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Hi Nina I had a revision or reconstruction for the same reason as dream believe. I went to Mexicali MX to a hospital. Mexicali Bariatrics did the reconstruction. It's been a slow process and I am 11 weeks. I feel very satisfied with limited food. I am exercising a lot more this time. I have more energy. I had to have a barium swallow and I had xray from the first sleeve. He told me it was not my fault for the weight regain. The did a barium swallow after revision checking for leaks and to show me the difference in the restriction. I lost 60lbs really fast the first time. I gained 25lbs over 6 years. I have lost 26lbs so far. The first time I lost a lb a day the first month. If your not happy get the second opinion.

I am in my early 20s and just got the band. I was similarly concerned about how it would change my social life. I am only a few days into being banded, but I think the real changes for me on this topic came about a month ago, before I had the band. The truth is, you can have fun in moderation. I am a big drinker and social eater and often plan outings surrounding these things. The thing I have found out from being on my preop diet and being restricted in eating and not drinking is that people don't really care if I am eating fatty foods or drinking alcohol with them. As long as they can do those things, and I am not making my not-participation the focus of what is going on, then no one really minds. The bigger change will not come from your friends, but from you. You will have to learn to be fun and jolly and entertain yourself without the food/alcohol. No one is going to care if you order a Soup instead of a Pasta dish, or if you have a cranberry juice instead of a vodka tonic if you are still being fun and normal. Your friends like you for you, not for how much you can drink or eat. It is a hard transition though. I have added other things to my social life too, like doing-non drinking activities, like seeing a movie or going kayaking with a friend or going shopping, as a replacement to some of drinking/eating related things. I also went to a BBQ at my friends house where people could bring food but I provided food that I knew I would be able to eat without feeling deprived (I brough lots of grilled veggies, veggie burger and crab stuffed mushrooms and propel zero-- no one cared what I was eating or that I wasn't drinking and it was a ton of fun. I enjoyed myself way more not feeling guilty about over eating or worrying if someone counted how many chips I had had and was judging me and I felt the need to drink less). It will be different for every person though. These life changes are good ones. The sooner you start the sooner you get the band you will be able to have control of your life, feel good about yourself, and show other people how confident you are. Being able to have fun without alcohol is an awesome skill, and being able to having conversations and socialize without using food as a crutch will only make you a better friend. I just work hard not to make my new eating habits or band anyone else's problem. It requires planning and has changed my life, but for the better. I have had to really look at what is available on menus before getting to a restaurant and I always carry something that will curb my appetite in a pinch (although there are some fast food options that aren't awful, just look at nutrition and do your best to stay high, Protein and low carb). These things aren't hard though. I think it is good you are asking these questions and if you aren't ready to make some changes inside yourself with how you cope with social situations (not drinking or eating your way through them) then it probably isn't the time for you to get banded. It would be worse, in my opinion, to get banded now and feel like you are failing then to wait until you are mentally ready to give up some of the social comfort and let your friends still have it. The band won't be a cure for any of your bad habits or mental reasons for eating, so those changes need to either come first or you need to be prepared enough to fight them when the cravings come. Doing the 6 month preop nutritionist consults, meeting fellow bariatric surgery patients, being on this site, watching youtube videos, reading blogs and meeting with a therapist have all helped me realize that I don't use food in a normal way and in some ways that hinders my social life more than it helps. This is all just me though. I don't know if it relates to you, but as a young 20 something, the sooner you are happy, the better. It just might take more work mentally if you don't want to change your lifestyle 180 degrees, because the triggers and reasons to eat will still be there after the band. Good luck deciding and feel free to message if you have more questions.

The Haters: I am 57 and just now preparing for surgery. I soooooo wish I had done this years ago because my weight ruined my health over the years. Bariatric surgery may not even restore me to health as some of the damage to my body is permanent. Not to mention the costs and side effects of taking multiple medications for decades. I have managed to have a full life ,except no children , but I allowed my weight to always dictate my life with non stop dieting and the constant battle of the roller coaster ride up and down 10, 20, 30 pounds. What an incredible waste of the best years of my life. I look forward to a heathier, thinner me after bariatric surgery. I want to live the next 30 years of my life with ME directing my choices, not my weight dictating my choices. If I am going to continue to be preoccupied with my weight and diet after bariatric surgery at least I am more confident that my efforts will be rewarded and not a waste of time doing "just one more diet". I have a better chance of maintaining my weight once the excess weight is off, as long as I do the work and follow the rules. The roller coaster ride is coming to an abrupt, permanent end now for me age 57! It is not too late for me but if I could have done this when I was younger, I can only imagine how my life could have been diiferent, better, happier, and healthier.

