Vixynne

Jessica, I've probably got a few months before I'm standing where you are, but everything you say makes perfect sense to me. For me, too, food has been a constant companion and a constant comfort. Feeling anxious? Eat a little sumpin'. Feeling sad? There's ice cream in the freezer...Feeling happy? Cupcakes for everyone! Food has been my go-to for many years, too. It never judged me, never disappointed me (well, not emotionally, anyway) and always made me feel content. Now I'm preparing to "break up" with the friend who's always been there, yikes! For me--and it may not be this way for you--food is like an abusive boyfriend. It *seems* to always be there for me, but it wants to control my happiness and hold me back. It's really a toxic relationship that could someday kill me, or at least shorten my life by giving me diabetes or heart disease. So, yeah. Mourn a little, because you are saying goodbye to a familiar, comfortable part of your life. Just keep in mind, it's part of your life that NEEDS to be shown the door. And later on, you'll get back a better version that isn't able to cause you so much harm.

Noob member, first time poster, hello all. *waves* Apologies in advance for a wordy post. I have several good friends who have had bariatric surgery (gastric bypass and VSG) and after envying their chutzpah and success for a little while, I decided to check into it myself. I attended a seminar on Tuesday, got a call to book a consult on Wednesday, called for a referral on Thursday, and going for my first consult Friday--tomorrow! Meep! Nervous is an understatement. I'm trying to keep myself grounded, as it's all going along rather quickly right now. I know this won't always be the case, and that this is just the very first baby step on a long, winding road. My nerves are getting the better of me tonight, though. See, for ages I assumed I was firmly lodged in the 40 BMI category, based on my clothing size (20's are started to fit snuggish) and my height (either 5'1" or 5'2" depending on how high my hair is that day). scales are my bitter enemy--they almost never have nice things to say to me--so whenever I am weighed at a regular check-up, I tell the nurse to just write it down. It's not worth the emotional warfare I'll conduct on myself, so I just let them scribble in their file folder and go on my merry way. I stepped on a scale tonight. Well, sort of. I stepped on my daughter's Wii Fit balance board and let her weigh me. (Anyone besides me think the little voice on that console is kinda snippy about announcing your weight status? Maybe it's just me.) In any case, based on my weight--which is apparently about 10 pounds or so less than I had estimated. So my BMI isn't at the operation-approval 40 that it needs to be; instead it's hovering around 35/36ish. Now I'm worried that I don't qualify. Talk about a mindblower; for the first time in my life, I may not be heavy enough for something? I do have some health issues related to my weight. Hormonal imbalances that have stopped my menstrual cycle cold, with nary a hot flash. My primary physician did some bloodwork, and one of my hormones is at menopausal level, the other is not--which he said was very odd. I have joint pain (knees, back, neck--with stenosis and cervical lordosis in the last 12 months), asthma, acid reflux and some mild apnea. My question is--will these things qualify me for VSG since my BMI isn't 40? I'd hate to be turned away after finding the gumption to start the process at all.

Thank you both! I went for my consultation today, and during the initial check-in, I found out that using a Wii Balance Board to measure my weight is a BAD idea. As it turns out, the Wii underestimated my weight by not 5, not 10, but a whopping 43 pounds! That was a bit of a jaw-dropper, but the good news there is that I do qualify for VSG, as my BMI is 43. Happy to be qualified and moving forward with dietician and psych appointments, on my way to an eventual surgery and new outlook on my life!