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 am scheduled to have my sleeve on October 27. From what I have read here on this forum, everyone has been glad they did it.
I am 54 years old, and wish I had done it at 44. My husband might not have divorced me, because I spent the last 20+ years feeling bad about myself because of my weight, being angry, lashing out, dieting, failing, getting fatter. You will not fix this with dieting. It doesn't work. You need a permanent solution. Take my word for it. I am losing everything (my husband, my home, etc.) and while I don't know for sure that losing the weight would have made a difference in saving my marriage, I know that it would have changed my life and how I felt about myself, which I believe would have made my relationship with my husband much better.
Now, I'm doing it for me. Which is the best reason to do it in the first place. Get rid of the burden of carrying excess weight because it is a burden.
54, Height 5'2", HW 229 PreOp Diet SW 220 Surg W 214 (10/27/14) GW 135 CW 192
I just had the surgery on 9/29 and honestly, it is so worth it. I've had a few problems here and there (nausea and a little vomiting) but nothing too bad. I tried for years to lose weight on my own and it just wasn't happening. Surgery is not a fix, though. It is a tool to help you. There are many ways to "break the rules" and gain the weight right back. I think for me being only 18 and having all these health problems was enough to make me realize I needed something to help me lose the weight since it wasn't coming off no matter what I did. Hopefully you get approved and you can get off your meds for blood pressure/cholesterol!
on 10/16/14 2:55 am
In addition to what others have already said, think of the immeasurable benefits to your long-term health and how much that will benefit your family! Dropping down to a healthy weight cuts the risks for so many problems. I had my surgery at 50 (9 months ago) and I feel decades younger now. It is a "great fix" as you mentioned, but it's not an easy fix - you have to be ready to make this change for the long haul. SO worth the effort though. Good luck to you!!
Although the surgery "fixes" your stomach via portion control, it doesn't fix all the underlying factors that contribute to your obesity. If you're an emotional eater or a compulsive eater (I am), I'd recommend therapy to help work through these issues. Or consider going to Overeaters Anonymous.
The surgery is only a tool. If you don't change your eating habits after surgery, you will gain back the weight, or not make it to goal. It's very easy to eat around the sleeve with the wrong foods.
I am so grateful that I've had this done. I feel so much better and am more active. The simple things I couldn't do in the past, like painting my own toenails or fitting in a booth at a restaurant, are easy for me now. Climbing a flight of stairs doesn't make my heart race and my body sweat. It is truly the best thing I have done for myself, but I always have to be vigilant in what I eat. It can be very easy to go back to old patterns. Mindful eating is what I try to focus on now, rather than just shoveling everything I like down my throat.
Good luck on whatever you choose to do!
"Oderint Dum Metuant" Discover the joys of the Five Day Meat Test!
Height: 5'-7" HW: 449 SW: 392 GW: 179 CW: 220
It's unfortunately lots too common, and very easy to do. You can drink unlimited calories in the course of a day. Foods like ice cream and yogurt slide right through, as do things like sugar. Other things like butter and peanut butter are essentially liquids. Most folks can eat a billion crackers. Fruit is sugar, and mushes into nothing, zipping right through. And of course you can graze, meaning you just keep eating, slowly, all day.
If you follow the rules and eat dense protein first, you will feel satisfied for hours, and est less in the course of a day.
6'3" tall, male.
Highest weight was 475. RNY on 08/21/12. Current weight: 198.
M1 -24; M2 -21; M3 -19; M4 -21; M5 -13; M6 -21; M7 -10; M8 -16; M9 -10; M10 -8; M11 -6; M12 -5.
I have catastrophic physical problems that would have been prevented if I had been able to do the VSG years ago. I am still glad that I did the surgery, Being 253# is a lot better than 392#. If you are having trouble losing weight conventionally I would encourage you to do the VSG if you can. It could mean the difference between a healthy and active life or a life of debility.
