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Hello,

I am new here and relatively new to being sleeved, which I had done on 7/28/14.

My highest weight was pushing almost 380 pounds. I was hovering between 350-360 pounds for many years.

I was turning 50 years old (actually "young" :) ) last year and wanted to take hold of my weight issues, which I struggled with for a good portion of my life.

I was tired of feeling weak, having low stamina, low self-esteem and wanted to no longer have type-2 diabetes (~2+ years), sleep apnea, higher BP, higher cholesterol and low-T. Most of all, I was worried about something happening to me and not being there to support my family and leave my children without a father; the only thing worse would be having a debilitating disease due to my morbid obesity and becoming a burden to them.

From the end of February last year, I started dieting leading up to my surgery. My total weight loss pre/post surgery is ~115 pounds.

I no longer have type-2 diabetes (my glucose numbers are normal, my A1C was in the upper 4's for the last 3 readings), my sleep apnea is greatly diminished, my BP is normal, my testosterone levels are "very good for a 50 year old man" (per my endocrinologist), my cholesterol numbers are normal, I have much more energy, greatly improved self-esteem (I don't mind pictures taken of me anymore) and more NSVs than I can shake a stick at.

My only regret is not having this surgery a few years back, everything after the surgery has been positive.

I am looking forward to this longer, healthier and better quality life I am giving myself.

So if you are reading this and contemplating having the surgery, research about it as much as you can, make sure you are prepared to make this lifestyle commitment and, like the Nike ad states, "Just Do It". Your life will improve too.

Have a great Day.

Edited by 4MRB4PHOTO

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Well done, sir! You have done a great thing for yourself AND your family, they must be soooo proud! And you should be, as well. Your statement says everything....thanks for putting it out there!

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      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
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      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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