I'm going thru my insurance requirements to get my sleeve. I know it's the right thing I'm doing. just wanted to poll the forum to find out when you knew "it was time". I'm scared to do it, but more scared that my health problems will worsen if I don't. I could use a little moral support. hoping to have insurance approval by mid-august.

I knew it was time when I put on 30lbs in a year w/out trying!! I had a lot of life changing events all happen in the same time and before I knew it, I was back up to 206! At that point I decided to look at our health insurance options at work and switched to a plan that covered bariatric surgery (thinking I was going to get the Lap Band). I read the requirements over and over and qualified for all of them except for the BMI over 40. So, in Oct-Nov of last year, I ate and drank lots of Beer to gain the 25lbs needed to qualify. I know it sounds rediculous but I wanted this surgery!

In January, at my first appt the insurance co told me that the 3month diet I had been on was too old and had to go through the surgeon's office. At this time I spoke to the nutritionist and she recommended this site. And directed me to the forum about Band to Sleeve revisions!! After reading all of the posts and speaking to others on here and at work, I changed my mind and went with the sleeve. The best decision I've ever made!!

I'm considered a newbie at only 8wks post-op, but let me tell you, I've already lost 35lbs (all post-op) and I feel amazing!! Those 25lbs I gained to qualify took a huge toll on my body and energy and now that I've lost that, I feel great! I'm not hitting snooze on my alarm anymore and I'm staying up later too. I'm able to run up and down the stairs chasing after my kids, and am coaching softball again. I have a long way to go, but just these 35lbs have made a huge difference for me!!

You will know when it's time! When you wake up one morning and struggle to get out of bed, or put your shoes on, or run out of breath walking a short distance... it's time!

thanks for sharing your story Stacey. IT'S time.

I have always been a big girl. But that had never stopped me. I did everyting I wanted, went everywhere, lived a full life, until about a year ago. I put on about 30 more pounds and slowed way down. We went on vacation to the Outer Banks and there is a huge sand dune called "Jockey Ridge", I was intimidated, but I climbed it, it took every ounce of my being to get to the top of that sand dune while folks twice my age and half my age were sprinting up the hill. Once I got to the top, I could go no further, so fo the first time in my life my weight kept me from doing what I wanted to do. And that was it. I am tired of living in this body. I am tired of doing Weight Watchers and doing so well for a few months then crashing and burning and putting all the weight back on and them some. Now is the time before I get too bad. I am a 300+ pound woman with no comorbidities and if I wait too long that will change. That is why I am doing this!

When you can't live the life you want, that's certainly reason enough. thanks for sharing your story Miss Bliss.

i knew it was time to do something when i started hating going home to see my family. i dreaded the airplane seats. hated going on vacation. hated having my picture taken. then my dad got diagnose with diabetes and i saw what was waiting for me at the end of the road.. i am not a fan of needles lol. i wanted to do it while i was young enough and without the comorbidities. people was saying to me when i told them i wanted the surgery "but you are not that fat" eventhough i was 5'6 and weighs close to 250. now i'm 6 days post surgery and i don't regret my decision. good luck with you.

Thanks for sharing your experience Mina. I can totally relate.

I knew it was time when my lower back pain got so bad that I couldn't stand for longer than a couple minutes without pain, or walk for longer than 5 minutes without being in agony. I've always been big but that never stopped me until I started taking a medication that caused me to gain 30 pounds in 2 years. Even before that gain I was dealing with pain but it was tolerable. But after the gain I would try to go to the mall with friends and have to sit out half the time on a bench because I couldn't do the stand-and-browse thing with them... god forbid I try to go to the county fair, one of my favorite things to do, or go to the Renaissance festival... I also used to horseback-ride very frequently, I took lessons for 7 years and at this point no horse could carry me. But the real turning point was when I went to my sister's wedding and realized that I was the fattest person there. Being seen like that amongst my extended family and my sister's college friends was miserable beyond belief. So I started researching and a year later I was in the program.

I know this is the right thing for me to do. I know that it will help me to get back to being able to do the things I want to do, and maybe more that I never thought I could.

Hope this helps...Good luck to you on your journey!

thanks for sharing your story Bryn. I know how you feel/felt. thanks for the well wishes. I'm convinced this is the right thing for me.

