My Journey Begins

[susan228 27]

Hello everyone.

I have been lurking for quite some time, drinking up all the wonderful information that is available in this forum. I really think I'd have felt way more lost without all of you. I thank you for that. While I know that every individual person's journey is different, it's quite helpful to absorb the full spectrum of experiences, hoping that the positive ones will become part of my own.

So I decided it was finally time to say hello & tell a little about myself, now that the time has come for me to really get down to business.

I am 35 (36 in a week or so), currently weighing in at 265ish, 5' 7", large frame. I've been married to the best guy in the world for the last 5 years, & have a 16 year old daughter. And I love animals. My pups are one of the happiest slices of my life. I do medical billing to pay the bills, but hate my current job with a passion. I hope to one day break out of this rat race & fulfill my dream of working with animals in some way.

I have always struggled with weight, from around 13 years old on, always a struggle to keep myself at a respectable size. I did pretty well. My weight crept up & up over the years. I was at around 170 lbs when I met my husband. I guess I got complacent & comfortable at that point, because I've gained 95 lbs since then. I stopped keeping a leash on my ravenous eating habits, & let myself go. I struggled to get a hold of it again, with no success.

So a couple years ago, (@around 225 lbs), I started to look into the band placement. I went to a WLS seminar, & found that I did not qualify, as my insurance at the time (Aetna) would have required co-morbidities that I did not (yet) have. You see, obesity runs rampant on the maternal side of my family. Both my parents have suffered from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, ect. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. I do not want to be this way. I do not want to grow older & wiser just to become sick & be unable to enjoy my life. I did not want to become my mother.

So, disappointed, I put the thought on a back shelf in my mind & life went on, as it does. Last July, I had a change in employment; this new job prospect had Oxford insurance, which I knew was easier to get approval for WLS. I had renewed hope that help for my obvious problem would become available to me. So, (now at around 250 lbs) I went to another seminar, different surgeon, with the intention of looking into the band again. My husband came with. This was the first time I had heard of the VSG surgery, the doctor presenting said it was new, but they had been getting "exciting results". I didn't think much of it because, like the bypass, I was afraid of such a drastic change to my anatomy. When we got home, I asked my husband what he thought, & he said that he thought the VSG was suited towards me the best. I mulled it over, & to make a long story just a tad shorter, I went ahead to try to get insurance approval for a VSG.

I began hoop jumping. Neither the insurance nor the doctor's office was able to tell me if there was a 6 month supervised diet requirement, So, I got a tentative surgery date for 4/20/12 & went ahead to fullfill all the other pre op requirements. Oxford denied the precert request, missing 6 month supervised diet. *sigh* Ok, new tentative date 8/10/12, nutritionist visits, done. I then received a call in July from the surgeon's office that the doctor had an emergency on 8/10 (really, he knew a month in advance??), rescheduled for 8/31/12. I had to then hound this precert coordinator at the office every other day to send in my appeal with the 6 month diet record. I'm thankful I did, because I'm sure this would have never got done without me doing so. Finally, I am now approved & ready to go. My surgery is Friday morning.

I've made my lists, checked them twice, I went shopping this weekend for all my post op supplies, a variety of Clear liquids, Vitamins needed, ect. I'm prepared & ready to go. I feel nervous, excited, but most of all at this point, scared to death. It's impossible to know if this is the right decision to go ahead with this. But I'm doing it anyway. I want to be active in my life, not just have it go by me in a lethargic stupor. I want to look good again. I want to stop being scared, wondering how old I will be when my first heart attack or stroke comes. I want to go on amusement park rides again. I want to stop being embarrassed when I run into old friends. I want to stop avoiding situations where this may happen. I want to be free.

So I think that's it. Again, thank you all for your posts & all the knowledge you've given me. Wish me luck on Friday.

[mommeof3 58]

Welcome, and good luck on your journey. My surgery day is Sept. 17.

[LaBelle509 326]

welcome!! hope everything goes well for you.

[Tryan 20]

You're gonna do fine! You're gonna feel good and you are going to look good!

I'm 2 weeks 3 days post op. I went from 282 down to 264 and I haven't had any problems, no nausea, no pain and I'm tolerating everything I try very well! Best decision of my life. I know I'm taking control over my life instead of revolving my life around food. The bonus for me is I never feel hungry. The food is no longer controling me.

Best wishes!!

[susan228 27]

Tryan, I so hope things go just a smoothly for me! It's amazing how some people have a relatively easy time, & others have a terrible time of it. One can only hope...