Oh no, that stinks! I have a friend with BCBS OK, and they were told, last year I believe, that WLS was not covered... but I would imagine there are several different plans, and if you have an approval from late December, I don't see how they can back out now! By the way, I live in OK too, just north of OKC proper... I'm having surgery soon, I hope, down in Norman (my friend is a bariatric nurse down there, so I chose that hospital). I think you're the first person I've seen on here from OK, so I just wanted to say hello!

I’ve been taking things in stride as best I can but am rather miffed at doctors and events today so I am just going to rant even though I need to be trying to sleep. Prior to my gastric bypass surgery and gallbladder removal My gastroenterologist insisted I have a colonoscopy due to the fact that previous ct scan had shown severe narrowing of my colon and a recent ct showed possible colitis. But the colonoscopy had to wait until after my surgery. I went through three days of clear liquids and hellish prep trying to swallow the required liquids. While the nurse was great I was literally the last patient and they were already starting to close down the facility before my procedure started. I had an unusually hard time waking up from the sedation and just wanted to close my eyes but they were in a hurry to get me out, I was barely awake and told to get dressed and get in the car to go even though I was stumbling and could hardly walk. I didn’t get answers from the colonoscopy. I don’t know if endometriosis can be confused for colitis. But why would a ct scan show something but not a colonoscopy. It showed melanosis in the colon usually caused by chronic laxative use which I refuse to use laxatives on a regular basis so rarely take it. Also diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon which has been there some years now and the last doctor just said well you have to wait until you end up in the Er with an emergency to even do anything. Like ok. But no biopsy was taken of the darkened spots of my colon. And no explanation of my symptoms. My bariatric surgeon said My gastroenterologist could do the endoscopy since he is closer to where I live, and he got all my information and everything. I had previously had a balloon dilation of a very narrow stricture. They saw the stricture during this procedure (so I guess the previous dilation didn’t do anything) but my endoscopy report reads: “ge junction with mucosal tear from hiccup during dilation” I didn’t speak to the doctor, I wasn’t alert enough. He made it out like nothing to my mom. They didn’t take any biopsy from either tests. And I have a mucosal tear but not what to do about all the pain? Im just tired and frustrated. I can only manage so much when I don’t have clear answers. I have to have another procedure this time a surgery in two weeks to do with the endometriosis. Not even sure the doctor will be able to find where it is since it can be anywhere and the main reason is my ovary has to come out. All my long rambling, sorry. Has anyone had a tear happen during a balloon dilation? From what I see dilation isn’t a cure just a treatment or temporary fix. I know you don’t want the stoma too big but too small is not good either. I’ve been having spasms in my left side, crushing chest pain, nausea and difficulty with purée and other symptoms. I’m the end I just shut up and deal with it. Im not regretting RNY because with my nonexistent metabolism I would not have lost nearly 63lbs. And I knew it would take its toll on my chronic illness but so much at once has me exhausted. end of rant.

Hi! I'm about an hour and a half north of Pittsburgh. I went thru Hamot Bariatrics in Erie with Dr Ali. I was self pay and his total cost was $14,125. They have a monthly support group and lifetime support with the nutritionalist. I am very happy I chose them! I am only three weeks out, but feel free ta ask any questions!

I'll make this short and if any questions just ask.... If your having the pain under your left ribs, side, back and shoulder, strongly ask your doctor to examine you by laparoscopy. It's the ONLY way the reason for my pain would have ever been found. I had my band placed Jan,11.2010 and prolapsed May, 2010 and removed July 20,2010. I started having severe left upper back pain and pain underneath left ribs before prolaps.The pain continued to get worse after prolaps especially when walking and on a full stomach. It was a stabbing pain through the left ribs and directly through the back and shoulder. I would also describe it as though I had been kicked in the left kidney type of sensation in my left side. After having CTscan's,and an UGI along with second opinions, they were convinced it was coming from bulging disc in my back. I refused to accept that and in the meantime the pain continued to get worse but would get better if I laid down for awhile. The pain ended up getting worse just by sitting for a few hours, driving a few hours(sitting) or walking for a short time and was getting unbearable. To make it short, I went to the Cleveland Clinic and was seen by bariatric surgeon Dr. Stacy Brethauer(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)! He did and endoscopy the day before Thanksgiving to find my stomach was twisted. He then did surgery 2 days later to untwist stomach and look for any other problems. During laparoscopy to untwist the stomach he found that I had a dense lesion attached from my stomach to my liver tethering my liver and causing it to tear over time. The liver is why I had the severe pain which gave me the unusual sensation as though I had been kicked hard in the kidney on the left side. Also, the pain was worse on a full stomach due to the lesion pulling on my liver due to being attached to the stomach. PS. The stomach twist was from the band placement but is supposed to be put back in proper anatomical position by the surgeon when removing the band.

