30F, 5'11-442lbs, no kids

So I'm 30, married and live in Florida. I've been overweight my entire life. Genetics, combined with PCOS and Multiple Sclerosis, have made it very challenging to lose weight and keep it off. I've wanted surgery for 10 years and I'm finally in the situation to make it happen. My insurance does not cover anything weight-related so I'm self-pay. After loads of research, I've decided to have the surgery performed by Dr Wizman in Margate, FL. His self-pay pricing is affordable and I feel very comfortable with his experience and patient reviews. My tentative surgery date is 02/01/18. I've undergone the psych eval, using bariatricpsychevaluations.com- I highly recommend them. Now I'm just awaiting further instruction from the surgeon.
I wanted to start documenting my journey here for the benefit of others researching the surgery. I think I've read just about every sleeve review on here and they have been so helpful in making my decision to follow through with it.
I don't have any answers yet; I'm still nervous about the procedure and anxious for my life post-surgery. Hopefully tracking my progression will help me as well when I need some perspective!

So unfortunately I've decided to no longer proceed with the surgery with Dr Wizman. It's nothing at all to do with him as a surgeon. What started out as $10,500 grew to $12,700 due to my BMI (60). Being self-pay, I don't feel that I'm able to justify the added expense when another equally-regarded surgeon in the area offers a flat rate of $10,500 that includes all pre-op and post-op testing. Dr Wizman didn't include this, and insurance doesn't cover it- my final price was growing to well over $13k. I'm out $150 on the psych eval that I did for Dr Wizman, but honestly I feel that the information and support I received from the counselor was completely worth it, regardless. So I'm back to square one. I've gotten the process started with Dr Shillingford out of Boca Raton. My surgery date will be pushed back, but should hopefully still be in the month of February. So far, his office has been super helpful and quick to respond to all of my questions. The education packet I received explains in detail what to expect; the good and the bad- they seem very thorough. Unfortunately I felt like there was a lot of unknowns and unanswered questions with Dr Wizman's office, so I'm happy that circumstances led me to Dr Shillingford. I go for my consultation in 2 weeks, then everything should happen quickly after that. I'm disappointed but still just as optimistic as before. Don't ever let a bump in the road deter you from your finish line!

So I met Dr Shillingford in his office in Boca Raton. My impression of him was that he's very knowledgeable and intelligent. He's also kind, soft-spoken, and thorough. His office staff is amazing- much more responsive and informative than the prior surgeon I was working with. I've scheduled my surgery for March 5th. I have some pre-ops to do (that are included in his package price) and a clearance letter to obtain from my neurologist in reference to my MS. I'm super excited and very happy I found Dr Shillingford. I start a pre-op diet on February 12th; 6-7 protein shakes daily, plus sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello pudding, chicken broth, and low sodium veggie soup. 3 weeks of no carbs...Lord help us.
On another note, I took photos this past weekend for my 5th wedding anniversary- they reminded me why I need this surgery. I wasn't at all comfortable posing for pictures, and based on the previews from the photographer, I'm not gonna be happy with them. They'll serve as a great reminder if and when I feel discouraged throughout this process. I'm tired of being so big! I'll add a photo when I get them and you'll feel my frustration.