tigerbelle

glad for your news, Drea...wishing you the best

carly, glad you are doing well...what are you eating now that you are 8 weeks out?

the only cost that I am not prepared for is possibly the expenses for any post-operative complications...I am not sure if my insurance would cover those expenses since I'm self-pay...I am "scared" to ask about it with my insurance company, because it would almost be like alerting them ahead of time if I should experience any complications...I know that complications are always a risk, and It would be financially devastating to me if I had to pay those costs...but I am at the point of desperation where I think the alternative to me health-wise is much worse, so I am willing to take the risk...like others have said, I think the cost of the protein shakes and vitamin supplements--and even new clothing and shoes--will be offset by the costs of "junk food" and eating out at restaurants that many of us--including me--experience

My research doesn't support that...for one thing, the sleeve is a relatively new procedure, especially compared with RxY bypass...only in recent years has the sleeve been performed routinely, so there couldn't possibly be a valid 15-year success rate yet for the sleeve...what I have read is more such that it's believed the success rate will be very similar for the bypass v. sleeve

my prayers as well

glad all is going well

yikes...I thought one of the advantages of the sleeve surgery over gastric bypass was that you didn't have worries about dumping with VSG...has anybody else experienced dumping with VSG? I am also sorry about your problem, Mandy...hope it is over soon

while I think fitting into smaller sizes or non-plus sizes is a good motivator and benchmark, I am hoping that the more important things to me will be improvements in my health and how I feel...not to be a downer here, but I can recall a time when I had major weight loss and had gotten down to a size 12, I was young then (in my 20s), and my focus was on my size and how I looked in clothing...I still was not satisfied at a size 12, even though I look back now and realize that was a muscular body, and I was in great health and aerobic shape...I just wished I had focused more on that aspect; i.e., my health and how fit I was as opposed to my size...keep up the good work

you are looking good...and your BMI is going down...most important--how do you FEEL? your health improvement, IMO, is much more important than how much better you look or the size you are wearing...keep up the good work

just hang in there, hard2do...halfway there

a lot of my social life and enjoyment with family and friends involves eating--not just eating out but eating at their houses and at parties/events...I live in south La., and we love our food...I am also from a large Italian family that loves to eat...I already know that my social life is very likely to be significantly altered...it is one of those areas of my life where I probably should make some changes anyway--as difficult as that will be

that 30-day pre-op liquid diet regimen is one of the things that has me worried...I don't want to sound negative or discouraging, but my thoughts are that for a person with a food addiction (like me), the main reason I am having the surgery is to aid me in overcoming hunger and as a tool not to overeat...if I could stay on a liquid diet for 30 days, then probably by then I could continue on a liquid or protein shake diet for a longer time...the whole thing is that I don't know if I can--emotionally--stay on a liquid diet for 30 days (before the surgery, that is)...sigh...I can sympathize with you for sure

very helpful...thanks, y'all

thanks, OTR....how about the drinking part? Are you able to drink along with the meal?

glad you are feeling better...with a previous non-WLS surgery, I had complications which included the need for blood transfusions...that plus the double round of anesthesia is probably contributing to your weakness and the low-grade fever (per my own experience and recollection)...your comment about the food addiction hits home for me...part of my fear of WLS is that I will still emotionally crave food but won't be able to eat it (I realize that is actually the advantage of WLS)...I just pray for both of us that the physical well-being will far overcome the emotional challenge, and that the addiction will eventully wane

I have a question for those of you who are over 6 months out from your surgery...when you go to a restaurant out with friends or family, what is it like? Do you order a full meal and then eat only half of it or a third of it? Can you eat pretty much any type of food or are you still limited as to what you can tolerate? Also, are you now able to eat and drink during the same meal? I just think it would be difficult to be out at a restaurant when others are eating and drinking (even if just water), and you can only eat and not drink....any feedback you can give will be much appreciated (I am still researching the surgery and not scheduled yet)

