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Thank you everyone for the feedback and I appreciate it all including the "tough love". I am planning on giving the band more time and I have been really working it. I do know one thing I actually need to do more of believe it or not is eat. I think my body is starving and wants to hold onto its fat. I generally prefer protein shakes over solid food, not because I can't eat but because I feel safer with liquids but my body probably isn't getting everything it needs. I'm also hypo-thyroid due to a complete thyroidectomy so that makes it more difficult. I have deciced to continue with the band but at the same time attend meetings and session for the bypass. I don't need to go ahead with the bypass but I want to jump in the program in case I decide to do it. I know the band is a tool and its not going to happen overnight just very very frustrating as everyone is aware. thanks again

Turns out I had my thyroid checked with blood work and I have hypo-thyroid. Dizziness is one of the leading side effects among weight gain. Encronoligist gave me a pill to level my thyroid and I will have blood work again in October. FYI, thyroid levels are not checked in routine blood work unless you ask fir them to be checked.

Wow, Jewell, you are an amazingly strong and determined caregiver. I was also sleeved on 2/4. I just want to encourage you to stay where you are in prioritizing time for yourself in your current life that requires so much from you for everyone else. You are right, you need to take care of you first in order to care for everyone else. It sounds like a very sad and challenging time for your family with your husband's illness. I appreciate your need to do all you can to be there for him and see him through as long as you can...what a lucky man to have such a dedicated wife. I also believe that our psychology effects our weight loss and body's response to the physical changes. I noticed you said you felt full from the salad, are you still eating your Protein first? I am a slow loser as well, I've lost about 20 pounds since surgery and this is with regular workouts, strict adherence to dietary requirements, and even logging everything into a food journal. I've reached a point that I really honestly don't care anymore about the numbers. I see lots of evidence of a healthier and better lifestyle emerging. I encourage you to keep things simple in all ways possible as your life is pretty demanding right now in ways you can't control. I do these things, they work for me... if it sounds like bits and pieces that might work for you great... if not, no harm sharing. I always start my day with a Protein shake (I use zero carb from GNC/Vitamin store), I mix with with vanilla almond milk and thus start my day with 20 oz of fluids, 50 grams of protein, and a good nutritional boost. I just won't let myself have anything else until I am done with the shake. I don't love it or hate it, so it takes me a good while to finish it and I feel full all morning long. When my shake is done, I pour a glass of Water (calorie free fluids) and focus on finishing before moving on to any real food. Lunch(ish) is always 2-3 ounces of some protein and a vegetable (I will make turkey meatballs/meatloaf on sunday and portion freeze for week, or sometimes a turkey chili things that make the rest of my busy week easier). I always finish my protein and just barely get to the vegetable. I think the key for you is going to be planning out your week so you don't just eat throughout the day in a reactive way to how your day goes. Here are some ideas of things you can make ahead and then have ready for quick healthy meals during the week: hard boiled eggs (I've done deviled too just to keep it yummy and fun) meatballs (I make them with ground chx/turkey...email me if you want some of my recipes) chicken breast/strips (easy to prepare ahead and portion out keeps well for days, and can freeze for later) seasoned hamburger patties (I make them about 4oz before cooking, they cook down perfect for me) lean pork chops Quick to cook Proteins (but don't keep as well): shrimp and fish I buy the small vegetable portions, frozen steamables as side dishes that are quick and easy for myself. I usually serve half and save half for next meal (I never even finish the half because I eat the protein first. As for dinner, well I cook for my family and plan those meals for the week too. I have noticed I sabotage myself "tasting" things and enjoying the cooking process and often can't eat cause I feel full and mostly, i didn't focus on protein! What I noticed is it leads to me eating as soon as the fullness goes away (more like snacking). I just don't do that when I force myself to eat protein first! By eating protein first I seem just full and satisfied for much longer. I always pour a drink when I am done eating. I force myself to drink a full glass between meals. Yes, I will wait 30 minutes typically, but mostly I just naturally wait because I am too full to want to drink. By pouring it though, I know I have to have it before food is even a thought. I agree... water, water, water! Or whatever fluids work for you. Lastly, move around... exercise is important for your psychological health and feeling good. I HIGHLY recommend you do what feels good and you enjoy whatever that is. Put music on and clean/dance have fun everyday. Do whatever you need to do to make sure it isn't a chore! I even turn the music on in my car and do a lot of dancing in my seat . Just tensing and flexing, and using your body even in the car is fun, feels good, and get your blood pumping. You need some feel good outlets in your world right now! I wish you the best and hope that you are able to carve out some time for yourself to just feel good and enjoy this process of transformation regardless of how fast or slow it passes. Take care of yourself and please keep us posted. I would love to Celebrate your successes with you. Keep coming back here for support and know that you are not alone in this. HUGS

