Hey everyone how's it going? I have been reading here on the website since I started actively seeking Gastric Bypass. Who am I? I am a 24 year old U.S. Army Infantry (OIF) Veteran who after getting out of the Military got Injured playing football with buddies and was basically immobilized for a while and when that happened i got lazy. that's me in a nutshell, there's more to the story but that's what you all get for now lol.
I live in Southern California where I am using my GI Bill to get my Associates of Science in Welding Technologies (2 classes left, thank god!) I have been married to my wife for 3.5 years and she is my soul mate.
The first thing anybody asks me is if I have any support. My wife loves me the way that I am now but she also knows how much I struggle with my weight and wants me to be happy. She has my back through thick and thin and I love her for that.
This brings me to my first set of questions.
1.) I am an athlete at heart and I love football! (E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!) and I really want to transfer to a University after i finish up my AS Degree and possibly go out for football. I was wondering if having this surgery would make me have to stop playing football? (I realize that I will have to have a recovery phase and so I was thinking about giving my body at least a year to figure itself out before I start)
2.) Anybody who knows anything about welding knows that you make the really big bucks working in the pipelines in Alaska and working as an Underwater Welder. I am choosing the latter because I love the aspect of being able to work by myself down there. I have expressed my concerns to my PCP about diving and my insides under pressure from the water but he didn't seem to think it would make too much of a difference but I will make sure to ask my surgeon and his team when the time comes, what do you all think?
The only issue is deciding which surgery I should have, I am almost at my 6-month mark for my doctors visits as required by Medi-Cal and I have seen the Psychologist and the Nutritionist already so I will just need to finish up my lab results and send all of the info off to my Dr. so he can send it for approval. I guess in order to effectively give me ideas on which route to take you guys probably need a little bit of stats on my end so here it is.
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 315 (Highest was 329 when i started in June)
BMI: 40.4
Health Issues: High Blood Pressure ( on medication ) and Diabetes and Hypertension run in my family almost religiously.
Now I realize I am not as big as some people who get this surgery but I have felt my weight slowly creeping higher and higher and I have exhausted my efforts with a normal workout routine and diet and I am trying to fix myself before I get any worse than I already am. I feel as if this surgery will not only help get my blood pressure under control but also give me my life back which I so desperately want.
OK so getting back to the topic of choosing which surgery is best for me, I think I want the Roux-en y because of the long term data that has been established (I feel more comfortable knowing the positive results of the surgery down the line). My wife wants me to go with the VSG because she thinks it is less drastic and reversible? I thought that it was irreversible as well just like the RNY...if someone could add input I would really appreciate it.
If I am planning correctly in my head and everything goes well, I believe I will be looking at a surgery date of late November or early December. I cannot wait to have this done because once I have this surgery I am so motivated and ready to hit the ground running and never look back that there is no way I can fail. I am ready to get my life back.
Once again Hello everyone and sorry for such a long post!
-BE
volens et potens
