lorlybeth84

Is self-pay an option? I found a great surgeon in Alabama because bariatric surgery was excluded from my insurance as well. I had very few pre-op requirements and the cost was $8995. You could always go to Mexico too which is the cheapest but I was too nervous to go that route.

I had my sleeve on a Tuesday and returned to work on the following Monday, so 6 days off total. I have a desk job and it wasn't too bad, it was actually kind of nice to get my mind off the surgery because the first few weeks are kind of a mental struggle getting used to not being able to eat.

I was self-pay so I went with the Sleeve because it was cheaper and came with a lower complication risk. Being self-pay, any issues that arise due to the surgery also aren't covered under insurance so I wanted to make sure to go with the option that carried the lowest complication rate. In my experience it seems that bypass is the more dominant option for those that are severely overweight (think BMI 60+) and want the best chance at being able to lose most/all of their excess weight and maintain the loss.

Here's my before and after so far. Down 111lbs since 3/22/22, hoping to lose about 30 more

Hi! I know this is obviously different for everyone but I am curious how long it took you to reach goal weight? I started at 303 in March and I'm down to 202 at the moment. My goal weight is 160 and I was really hopeful I'd get there by the 1 year mark but the loss has slowed down so much I'm not sure I'll make it. I think I'm more curious if anyone had a slow down around this point in time and the weight loss picked back up? I've heard from others that it tends to slow down after 6 months and stay that way. I actually mainly starting to worry that I won't hit my goal at all and maybe I need to change my expectations.....

FINALLY hit 100lbs down today! I have been waiting for this moment for a while and I am so excited. I hope it never comes back on again!! I'm at 203 now so next big goal is getting to ONEderland. I hope everyone else is doing well also. So glad I had this surgery and am finally getting healthy.

Thank you!

Thank you!

Ugh I know what you mean! Getting to 100lbs down was a big deal for me but getting under 200 is going to be MAJOR and I feel like I've been waiting forever for it! Let's hope we both get there soon!

Doing pretty well. I am down 99lbs so far. I still have 40-50 to lose but it is slowing down quite a bit, I am hoping I can get to my goal! My portion sizes are still very small and I am nauseous or have stomach pain a lot. Other than that I can't complain.

I had GS in March and I am surprised by how little I can eat still. My breakfast is always a protein shake (which takes me 1-2 hours to finish), lunch is either a sargento balanced breaks or a good culture cottage cheese cup. Dinner is a few bites of whatever my husband cooks....literally 3-4 bites is all. I get full off of a half a cup of soup. I know this is what I wanted, but it is mentally difficult some days as I want to be able to eat enough to feel satisfied and that doesn't happen when you can only have a few bites. Cottage cheese or yogurt is about the only food I can eat a normal amount of and that's getting old!

My marriage has always been great and nothing has changed since the surgery. My husband had WLS about a year before I did so was very supportive and it was so helpful because he knew everything I was going through and was very understanding of my roller coaster emotions. The way I look at it is if problems existed before WLS, they will still be there afterward. However I think most people start to gain more confidence in themselves after losing weight and finally gain the courage to do something about it. I would think if you had a good marriage prior to surgery, it should remain the same afterward.

Yes all inclusive for all of the medical bills and includes 1 year of follow up appointments as well. The only additional costs I had were to cover my transportation there (I drove to save $$ over flying) and then the hotel stay in the area. I had to go the day before surgery for a consult and then stayed 2 days after so I had 3 nights of hotel costs but that really wasn't terrible.

I used Alabama Bariatrics in Huntsville, AL and it was $8995. I was nervous to go to Mexico and this pricing made it a good alternative for me. Might be worth looking into.

Hi Dolly - I'd love to share my experience. I did the travel program through Alabama Bariatrics. My surgery was scheduled on a Tuesday. I had to be in Alabama for an in person consult and final labs on Monday, surgery on Tuesday then I stayed overnight at the hospital until Weds. I was discharged to a hotel and had to stay local that night then I was able to drive home on Thursday. All of the pre-surgery labs were done through my primary care physician. My initial contact with Alabama Bariatrics was at the end of November 2021 and my surgery ended up being March 2022. It could have been much sooner but I didn't have a primary care physician so I had to wait almost 2 months for a new patient appointment which delayed things. Also, I could have gotten surgery in mid-February but I chose to wait until March so I could have it done the week my kids were on spring break so my parents (babysitters) didn't have to worry about taking them back and forth to school. Here's their website: https://alabariatrics.com/ feel free to ask me anything! I would highly recommend them, the entire process was super easy.

