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Thank you for your response. I haven't gotten my GERD checked out for a couple of years, but I know it's getting worse. Part of the regain issue is due to binge eating disorder. I'm still getting treated for that and learning to do other things besides eating. It's been helping, but not really a lot of weight loss (3 lbs since last month), but I can't really get below 220 at all anymore. I'm on HBP meds since last Friday and managing to get it down. I'm totally self-pay for now and the surgeon can correct the gerd, but it won't cover anything dealing with bariatrics under my insurance plan. I guess his office doesn't know how to get it to clear the insurance. I have insurance it just won't cover me for surgery.

So i was going to do that. go back on a liquid diet then my nutritionist said no. That i need stability in my diet to loose weight. that changing from this many calories to less or more can cause you to gain weight.but yea if your BMI was lower then you will loose weight slower. I know i am out of my stall because the previous 30 days i only lost around 5-6lb. and recently after 1 week i lost 5lb.

Likewise, I don't see the sense of it The ESG by its nature is more limited in what it can do by virtue of its limited surgical procedure - they just can't do as much endoscopically as they can do by going in laproscopically. And, from what I have seen the ESG doesn't have as good results as the basic VSG, either. A few other random considerations: Revisions of any kind tend to have less performance than a virgin procedure - my simple minded picture is that you have already had your stomach reduced from 32-64 oz capacity down to 2-4 oz and you have learned to eat around that; even if it has stretched out some, cutting it back to 1-2 oz isn't going to do much. The RNY isn't markedly different than the VSG in weight loss or regain performance, so don't expect a lot from that, maybe 20 lb would be typical, mostly from a return to the extreme dieting one has to go through around surgery time. If you have had significant regain, first step is to evaluate the cause and treat that; as noted above, the RNY isn't markedly better than the sleeve, so unless you correct what went wrong in the first place, you will be back here again in a couple of years, but with fewer options (the RNY is a trickier thing to revise once you get it, so consider it to be a one way street.) Are you insured, but not covered for WLS, or not insured at all? if you have a significant GERD problem, then correcting it may/should not be considered WLS. but correcting a threatening health condition, possibly the result of an earlier surgery. Check it out before giving up on that avenue. How severe is your GERD? have you had it evaluated? If it is beyond treatment with meds and lifestyle changes, then surgery may be called for. It might be an RNY type procedure (don't refer to it as an RNY to your insurance as that will guarantee a negative answer if they don't cover WLS; there are a number of procedures that derive from the same procedure that gave rise to the RNY, and they are used for treating multiple problems; but they may go under a different name, so let your chosen surgeon work that out with the insurance company. Again, have your issue evaluated - if surgery is needed, a resleeve may do the job without going to the RNY, or it may not as it depends on what's going on with your sleeve.

Hmm, the decision is solely yours and your wife's. I am also in my 30's with no kids and we are financially very comfortable but I feel like the reason why is because we don't spend 18K when we don't NEED to. Get my point? The point of the insurance requirements are to get you focused, prepared and starting the process of your new life long requirements. If you start to make the changes that will be required after surgery, you will not spiral while you wait. You will however get more prepared and ready for your new life. I had a 6 month process that was "fast tracked" and surgery at 4 months. With that being said, I learned a lot about what to expect. I already knew how to eat healthy and how to read nutrition labels etc. (Which both were part of my classes) But what I found most knowledgeable was what to expect after surgery. I have heard stories from people I know who went through WLS but I found a lot of their information was false or they just didn't understand what they were actually being told. Two other people I know had the exact same surgeon at the same bariatric center and have the same support team through the center. (Including the same Dietician) yet both of them had different understanding of things. The best thing I could have done was take those classes myself and get the answers directly from the providers themselves. It is like in Elementary school when we all sat in a circle and the teacher whispered a statement in the first kids ear and by the time it was whispered 13 times, at the end it was completely different. I also have lost and gained over 100 lbs 4 (i think) times before having surgery. Worked with a trainer, bought exercise equipment...etc. I still lost 40 lbs in the pre-op process just by making VERY TINY changes that they suggested starting with. ok ok, I said a lot and probably boring you now. My opinion from a financial standpoint and from a learning/preparation standpoint would be to go through insurance. But really, you just have to make this decision yourself.

