New to site! Please Help! ^_^

Hi ^_^ My name's Liz, and I found out about this site last summer, but haven't really looked into the site that much...but then I was looking through a stack of magazines that I had received and I found an Obesity Help magazine. On the cover was this teen girl with her mother, and I thought "Wow, there must be something about her in here!". As dumb as it may sound, I really have never seen any other obese teens. Well, maybe they were slightly heavy, but never anyone as large as me. So, I read the magazine and I started toying with the idea of WLS again. (I had thought about it before, and even tried asking my doctor about it, but for some reason she refused to say anything further on the subject). The main reason I have been thinking about WLS again was because since the first of the year, I have been on a diet and excersize program. I have worked really hard and even had a personal trainer....but in 6 months I only lost 13 pounds. (I originally weighed 388). That isn't even a drop in the bucket. I feel very hopeless and desperate. I have talked to my parents about it, and they think WLS is a good idea...but the only thing is, where can I find someone who will actually listen to me? Here are my stats: I'm 16 yr, 7 months old. I live in Loveland, Colorado. I weight 375 pounds, by BMI is in the 60's (I'm 5'6). I have high blood pressure, joint problems (knees and ankles), I'm pre diabetic, I have slight sleep apnea and clinical depression.After doing tons of research, it would be hard to find a better candidate for teen WLS! Well, my point of posting here is that I'm totally in awe to be talking to teens like myself (=^_^=), and I'm trying to find a surgeon who would even consider looking at me. I don't care if I have to travel a million miles or pay a million dollars, I just want some help. Seriously girls, who out there doesn't want to be thinner and healthier? If you have any information that might help me, it would be greatly appreciated! (My email is [email protected] if you want to email me) Thanx much. ~Liz p.s. I saw this show....Amazing Medical Stories on TLC about this teen girl who had WLS. I just can't remember where she lived/the doctor she saw. If you saw/remember this episode, tell me what you remember o_o

hi you could try going on TLC's website it might have the info also you can look under bariatric surgeons on here and get a list of all the surgeons near you and just call and ask. i read on here about wishcenters, look under the post that ask's about age they said they go as young as 13. Dont forget to research the surgeon this is a major surgery. make sure they have a follow up program. its good to start thisnow cause it can be a long process. it took me at least a year and a half to get through the whole thing. good luck. christine

If people could tell me where they got theirs done (and at what age) that woul be really great. I'm just trying to learn as much about this as possible.

Liz...you could post at the Colorado board and ask about the doctors here in CO. I had surgery in Brazil but live in Co Springs...so I can't help you. But the Colorado bunch is very helpful. Hang in there! Paola