As requested by one of my favorite fellow teachers, I am going to outline my journey through this process. Other than researching the surgery, my first step was visiting my primary care physician, Dr. Mark DalleAve. (This was around June 2008, I believe.) I was reluctant to ask him about the surgery because he tends to be very conservative. I feared he would want me to try more traditional methods--again. Surprisingly, that was not the case. He said he thought I would be a good candidate for the surgery and sent me for some preliminary bloodwork he knew would be required. The bloodwork revealed that everything was basically okay with the exception of my thyroid. I can never remember whether mine is hyper or hypo. I just know that the number on my bloodwork print out was higher than it should've been. I think the highest it should be is like 4.5 and mine was 9 something. Either way, he put me on synthroid for two months, and I had to be rechecked after that. The medicine worked well. My levels were down to 2 something when rechecked. As I said before, my other tests were "basically okay." However, as I researched the results and what they meant, I realized that I am VERY close to being a diagnosed diabetic. That was another real wake up call for me. I do NOT want to become diabetic and have to handle all the problems that come with that. This gave me even more determination to do this and make it work. After my thyroid was under controll with medicine, the doctor was ready to refer me to the surgeon. This is where the waiting game started again. (I was already disappointed by having to wait months on the thyroid tests.) It took nearly two weeks for me to even hear from the surgeon. (This surgeon had been recommended by the nurses at Dr. DalleAve's office because he said they knew more about who was good than he did.) When I did hear back from this surgeon, there was a huge packet of information for me to complete and they wanted a "Program Fee" of $150 before they would make my appointment. When I asked questions of the receptionist, she answered everything, but she didn't offer any information on her own. I was unimpressed. I was a little unsure if this was the surgeon I wanted to see, so I did a little more research on this website as well as others online. I called the office of Doctors Watson and Hodge in Johnson City, TN, and I'm very glad I did. The receptionist was happy to answer my questions and offered additional information on the expertise and experience of the surgeons. I had to wait nearly three months for an appointment, but they gladly made me an appointment. I met with Dr. Hodge for the first time on Dec. 17, 2008. (In the meantime I did have quite a lot of paperwork to complete but not nearly as much as requested by the other surgeon. All of this questions actually seemed relevant.) In the time while I had to wait for my appointment, I decided to do everything I could to prepare. I contacted my insurance company to find out exactly what requirements I would have to meet to qualify for the surgery. (I already knew it was a covered benefit.) I met every criteria, but I was disappointed to learn that I would have to undergo a 6 mo. doctor supervised diet before surgery. When starting this journey, I hoped to have the surgery in early 2009. At every turn I realized it would take longer and longer, and it seemed like it would take forever. I also found that I would have to attend four seminars on the lap band as required by my surgeon. I attended two of these in October, and I plan to attend the other two soon. At the October seminars, I learned that I would have a few more hoops to jump. December 17 came more quickly than I imagined. At that visit, I was given a list of my homework and directions for starting my 6 mo. diet. All my homework will be "due" by my 7th appointment, which will also be the end of my sixth month diet and my preop appointment. For my homework, I have to have statements from my primary care doctor once per year from 2004-2008 with my height and weight listed. This is to show my five year history of obesity. (No problem there; I was obese even as the captain of my high school cheerleading squad.) These records can be from any visit; it doesn't have to be a weight-related visit. I also have to have an EGD, which I have scheduled for my spring break. I do NOT have to have an ultrasound of my gall bladder because I had that removed in 2004. I also have to have a letter from Dr. DalleAve stating that he "recommends" me as a candidate for the surgery, a letter from myself to my surgeon stating why I want to have the surgery and what I expect, a visit to a nutritionist, and a visit to a psychologist. The surgeon's office was very helpful in recommending psychologists, and they actually offer complimentary visits to a nutritionist at the local mall's health services center. This is in addition to the seminars which I mentioned previously. I know this may sound like a lot of homework, but I have six months to do it, so I don't think it will be bad. The last thing I have done is my second visit to the surgeon. I didn't see him, but I saw his nurse practioner instead. She was very helpful and encouraging. I lost 5 pounds on the first month of my 6 mo. diet. I was apologetic that I hadn't lost more, but she was quick to let me know that any loss was a good loss. My next appointment is in a few weeks, and by that time I hope to have more of my "homework" completed. I will post again after that, if not before. Until then, wish me luck and let me know if you have any questions.