I miss being able to eat a huge meal if I wanted. We are going on a cruise soon and I'm a little sad I won't be able to really enjoy the 4+ course meal at dinner. However, I am never really hungry or have cravings so this is totally a mental thing! I love that food isn't a constant thought for me anymore, but I wonder if I will ever mentally not be addicted to food.

I did not start getting much restriction until about 6 weeks out. I felt the same way as you like "is this surgery even working?????!!!!!". The only thing that helped me was I had zero hunger (I still do not have it, actually) so I was pushing myself to eat and could easily stop because I wasn't hungry to begin with. Once your nerves heal more, you'll feel that restriction. Be careful not to overdo it now though or you'll end up getting sick or having dumping syndrome. I do think what you're experiencing is normal though.

Hi! My surgery was on 3/22 and at this point I am lucky to eat 1/4 cup of food. It does depend on what I eat though. My husband is a year out from his VSG and he can probably eat about 3/4-1 cup of food. One thing that I am looking forward to after VSG is being able to maintain my weight loss. I have yo-yo'd up and down most of my adult life but I was never able to maintain my weight loss for long. I am hoping with the smaller stomach it will be much easier to maintain. That's the main reason I'd recommend surgery over dieting. I did also read something that said most people who diet are likely to gain their weight back plus some each time which causes them to eventually reach higher weights than before. Just something to keep in mind, I really hope you can lose the weight on your own but do not ever think that getting surgery is a bad decision or the "easy way out"!

I had the VSG done in the US and it wasn't much more than Mexico. I felt the additional cost was worth it to stay in the states with better healthcare. I paid $8995 out of pocket and it was done by Dr. Suggs in Huntsville, AL. Those I was looking at in MX were around $7k so I didn't feel I was saving enough to risk the subpar medical care in Mexico. Also, it was less than 2 months from my first consult to my surgery date and it could have been sooner but I had to choose a further date so I could arrange for childcare while I was gone.

I used Dr. Suggs with Alabama Bariatrics in Huntsville, AL. My cost was $8995 in total. Outside of that I had to cover my hotel stay and transportation there.

I had my VSG on 3/22 and haven't encountered this yet, however my husband had his in May of 2021 and has gotten some tips from his dr that I will share with you. Apparently making sure to drink 60-70oz of water is critical to weight loss, I know its difficult but you could try to up your water intake and see if that helps. Also I would advise tracking your calories. Portion sizes seem small but you may still be eating more calories and carbs than you realize. You could try talking to the dietician to see if they have any suggestions as well. Hope this helps! Good luck, the way I look at it any loss is better than no loss or a gain! You're doing great

I had my surgery on Tuesday 3/22 and returned to work on Monday 3/28 so basically 6 days off. I did ok but definitely got tired and it was a little difficult remembering to drink constantly. If you get interrupted a lot at work that can be difficult as you pretty much need to take small sips constantly or at least every 15 minutes. Physically I didn't have many issues and if I did have pain it was easily resolved with some tylenol. Ultimately it depends on you and your body, but myself and my husband have both had the surgery and agree that a week off is sufficient.

Hi Everyone! I know I'm late to the game here but I had VSG on 3/22. So far things have been fairly easy. I'm on pureed foods right now which is getting boring and I still find it tough to get in all the protein and liquids I'm supposed to but every day is getting better. I finally hit 20lbs down yesterday which feels amazing. I love reading everyone's stories on here, can't wait to see our progress!

Hi! I just finished my 14 days of Lovenox last week, my surgery was 3/22. On the day of my op, the nurse showed me how to do the injections and while the needle was in my skin she would complete the injection and that would make the protective needle cover pop out. This caused a huge bruise. I learned that it hurts much less to give that extra push after pulling the needle out of your skin. I hope I'm making sense but it might be something to try! I also found the lower on my belly I did it, the less it bruised and hurt. Good luck, you'll get through this!!