Saw my endocrinologist today. He was extremely happy with my progress. My A1C with NO meds was 6.0. It was 6.4 back in April (pre-op). He said today's still included some of the old sugars since I am still not 3 months out and A1C is generally a 3 month average. I am very happy with that! Cholesterol slightly high (with no meds) but he said that takes a little longer to come down and since I am now not considered diabetic (MUSIC TO MY EARS!!) my cholesterol goals aren't quite as stringent. He put me back on med but at half the dose from pre-op and expects to be able to take me off in a few months hopefully. And all my Vitamins were spot on. In fact, my Calcium and D was a little high - for me anyway because I have calcium absorbtion issues that leads to kidney stones (long time pre-op issue), so I even get to cut back a little on vitamins. B12 great but I have been exhausted and turns out thyroid is off again (as I anticipated). That's an easy fix as we just have to up my thyroid med slighlty which will hopefully fix the exhaustion along with coming up on 3 month surgervisary. All in all a great visit! Can't remember the last time I actually looked forward to seeing a dr and getting on the scales! Bariatric surgeon appt next Tuesday so we will see if she has anything different to say, but I can't imagine she will. Happy dance!!!

Our regular doctor. But we are trying to get into a bariatric program with a nutritionist, so we can have our follow ups with someone with more experience on VSG

Hi Everyone, I go by SnohoGal98296 - I have been visiting and posting for a few months now. At first I was lurking to learn about your experiences and your pre and post surgery successes and failures. I also wanted to learn if you had the same experience as I have and if those experiences helped lead you to weight loss surgery. I did this research to determine if WLS was for me - and through this site, my outside research of specific surgeons and my own family who have made the leap for themselves and are very happy, I have made the decision to get weight loss surgery, specifically the sleeve. I am just in the process of determining which bariatric surgical center at which I will spend my hard earned money. I am self-pay, well employed and well insured, but with a WLS exclusion. As this is a huge investment for me I have closely examined specific reasons why I want this procedure. Below is my list (I apologize in advance for any TMIs :-D): I have tried nearly every diet on the planet - I am 45 years old and first realized I was overweight when I was about 10 years old. Here is a list of diets I have tried over the past 35 years: Lowfat / Nonfat liquid VLC diet (I snuck my Dad's Optifast in the 6th grade) Jenny Craig Weight Watchers Acupuncture Hypnosis Grocery Diet (Lean Cuisine, etc) Starbucks Diet Subway Diet Atkins South Beach Medically Supervised Optifast Medically Supervised High Protein / Low Carb (I was most successful here) Here are my physical observations since my last diet and regain, I don't make this list to complain but to remind me why I need to be proactive for my health, in no particular order: I am 5'6", I started my last diet at 275lbs, I lost around 50lbs. and was feeling pretty darn good about being in the 220's. I thought I could lose more and keep the weight off and did for almost a year, unfortunately the diet was too hard to maintain and I ended up gaining back the 50lbs. plus another 20lbs. Actually I am fluctuating between 295 and 298. At my first surgical consult their scale, fully clothed in the afternoon, said 302lbs. I have finally eclipsed the largest size of my favorite work slacks - Lee "khaki" style slacks. Their largest size is 24W. I wear 24W in other brands but not in Lee anymore. I have been on two business trips since October and on both occasions I had to ask for seat belt extenders, (funnily enough on the USA based airlines but not on the Japan based airline). When I bend over to tie my shoes I feel starved for oxygen, I often need to prop my foot up to reach. I am unable to wear my favorite pair of boots anymore, my calves won't fit anymore - and they are men's boots. I have resorted to fastening my bra before I put it on because my arms don't bend that way anymore. I have a few creases in different areas of my body that get raw and irritated if I get sweaty. I have had to have prescription yeast infection treatments for these areas. Needless to say I hate to sweat now, in fact it makes me itch. I barely fit in my son's car and the seat belt is fully extended when I fasten it. It is close in my car - but I have few inches there yet. Some public restrooms stalls are too small for me, I have to use the handicap stall to have the space to reach, if you know what I mean (sorry TMI). At a recent meeting at work, the chair I was sitting in broke, snapped underneath me with a loud crack and I barely caught myself before tumbling over backwards, and I yelped! My only relief from complete embarrassment? A normal size guy broke his chair too, a short while after mine did. When I go to bed at night, I have to sleep with 2 or more pillows because I can't lay on my back without my own neck flesh choking me, I also need the pillows to sleep on my side due to my body is larger than one pillows width from the mattress surface. I have borderline high blood pressure. I do not have type II diabetes, although my surgical consult reminded it hasn't been tested in a couple of years. Climbing the single flight of stairs at my work, walking between buildings, or trying to keep up with my family while we are on walks causes me to be out of breath. Walking or standing for more than 20 or 30 mins makes my feet and back hurt so badly that I have to sit down. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year was excruciating. Doing normal housework is now a workout. My hips brush the armrests of my office chair, not too small yet, but close. There is a woman at work who had to have facilities order her an XL chair and everyone knows about it. Regarding my family - My husband is truly supportive, he backs me 100%. My 17 year old son wonders why I can't diet and exercise more. My daughter really hasn't weighed in - I believe she supports me. I have a cousin who weighed over 440lbs. when she got the lap band, she got down to 300lbs and all weight loss stopped. After her band failed (i.e. broke internally, she didn't regain very much) she got a revision to RNY and has begun loosing again. Her son just got banded this year and has lost over 150lbs. and just got engaged. I feel comfortable within my own family with this decision. Regarding work - I have told my Boss and she supports my decision but I will only tell my coworkers on a person by person basis. Some will understand and support others just don't need to know. So these are some of the reasons why I have decided to get weight loss surgery, what are some of your reasons?