This is so interesting too....... Post-Surgery Weight Regain: Hormonal and Metabolic Factors Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT In yesterday’s post, I discussed the importance of dietary factors in weight regain after bariatric surgery. In this post, I will discuss the role of hormonal and metabolic factors identified in our systematic review of post-surgical weight regain published in Obesity Surgery. It is now widely assumed that the efficacy of bariatric surgery is not solely dependent on causing a “restriction” or simply “malabsorbtion” of calories. Rather, there is now growing consensus that the key reason why bariatric surgery works is through its impact on gut hormones and neurological signals from the gut that significantly reduce hunger and/or satiety. Thus, it is not surprising that in our review we found several studies that noted a significant relationship between post-surgical levels of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin and post-surgical weight regain. Patients who experienced less weight loss or greater weight regain after sleeve gastrectomy and/or roux-en-y bypass surgery demonstrated higher fasting and post-prandial ghrelin levels. Elevated ghrelin levels were also found to correlate with a return of hunger in patients with regain. Other evidence points to the role of hypoglycaemia in promoting weight regain in some patients. Reactive hypoglycaemia after bariatric surgery may result from the rapid transit of ingested carbohydrates into the small intestine thereby generating an early and significant insulin surge which results in a reactive hypoglycaemia shortly after a meal. This would in turn prompt snacking and increased caloric ingestion resulting in weight regain. While there is currently no medical treatment to deal with ghrelin elevations, the latter problem can potentially be managed by dietary measures, including the avoidance of high-glycemic index foods. Given that there are many gut hormones that may be altered by bariatric surgery and their individual roles are still poorly understood, it is clear that we will need further studies to better understand how these factors may explain why some patients failure to lose weight after surgery or show a greater tendency for weight regain. @DrSharma Chicago, IL Karmali S, Brar B, Shi X, Sharma AM, de Gara C, & Birch DW (2013). Weight Recidivism Post-Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review. Obesity surgery PMID: 23996349

OK this is a new symptom that has started over the last couple of weeks. For those that have had reactive hypoglycaemia you know that slightly jittery feeling you start to get that tells you it's on its way? Well I've been getting that on and off lately but it doesn't become hypoglycaemia and my blood glucose levels are fine (eg. 4.8 mmol / 86.4 mg). It's not affecting me dramatically, it's just more annoying than anything. I haven't changed what I eat. I am exercising more but it doesn't seem linked to exercise that I do. Like, I could wake up feeling this way. I'm not drinking lots of caffeine. So what gives? Anyone else have this happen?

I had hypothyroid and found out three years ago it was actually Hashimotos. I'll be symptomatic when numbers are in range. Ask for an antibody test. As for sleep, the Vitamin Patches in the store of this app sell a sleep patch that is wonderful. Also my thyroid is super reactive to soy which is in a lot of the high Protein foods and also reactive to cruciferous veggies because of toxins. Try removing soy and going organic on veggies for a week. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Sleevers are already losing the weight much quicker than regular dieting. Plus, the faster you lose the more loose skin you have when you're done. Malabsorption is neat in that it helps people lose weight, but you also lose a significant part of your intestines that help you absorb important Vitamins. That means you will likely have to increase the number of supplements you take. It's a personal decision, and RNY may be right for some people, but I guess the big points for me were: 1. No intestinal rerouting with VSG 2. Decreased ghrelin production - no hunger makes things a lot different 3. Generally no dumping with VSG - this sounds like it would make me miserable at work/school 4. Intact pyloric sphincter - this takes away the risk of stoma stricture/dilation 5. Fewer long term food/medicine restrictions 6. Delayed reactive hypoglycemia in RNY patients - scares me! 7. Losing weight fast can mean looking unhealthy even though you're skinny - someone called them "fat skinny people" on a thread the other day, which seemed to fit. People who lose weight but a lot of it is muscle, not necessarily the healthiest thing. I guess #1 is the biggest for me. Apparently I'm okay with the doctor taking out the majority of my stomach, but I really don't want them touching my intestines (Is that silly? =p). Maybe make a list of pros and cons for each and see how you feel about it after you lay out your options? You are not forced to have the surgery on the date you're scheduled if you are not sure/aren't ready. If you need to, give it some time. Maybe it is just nerves - I was scared as crap before the surgery and second guessed myself on and off, and now that I'm post-op, I'm really happy I did it. Feel better!

