Help !

 I have been big my whole entire life . I am 24 and I am currently 340ish pounds and I am 5'6. I have tried fad diets,pills,wraps and probably all the other stuff you have tried too. I held steady at 280-290 for years but the last couple years I have let myself go. I now have PCOS, high b/p and my joints hurt all the time. I have been thinking about VSG surgery for about 1 year and the last 3 months I have decided with my husband that I am going to this :). My First apt is Oct,17,14 ! I am tired of being this outgoing loving *****y person and being trapped by my body and mind. So I would like to know, how long did it take from start to finish ( from 1st apt to surgery), the best and worst parts ( before and after) and what kind of test did you have to have before surgery. Plus any other info you think is helpful ! Thank you in advance :) God Bless!

 

The top post in my blog, which is linked below in my signature, lists all the appointments I went through between decided to have WLS and actually having it.  I hope it's helpful to you!

At your weight you might also want to look at the DS (duodenal switch) which also has a malabsorbtion component to it. With the PCOS your metabolism isn't working very well, good luck to you!

 

My first appt was around the end of Dec 2013 and my surgery was 05/01/2014.  So from start to finish for me was about 4 1/2 months.  My ins required a 3 month supervised diet, psych eval, endoscopy and visit to a registered dietitian.  I have Aetna PPO in the state of Georgia.  I am completely satisfied with my surgery and have had zero complications so far.

 I am losing a little slower than most in my opinion but I've lost a ton of inches and gone down 3 sizes, so I'm still pleased none the less.  Good luck with everything and you won't regret your decision!

Check with your insurance and see what requirement you may or may not have.

I have BCBS of IL (no  3-6 month diet needed).. I see you too are from IL. I am going thru the Kane Center I'm northern IL. 

My first appt was the Weight loss Seminar.. that was awesome it went over the different types of surgeries and pros/cons and what to expect.. etc.

My first appt/consult with the surgeon was June 26th 2014. I had some requirements for insurance, and requirements for the surgeon, (see my profile page). My surgery is Aug 29th 2014. so for me was about 2 month time frame... the most time consuming thing was trying to get appts. I'm not working right now so I was totally open, it was the specialists that were booked up!

Good luck!!

My first step was to attend a seminar (April 30th) and my first consult with my surgeon was May 8th.  Before insurance approval I had to get an endoscopy and my psych evaluation.   No other tests were necessary because other than my weight, joint problems, heartburn, and back problems I was in general good health.  Insurance took a week to approve and I didn't have to do any supervised diet.  My surgery was on July 30th so it really only took me about 3 months total to get my surgery. I also had a hernia repair at the time of surgery (discovered during my endoscopy) and I'm 3 weeks post op now.  My journey to get surgery was relatively easy.  After surgery I had a hard time tolerating the pain but as long as you're diligent on your paid meds it's manageable.  I also had issues with constipation at first but I have it under control now.  So far I'm enjoying my ride and not regretting my decision at all.

Good luck! 

Thank you to all that is replying !

Jessica, I have BCBS if Illinois. I also do not have to do a diet plan for X amount of time, and I am going through Carle Clinic in Urbana, IL, It is the the the least about of miles from me !

Made my decision in May 2013--had surgery July 22 2013. It was awesome!

My first appointment was in February and I had surgery on April 23rd.