Veritas02138

I was moving full speed ahead once I settled on RNY. I'm almost ready to have insurance approve (only two more nutrition visits) and I'm SCARED and having SECOND THOUGHTS. Today's kind of bad because someone hit my trigger this morning - that I'm not going to be the same person anymore. The exact words were "ah man, how am I going to even laugh at your jokes anymore." Rationally, I know that this is something that I need to do - I'm "pre" every health condition you can think of and I've been unsuccessful losing the weight and keeping it off. Also, I want my outside body to match the body I perceive on the inside. I want to be able to get up and down off the floor easier, not be out of breath when climbing a flight of stairs or vacuuming the house ... the list goes on and on ... How have other people dealt with this? The interesting thing is that I've received the most hesitant reactions from those who are also overweight which makes me think that my decision is triggering something in them.

My name is Becca. I'm 41 and 281 pounds. I've had moderate success with Weight Watchers and exercise, but the weight always comes back. I'm now "pre" everything - pre-diabetic, pre-hypertensive. It's time for me to take this seriously. I've completed all of the requirements and been cleared by my surgeon. The paperwork was submitted to the insurance company on Monday and they're confident it will be approved. All good, right? Now I'm second guessing everything! I keep feeling guilty that I should be able to do this "on my own" without surgery. Just had a friend start Ideal Protein and lose 10.5 pounds and 4 inches in one week. You get the picture. I have a ridiculous amount of support with my decision, but I can't shake the anxious feeling. I live in Washington, DC, but I'm interested in connecting with anyone who had these same feelings, but followed through with the surgery and can't imagine life without it (even if there were some complications). Look forward to hearing from people and extend my gratitude in advance!

guess i should be clear up front that i don't mean the actual surgery because, as far as i know, my insides aren't any different than any other woman. i mean with acceptance - before and after. i went to have my psychological assessment and we got to talking about the disproportionate occurrence of obesity in the lesbian community (my psych's gay). i surmised that there's not as much pressure in the lesbian community to look a certain way in order for someone to find you attractive (no science behind it; just my thought). then i got to thinking about my decision to move forward with RnY and wondered if i'll be judged differently by different communities? so my friends who have successfully lost, and maintained, weight would be more likely to think i'm taking the easy way out. and my lesbian friends might wonder why i'm doing this because i look great and am beautiful just the way i am? i know - A LOT of thinking! but then i decided that this is a medical and health decision. my doctor drew the comparison to a person who develops high blood pressure. they might try to get the numbers down with diet and exercise, but then move to the medical intervention if that doesn't work. that struck a cord with me. i've tried it all and now i'm adding the medical tool. thanks for allowing me to process!

Oliverreindeer - you're describing me and my partner to a T!

i started my six months of medically supervised weight loss today. i really liked the nutritionist, but was a little disappointed that she didn't give me the magic bullet! i was looking for a set menu or a list of foods. she told me that i already knew these things given my history with weight watchers and that i needed to record everything that i eat. what's a amazing about all of this is that it really is that simple and yet oh so complicated. so today i begin the journey. first goal - record everything. down the line goal - lose 10% of my current body weight. has anyone learned any helpful tips? becca

I've had the same experience. I'm just beginning the process (doctor's visits and collecting paper work). A friend from work (also obese) called this morning and asked when I was going my 6th month medically supervised weight loss because she wants to do it along with me! I think she thinks I'm helping her, but really we're helping each other.

and petrified is not an understatement. Here's my story. I've been "big" my whole life, but it wasn't until I was in my late 20s that I entered the obese/morbidly obese categories. I've had moderate success with Weight Watchers, but haven't been able to maintain. At one point, I was able to get down to 197, but that was short lived. Now I'm 41, 5'6", 274, BMI 45.4, and "pre" everything you can think of. While I've been contemplating weight loss surgery for some time (and have some excellent role models), it wasn't until last month when I was convinced that I was having a heart attack (really the onset of a migraine) that I decided I needed to talk with my doctor. We both decided that I should pursue weight loss surgery. She referred me to the GWU Bariatric Surgery Center and I got ready for the appointment. I had it all set in my mind - six months from now I would have gastric band and I would be on my way to the healthier me. I met with the PA. At the end of the history, she asked what I was considering. I confidently announced - "I've done my research and I want the band." She politely told me that she didn't think that was my best option. I decided to wait to hear from the doctor because she was "just" a PA?! Dr. Vaziri met with me and talked about everything he had read and heard about me. He told me that I was very healthy and an excellent candidate for weight loss surgery - just not the band. Now this doctor was telling me that I was wrong and he knew more about this than I did! The nerve. He explained that, given my cravings and current body weight, I was a much better candidate for RNY. Here's the truth - I had wrapped my brain around the band and commited to implement the changes needed to be successful. There's something about the band that makes it seem so minor. And now I'm told that the best thing for me is the one that I perceive to be scary, scary and scary. I'm going to go forward and I know that I will educate myself over the next 6 months and I'll realize that the doctor is correct, but right now all I can think of is every side effect etc. Would love to hear from people that were equally as scared and what they've learned to put everything in perspective. I'm so glad I've found this forum!