AbruptlyBlue

I apologize in advance for the long rambling nature of my first post. I'm struggling to figure out if having bariatric surgery is the best option in order to help me become healthy, and if it is, which surgery is the best fit. I fully understand that bariatric surgery is simply one tool and won't work without eating right and getting off the couch but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around why it would happen after surgery, if, I haven't been able to do it before. I've done the starve myself and exercise which worked wonders for about six months but regained all the weight and more. Later, I was able to drop about 20 pounds with good eating and walking but I plateau and again put on more weight. I'm currently at another plateau but worry that again I'll soon see an increase in weight and even if I don't gain more, I'm certainly not happy with my health at this size. I wonder if I simply didn't try for long enough and question why spend the money on surgery, if I can just keep the money and try another round of eating better and moving more given I'd be doing it following the surgery anyway. I'm also worried that having bariatric surgery is going to result in having to pay for revision work every number of years which seems to defeat the purpose. The second question is obviously if I do go ahead which option would be the best fit. I'm 27, 43 bmi, I don't suffer from any obesity related conditions, but I suffer from bipolar 2. Being bipolar brings medication which from my research basically means if I want to keep my current medication regiment, gastric bypass is not an option. I'm left considering either a DS or a VSG. My wife had the VSG performed a little more than a year ago so I've been able to watch her experiences but I'm also finding a number of individuals who had a VSG, are going back and having the DS performed. If I'm going to have surgery I would prefer to just have it done once and not have to worry that 5 years down the road I have to go back for another surgery which is part of the appeal of the DS. On the other hand, the DS seems to be a more drastic surgery with a higher risk for complications and given my relatively lower bmi, I'm not sure I'm the targeted audience. Again, sorry for the longish rambling post but I'm hoping individuals who are or have been in my position can provide me with some advice/insight or places I might not have looked at.

I`ve been reading the information package one of the consultant companies sent me about doing my research on any surgeon I would think about using and they have a basic saying that if somebody is going to lie about the small things, why would you trust them with the big things. Which is great advice but the surgeon they happen to use advertises that they were in a number of mainstream newsmagazines and even appeared with Oprah even though the closest they came was a blurry picture of Oprah on a stage. Would this be a red flag of they likely have little issue with pushing lies or is this simply how it works in Mexico?

I've certainly considered the option but I'm fairly certain it simply isn't the right fit for myself. And that sounds very familiar. I seem to be mainly a grazer but also a binger the odd time which I feel lucky in that I don't necessairly have the same issues my wife had with food going into her surgery. Which is why with my eating pattern I wonder if I just shouldn't save the cash and try some more willpower. You're certainly right that I don't have a low BMI but I just meant initially it seemed the DS was mainly for individuals with a higher BMI compared to myself, though, I've found that the DS certainly is being performed on those with lower & higher BMI to myself. That is one thing my wife talks about and I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea she doesn't feel hungry all that much. I'm potentially covered under my wifes insurance which she is checking to see if surgery would be covered under her plan but we might be able to cover the cost if it's not with the help of my parents.