Hi all, so I’m having a bit of a dilemma and I was just curious to know what others would do in my position. My wife and I currently have Kaiser insurance here in California. Based on their program, it would be 10 classes (2.5 months) and then I would have to wait to get on the books for surgery, the person I spoke to said it could be up to a year wait. BUT, I have zero copay and the surgery would essentially be free. On the other hand, there’s the possibility of taking out a Care Credit loan at for $18.5k 0% APR and I could get the sleeve at Blossom Bariatrics by next month if I wanted to. I know it seems like a no brainer to just be patient and wait. That is the smarter financial decision. We do have to put a new roof on our house (or we could wait until next year) and we are definitely worried that if I take out an 18k loan… that our financing of our roof would come with a stupid APR and would ding our credit. We are in our 30s… no kids… live comfortably financially but not well off-which is why the 18k seems a little crazy, although the monthly payments are totally doable for me. On the other hand, I’m almost prediabetic, high cholesterol, feel like my eating habits are spiraling each day. I am genuinely upset that I feel like I’m turning to surgery as a last resort and tool. I’ve tried every diet, every app, every diet pill from my Doctor, I have spent thousands at this point for personal trainers, my mind is consumed with the state my body is in, I feel exhausted, not healthy and I also feel like it’s holding me back from progressing in my life/career. My confidence level, well, it doesn’t even exist at this point. I feel defeated and the amount of energy I use thinking about losing weight/getting healthy is maddening and exhausting. I feel as though one can’t put a price tag on health. I feel like the gross amount of money I spend on eating out nearly every day, buying food, paying for this diet or that gym equipment… would also be eliminated to an extent if I have surgery. So, I kind of feel like even spending 18k… I would SAVE in the long run. I have a ton of goals I’d love to accomplish over this next year… and I feel like the thing holding my back is my health/confidence/lack of energy. My wife is wonderful and we have long, real discussions about all of it. She’s kind of the financial whiz of our life and we are both wondering what the best option is. Spend the money… get my health on track ASAP… save money in the long run because I’m not eating out multiple times a day or buying whatever I think will help me finally get on track. (She also feels like this would help her as my eating habits are starting to wear off on her she says)…OR Wait a year stuck in this loop, possibly gaining more. But I'll pay nothing. There’s so much that can happen in a year… but I don’t want to remain stagnant, spiraling for a year… I want to jump start it and move forward and get this over with and move on. But I can’t figure out what the best choice is. Further, I'm so afraid that even using the sleeve as a helpful tool, that'll I'll just fail at that as well. Thanks for reading my vent. Would love to hear some of your thoughts.

My surgeon's office called me yesterday to schedule my surgery. Only thing I needed was a letter from my PCP recommending surgery. He gave my a referral to the weight loss surgeon but reluctantly. He said he would be shocked if the weight loss surgeon would do it. Well he did. I got my cardiac clearance no problem. Now my PCP requires me to write him a letter of my weightloss attempts, why I want it done etc before he will write the letter for surgery.. Now he requires that I see a neurosurgeon due to how long my neck will be in the position required for surgery. I am heartbroken and in tears.

To loose all that weight by yourself is amazing! I have every confidence that your going to do very well after surgery. Best of luck

Does this make sense? I live in Atlanta, GA and I've had two consultations for sleeve revisions. Both doctors are pushing for an ESG. To me it doesn't make sense. Sure it's less invasive and through the endoscopy route, but, I'm a little apprehensive. Neither of them said it will help GERD nor did they mention a good weight loss. An average of 15-20% weight loss is not good stats to me because it'll only give me approximately 40 lb weight loss. It seems like a quick fix that won't last long. Can anyone suggest any good Atlanta surgeons for a sleeve to bypass surgery? My google search is coming up short. There's one surgeon in Johns Creek I would like to try but it's out of reach monetarily because I'm self-pay. I'm 223, 5'4 and 5 years out of VSG. I want a revision because of GERD and weight re-gain. Any insight is helpful.

Ooooou I probably should update :) So after a 7 week , what I think was a stall. the scale finally started going down. I am down 8 more lbs in just 1 week and I’ve changed nothing . So exciting! I’m sure it’s water weight but IDK why it held on for so long. Hang in there you guys. We got this !

Stalls are part of the process. We all experience at least one. They usually last 1-3 weeks. Think of them as your body judging needing a time out to catch up on the changes: change of diet, weight loss, etc. They pass when your body is ready. Just stick to your plan & you’ll be fine. We all have fluctuations in our weight. Everyone. You may not have been aware of your natural fluctuation in the past unless you weighed yourself as regularly as you do now. I fluctuate a kg - 2.2lbs. Can be fluid retention, constipation, diarrhoea, what you ate or drank yesterday compared with today, hormonal fluctuations, etc. (I used to gain a good 3 kgs in the days before my period & would lose them in the first days of my period.) The thing to remember is that your weight loss will never be a straight downward line. It will zig & zag, up & down, plateau, drop more slowly or quickly one week to the next. As long as the general trend is downwards you’re golden. PS Congrats on your weight loss so far .

