WELL, here we go !

Sure because losing 200 pounds and keeping it off by diet and exercise alone always works. 

Diet and exercise certainly does help - as does surgery.  It's great to have additional tools to use in the battle against obesity, eh? :)

My surgeon, who has been in business for 20 plus years, is closing her practice after reading your post !!

She and her team have NEVER thought of diet and exercise until YOU came along !!!

(calling you names in my head.....loudly !)

OMG! I do wish you had told me that sooner. I wouldn't have been obese for thirty years and then paid for surgery. 

By Jove, why didn't I try that first?!

Trey, what's the highest your BMI has ever been? How much weight have you lost through diet and exercise, and how long have you kept it off?

If you've tried all of diets to no avail, then I strongly encourage you to learn all you can about not only the VSG, but also RNY and DS as well.  I suggest this because the RNY and DS give you a boost to metabolism, while the VSG is restriction-only (there are studies eluding to a change in metabolism of sorts, but nothing near what the other procedures offer).  The trade off is the need to pay close attention to your nutritional health and take supplements, but if you're not losing weight by eating less today, then you may not get the results you're hoping for.  You only want one weight-loss surgery, right?

Best wishes to you.It is a big step to take.One of the best things I have done for myself. 

Welcome.

I went to the seminar to kick it all off in early November 2012. I had my documentation submitted by early December, and I rapidly received 2 denials in a row. The insurance coordinator said there was nothing else she could do for me so I hired Walter Lindstrom's firm to fight my appeals. I won my final appeal in early May 2013 and had surgery in mid-June 2013.

Tests required to submit were a physical and EKG which my primary care doc did. I also requested and received an ultrasound scan of my gallbladder to make sure it didn't need to come out too. I switched surgeons after I won because of the front office issues I was having with doc #1 and the new doc required a sleep study as well. No big deal.

I have not regretted a moment of any of this. I surrounded myself with an entire team: docs, trainer, psych, image consultant, and they really helped me. Post op was surprisingly easy. I'm maintaining now, and just sort of rolling along. 

My advice to you: given where you are right now, get a copy of your insurance policy coverage information in writing so you know what hoops you have to jump through. Then, just take it step by step based on what your doc says.

Good luck! Laurie

Congratulations on making "the big decision"!  Everyone is scared, more so as their surgery date approaches....but you're right in thinking it's scarier not to have the surgery.

For me, I went to the surgeon's orientation meeting in 11/13 and had surgery 5/14/14.  It takes that long to go through all the testing that is required, and attend all the informational meetings, etc.

First thing to do is confirm coverage with your health insurer, and also find out what their requirements are -- as many require a six month supervised diet.  Then expect a battery of tests, etc.  -- initial meeting with surgeon's medical doctor, nutritionist visit, psych eval, sleep apnea testing, possible cardio eval, exercise coordinator, and group informational meetings.  It can get frustrating, because once you make up your mind, you're anxious to get it done ASAP.  But the process gives you time to learn more about the different surgeries, pre-op diets, post-op diets, etc.  

The worst part for me was the post-op diet.  My surgeon did not require a two-week pre-op diet of protein shakes, but post-op I had to abide by a three-week liquid diet of protein drinks.

Good for you, too, for going forth at your young age.  I wish I had surgery ages ago -- it changes your life completely -- for the better!