Alison B.

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Especially if they contain spandex. Then capris poof out, bag, and start to hang lower on my hips, which leads to continuous hiking up. Annoyance eventually gets the upper hand and I set them aside for the donation bag. On to size 22, most of which fits, some of which is still snug. Progress!

The last time I lost (and later found) 30-plus pounds was during Weight Watchers, when I reached 163 pounds and became a lifetime member. Woo-hoo! That was also when I learned I was pregnant, and I have a bad habit of putting on and keeping lots of extra padding. Good thing we only have two.

I had to get up at 6 a.m., but I made it. I really like talking with/seeing the bariatric nurse who works with Dr. McKenzie. She took my concerns about abdominal pain seriously and ordered a CT, which revealed something called "stranding," or evidence of irritated muscles. Sounds pretty innocuous, but getting out of bed, sitting up, and bending over were very nasty for several days, which is why I called the clinic. I'm down 15 since the day of surgery (5/28/15), plus 12 before the surgery. My clothes are fitting better, and I've had to put some items in my donation bag. (I didn't like those pants, anyway!)

Water doesn't taste hideous anymore, but it still doesn't taste so good coming back up if I chug like I had to yesterday for the scan. Using ice cube trays to freeze leftover portions of pureed food is brilliant, so thanks to whoever thought of that : )

I had VSG surgery first thing in the morning on Thursday, May 28. I came home on Saturday, May 30, not knowing if I'd be able to get in the liquids and protein I needed. Swallowing was painful, even sips, and water tasted horrible. Thank goodness for sugar-free popsicles and red Powerade! Six days later I still feel tired and weak, very much unlike my usual self. I've walked every day, but am certainly not ready for the treadmill at the gym yet. I was hoping I'd start to feel cold instead of always hot and sweaty with exertion, but that hasn't happened yet. I'm down  20 pounds from my first weigh-in at the doc's office in January, but clothes are not falling off (yet). Definitely looking forward to starting pureed food on Friday!

Was it worth it? Yes. Is the recovery easy? No, it's not. There's pain, weakness, exhaustion, and what feels like hunger but might just be acid or an angry stomach protesting at being reduced in size by 80%. There's the very real fear of the possibility of regaining whatever weight I ultimately end up losing. There's abdominal pain and bruising from the six incisions and fear that the glue won't last till things heal. But I'm strong and I'll survive this. I'll do whatever I need to to get through this and be healthy again. I would love to play tennis or racquetball again someday, but that may never be possible with both knees missing meniscus. New days ahead 

Surgeon reviewed my medical records on April 28 and determined that I am an appropriate candidate for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Clinic called to set up appt on April 30 after insurance approval. Preop appts on May 19 and 20: things seem to be moving quickly now. Time to be nervous!!

This is the last step in the process to approval for WLS. Once this appointment is done, the surgeon will decide if I'm an appropriate candidate for the surgery. If it's a go, the clinic will then submit a letter to my insurance company to support the surgery from a medical standpoint. The very helpful bariatric coordinator told me that it usually takes one to two weeks for this particular insurance company to respond. If everything goes as I hope it does, tnto he time frame for the surgery would be sometime in June (of this year).

What a long, hard process this has been. My initial enthusiasm quickly changed to extreme disappointment back in 2011 when I learned that my husband's work insurance had changed their coverage that renewal year to exclude coverage for WLS. We're not able to pay for the procedure and follow-up care out of pocket, so I put my books away and resigned myself to being obese for the rest of my life. I didn't want that, of course, but obesity, knee problems, and obstructive sleep apnea were just something I had to deal with. The one good thing during my months of investigation into WLS was a sleep study. The study indicated I needed to use a CPAP device, which I've used faithfully since then. It's allowed my family to sleep comfortably again with me in the house and saved me from high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc. 

Those who have said WLS is not the easy way out are so wise. I'm jumping through all of the many hoops in my path to attain WLS because I must. But it's making things go so slowly....     I must complete a minimum of 12 sessions (two down so far) with a therapist who is thin and loves exercising (she's great, though). I must follow the dietitian's orders and lose 12 pounds. (What happens if I can't do it within the specified time frame? Hello?? That's why I'm pursuing surgery.) I must show that my intentions are serious by not only joining a gym (done) but by actually going (still need to set up appt. to meet with a personal trainer, who I will have to tell that I am pursuing WLS). 

Then I will need to arrange for time off work, and I've only had the job since mid-December. I have a serious health condition; it's not as if I'll be off enjoying myself in the Bahamas. But the people I work with are not overweight -- will they understand? Do I need to explain the kind of surgery I'm planning to have? Excuse me while I post this question on the forum. 

Today I'm thinking about the steps I've taken to attain WLS. My new employer provides insurance that will cover bariatric surgery, but the clinic that I'm required to go to is 1.5 hours away from home. It's not a huge obstacle, but I'm thinking about the 3-hour round trip and the follow-up appointments that will require time off work. I haven't even decided yet if I'll tell my supervisor and co-workers the nature of the intended surgery.

I've met with the doctor twice now, the dietician once, and the psychologist once for the evaluation. I felt more comfortable with the psychologist than I did the dietician, which is probably not a good omen. I've scheduled the first of my twelve required visits to a local psychologist, which will again require time off work. I'm almost looking forward to the "behavior modification" part: I need to learn some healthier alternatives than reaching for food when my emotions are in turmoil. But at 55 I've acquired some pretty ingrained behavior around food. I envy those who use food for fuel and not as a crutch.

Thank you for giving me hope. I was ready to proceed with bariatric surgery several years ago but learned that my family's employer-provided insurance policy specifically excluded that procedure a year earlier. I began researching MNsure and learned that Minnesota was among the 46 states that chose not to include bariatric surgery in its covered procedures (only California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, and Washington, DC, consider it an essential benefit).

I had pretty much given up hope until I learned through this site that MinnesotaCare--HealthPartners does cover bariatric surgery. I felt cautiously hopeful again and contacted HealthPartners on my own just to make sure that bariatric surgery is covered through their MinnesotaCare plan. I was told was told that it is covered--if certain conditions are met (I have a BMI of 35 as well as sleep apnea and should qualify).

I  have begun to look through the websites I visited years ago and will pull out the books I bought on bariatric surgery. I feel hopeful, once again, that this is something I will be able to do for myself. Thank you, ObesityHelp member poster, for helping me to believe in the possibility of a different life.