What was your "light bulb moment"?

That was a powerful light bulb moment, Kat.

I didn't have a single moment, but I realized I had to do something and it had to be different than what I did in the past when the doctor said I was pre-diabetic (in addition to having BP issues). My father died at 48 of heart disease and I was starting to worry daily that I was going to have a heart attack. DH had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and I realized that I needed to be healthy to be around for the future for him and for my children. I started researching WLS in earnest and to my surprise found out that I qualified to have it covered by insurance. Also VSG appealed to me as it removed most of my fears from previous research of the lapband and RNY. 

I had my first WLS in 1986, a Vertical Banded Gastroplasty. I was 26 years old and STUPID.  I thought that being thin would fix all of my problems so I searched for a surgeon who would do this "new surgery" on the cheap.  I was without insurance at the time and had to self-pay.  Well I found a surgeon without doing any research (proving my stupidity) and that surgeon literally butchered me.  I had problems from day one.  I tried to contact him to complain and could never get an appointment.  I talked to my primary physician and he blamed my problems on the way I was eating.  I drove back to the original clinic to demand to see the surgeon who did this to me and the clinic was closed.  I went to the hospital to see if they knew where he was and, of course, they would give me no info on where he went. Poof... he was gone.  I found him online a few years ago he is no longer performing surgery.  He has had several lawsuits against him, all settle out of court so I don't know if they were WLS related.  

I lived for 25 years in terrible pain every day with NOBODY willing to help me.  I lost about 75 pounds and then, quickly, put most of it back on because I lived on slider foods and high calorie liquids.  That was all I could eat without vomiting... and sometimes liquids did not work. I vomited every day for 25 years.

My health reached a critical point when I was diagnosed with severe GERD and Barrett's Esophagus. I had 6 pre-cancerous tumors removed.  I saw 7 specialists who told me they had never seen anything like this and none of them knew how to fix it.  All agreed that if I did not do anything to fix it, I would be dealing with cancer in a very few years and would likely not survive.  The last specialist referred me to Mayo Clinic, telling me that there were only two surgeons in the country that might be able to fix me.  I went to Mayo and had LOTS of tests, x-rays, scopes, etc. and then went in to talk to the surgeon.  He said he thought he could fix me.  I wanted to do back flips.  He warned me that I had severe scarring and it would be a dangerous revision.  I had a 1 in 4 chance that I would end up septic and die.  It was a chance I was willing to take.  I had my revision in 2010 and I woke up from surgery pain free for the first time in 25 years.

I guess this whole story was kind of my "wake Up" call.  I refuse to ever go back to that misery.  I have become a strict rule follower.  I looked at this revision as my last chance at a healthy life and I WILL NOT screw it up.   I lost 120 pounds and have never been healthier.

Oh my, what an awful story. I am so glad you survived the surgery and that it worked!

Oh Rocky -- I can't believe you lived like that for 25 years.  How terrible!!  Could you sue that surgeon who did that to you??

I also wanted to add that I would never label you as stupid.  Not even the 25 year old you.  How could you have known that your doctor was an unscrupulous butcher?  When we know better we do better.  

I'm not sure.  My husband thinks I should but, at this point in my life, I just want to put the whole mess behind me.  I put some of the blame on myself for not doing adequate research on the surgery and the surgeon.  I just can't see putting myself through the  expense or the time it would take to get to a conclusion.  I don't know if this is allowed on OH, but stay away from Dr. Scott Liebl practicing in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin.

And to add insult to injury, my insurance company said the surgery they wanted to do to "fix" me was experimental and they refused to pay for it.  I fought with them for 9 months to pay for it (which was agony knowing there was a way to fix it and not being able to move forward)  When they finally approved me, I was in surgery 3 days later.  I was in the hospital for 10 days and (3 in intensive care) my final bill was over $100,000.  No way I would have been able to self pay that bill.

DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF!

Sorry I had to put that in all caps, but blaming yourself, if only a little bit reminds me of rape victims who blame themselves for getting raped cuz they dressed a certain way, looked at someone a certain way or whatever. Even if you had done more research back then, you still might've not known he was a butcher back then either. 

I agree completely ^^

The only person responsible was the butcher surgeon.  JMHO.

Your story has always inspiried me. I'm glad you have stuck around here. We need you to keep sharing your insight!!