I turned 49 back on October. I decided to have the weight loss surgery (Jan 2014) because I had been overweight since high school and I figured if I hadn't lost it in 30 years, I refuse to turn 50 this year at 200+ pounds but I also knew that I wouldn't be losing it without some major intervention. Just a couple of months ago, I finally tipped the scale at 300+ and that was the straw that damn near broke my back (heart). I didn't have any co-morbidities other than really bad knees but I just needed to change because my physical being was beginning to affect my mental and emotional well-being and that was completely unacceptable. My insurance don't cover bariatric services so I had to do the Mexico route and self-pay but I'm hoping it will be one of the best investments I've made in myself other than my education.

Night time hunger attacks all of us, but at the same time dont starve yourself. If you must eat a midnight snack try to find something like what I did. I found a nutrition bar that is actually also scientifically proven to curve appetite, its called the control bar, you can check it out here. Bariatric Advantage - Control Bar - Chocolate Delight (1 bar)

My surgeon told me that the pre-op liquid diet is to help shrink my liver. I am not sure why your surgeon requires less of you. My two weeks begins on the 26th and my surgery is on January 9th. I also see my surgeon for one more visit on the 6th. With BCBS Federal if your BMI is 40 or > you do not have to do a six month diet and while you are not required to provide 5 years worth of history either the more documentation the better is what a BCBS Federal Bariatric person told me. This is going to be the longest month of my life. I plan to keep myself so busy I have no time to think about it. My cousin and sister were so excited when I told them I was approved. I celebrated with my cousin and a good friend on Saturday at a great vegetarian restaurant in NYC and then we went to see the tree and it started to snow when we got there what perfect timing.

Sorry I can't think of anything. Perhaps if her college is not too far away, you might invite her to attend a Bariatric Surgery Support Group Meeting. Drag her along. It might give her a window into your world and someday in the future she might climb through the same window on her own.

This is really good to know. i will call my surgeon's office and inquire. My PCP told me that I would be referred back to my bariatric surgeon if surgery is needed.

Actually the general surgeon is not a bariatric surgeon. I was referred out by Kaiser to a bariatric surgeon and my year post op is up. I will insist that I have someone who specializes in bariatrics though if i have to have surgery. It's just frustrating right now.