Most likely just temporary water weight from working out. This is why the scale is actually not a great way to track progress. A scale that can track your % body fat, or even just simple measurements are probably better.

Thank you! I woke up today and my fingers looked swollen and my period started. I feel like that explains part of it at least. I must still be losing fat if my weight hasn't changed, yet I'm holding onto much more water. It also explains the extra moodiness. 😂 Definitely going to up my water intake and hope things level out soon. I bet IV fluids will help you. 🙏

In my first month I went from 300 to 250lbs. Once I finally made it past the three week (everything makes me sick phase)… I actilually began eating a little later than recommended because I couldn’t keep anything down. I’m now 1 1/2 months post op… I’ve finally gained my energy back and am working out but I not only stalled but gained 3 lbs my mom feels like I shouldn’t get down about it or obsess about it but has this happened to anyone else?

Same boat. Sometimes I work really late, and around 8-9 pm, the hunger monster attacks.. :). I started having a fat free, protein yogurt, this didn't cut it. A bit later, I started adding some granola, because "I don't eat enough carbs during the day"... and it went downhill from there.. :), weight loss went down to ~1 lbs / week. Had to stop, and go back to basics. Now, when hungry, and still have some ways to go before bedtime, I eat an omelet (even if it's 9 pm). After I started doing this, weight started going down again.

@SurfingMama my ultimate motivator was my liver function numbers were not good and my liver was enlarged about 3 times the size it was suppose to be. My endocronolgist said my best option was significant weight loss to hopefully reverse the damage. He explained that there was a chance it wouldn't help, but there was really no other treatments for NAFLD & NASH, than weight loss. If I did nothing and my function continued to deteriate, I would eventually need a liver transplant. So I worked my butt off to loose as much weight on my own as I could to see if there was any improvement. 40 pounds later, my numbers started to improve and there was a palpable diffrence in my liver size. My family and I talked about it and with all the risks, the rewards way outweighed them so I made plans to move ahead (my surgery is next week). I am thrilled at the prospect of the weightloss and the benefits that alone brings, but if it hadn't been for my liver I am not sure if I would be on this path right now, but I am grateful for the opportunity to become all round healthier and feel confident in my decision to have the surgery. Congrats on your progress and I am so glad you were able to remove all the cancer!

Hey guys, wanted to throw out a update. If you guys remember me i had atypical case. To sum it up, my surgery was July 21st. I battled intense itching all over my body hives on stomach, severe nausea, weakness, vomiting, couldn’t eat or drink. IV infusion was needed. Nurse came to the house I got 2 liters of fluids,vitamins,and nausea meds. It helped get me back to zero. The itching turned out to be an allergic reaction to GERD medication. Still a battle but I feel I am going in a good direction. I physically can’t drink any protein shakes,etc. I just vomit. So i been moving little ahead with diet. I eat flounder with lemon and it was the best. Felt like I was getting nutrients finally. Im eating other things but its def a full time job drinking and eating.Everyday is a challenge but I’m getting there. (This is for the ladies)-Well I got my period few days ago, and it hasn’t been great. It is so heavy, cramps unbearable,I was so worried. Spoke to doctor said it is normal apparently Estrogen is stored in your fat cells and you are losing fat or something like that lol. I usually take Midol for cramps but I haven’t because it has caffeine. But doctor told me just take it but I’m not going down that road. I don’t need caffeine headaches or any upset stomach issues. My weight was 257 now I weigh 215.

That's amazing - you will be so pleased you did this when you get to the other end of your weight loss journey and those 61lbs aren't still ahead of you! I stayed on my 800 calories, any way, pre-op diet (give or take) for 2 months because my surgery was cancelled first time round. I lost 25lbs in those 2 months and I am so glad I did even though it was tough at the time. Best of luck - I bet you cannot wait.

I’m doing way better then I expected. I’ve lost 137.5lbs weighing in at 142.5lbs. I never really set a goal weight with my surgeon and nutritionist it was more of I want to be able to get off most of the medication I was taking so that’s what we were focused on and it let me not worry about the scale so much. I’m happy to say I’m off all meds with the exception of my AFib meds which unfortunately I’ll never be able to come off of and I’m ok with that. But I think I have finally reached my first stall hard to believe lol as I’ve been stuck on 142.5 around 3 weeks now and again I’m ok with that. Just ready for the next step of skin removal surgery. They always say those last few pounds are always the hardest to come off. So don’t beat yourself up to bad. You’ve done a great job so far and some don’t even make it that far so be proud of yourself. It’s definitely the way I’m trying to look at WLS as a lifelong process and one that takes work that’s for sure lol. Whoever said this was the easy way out surely has no clue lol.