I'm going thru my insurance requirements to get my sleeve. I know it's the right thing I'm doing. just wanted to poll the forum to find out when you knew "it was time". I'm scared to do it, but more scared that my health problems will worsen if I don't. I could use a little moral support. hoping to have insurance approval by mid-august.

Hi,

I knew I was going to die faster from being FAT than I ever was from "sleeve surgery." I also trusted my research in who my Doctor was going to be. Unlike you I was a "slef pay." because my insurance was NOT going to pay. I cared about my health and I wanted to do so many things in my life as a healthy person.

I have NEVER had one day of regret. GO for it and just remember this is ALL ABOUT YOU and NO one else.

Thanks Suzannesh for the encouragement. I am amazed at the number if people who self pay for the surgery. I wonder if there's ever been a study done to compare the long term success of those who've had bariatric surgery that was covered by insurance vs. those who were self pay. I'm just curious. I doubt there would be much difference in the outcomes but it would be interesting to see.

Thanks to all my VST fam. I know I'm not alone.

Thanks Suzannesh for the encouragement. I am amazed at the number if people who self pay for the surgery. I wonder if there's ever been a study done to compare the long term success of those who've had bariatric surgery that was covered by insurance vs. those who were self pay. I'm just curious. I doubt there would be much difference in the outcomes but it would be interesting to see.

Thanks to all my VST fam. I know I'm not alone.

Hi,

Yes, that is a very interesting thought. I wonder about that too. I just read a article in AARP magazine that said the they followed a group of people for 12 years who had a lapband. I found this interesting. More that 50% of them had to have their lapband removed because of complications with the lapband. That just proves to me that is why I NEVER wanted a lapband.

I love my sleeve and it is the best you can have. Good luck.

Hugs,

Suzanne

Hi Pagie, I was diagnosed with uterine cancer in Dec 2008. I went thru surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. By January 2010 I took off my wig and thought I'd feel good again. Throughout my ordeal I had a lot of friends and family supporting me, I am very blessed in that regard. They would always ask: how are you now?, is everything ok?, how are you feeling?, are you healthy now? And at the end of all the he|| I went through, I COULD NOT HONESTLY SAY YES, I am fine now. Because I was still 100 pounds overweight with diabetes out of control. I couldn't believe i fought cancer and felt even worse than before. So that was it, I made the decision. The best reason for having this surgery is for your health, I'm just at the beginning of this new journey, so time will tell...but what I do know is that my fat-related health problems were doing nothing but getting worse as time went on.

I was tired of being tired. My feet, knees, and back were killing me. I never could exercise or eat right for a long enough period to feel better. I am 18 days post op and I have been walking 2 miles every morning for 8 days straight. I feel so much better. I noticed my face and feet first. The unhealthy swollen look is gone in those two places. I have done something great for me. My insurance would not cover the surgery so we paid. No regrets!

When I married my amazingly supportive, loving, and hard-working husband, I knew I wanted to have children with him. I had been half-as$ researching bariatric surgery in Texas when I was single, but had not really committed.

We were married in February of 2008, October 2008 I underwent band surgery and then VSG revision in June 2009. I'm 6 years older than my husband, he met, fell in love with, and married me at 270lbs. He never once scoffed at my weight, he never saw a 24W pant size, he just loved me, all of me. He was 100% supportive for both surgeries, as I had refused to get pregnant at my pre-op weight.

I am now 20 weeks pregnant, and thriving. It took us 3 years to get here considering both surgeries and extensive recovery, then I had to wait to TTC. I was also just tired of being fat. I had zero co-morbidities, or extensive health issues, but they were all in my future. I wanted to avoid all of them, plus I wanted to enjoy being regular/average sized woman in my 30's.

There's nothing, not one single, solitary thing I would change about my journey. I have zero regrets, not even my band, and I'm so grateful I did this not only for my future health, but for my family.

Two things: flying across country in between two people and thinking there is no way I can do this again without weight loss, and just looking in the mirror while on that trip. I'm 10 weeks out and 28 lbs lighter and I cannot tell you the difference in EVERYTHING!

I'm going thru my insurance requirements to get my sleeve. I know it's the right thing I'm doing. just wanted to poll the forum to find out when you knew "it was time". I'm scared to do it, but more scared that my health problems will worsen if I don't. I could use a little moral support. hoping to have insurance approval by mid-august.