Give yourself credit for getting back on the horse and putting the focus on your health! We all start out with a basic lifting plan and progress. Weight loss and muscle gains do not happen overnight. Your goal right now is weight loss....right? Did your dietician give you a calorie and protein goal to hit? You will still eat according to your dieticians high protein plan. Weight lifters eat a diet to shred (lose weight to expose muscle) You can't eat a weightlifters bulking diet to gain muscle and expect weight loss. Get fit in the gym lose weight in the kitchen. One pound of muscle burns 50 calories. You are still going to gain strength and build muscle with time. Hypoglycemia is manageable. Get diagnosed and prescribed glucose testing kit. Keep track of your low blood sugars. You will sit down with your dietician and make adjustments to keep your glucose levels in check (I am three years out. I'm a type one diabetic. I have reactive hypoglycemia after surgery) I lift and distance run. I eat protein before and after the gym. I keep healthy snacks in my gym bag. I only eat them if my blood sugar drops below 70, You can reach your dream!!!! Build into a fitness bad ass!

In reply to above, I'm a NP and have never had history of hypos during workouts. My feeling of hypo post VSG comes with typical symptoms of shakiness, foggy brain, slowed speech, etc. All very typical. I will definitely consider this option. thanks!

Sorry you have been having some problems. Here in the U.S. we are required to have a lot of blood work done before surgery. This includes thyroid tests to make sure our thyroid is working properly. I was prescribed thyroid medicine 2 years ago (I don't remember if I was hypo or hyper) anyway, I hadn't been taking that medication and when I went for my recent test my thyroid was fine. I hope you get leveled out and start seeing the weight loss you are hoping for.

I know this thread is pretty old but I wondered how you were both doing. Has your weightloss kept coming off? I'm 6 weeks out from my sleeve after having my band removed 4 months earlier, my surgeon said the band had slipped and there was a massive amount if scarring that he wanted to heal for a while before doing the sleeve surgery. I had my band for about 6 years and had not lost any weight after the first 20kg. I was happy enough because it at least stopped me putting on any more weight. I started having chest pains and after all the tests to make sure it wasn't my heart my band surgeon thought the pain could be due to my band so he ordered a barium swallow. The barium swallow technician found something far more interesting that he said I needed to get checked immediately. I had nodules on my thyroid. i had told my gp that I felt there was something wrong with my thyroid but he pretty much told me it was in my head. Anyway in a whirlwind week I was diagnosed with cancer and was in hospital having a total thyroidectomy and six weeks later high dose radiation therapy. My life has not been the same since. Even with the sleeve I can't loose weight. I found a really great dr who found out that my body didn't convert the thyroxin into the t3 hormone which is the active thyroid hormone that our body's use for everyday functions. I've been on that for 8 months and its made no difference. I still have all the hypo symptoms. Today he has decided that from looking at my blood tests my body isn't absorbing the t3 med so now he is changing that and increasing my dose. He says I should notice a huge difference in about a week and a half. I'm hoping that now instead of losing about half a pound a week through sheer starvation that my body will start releasing some of these terrible fat cells it seems to love holding onto. I'd love to hear from anyone else who had had thyroid cancer and been able to feel good again AND be successful with losing weight with their sleeve. Cheers Tracie

I was diagnosed hyperthyroid but all my symptoms match hypo. Does anyone else have had this? I am so confused, but I hope that my sleeve surg will affect.my thyroid positively. I will have it in april

My nutritionist said the same amount (actually she said 1300!!) and then I told my DR and he said NO WAY THAT WRONG. So Id go by the Dr over ab nutritionist. He said that for the next six months should stay between 500-700 and if I find I am exercising A LOT then maybe 800-900 max so I think your calories are way too high. My surgery was 9/4 and Im at around 600 average but some days Im in the 400s others im in closer to 700 and i am working out about 4 days a week. I am hypo as well so I think we just lose slower because of that but I dont even know how i Could get in 1200 a day unless i ate all day long. My Dr said 1200/day Once i reach maintenance.