@Rachael101 you are doing a great job! When I see stats like yours it give me hope that i am headed in the right direction! My surgery is next week, I know that everyone's path is diffrent but seeing people succeed is very motivating and gives those of us following a similar path a glimps of what could be. My highest was 382 about a year ago - but I have been over weight all of my adult life (I am 48). Occasionally I feel others judgement (oddly enough more when I meet a new doctor - more so than new people). But mostly I am self conciouse when I bump into things, squeeze into places or choose not to participate because I am worried I wont fit. So really, I am a bigger problem than others... except those darn doctors who want to blame everything that happens on my weight (well, loose some weight, if that doesn't resolve then we will see what we can do.... <sigh> as if I haven't thought of that). Thankfully I have a great regualr team who have been working with me on health issues who can see past the weight and as a result, I've managed to loose 62 pounds in the last year (10 of that on the pre-op diet, 5 more days to go). I am looking forward to not worrying about bumping into things as I walk past or fitting into places (or exceeding weight limits)... I have already seen a little progress in some of those areas with the weight I have lost so far. I am also looking forward to not being as tired, being more social and getting some relief with some of my other medical issues. Keep up the great work!

It does sound like we are on similar paths! My highest was 382, I just hit 320 today. I'd love to have your height - lol... I am 5'3 (lost an inch somewhere used to be 5'4" lol). I don't have a formal goal weight - but I am taking one goal at a time. In high school (many many MANY years ago...) my body liked to float around 145-160 while I was playing sports and lifting weights. 2 kids and 30 yrs later, I am not sure how realistic my "ideal body weight" is as a goal (being I am not sure i ever saw that as a teen/adult...) but I will be happy with healthy and landing anywhere in onederland! Im eager to be more active and maybe even enjoy exercising again! I look forward to seeing your progress and cheering on those mini goals as we go forward!

How is everyone doing??? I'm 6 weeks away from exactly 1 year and honestly, feeling a little defeated that I'm not further along. I'd really hoped to be at goal (about 25lbs to go) or AT LEAST have hit 100lbs down (about 11lbs to go). The weight loss has slowed to a creep the last couple of months, so I'm fairly certain neither will happen. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if I'll really lose any more weight at all! Of course, I have to look back and be grateful for how far I HAVE come and what I HAVE accomplished. Nearly 90lbs lost, better mobility, back pain gone, asthma significantly improved, some 47 inches lost across my body, labs all perfectly normal and within healthy ranges, finally feeling at peace with my body..... The list truly goes on and on. This is the work of WLS though, isn't it? Balancing the good with the bad, the hard with the joyful, the work to be done with the progress already made. How are you all doing?

Thanks for the confidence booster! I'm not so self conscious anymore but i carry a lot of my weight lower body more so my legs and that's always been something that made me self conscious. It's becoming less and less now i'm at a point where i want to get married we put it off because of surgery my parter told me just to say the word and we will do it. I'm really starting to look forward to the future.

You've done amazingly well.... You most definitly will get to where you want to be. My weight loss has also slowed down there's odd weeks where i will loose 2 KG and then maybe nothig the week after then i will loose another KG. Just keep up the good work and the results will follow. :))

July 2021 was my highest weight… so It looks like we are on similar paths I got a lot to loose in order to gain my life fully back. I hope to loose around 200 lbs with the surgery if I can keep the positive lifestyle changes (and actually start exercising)

Congratulations on your loss and getting a head start on those changes! That will certain help when you get back to a regular diet! I’m on day 3 of my 8 day liquid diet … (3 Protein Shakes a day, 24 oz 100% fruit juice [no sugar added] & a minimum of 64 oz of Water. I can also have unlimited sugar free Jello, popsicles, broth/bouillon or zero electrolyte drinks that count towards my water goal). So far I have had broth every day, it helps cut the sweet of the juice and Protein shakes, but I haven’t felt hungry or the need for more… yet. (The high protein diet is only 7 days, day 8 is all clear liquids - 60 oz of juice, 64 oz or more of water, plus I can have unlimited amounts of broth/boullion, sugar free popcicles, “zero” electrolight drinks, low calories water flavor aids… nothing red though).  As of this morning I have lost 10 pounds on my liquid diet (I have a lot to loose) - which brings me to 62 pounds lost so far since June 2021 (my highest weight).