Most people misuse the term stall, I'm guilty myself even though I know the difference. People losing weight - not just people here, and not just bariatric patients - see good weightloss and don't understand that it's simply not sustainable. It might amaze (or dismay) you how many people come into something like this knowing nothing other than what their surgeon has told them, or what they've read online or seen on the internet, or just made up in their own minds. There's just no knowledge of the actual body processes that are going on "behind the scenes". Look at how many people don't understand the extremely simple difference between "fat" and "weight", and truly believe that because their scale is up 2 lbs, they're somehow overeating. Or that because their scale said 150 at 8:00am, and 150.6 at 8:20am, they must have somehow done something wrong during those 20 minutes. I'm plateaued (even though I say stalled), and working to change things up. In my case, it's an atypical plateau and I didn't think much of it for the first 4 weeks or so because I understand that things are happening, that my liver's being a weightloss wanker, that these cankles I have mean something, etc. Unfortunately the rationale only lasts so long before irrational thoughts start to have a voice, too. I know they're irrational, and I know better, but they are still there. And to a degree, if you're going to be on a "support board" (ANY support board), it's just the nature of the beast. Sometimes common sense is not so common, and sometimes people are in desperate panics over quite literally nothing, or confusion. At the end of the day, gas prices may drive me crazy and I may want to shake my fists every time they go up, but I'm still agreeing to drive a car, so there's not much to say.

Today, BariatricPal celebrates its 11th birthday! I am very proud of this accomplishment and of our dedicated BariatricPal members who have made the last 11 years possible. How It All Started I got the lap-band and came home from the hospital on July 2th 2003. Almost immediately, I went online to find out the answers to some of my questions and to share experiences with other weight loss surgery patients. To my dismay, I could not find an online social site that met my needs. The very next day, I started LapBandTalk.com with the goal of providing a welcoming community for lap-band patients and potential patients to provide support, encouragement, and advice to each other. The Evolution of BariatricPal LapBandTalk.com took off, and I eventually started VerticalSleeveTalk.com for gastric sleeve pre and post-op patients, RNYTalk.com for gastric bypass pre and post-op patients, and SleevePlicationTalk.com for sleeve plication pre and post-op patients. In 2013, 10 years after the launch of LapBandTalk.com, I decided to merge the boards into BariatricPal.com. This single community retains the welcoming environment of the individual boards, but has a stronger voice in advocating for weight loss surgery as a way to fight obesity. We Hit Post Number 3.5 Million! BariatricPal is still growing. Our community includes hundreds of thousands of members and 7 million monthly site visits. Our most recent milestone is an impressive 3.5 millionth post, which we hit on July 10! Don’t forget that the lucky poster who made post number 3.5 million will receive a free copy of my latest book: The Big Book on Bariatric Surgery: Living Your Best Life After Weight Loss Surgery. Thank you for your continued support. Without your participation and feedback, BariatricPal would not be the top site that it is today. I am truly grateful for all that you do. Sincerely, Alex

In my opinion, people tend to post difficulties/problems more so than positive issues mainly because they are seeking advice or comfort. Not many people post just to say their Bariatric surgery is going great. Now to answer was it worth it? For me, YES. I did not find it that difficult of a surgery or diet to follow. Was it all fun? no. But the results are fun! Keep a positive attitude and enjoy the ride.

There is a type of low blood sugar problem that can occur after gastric bypass surgery. It is called reactive hypoglycemia. Here is a link to the condition. https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass Generally this problem begins to occur several months after surgery. Since you are only a week after surgery, I suspect this is not the cause. These are the symptoms of hypoglycemia: An irregular heart rhythm * Fatigue * Pale skin * Shakiness * Anxiety * Sweating * Hunger * Irritability * Tingling sensation around the mouth * Crying out during sleep As hypoglycemia worsens, signs and symptoms may include: * Confusion, abnormal behavior or both, such as the inability to complete routine tasks * Visual disturbances, such as blurred vision * Seizures * Loss of consciousness If you were diabetic and taking medication for the condition, the medication might be driving your body into hypoglycemia. If so this is a sign that you need to cut back on the diabetic medicine. But if you were diabetic then you probably have a glucose meter and could test to see if your hypothesis (low blood sugar) is a correct one.