****update**** Sorry I have been away from the forum discussions for a while...I wanted to give an update...before I could move any further with scheduled WLS, I developed an ulceration on my big left toe (complication of diabetes)...my podiatrist began treatment, but the healing process was going very slowly (again, diabetes complication)...my WLS would not schedule surgery until I resolved the matter...right before Christmas, the ulceration still was not completely healed, and I developed a bone infection...since then I have been on daily IV antibiotics and have completed 4 weeks of the 6-week regimen...my hopes and prayers are that the infection and the ulceration will be healed in the next 2 weeks, and I can proceed with the WLS process...more than ever, I am feeling like the WLS is a last resort for me, and I have additional fears now of developing another infection or complication before I can proceed...for now, I am going to probably be asking a lot more questions here, so please be patient with me

thanks for your post and sharing that...I agree with what you've said about food addiction and compulsive overeating...it's a tough battle to fight--one I have been fighting for over 20 years. I have been in group therapy and individual counseling and still am...I am also on medication--an antidepressant and not Adderall...I have been diagnosed with panic disorder, clinical depression and (the worst) OCD...food is one of my main issues...I am still not giving up, because I am getting better little by little over the years....and not everyone's progress is as slow as mine...as my therapist has said, it's like peeling the layers of skin on an onion...everybody, hang in there!

CowgirlJane, I can very much relate to most of your post, especially what I quoted above...it was like you were reading my mind...I have 51 BMI, I am 50 years old, have many co-morbidities including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure...I have also been up and down the scale, but over the decades more up than down...for me, the surgery--even high risk--now seems less risky than remaining as I am, with a high risk for a stroke leaving me permanently disabled...that quality of life is surely worse than living with a smaller stomach and restricted diet...also less of a burden on my loved ones...I very much take this major surgery seriously--which is I why I have waited so long (maybe too long) to proceed Iggy, what happened to you is one of my worst fears from the surgery, and in no way would I ever downplay your suffering...for me, though, once I have considered the relative risks and made myself as aware and educated as possible, I feel I cannot focus on the worse things that could happen...that will only make my life miserable leading up to the surgery...I am thinking that others feel the same; i.e., once you've come to the decision to proceed despite the known risks, you then just need to pray, leave it to God and do whatever your surgeon advises pre-op to minimize the very-real risks of the surgery

I admit this is one of my biggest fears, second only to my fear of severe post-op complications like leakage...I don't know what it is going to feel like not to have the emotional comfort of food...in the past I've suffered severe anxiety and panic attacks, and I have a great fear of the return of those symptoms without the comfort of food

I agree with the posts about not doing anything you aren't comfortable with...I am glad you re-booked your appointment, though, because there is no harm in getting information to help you make your decision. I am petrified of surgery myself and have had some bad surgical experiences, but for me it is a choice of the greater risks of remaining morbidly obese v. surgical complication risks...not to influence you one way or the other, but I can relate also to some of the "older" people who have posted here...I turned 50 this year..when I was your age, I was obese but otherwise healthy...around age 40 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and hypertension...now I have serious complications from not controlling my diabetes and from my excessive weight...I wont' go through the comprehensive list but the ones that are presenting the gravest risks for me right now are the slow healing of some wounds and skin infections, as well as poor circulation and swelling in my legs...but it has taken me 10 years plus the development of serious complications--as well as the threat of a toe amputation--to make the decision to proceed with WLS...you will make the decision that is best for you in your own time

Like most others have said, I think this is a personal decision, and there is no right or wrong choice...I have had some serious health issues as a result of my diabetes and severe obesity, including a couple of significant leaves of absence from work for health reasons...there really is no way--even if I wanted to--that I could have "hidden" my health problems. I have also been fortunate in the past to have had much needed support from family, friends, coworkers and fellow worrshippers at my church. I very well may need their continued support in this next step in my journey to find health--both physically and emotionally. While I am not telling anyone and everyone, I am sharing my decision with those who have supported me in the past.

my biggest fear, too I hope you continue to a full recovery soon

If you don't mind my asking, how much did the BLIS insurance cost? Also, do you mind saying how much the surgery itself cost self-pay?

This post made me curious...I am going to be self-pay as well...I had read somewhere the cost for VSG was between $15,000 and $20,000....if others don't mind saying, what was the total cost of the procedure--surgeon, facility, etc.?