Kintinue's Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Hi, there! My name is Kinsey or better known by our loving friends on the internet as Kintinue. You can find me on Twitch playing games, Twitter sharing silly jokes or raising money for charity.

The short story - I am looking to raise the cost of Gastric Sleeve Surgery after my health insurance company refusing to cover the operation despite three letters of medical necessity.  

The full story (Buckle in - It is a long one)

I was heavy my entire life. I struggled, dieted, yoyoed, the works. When I was in 7th grade, the weight caused me too much heartache. I never had a chance to wear boots because my body was always too big. My body was huge and I felt disgusting. My weight had hit 200 pounds and there was no more "baby fat" like we tried to pass off so many times. I stopped eating.  When I did eat, I threw up or felt so bad about myself, I couldn't function. I spent months hiding the disorders. Teachers caught on and only one ever said anything. I worked out like mad through sports and running. I was finally able to wear jeans from a "regular" store. They had to be the largest size and I had to order them online but I had made it. I was sick. I dropped down to my lowest weight I can remember of 172 pounds. Still couldn't wear boots.

Throughout high school, I gained weight again. I was at least 100 pounds heavier than my friends. It was hell. I beat myself up and ALL of my food intake was measured, scrutinized and all in shamed. I tried so hard to lose it. I did weight watchers religiously. I ran twice a day 4 days a week. I did martial arts and played varsity softball. I was making some progress but was still never average, much less small. I had been put on antidepressants which made the weight gain pile on. Moving started becoming increasingly difficult. My Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a severe skin issue that for me is extreme, began flaring more and more. That’s when the pain started.

College was mostly the same. I spent my entire day to day worrying about my weight (which was ever increasing). I tried diets, weight loss pills, medically observed diets and injections, Weight Watchers again all with no luck. My HS got increasingly worse.


College me. Giant arms, buttocks hanging out of the back of my pants, triple chin, hiding behind my family.

Then 2017 happened.  

I got sick. Really sick. Also I had been full time streaming. My doctors had me on a constant stream of antibiotics and steroids. I quickly gained 100 pounds. I was OBSESSED with my obesity. It consumed my every thought. I went to multiple doctors that all recommended the same thing - Gastric Sleeve Surgery. The weight wasn't coming off even with help from medical professionals. My body hurt all the time. The HS and arthritis were catching up. Walking would make things worse. Going to conventions left my body wrecked for weeks, covered in HS breakouts, bloody thighs, sensitive skin everywhere, etc.

I started the process. I found a surgeon, confirmed with them that our insurance would cover the procedure, took the blood tests, went to the seminars, did the psych evaluation and put down a $500 deposit. Maybe I would finally be able to sit in airplane seats without worrying if today was the day I would need an extender. I was finally going to be able to wear boots (Something I have never been able to do even in plus size or large cut boots for plus size people). I was finally going to be able to wear sundresses and not worry about my legs. My body would finally feel like me. I would finally be free.

Then I got the call. Our insurance had a line that didn't cover the surgery. All the money and time I had sunk into the surgery was gone. I was devastated. It was over.

But I kept trying. I tried new insurance companies, a different surgeon, I even looked into getting the surgery in Mexico because it was cheaper.

Two more times it seemed the insurance was going to cover it or I would have enough put back to pay for the surgery myself. Two more times it failed.

Now, here is where the medical necessity part comes into play. I am currently suffering from extreme Hidradenitis suppurativa, a skin condition exacerbated by weight in which I take a weekly injection at home that (without insurance and prescription cards and a special program) costs $16,000 a month. My skin hurts all the time. My underarms are trashed and bleed and ooze basically all the time, giant cysts form all over my body, and my skin hurts… always. I also have RA, a form of lupus, and a thyroid issue. Three different doctors (General practitioner, Dermatologist and General Surgeon) all have agreed the surgery is medically necessary and have been writing letters of necessity. There is great concern about other issues that can arise due to my weight. It is terrifying. We have done tests to see WHY I can’t drop the weight and it has to do with some type of chemical produced at the top section of my stomach. This particular procedure works well for people like myself because it removed the majority of my stomach, removing the chemical producing area and limiting the size of my stomach.


I have almost put away the amount needed three times but it hasn't come to fruition. Doing a GoFundMe is last resort.

The full cost of the surgery is $17,000. I have roughly $6000 socked way but the last bit feels like it will never happen. I have put off doing this for a long time. My pride wouldn’t allow it. But now, I need to reach out.

I have no self confidence or self esteem. I want to do so much more with my life but every chance I have had, I panic and know I won’t be good enough due to my illnesses and weight. I want more for my life. Being better means I can be better for not only myself, but for others as well.  I need this. 

If you made it this far, thank you for reading my story.