Here is info from someone in San Joaquin County (which, as you know, is one county west of Fresno County): http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/221572-anthem-blue-cross-medi-cal/ I would do one or both of the following; 1. Call the member services number on her insurance card and ask what the coverage is, and the requirements are, for bariatric surgery. 2. Call ALSA (Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Associates), the office of Dr. Kelvin Higa. Dr. Higa has a reputation as the best in Fresno and is the only surgeon my own primary care doctor would let me see. Ask them if they are still on the Blue Cross Medi-Cal plan (he is currently listed as being on the plan). And then lastly, she should make an appointment with her assigned primary care doctor and ask for a referral for a bariatric consultation.

Becca i spoke to directly to the bariatric coordinator and she is the one that gave me the info about all money being paid up front because it is considered "elective surgury" i will not give up someone on the site said they are going through a program right in NY which is no where from me the function within the Aetna network so i may look into that. i also signed up to be notified about grants for 2011 so i will keep all my options open and see what happens. thank for your support.

I have been using Premier Chocolate It has 160 calories, 1 g sugar, is low fat, and doesn't taste bad! I have also added PB2 to give it a little something different. I also have a bariatric vanilla that I add a bit of coconut milk too. That makes it tolerable. I hope this helps!

My name is Robin and I am a weight loss surgery patient. I have struggled with weight my whole life. I blame it on my paternal grandmother's genes, haha! Honestly, I remember my mom always having snacks after school but she limited them to one serving. I CRAVED more! I would sneak and get toast and put sugar on it.....skip the cinnamon and go straight to the white sugar.....and now I know why it's considered as bad as cocaine! I controlled my weight by being active. BUT, when I got married right out of high school my weight started climbing. About 2 years later when my first son came I think I gave up on ME. I totally gave my family every ounce that I had. My husband would play ball with our son after work and I sat on the couch....I was exhausted. I was always tired and exhausted. Fast forward to 11 years later, we decided to have our 2nd son....after that amazing child was born, my weight skyrocketed! I have tried every diet known to man. Sitting in weight watchers was humiliating; sitting at the ball field while the boys played and being so miserable and exhausted was humiliating; going on vacation and wearing shorts instead of a bathing suit was humiliating....I can go on and on...you all know the drill....covering it all up with a smile and lots of clothes.....and a tan! After my 2nd son was born I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Before that I always joked that I was the healthiest fat person ever. I always thought of arthritis as being an old person's way of complaining about being old. Boy did karma hit me in the face. I was 30ish and after researching RA, I realized that this is a very dangerous disease. The inflammation in my body could actually kill me! Then comes steroids, disease modifying meds....then high blood pressure, restless leg syndrome, anemia, horrible menstrual cycles and I FELT LIKE A FAILURE! In 2012 I was introduced to a program that my husband's employer had in Costa Rica and I could have weight loss surgery FOR FREE! 2012 I had gastric sleeve and immediately started losing. I started walking afterwards, then running, then biking, then triathlons, then half marathons, then long bikes and I started gaining weight! WTF, gaining weight while doing all this crap.....I hit a LOW! More research......I found that I had to learn how to be successful......Just having the sleeve doesn't solve all the pre-surgery issues we have with food....see, all that crap I was eating still went down really easy.....So here I am again re-learning 6 years post op. I did not reach goal weight (YET). I am, however, losing again after 6 years and getting stronger than EVER! Best thing is.....I no longer have high blood pressure, restless leg, anemia, and my RA is under control. I am down to 1 medication for that and only steroids when a flare comes! I AM TAKING BACK CONTROL OF MY LIFE...even at 52 years old! If anyone here needs support, I have a private facebook group where we are starting a back on track challenge (free). Please look me up on Facebook.... Robin Englehardt Benson and send me a friend request with a message to be added.

Hi everyone. I just joined the forum because I'm going out of my mind thinking about my upcoming surgery. I have been looking into weight loss surgery for the better part of eight years, with every issue life can throw at me popping up along the way. Then, all of a sudden, in the space of two or so months, every roadblock seems to fall away, and the team at the University of Chicago has offered me a date in less than two weeks for the DS procedure. I am such a combination of excited and scared, motivated and freaking out! It's hard to describe, but I know many of you have experienced the same thing. I am having weight loss surgery because I would like to avoid the many problems lurking around in my gene pool (diabetes, MS, blindness, etc.) and I would like to live a long and happy life. But I feel like I had convinced myself that it would never happen, and now that it is happening so fast, it's so thrilling and scary at the same time! I'd love it if any of you could share any stories you might have relating to your pre-surgery experience. I'd also appreciate any advice. I've got all my vitamins ordered (from Bariatric Advantage) and I've got all of my pre-op requirements done as well.