Hello all!

Good news and bad news.

Bad news is my insurance does not cover the bariatric surgery at all.  :(

The good news is my mom and grandma are willing to make payments to cover it :D  My husband not so much.  I am slowly winning him over though.  We're having a family meeting tonight to discuss this and everything will get talked about :)  I hope everything works out all right for the good :)  I'll keep you guys updated!

I hope it works out in a way that is best for you and your health.

Thanks Kat!

My mom has offered to take out a loan to pay for my surgery and my Grammie has said she will help pay it back and my hubby is on board too, for how much we don't know yet, we still have to have a family meeting when we know all the facts.  We are going to an info seminar on April 6 and that should answer all our questions!  I'm so excited :D

I'm a DSer, and happened to lose almost exactly what you are aiming to lose - 175 lbs. I'm over 7 years out now, and still off all medications that treated co-morbidities. All co-morbs are gone.

I had insurance, but it only covered RNY or band, and after researching that the different surgeries in fact did NOT have similar track records and that the DS was the most forgiving, I opted to turn down the insurance paid RNY and at the last minute decided to self pay for DS. Looks like you've already read about the DS being hands down the best for treating type 2 diabetes and high blood fats.  

Of course the main drawback is that you will have to take supplements for the rest of your life (I guess you do with any surgery, but if you miss them with the sleeve, it's not life threatening, whereas with the RNY and especially DS, it can be life threatening to skip them).

I'm glad you have family support for this surgery. I didn't (at least before the surgery - now all family is wildly supportive of my DS) and it made it a tortuous decision and I was so worried about having not only no positive support, but actually negative opposition. So glad I ignored them, but will say it will be emotionally easier for you, and physically easier afterward as you will be tire, sore, and will need help for a while. 

It' such a life changing surgery, I'm excited for to start your journey.

Thanks Amy!

My husband is not so supportive.  He thinks I can lose weight with diet and exercise still.  I'm like "I've tried that and it doesn't work."  "You've never stuck to it."  "Well I'll stick to this, believe me."  It's either stick to it or die so I'll stick to it ;)  He also didn't realize how heavy I am.  He said it was ultimately my decision though and he would help along the way no matter what I chose.  I'm starting a diet and exercise regimen today and motivating my mom to join the YMCA with me to exercise regularly.  Her excuse to not go today was "I don't have clothes to wear to the Y."  I gave her clothes so she had to go.

My husband wasn't originally supportive either.  He was scared I was going to die.  But now, he is so glad that I followed through with my bypass.

I'm sure my husband is afraid I'm going to die too because I'm allergic to some anesthesias that they use to knock you out.  I went into anaphylactic shock once on the table and almost died then.  But I'm not that afraid, I just need to go for it!  This is my chance to get skinny and healthy and I'm taking it!

Welcome Elyssa! I check out this forum sometimes because I started at 5'5" and 303 lbs, giving me a BMI of 50.4. I haven't had surgery yet, but I was originally planning on the sleeve until my surgeon suggested RNY because of my GERD and diabetes. I'm not comfortable going as far as the DS, mainly because I've been able to lose significant amounts of weight in the past, and what I really need is a tool to help me keep it off. But I know those who've had it are generally very happy with their choice.

I also was originally going to be self-pay back in 2012 before another GI issue delayed my surgery (I have a new job now and insurance that will cover surgery as of 4/1 of this year). But I had gone all the way through the self-pay process to the point of having surgery scheduled before having to back out. You save a lot of headaches because you don't have to jump through the insurance company's hoops, but I'd recommend seeing at least a dietitian even if you don't have to just because of insurance -- the more help and support you get ahead of time, the more successful you'll be. Don't feel like you need to rush, either -- I'm so thankful now for the 6+ month process my insurance requires, because I've learned so much in that time that will really help me after surgery (and it's helped jump-start my weight loss, too!). Being prepared and informed is key, regardless of whether it's forced on you.    Welcome aboard!