Feeling Irked and freaked out by getting GBS

I am sure so many of you have thought the same thing I am thinking: 

I am cutting into my own body to lose weight and it feels like such punishment ...  

 

Now I know it sounds a bit drama- but it's very real. 

I have decided that after the research I have accumulated - the VSG is best for me. 

Please please please - put my mind at ease- I am terribly worried and that "one more diet" will do the trick- I know I sound absurd- however it's a real trip with my head. 

Any offers of support and head shaking would be appreciated. 

 

Scared in Toronto :) 

 

Hey, Curvy.

Yeah, I thought the same thing, for about a minute. When I added up all the diets - fairly mainstream and some fairly stupid - that I had already put myself through, I realized that I could not do one more diet.

I may be able to give you a different kind of perspective or opinion.  I started a new lifestyle on April 15th 2013, and I didn't have surgery.  Here almost 9 months later I have gone from 364lbs to 207lbs.  Yes it is possible that one more time may be the time when it works for you without the surgery, but there are so many one more times that it's hard to believe that any one of those one times will ever work.  I know for me I got to the point where I just couldn't be that unhappy anymore.  I never did anything, I was so lonely and at 27 I was watching my life pass me by.  I truly feel that I've been successful this time because god has helped me through the difficult times and trust me no matter if you get surgery or not there will be hard times.  Mostly because overeating tends to be mostly a way that most people use to cope with their emotions.  Changing your insides will prevent you from overeating but it doesn't solve the mental issue, and I'm sure that physically not being able to eat and mentally wanting to eat can cause new problems.  I won't say either way whether you should get wls, but I truly feel that before you can lose weight you need to tackle the real reason you overeat, because if you don't success won't last long because before you know it you'll be back to your old habits.  I hope that you find your path because I can say now that feeling "normal" is the best thing in the world.  :):)

Kudos on your terrific work, lucalaw28!!! And thanks for having the guts to post your point of view here, pun intended.   I totally agree with you about the head part of eating issues- that's essential, surgery or not. Regain is as possible after surgery as it is before- preventing regain takes work unlearning old habits and learning new ones, and then doing the work. That's just the facts.

 Where weight loss surgery is helpful is in getting the weight off in the first place. Yes, there's a price to pay in terms of inside body restructuring, and while like you I didn't like that idea in the least, I am so very grateful for the support my WLS has given me- I would do it again in a heartbeat for the health benefits if nothing else, though I do like the looking better part.  

The crucial thing with obesity is getting the weight off and keeping it off, whichever way you do it. It's a killer.  

People who manage to lose 50 pounds have a 90% change of regaining it ALL within 5 years. People who lose 100 pounds have a 96% change of regaining it all plus some within 5 years.

Your BMI is 55.5. Your best chance of getting off all the weight you need to, and keeping it off long-term, is a form of WLS called the Duodenal Switch. The DS is the most effective form of WLS, period, and it also has the most liberal post-op lifestyle---it's not 'punishment' at all.

Quote from AMSBS clinical guidelines, 2013 update: "Physicians should exercise caution when recommending BPD, BPD-DS, or related procedures because of the greater associated nutritional risks related to the increased length of bypassed small intestine." DS is usually reserved for "superobese" patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 50 or higher. DS is also the riskiest and most extensive weight loss surgery, and is by far the least performed of all the different types of WLS. My surgeon won't do it at all because of its risks and incidence of complications.

 

Yes, the DS does have the greatest risk of nutritional deficiencies, for non-compliant patients. However, it also has the greatest odds of long-term success, especially for people with a BMI greater than 50, which the OP does.

In the past, the DS was reserved for the SMO, but no longer. Anyone who qualifies for WLS qualifies for the DS. I know many DSers who had a BMI of around 35, but had co-morbs that the DS is especially good at addressing, like diabetes and high cholesterol. For them, getting the weight off, keeping the weight off, and addressing their health issues was worth taking vitamins and supplements 4 times a day.

ALL WLS patients need to base their vitamins and supplements on their individual lab results. I know many RNYers who take as many or more vitamins and supplements than I do.

Just want a balanced presentation, that's all. The DS is not all roses, no WLS is, and people should know the AMSBS recommendations, as well as the cost/benefit ratio in order to make an informed choice. My surgeon's take on the DS is that the added weight loss from DS compared with gastric bypass is offset by complications that far outweigh any potential benefits. And as you no doubt know, complications can and do happen with perfect compliance. So on one hand, you get to eat more, but on the other hand...

 

I love my sleeve and my new normal. It has been a great experience. I have no regrets.

I was really appalled at the idea of WLS. I mean, who wants to cut 85% of their stomach out? I decided to go on my last diet a couple years ago and lost 55 pounds. I kept it off for a few months and then they came back and brought their friends. I am 57, so it's harder to lose the weight now. And I have developed several chronic health issues over the last several years that did not respond to that weight loss. So last May I decided to look into WLSs. I wasn't sure if it was right for me but I educated myself and decided that my comorbities were already killing me by slow degrees. With the diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure I was sicker than my 79yo mother!

I questioned myself right up until surgery, but I am not sorry I did it. I'm only 5 days postop, so I'm facing 3 weeks on liquids. it's not so bad, so far. I'm really not hungry. Maybe I'll change my mind about that later. But I have determined to change the way I think about food and do the things i need to do to be successful. If I'm going to go to this extreme to get healthy, by golly, I'm going to make it work!