Very High BMI...preparing for self-pay VSG in 20 days...what do I do?

Hi NY Mom, I REALLY want the DS or at least the RNY...but I have a history of complications with MRSA in my wounds...nightmare time healing from 2 c-sections, one in 2012 and one in 2014...and my surgeon suggested I try the VSG. AND my husband is VERY unkind, very unsupportive and bought himself a Mercedes a couple years back (admittedly, it was a few years old) but acts like $10,500 for my VSG is asking for a kidney...so...beggars cannot be choosers. 

That is actually cheap for a VSG, my girlfriend just did self pay in NY and it was double that. Sorry your husband is unsupportive.... Maybe once he sees your  success he'll feel differently. I know from my girlfriend, I think her husband was willing to spend the money, because he saw how successful I was. 

Thank you, NY mom! Actually, we have been really unhappy for many years. We actually split up for about a year and a half while he filed for divorce against me, then denied me access to our son. So...I think he's afraid once the weight is off I will leave him. And he's right. I am eager to be in a marriage with a man who loves and respects me. And my husband is asexual, he refuses to have sex with me let alone hug, kiss, or touch me. 

I'm very excited for you, congratulations on this great decision.  My insurance also excludes any bariatric surgery and my BMI was over 50 prep-op as well, so I had a self-paid VSG here in Miami where I live, it has saved my life.  While I was not on insulin yet, I was taking Metformin twice daily for pre-diabetes, I was 413 pounds and gaining, I will succeed at this and so will you.  I look forward to following your journey and wish you all the best.  

Thank you so much for the support, DCadaval! Can you tell me what you did pre-op? I have such a short window (less than a month now!) and I did one day on strict protein shakes. Yesterday I had a protein shake for breakfast, a roast chicken on lettuce salad with low-carb low sugar dressing (I was out, starving, with a whining toddler) and for dinner...I made a chicken/broccoli rice dish for my husband...it was the first time I made that recipe...and it was so delicious, I gorged on it. Must have had about 4 servings! :-( 

I know I can't use Phentermine to control my appetite now...my doctor said no, it will not be good for surgery. 

How much did you lose on your pre-op diet (if you had one, my surgeon requests 2 weeks liquid protein shakes) and did you exercise at all? I am planning to walk tonight. So far, so good, two protein shakes today and tea in between with nothing inside to tame the hunger)

My preop process mostly cosisted of medical clearances, not dietary preparations. My surgeon asked me to have small protein-based meals starting the Wednesday before surgery so for about four days. Other than that he did not have me prepare using any restrictive dietary regiment. I've come to realize my success was more tied to my behavior AFTER surgery than before. I was up and walking 45 minutes after going to my room after leaving recovery, I didn't stop walking around the corridor until I feel asleep that night. I stuck to my liquid diet in the weeks to come, then the soft foods, then... I've tracked everything, took my vitamins and supplements, drank water...been a good patient. I've been very motivated by the cash I spent and the weight I lost, and how wonderful I've felt in the weeks since surgery.  This morning I hit 90lbs!!!

Stay in touch with me and stay positive, some one said earlier that the medical advice you get here should be taken with caution, I agree, keep the medical chat between you and your doctor.  I had many friends who have gone through the process through their insurance and kept telling me that I should be eating this and not eating that and drinking this much and taking that pill and doing this activity because that's what was recommended by their doctor and I honestly believe that a lot of those were requirements of the insurance company but I was not subject to it because I paid ca**** kept my process simple, doable, and far less stressful than what I read people going through on here.  DON'T stress too much, the natural anxiety you'll have as you get closer to the date is enough, I wouldn't add to it by asking too many questions of lay people who can only speak of their personal experience as I have. You're going to do great, ireadalot! 

I'm very excited for you, get ready to start losing. 

You are truly inspiring! I wanna be like you! 90 pounds in just a few short months post op! Can you tell me, how was your mobility before surgery? Did you have to work/exercise? I am very, very immobile. Not just depression but physical pain (my mom and sister have severe Fibromyalgia, I have all the symptoms, too). 

I had to reschedule my surgery because I had to travel out of state in late September to deal with my elderly father's hoarder house...it was being seized by the state because they put him in a nursing home and they would have taken EVERYTHING...there was some good stuff mixed among endless cans of vegetables, open bags of rice, beans etc that mouse had gotten into and soiled the whole place. Yikes! 

I'm sorry to hear about the delay, but I'm glad your dad has you.  There will be challenges every step of the way, the way we react to these challenges is part of the reason we got to the weight we achieved.  Do what you can to have your surgery and then start to move as much as you can, (notice I'm not telling you any specific amount of movement), just move as much as you can.  I've always made a point to be very mobile.  Honestly I was motivated by fear, I was afraid that if I stopped moving, I wouldn't be able to move anymore, at 413 lbs I was very conscious of my size and did everything I could to not make my children pay for my size, of course there where still significant limitations.  Hopefully after surgery as the weight starts to come off you'll feel relief from your pain.  I'll be praying that your cir****tances allow you to move forward quickly.  

Thank you, DCadaval, for this advice. I'm glad you never stopped moving...because I can assure you, if you do, the weight piles up faster and the less you move, the less you CAN move. I went from being able to climb a serious hiking trail just a few years back to barely able to climb one flight of steps without huffing and puffing. I am praying that I can have my surgery soon. Will need to reschedule due to needing to line up more child care. How old are your kiddos? Mine are 2.5, 3.5, and 12. Tough situation all around because I have a terrible marriage with a husband who is emotionally and verbally abuse with me, rough with the kids sometimes. He has programmed my 12 year old boy to hate me and to disrespect and disobey me, so I am essentially dealing with a teenager who is only 12. He's very big for his age and any attempt to set boundaries with him such as taking away his technology results in the 12 year old trying to physically attack me. 

Insulin is lipogenic.  It is the hormone that triggers fat storage in cells.  Many people will gain weight once they start insulin.  One of the reasons you rotate the location for insulin shots is that you will get a giant fat deposit if you continually inject into teh same area.

My BMI was about 80 when I had the VSG.  I lost 140ish pounds so far.  My surgery was about 15 months ago. My type 2 diabetes was also completely resolved.  I had the VSG for a few reasons.  I primarily did not want to deal with having a blind stomach for the RNY.  I also had many severe health issues that increased the chance of complications.  My surgeon was familiar with the DS (he did his residency at UofC), however he does not do them himself at this time.  We decided to try the VSG first.  I had great weight loss and my diabetes was completely resolved.

My weight loss tanked two months ago to, what we'll call, "user error."  My anxiety skyrocketed and my mother who lives 1300 miles away had emergency surgery.  Still, no excuses and all that.  I dragged my behind back to therapy.

Definitely check out the DS - it's the best in the long run for those of us with diabetes and high BMI.  It has the best diabetes resolution.   The DS is the gold standard bariatric surgery, period.  I've also had MRSA as a result of surgical procedures.  They will note exclude you due to that (most MRSA is on your skin, not internal), but they will take extra precautions if MRSA is present.  They did a swab for me to determine it.  If you are going self-pay, you have the option to check it out because you can pick where you are going.  :)

The VSG will work with a higher weight if you are methodical and very good with adhering to change.  You will gain weight even with the DS too, though, if you do not adhere to the new lifestyle changes. 

Anyway: become accustomed to a low-carb diet now.  Lose the taste for the sweet foods now.  Your diabetes will also do better on a low carb diet.  Many of us eat much lower carb post-op.