Is the Risk Worth the Benefit?

I'm a 44 year old mom of three. My third just started Kindergarten, so I now have time to focus on myself. I've gradually gained weight since my first child. I'm 5'9 1/2 and 273 lbs. I was thin until my late 20s when I had to start working out more and really watching my diet. My new family doctor said that I'm morbidly obese. This has scared me beyond measure. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels have been stabilized through medicine for years. I suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety (worse since I had a breast scare a few years ago). My family doctor thinks I can lose the weight on my own through diet and exercise - I've been doing this for years and the weight continues to add up. I want to know what I need to consider about the sleeve surgery - the bariatric seminar I went to made it sound like a great fix. I wanted to hear from the folks who have had it done and how it has impacted their daily living. Thank you for sharing. I'm in the process of insurance approval.

     I want to start by saying that I had an RNY not the sleeve -- but I still feel that I can answer the title question: Is the risk worth the benefit?

     I am a 43 year old mother of an 8 year old.  I was terrified of having surgery and "risking my life" -- but statistically, I was a ticking time bomb.  I was an insulin dependent diabetic, had borderline high blood pressure (controlled by lisinopril), high trigylcerides, a resting heart rate of 110 bpm, and sleep apnea.  I was out of breath more than I ever realized, hot all the time and very tired.  

Fast forward ten months:  I have a normal blood sugar and am not on any medications, have a blood pressure of 105/60 without medications, my triglycerides went from over 300 to 80 , my resting pulse is 63, and I don't snore or need a CPAP.  All those medical benefits definitely outweigh the risk of having had a surgery with a complication rate comparable to a c-section or an appendectomy.

But, that's not the whole story.  Let me tell you about some of the other benefits.  This year I was able to ride on every ride and  roller coaster with my little boy for the first time ever.  My husband picked me up and carried me over the threshold -- something impossible for him to have done on our wedding night.  I can fit in any restaurant booth, fit through any crowded room, shop in any store and buy things I actually like not settle just because it fits me.  I can run!!  I run with my little boy -- I can chase him and play soccer with him.  His little arms can go all the way around me -- and I am much more likely to not only be able to dance at his wedding but to be alive to attend it.  All these benefits outweigh every damn risk.

As a final thought, I will leave you with a picture of how my life has changed in the past 10 months -- and the affirmation that it's worth the risk.  

Before/ Dec.2013                                           Still in Progress - at 8 mo. post surgery - August 2014

Wow! Thank you for sharing your beautiful story. I have to admit that I got a little teary eyed when you were talking about your son. That's how I feel about my boys - I want to ride roller coasters with them again, I want to zip line and hike with them.  Time goes by quickly and I want to be a part of every moment as they grow up. Thank you again!

Goodness these posts have me crying like a baby tonight!!! What an inspirational post, K. White. The words are so dead-on, and the pix say it all!!!

I'm just going to second what Kathryn said and also add that at age 38 I had multiple obesity related health problems. Those have been resolved with weight loss.

While it is possible to lose weight through diet and exercise, it is very difficult to keep it off. The impact on my daily life has been positive. I have a much better chance now of living a long and healthy life, whereas before I did not. Obesity related disease killed my grandmother and is killing my mother. I didn't want that to happen to me.

WLS is not a magic cure. It does require effort and tenacity, but it is much, much easier than diet and exercise alone. I would also suggest that you work on the mental and emotional component of obesity. We all have contributing factors, and counseling can be very helpful in addressing those.

Good luck

Since you're considering the sleeve you may want to cross-post this over on the VSG surgery-specific board.  Not all of those people look at this board so you may get some more responses over there.  

Make sure you do all your research on the different surgery options available to you.  I chose VSG because I didn't want my intestines re-routed, didn't want to risk the change of "dumping syndrome" and didn't want to deal with all the issues that come from a malabsorptive surgery (LOTS of vitamins to take).   

Surgery is wonderful but it's only a single tool in the tool belt that you need to conquer morbid obesity.  With the disorders you have, you'll need regular therapy (I'm assuming you already get that).  I also go to Overeater's Anonymous to deal with my compulsive eating behaviors.  

Let me know if you have any other questions - good luck on your decision! 

Thank you! How do I cross post?

Go up to the top of this page where you see "Forums" and click on the drop down menu.  Select surgery type "Vertical Sleeve" and it will take you to that board.  But first, copy your post.  Then when you get to the other forum, start a new topic and paste your post into it.   

 I will second the comment that the surgery is just a tool... It is NOT a "great fix".  It will help you control how much you eat.  It will NOT control how often you eat or what foods you choose.  You can (and many people DO) regain their weight.  If you continue to eat too much or make poor food choices you may not lose all the weight you want to lose, or --what is more likely -- you will start to regain the weight.  Too many carbs, even with surgery, will show on the scale in a big way.  Even with surgery, you absolutely MUST change how you think about food and change your eating habits and food choices.

That being said, however, you have already seen the results that most of us saw by trying -- repeatedly -- to do it your doctor's way.  Dieting simply doesn't work long term.  If you are serious about permanently changing the way you eat, however, surgery WILL work long-term.

I had RNY not the sleeve, so my daily life is more regimented as far as vitamins and what/how I eat because of hypoglycemia, but the folks in the VSG forum can give you details on how it has changed their daily lives.  What I can tell you, though, is that (regardless of surgery type) getting the weight off will greatly improve the quality of YOUR life as well as the lives of YOUR kids.

Lora