Hello RealSelf! Long time lurker here, and I'm excited to start my own journey after seeing all of the good, bad, and ugly reviews regarding VSG & other surgical options for weight loss. First, I'll start off with a little bit of information about myself- I'm 28 years old, and like so many of you, have been dieting forever... nearly two DECADES now.... basically my entire life. I can vividly recall going on my first diet at the age of 11, and have been battling the bulge ever since! I have been on every diet out there at one time or another, and needless to say, despite them all, I have steadily and continuously yo-yo'd and gained weight. I believe at my height (5'2) my ideal weight is around 125- 130. In my adult life, I've gotten down to around 139, but my body has always insisted on staying in the 150's despite tracking every single macro, calorie, and killing myself in the gym for months. Because of the extreme effort I always had to put forth to maintain my weight, I had become discouraged and in the last few years, I have steadily gained weight due to lack of consistency with dieting and exercise. Surgery never crossed my mind because I was never eligible for it, but I reached my highest weight at 196 lbs, and it dawned on me that my BMI is actually high enough to be considered for surgery! Since I was absolutely fed up, I decided to take a leap of faith and inquire about the surgery. Because my sister had already had VSG, I knew the basics, pros, cons, and generally what to expect, so I started my journey and went on two consultations in December 2019. Based on reviews, facility, ancillary staff, locations, and bedside manner, I chose Dr. Terry Scarborough with Texas Laparoscopic Surgery in Houston, Texas. Here's a basic timeline-
Dec 19th- Initial consultation + lab work (approx $500 out of pocket for labs + $60 for copay)
Height- 5'2, weight- 192 lbs, BMI 35.1 (Barely made it!) Comorbidity- hypertension
Dec 24- appointment with primary health physician to obtain letter of medical clearance/ necessity, 5 year weight history ($30 copay)
Jan 9- Nutrition class ($50 out of pocket)
Jan 12- Over the phone psych consult- ($40 out of pocket)
Jan 21- Insurance submission
Jan 23- Insurance approval
Jan 31- EGD + Biopsies (findings- hiatal hernia, polyp, mild gastritis) ($1052 out of pocket)
Feb 3- 2 week liquid pre op diet started
Feb 6- Pre Op appointment ($790 out of pocket)
Feb 17th- Scheduled surgery! (Out of pocket price to be determined)
I am pleased and frankly shocked with how fast this entire process has gone. I honestly was thinking insurance would deny me since my BMI teeters between 33 & 35 and I only have one comorbidity, but here we are! My only complaint as of right now is how EXPENSIVE this all is despite insurance approval. I have a high deductible plan with Cigna, and so far they are still saying I haven’t met any of the $500 deductible. I will also have to pay the hospital once they contact me. Once all claims are submitted, I should receive refunds.
I know this is a lot of information, but I want to provide a comprehensive review for people like me who want to know specific details of this process. Hopefully this helps people with Cigna or other high deductible insurance plans.
?Last things to do before surgery- Urinalysis, fill prescriptions, call the hospital for preop lab work/ schedule surgery time. It’s so close I can almost taste it! Will update here and possibly provide before/ after pictures!
Updated on 12 Feb 2020:
I’ve stuck to the two week liquid fast to the T, and I have to say I started this week a little fed up of these freaking protein shakes. I was (am) just tired of the sweetness, and while broth is an option, it isn’t great either tbh lol. But it’s necessary so I will keep at it.
I had another Pre-Op appointment today at the anesthesia clinic which included another $700.00 down payment of the $2,200+ that I will owe for my 20% of the surgery. Note to everyone... if you plan on having this procedure “covered” by insurance, be sure that you don’t select a high deductible plan! With that being said, although I would like to be paying less out of pocket, this is worth the money to me.
The pre op appt went fine although initially my BP was 165/119 (yes, you read that right) despite me having taken my blood pressure medicine prior to coming. They said that if it didn’t come down, the surgery would be cancelled. Luckily the next time they came back it was 156/98. I have hypertension, but this is definitely white coat syndrome. My BP is usually a lot lower at home. The rest of the appointment included them gathering medical history, getting pre op labs, an EKG, and explaining instructions/ giving me a run down for surgery day. I also got the CHG (chlorohexadine) soap that I am to bathe with the night before and the morning of the procedure. I am supposed to be getting a call Friday letting me know when the actual time is.
It’s just a waiting game at this point! Can’t believe this is happening!
Updated on 14 Feb 2020:
Just got a call with my surgery time for Monday! I am to arrive at the hospital by 9 AM. The actual surgery will be at 12:30, but I was told that they typically run ahead of schedule, so they want me there by 9 AM. It’s getting realllll! Will update with stats & some pictures at some point.
Updated on 17 Feb 2020:
I’m headed to the hospital as we speak. I’ve bathed with the CHG soap last night and this morning and drank my 20 oz G2 last night well as this morning. I’m so ready for this!