I hear ya, Redmaxx. Avoiding/delaying the onset of DMII was also my main reason for having this surgery. I was on metformin for PCOS and prediabetes prior to surgery. I was able to come off the metformin briefly after surgery, but then started having significant issues with reactive hypoglycemia. Now I'm on two meds to help control this and my diet is even more restricted than if I had diabetes!! Very frustrated and leading me to question my choice. However, in your case it demonstrates that weight isn't the only factor in DMII. Hang in there!

I am hypo as well, and I've lost 65 pounds in 4 months , it hasn't slowed my loss at all like I thought it would, and they lowered my synthroid to .75 from 100.

I have hypothyroidism also. My understanding is that when ur hypo it slows down ur system and you gain weigh but when its hyper u loose weigh but the meds dont make u gain weigh. I dont know u might wanna ask ur specialist more about it. Sent from my iPhone using VST

Have you had any medical evaluation of your GERD other than just what you are feeling - an upper GI or endoscopy to see whats going on in there to cause it? Self diagnosis is not a good start toward a revision. The VSG has a predisposition toward GERD owing to the stomach volume being cut down much more than the acid production potential along with its high pressure character (much like the RNY is predisposed toward marginal ulcers, dumping and reactive hypoglycemia owing to its specific quirks.) If your GERD is a simple result of the above VSG factors, then revising to a DS won't help the situation; an RNY is the more typical solution. However, if your GERD is caused by a hiatal hernia or a malformed sleeve (strictures and the like) then it is not unreasonable for surgery to correct that particular problem will do the trick; a DS in itself will not do anything for GERD as it will use your existing VSG as a starting point - a re-sleeve may be done at the same time depending upon need. Revising to the DS will help some with losing some regain but mostly will help avoid future regain, but revisions in general are typically only marginally successful in treating regain. I can't speak for your specific insurance, but generally insurance will cover any medically necessary revisions for treating complications.

I'm hypo too. I need to get mine checked but I'm 3 mos post op and feel ok. I've been a slow loser for years which I attribute to my hypothyroid.

Had my RNY surgery March 9th and have lost 49 lbs but only lost two all last month. I was in hospital 3 days start of July with liver enzyme issues and my TSH (thyroid) numbers had went from hypo to hyperthyroid. Dr took me off synthroid for 3 days and then went back on 1/2 dose (50 mcg). Did that for a week and a half and the mental fog and sluggishness came back. Dr took me off synthroid completely. I go back Aug 20th to have TSH checked again. Could my going on and off and on and off synthroid be causing this drastic slow down in weight loss? I am still 30 lbs from my goal of 160 and was losing 2 lbs a week before this all happened. I have really enjoyed reading everyone's posts and getting some great advice on here!

Before anyone says to me "this isn't a diabetes site" I totally understand. Not trying to get diabetic support!! But, my main health concern is my diabetes (type 2). Just wanted some input from fellow-diabetic weight loss surgery champions. I am still in the decision making process, haven't even had my first consult with a nutritionist yet. My BF of 20 years is a double amputee (type 1) so I've seen the end result. My BGs are good, but I'm aware that the older I get the more difficult that will be to control. I'm about willing to do most anything to bring that under more permanent control. My A1C started at 13.11. I'm now controlling it at 6.4. Haven't been over 7 for 3 years. I've was diagnosed about 3.5 years ago. I've been able to drop 60 pounds in that same period but have plateaued, with 60 - 80 pounds to go. Actually moved back up the scale this past cold winter. Nephropathy started for me about 3 months ago. My pharmacist daughter said I won't get that because I'm so controlled. Well, my disease proved her wrong. I think if I can get my weight to a healthier level for me I might be able to escape some of the horrors of the diabetic disease. A diabetic coworker had weight loss surgery 10 years ago, dropped most of her excess weight. She rebounded and has regained plus. It's very sad. I spoke with her briefly this week and she said that they don't tell you that you can't ever eat carbs again. She said every time she eats carbs she gains weight. I do not know what surgery process she did. I'm concerned about her story as I have a strong tendency to go hypo if I don't eat at least 100 carbs a day. I know my body pretty well now as it concerns my diet. Kind of a science experiment some days!! Has it been easier for you to control your BGs after your weight loss surgery? Have you been able to get off some of these horrific meds (I'm on Metformin and Victoza)? Does the stricter carb diet make you go Hypoglycemic more often? How many carbs are allowed in your diets (I eat about 130 to 150 per day)? You all have so many success stories here. I'm an information gatherer and here seems the best place to ask these questions. I appreciate the time you take to help me out!

