Thank you, Pam! I appreciate you taking the time to explain that to me.

I was expecting quick and easy answers. But I had no idea what else to expect, you know what I mean? I haven't seen many posts on consultations with surgeons and I don't know if that's because every hospital is different or maybe I just didn't do enough research. But I expected him to have some sort of opinion on the right surgery for me. I guess I didn't realize how difficult it is, especially for a surgeon, to have to help a nineteen year old make such a huge decision. He said it himself that if I were forty and at my weight, he would suggest the DS and be done. But the fact that I'm nineteen makes things that much more complicated. He doesn't want to push for the lifetime of malabsorption and care that the DS requires on a NINETEEN year old. That being said, I was wrong. He DOES care about his patients. He even said to me, "I'm trying to think what I would do if you were my daughter." And I'll admit it. When I wrote my post, I felt lost. I only heard what I wanted to hear and focused on that. But when I sat back and looked at it with a calmer approach, I see now what I didn't see then.

And again, I have already been approved for WLS. My policy only covers Lap-Band and the RNY. But I want the Sleeve and I KNOW my insurance considers it "investigational". So I did some reading on how to possibly get insurance to pay for it. And from what I understood, the surgeon and his staff was supposed to help me with that. Because, after all, you need a letter from your surgeon explaining WHY it's a better surgery for you over the ones they cover. At least, that was my understanding from what I read. So when he told me "Nope. There's no way." And that was the end of that discussion I was crushed because we've been cobraing my insurance JUST BECAUSE we're keeping hope alive that I won't have to fork over the $21,000 to have the Sleeve. THAT is why I was upset. But like I said, I've calmed down and I see things with a much clearer outlook now.

Thanks so much for your input!

From Pam's message here it sounds like your insurance will pay for the DS.  If you truly want the sleeve then the DS is just the sleeve with a back up plan.   I mean the sleeve gives you the restriction so you can loose the weight.  All DSer's loose the majority of the weight with the restriction - the rerouting of the intestines is the back up plan.  The malsorbsion is what will help you keep the weight off (along with the right food choices).   The only thing I can add about choosing a surgery is do all the research possible.  Now when I went to see Dr. Houston I knew that my insurance covered DS, RNY, and Lapband.   SO I asked him about the DS and RNY - never once did he tell me I should go one route or the other.  I went home and researched until I decided on my surgery.    Now take a couple deep breaths and start reading posts in the WLS specific forums (and the revision forum) also ask Questions there too (and  on the main board) you will get a wealth of knowledge.  

I agree with the others here. Dr. Houston is a talented surgeon and knows what he's talking about. His consultations are to give you the pros and cons of each surgery, so that YOU can decide the best option to choose. He is a surgeon, not an insurance specialist, so you shouldn't go into it expecting him to tell you what surgery to have, or to tell you that he thinks you will (or wont) get approved. That is not up to him.

The bottom line is that choosing a surgeon is a highly personal decision. If Dr. Houston talks too much for your liking, tells it like it is when it comes to the risks associated with various surgeries, doesn't make life changing decisions for you and refuses to give you false hopes that they will automatically be approved for a procedure - you will want to find someone that is a better fit for you.

However, to be perfectly honest, I don't think you will find a reputable surgeon that will sugarcoat or rush you into doing any of these procedures.

I, like many others, have had tremendous success thanks to Dr. Houston. I hope you all goes well for you whichever direction life takes you.

Thank you for your opinion. Now that I've calmed down (because believe me, I was stressed and upset when I wrote the original post), I understand exactly what you're saying. I have the knowledge to decide which surgery is right for me. And talking to him DID infact help, just not in the way I expected. And I know it's not his job to get me approved. I'm aware of the requirements my insurance asks of me-- I've completed them and have been approved for the surgeries they cover (Lap-Band and RNY). But I want the Sleeve, and they dont cover that. And it was my understanding that the surgeon and his staff would help me fight to have the sleeve covered. SO when he said "No they won't" I kind of flipped out. I was like "WHHHAAAAAT???" But we're working on getting this craziness sorted out. Thanks again, though.