell me it’s time for me to do something about this. Y’all, I CRIED. So now, tomorrow, I’m scheduling another consultation and I’m DOING THIS. I FINALLY have my family’s full support and most of all I’m ready. I’m ready to stop making excuses. I’m ready to stop saying no to going to certain restaurants because I can’t fit in their booths. I’m ready to stop telling my friends that the reason I can’t go to the amusement park is because I get sick on rollercoasters when the reality is that I don’t fit. I’m ready to stop saying no to vacations that require flight. I’m ready to stop researching weight limits on everything I buy. I’m ready to have a LIFE. I have never known what’s it’s like to be a normal weight. Not ever. I’m not delusional, I KNOW this will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever do but it will be so worth the struggle. I’m looking forward to sharing this journey.

Wow I feel so much better now. My doctor made me feel like I was the only person who had ever had negative side effects from it.

Unfortunately, yes. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant and IT. WORKS. I lost 20lbs in like two weeks. BUT it made be so in unbelievably depressed, I’m talking suicidal thoughts depressed. I stopped taking it after those two weeks and told my doctor who told me that suicidal thoughts were a “very uncommon side effect.” But that was the only thing I changed about my lifestyle. I wasn’t interested in feeling like that.

I’ve been dreading this day since a month ago when I scheduled and all my nerves were for nothing! My doctor is great. I was struggling to decide between VSG and bypass and he answered all of my questions and concerns and my dietician is sweet as pie and lost 200lbs herself with the band. I decided on VSG and he put me on Adipex for three months and then I will switch to another medication for the other three months of my pre op diet. I am currently 475 and I need to be 400 to schedule and 375 on day of surgery. He is very confident that I can achieve this. I am SO excited.

YAYAYYYYAYAYAYAYAYYY!!!!!!!!!! Best of luck!

They say it takes 21 days for form a habit, that’s what I’m striving for!

Had my initial consult on Thursday, and my dietician gave me a DietMinder journal that is very detailed. It contains specific instructions to write down every bite, every sip, every morsel. She told me that a lot of her patients in the past were helped by it simply because if they didn’t want to write it down, they didn’t eat it. It’s kind of like pretending your dietician is following you around and HOLY COW. I’ve passed up pizza, cupcakes, and pop just because I’d be so embarrassed to admit to her that I ate that. According to my scale this morning, with a winning combination of Adipex and food journaling, I’m down TEN POUNDS in the just three days. I’m really hoping to smash my 30lb target by my next appointment.

Okay, now I get it! Clearly I still have much to learn [emoji23]🤦🏼‍♀️

Kathy, I like your substitution of the word “nut” but mine had a band and lost 200 lbs so she’s been there! Makes it much easier to do what she says

Eager to know how your consultation went today!

What a coincidence! I’ll be seeing Dr. Pitt though. Still sitting on the fence between sleeve and bypass but leaning more towards bypass lately. I’m excited to see what our journeys have in store for us

I will be! First consultation is 4/19. How far along in the process are you?

Hi guys! My first consultation is 4/19 and I told my best friend and my mom. My parents are separated and I only told my mom because I’m on her insurance, but I live with my dad and sisters. My mom was so happy I finally made this decision but I don’t expect the same reaction from the rest of them. I was planning on waiting until 4 months in to my pre op diet. Does anyone think that’s too long to wait? How do I tell them?

Well, like I’d mentioned, two of my sisters live with me. I’m only 20. So, at some point there going to find out. One of them is obese as well and I’m not worried about her knowing. The other is healthy and my dad is just overweight. I know both of them will try to talk me out of it and suggest I just try intense diet and exercise (as if they haven’t seen my try and fail my whole life.) I have a third sister who has left the house and lost a bunch of weight the traditional way and will be completely anti surgery so SHE will just have to find out after I get it. My mom was so happy for me she ugly cried in the restaurant when I told her. I could just keep it between my mom and me until I have a surgery date, which is my preferred option right now. I will be seeing my doctor in Columbus which is only an hour from me and my dad doesn’t ever ask where I’m going so it will be very easy for me to hide my pre op appointments. It will be enough of a struggle just doing it, I DEFINITELY don’t need the negativity.

Smoking affects your ability to heal as it is. I had a coworker who resumed smoking right after bypass and he had a ton of problems with bleeding and had to be readmitted for three weeks. The truth is that you need to quit. You are making such a wonderful decision for your health by having the surgery and you’ll have to stop smoking anyway. Why start back up?

I just scheduled my consultation yesterday and the receptionist told me that the doctor I had in mind wouldn’t do the procedure unless my BMI was a 50 or less and it is not. I would have to lose around 140 pounds first. My insurance company requires six months of preop dieting and though I hope and pray that I will be successful at it and lose some weight before the surgery, I don’t want to be denied for this procedure just because I’m a few pounds over a certain doctors preferred BMI. So, I chose to consult with another physician at that office who would do my surgery at my current weight as a contingency plan.

On Monday, I decided that I was going to have WLS and today I scheduled my very first consultation with Dr. Tracy Pitt of Cincinnati. I have Anthem BCBS insurance and they do cover WLS but also require 6 months pre-op diet. My hope is that I will be sleeved by 11/19 — my 21st birthday. I’m so ready for the next chapter of my life and I couldn’t have made this decision without the help of each of you you are all awesome

I just decided to have surgery 3 days ago so I can’t provide advice but I am SO excited for you! Good luck!

You guys are so amazing! Thank you so much for all your information, I feel much better now. Calling to schedule my consultation today!

Hi y’all! My name is Veronica and I’m 20. I have been overweight since I was 5 years old and I’ve just been living with it. I’ve done Weight Watchers, Adkins, calorie counting, you name it! No luck so far. I recently returned from vacation and I realized on that trip how frustrated I got any time someone pointed a camera at me and after seeing the pictures, I am officially DONE living like this. I jumped on the internet, stumbled upon VSG, and have been researching it nonstop for days. My question is.... has anyone ever been told they are too obese to have VSG? I’m scared that I’ll go to the doctor and they’ll tell me I have to lose 100lbs first or something. PLEASE HELP!

Hey Audrey! I haven’t been on a scale in a while but I would guess my current weight is around 460. Obviously I am wayyyyy too young to be living like this and that’s why I really want gastric sleeve. The heaviest person I’ve seen in any forum is like 350 and that’s what concerns me. I’m scared I’ll show up and they’ll turn me down.