My journey started in February 2015 I went to Rex & began the steps to have VSG. My insurance is with Cigna so I knew I had a four month monitoring program I had to start with my dr. After two months of going through the program with Rex I found out Cigna only covers "Super Bariatrics Programs" & guess what, Rex wasn't apart of that!

After that I did give up, I just felt like maybe it wasn't meant to be. Besides I had planned a all inclusive trip to Cancun so Id think about it afterwards.

June came around & I had made my mind up: this surgery was going to happen. I found out that Duke qualified as a Super center so I did the online orientation, met with my surgeon & started my journey!

The first month I didn't try that hard, at all. I think I lost a lb. August & September I worked my butt off! There was a ridiculous amount of things I had to do, EGD, a countless amount of doctor appointments, checkins with my surgeon, healthier eating, psychological exams the whole 9! I was so over it. But I knew it would be worth it.

My surgery was Wed October 14th I had to go on a one week liquid diet. I went there at 7:30 & got everything started my surgery happened at 9:30 & was done in 40 minutes!!! My surgeon said I had done a wonderful job preparing for my surgery & it made it so much easier. Recovery was tough & I was in a lot of pain. Mostly gas. I got 5 tiny incision scars. It was painful to get in & out of bed but I had no choice especially because I didn't have a catheter & the IV had me peeing every hour. I only had one night to stay. Getting fluids in every 15 minutes was tough, I was so ill & I ended up throwing up 3 times. The next day was so much easier. I met w my surgeon & my nurses they told me I was able to leave at 1pm!!! Fluids were easier & pain was a lot more tolerable.

I've been home now for 3 days & its been crazy good! I've lost 9lbs already & getting my Protein & liquids have been a breeze. I may have had buyers remorse in the beginning but now I know this was the best decision of my life!!!

HW: 387.6

SW: 381.6

CW: 339.4

GW: somewhere in ONEderland!

Congratulations! Good for you for not giving up. So glad to hear your recovery is going well. Just keep sipping and walking. You may want to stay off of the scale for a while, too.

Keep us posted!

Congrats! Try to poop and gas as much as possible. That puts additional pain where your incisions are. I could just feel the build up behind the incision that hurt the most. Once I burped or gassed and pooped, it was less painful. Sounds like you are doing great.

Thank you! Recovery is going very well. Im obsessed with weighing in. Its one of the only ways I feel I can keep track & stay focused. I was weighing in multiple times a day however now I only weigh in the mornings! In getting better!

Thank you! Recovery is going very well. Im obsessed with weighing in. Its one of the only ways I feel I can keep track & stay focused. I was weighing in multiple times a day however now I only weigh in the mornings! In getting better!

You are going to hit a stall at about your third week, so don't let the numbers on the scale freak you out.

So glad things worked out in the end and you were able to have surgery. Congratulations!

Awesome.

You were in the best of care at Duke. That is well worth any delay and aggravation with having to change over.

If I still lived in NC there is no doubt that I would have pursued going to Duke for my surgery.

The place is unbelievable in every way. Top Notch.

Sounds like you are doing very well and there is no reason for you to not continue along this path toward you goal.

Great job.