Is This An Option For Me?

[veggieladie 0]

Good morning all!

I learned about VSG in nursing school a few weeks back and it has been on my mind. I am going to be 31 years old in September, I'm 5'5" and currently 254 pounds. My highest weight ever was 270 when I was married in December of 2007. I did manage to get myself down to 215 in August of 2010, but the weight is creeping back on.

I think about food all of the time, I am always hungry. Basically, I feel like I have no control over myself. I know I can and do have willpower, I quit smoking almost two years ago cold turkey....but this is different, and feels impossible for me to conquer.

I don't have high cholesterol (the only meat I eat is fish), I am not diabetic. Although I would be interested in having an A1C test done as I have acanthosis nigricans on my neck indicating increased blood insulin levels. My blood pressure flirts with hypertension, my mother is hypertensive and on medication. I do have high triglycerides. I have knee pain at times.

I know that my BMI (42.3) is barely acceptable for this type of surgery, so I was wondering if anyone had any insight into how that piece may affect my eligibility for something like this.

My husband is supportive, I am scheduled to go to an information session at Abington Memorial Hospital in May. If surgery becomes an option I would be looking to do this at the end of August to give me a few weeks between semesters at nursing school.

Any comments or questions are welcomed.

Thanks!

[Finding Myself 146]

Hi Veggieladie,

While I am still in the stages of planning my surgery, I can tell you that 1.) you might be a candidate through your insurance and should check that out, but 2.) if not and you still want to consider it, think about going to Mexico. The surgeons there are actually incredibly experienced with the sleeve surgery and a LOT of people are having great experiences there. Not that money is or should be an issue, but out of pocket fees are more than half what they would be here in the U.S. But also, you can pay out of pocket here IN the US as well. I was quoted anywhere from $15K to $25K here in the US. (My insurance will not cover me)

You are not alone in your feelings. I am a relatively low BMI (just under 25) but I've carried this extra 60-70 lbs around for over 12 years. I tell my husband all the time, "If I wasn't hungry 24 hours a day, I could do this!" but I am. I am obsessed with food and I feel I need to overeat at almost every meal to feel satisfied. Then I feel gross. So this isn't a new battle for me.

You found a great tool with this forum!!! I love it and it's helped me learn so much. Good luck in your journey!