I have done all the required classes and I have lost well over my 10% but they told me they wanted me to lose more... I was reactivated in the program at 290, I now weigh 256 and they want me at 235. That is unreasonable !!! That is why I am raising hell... I have to lose 55 pounds? I have NEVER weighed 550 pounds !!! I agree that all the classes are great info and I obviously am sticking to the diet, I have lost 34 pounds... which is what someone who weighs 340 should lose !!!

I had issues with that at about two years out and they did a complete work-up. Everything normal. It was a head-scratcher for sure. But then it got really bad one afternoon about an hour or two after I had a piece of cake at some retirement party at work. My PCP suspects it may have been reactive hypoglycemia - and that my glucose level just happened to be normal at the time of the work-up. Although I'm sure you've been tested for that. I now eat something every three hours or so and always pair a carb (when I eat them) with a protein. It seems to have worked... But again, not sure what your issue is. I hope they can figure it out!

Hi mariposa, Well, I did not have and eroded band, but my band simply never liked me. It never gave me proper restirction, even after 2.5 years and 20+ adjustments! It also gave me night GERD and I would wake up choking on my reflux all night long. It was no bueno!! When I started to seriously consider perhaps having the band removed and maybe getting the sleeve or even the RnY, I researched and asked a million questions to lots of people. I was finally convinced that I should just go for it, and I would be happy with my decision. Guess what...??? I AM!!! My sleeve has really saved my life!! I had so many physical issues, some life threatening that today are no longer but a distant memory. High blood pressure, possible future diabetes (it ran in my family and I would get hypo/hyperglycemic sometimes - though I do still if i eat something too high in sugar!) arthritis in my knees where I was SCHEDULED to have 2 seperate knee surgeries - but NEVER NEEDED TO HAVE!!! yayy!! I was so down and perhaps even depressed... but today I'm living the life I'd dreamed about for decades and I'm feeling SKY HIGH!! I know this can be you as well! Hang in there and once you get your surgery, you will be here before you know it. Xoxo

Keep your head up and stay positive. I experienced a couple of setbacks too. I started my quest for wls in March of last year. I was recovering from sudden cardiac arrest that I suffered in October 2015. I had an emergency tracheostomy while in ICU which I had several setbacks to have removed months after being discharged from the hospital. I had to have surgery to remove scar tissue around my vocal cords. Also had a DVT which left me on blood thinners temporarily. By June, I had all my requirements completed to have weight loss surgery and was waiting for medical clearance. My second setback occurred my employer switched insurance companies from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Aetna. Aetna's requirements were different from Blue Cross Blue Shield and I had to start the whole process all over again and this time I had to do the documented weigh-ins which with Blue Cross Blue Shield I did not have to do. My third setback occurred this past October. I completed everything that was required of me by Aetna. By that time I had medical clearance and had my surgery date set for early November. I then received the worst news of all, I was told the policy that my employer provided did not cover bariatric surgery even after I was told that they did when they first changed to Aetna. As you can imagine I was really upset even after Aetna covered the visits I had with the dietitian and surgeon. I also lost money with those visits as I had to pay a $50 copay for three visits with the dietitian and my surgeon. While I was very frustrated, I stayed focused and determine to have my surgery. I dropped in during open enrollment switch back to Blue Cross Blue Shield. I had to wait until January for of the new policy to go in effect. This time I made sure that the policy I had chosen covered bariatric surgery. Luckily for me all the lab work that I had done and October was good for 6 months. My chart with my surgeon was reactivated and I just had minor documentation that needed to be submitted to Blue Cross Blue Shield and I was approved surgery. After 13 months of starting my weight-loss Journey, I had gastric bypass surgery on April 11th and I'm out a week out from surgery. So I'm here to tell you to keep your head up because sometimes obstacles do get in your way but you have to stay focused in order to reach your goal.