Do I really need surgery?

So just to clarify, I know only I can answer this question. But for the first time since I began this process back in October, I'm letting doubt creep in. I think it's partly because I'm getting so close to a surgery date (I have my presurg consult on 4/10 and from there will probably get a date for the last week of April or the first week in may). However, part of my feeling this way is also because of how successful I've been losing weight on my own. Since the end of December, I've lost 34lbs, 271 to 237, and I'm still losing 1.5-2.5 lbs per week on average. This surgery has been a huge motivator for me, because I know the more committed to the lifestyle I become now, the more success I'll have afterward. Realistically, I believe I can probably lose another 30-40lbs on my own without surgery...will I be happy doing all that work and ending up still around 200lbs? Probably not. Will I fall down the slippery slope and gain back that 70lbs in half the time I took to lose it? Quite possibly. BUT couldn't both of those things happen even with surgery? Before I changed my lifestyle a few months ago, I was steadily gaining about 15-20lbs a year, no doubt I would be at 300 by my 30th birthday (I'm 27 now) ...I'm just worried that because I'm so young and I'm doing so well right now, I might regret the decision to have surgery later. It's that huge 'what if'...like I'll never know if I could have done it on my own. Also, I'm dreading all the questions and comment from coworkers. 100% guaranteed that when I return to work after surgery, every single coworker will know what I had done. I'm a completely open book, so the handful of people I've told wont take special measure not to blab while I'm gone, but I think people will be asking me why I chose surgery when I was already losing on my own. Ugh. Just not looking forward to that.  Anyway, have any of you felt this way or had these concerns? Did any young 'lightweights' regret their decision or secretly wished they had waited? Ultimately, I DO want this...it's the 10% to my 90%....I believe it is what I need to become, and remain, healthy. Any input, advice etc is super appreciated. Thanks

I have seen a lot of people, myself included, comment that they wish they would have had the surgery sooner. I'm 42. I missed out on a lot of activities because I was too fat. Also, if you could do it and stick to it forever, wouldn't you have already done that? I'm not trying to sway you, and like you said, only you can make the go or no-go decision for yourself.  I have no regrets whatsoever, and I am so anxious to be one year out its exciting! I wake up every day looking forward to things now, which is polar opposite from pre-surgery. God luck with your choice!

I think if you're doing well and you can do this on your own, I'd stick with it and be proud of your accomplishment! After all, this is an elective surgery, and not everyone has a perfect outcome. I was really close to things not working out, and I thought I'd never get better. Many ER trips and hospital stays later, thankfully I'm doing better. I know it (seems easy) when you see all of these success stories on here, but there are also nightmare stories that not everyone posts. It's a big deal and should be treated that way. Good luck to you with whatever you decide.

If you're like most of us, you've lost weight many times before and was never able to keep it off. The surgery is  the tool that can help us keep it off by giving us a permanent way to reduce the amount of food we can take in at any one time.

I marginally qualified with a BMI of 37% (with obstructive sleep apnea our insurance carrier qualified me at 35%). I had the surgery 3 weeks ago. As of right now, I am at a few pounds higher than my diet-control without surgery. The difference is I won't gain it back, the decreased food intake is rather permanent. The first week postoperative was complicated by dehydration. Other than that, things are going well and I don't regret having the surgery.

I have been where you are. I did a week liquid diet pre op and I lost 15 lbs. Not much compared to what you have lost, but it was a big deal to me. I kept thinking, what if I just tried again and really focused, maybe I could do this without the surgery. And it's possible I could have. And maybe you can too, it's one of those things that you might never know. I am also young (25) so altering my body when I'm so young was scary. Eventually  I decided that the surgery was my best shot at losing the weight and keeping it off. It's something you have to decide for yourself.

As a pre-op I have the same questions and concerns.

When I was 22 I dropped about a 100 lbs and kept it off for 5 years. Putting it back on was a heck of a lot easier and left me feeling even worse than before. About 30 yrs of age I considered wls. I though the rny was to invasive/risky. As for the lap-band, I didn't want a foreign object in my body. 

Now at 40 I'm thankful I didn't have the lap band. However, regret mostly wasting the last 10 years (all those physical and mental draw backs from being obese).

I'm moving forward with the VSG for two main reasons.

One, it's a tool to make losing my excess weight easier and gaining it back harder.

Secondly, I feel that benefit out weighs (pun intended) the short/long term surgery risks.

VSG now has enough data (many 5 year longitudinal studies) to make me comfortable that a unforeseen medical shocker 10 or 20 or 50 years down the road seem unlikely. The only longer term risk I have been warned about is heartburn with a more mature sleeve and possible development of cancer due to the unnatural acidic state. (Disclaimer - I have no medical background and have found little to no research supporting this - my COE doctor and surgeon have directly said this is their 'best guess' about 'possible' long term side effects (20+ years post op).

The increased risk of cancer from GERD is if you develop a condition called Barretts Esophagitis (I probably misspelled that). My mom has BE, and has to be checked every couple of years for esophageal health. It is still quite rarely cancer causing.

Sounds like you and I think alike

I am still pre-op, but I had the same feeling as you when I dropped 15 pounds on the doctor supervised diet (which I'm still doing). But then I came to my senses. For the past 45 years, I have proven over and over, multiple times, that I can lose weight. I'm an expert at losing weight, dropping anywhere from 1- 80 lbs, only to gain it back plus more, Every Single Time!! I have proven that I cannot keep it off. I am convinced that I need the tool of a smaller stomach to restrict how much I eat. My regret is that I have allowed myself to stay morbidly obese for way too many years. I wish I had realized that if I could keep the weight off, I would have many years ago. Now, I'm almost 59 years old, and when I lose the weight after surgery, my skin won't be as elastic as it would've been 20 years ago. I wish I'd had it way sooner.