psychprof

There is an awful lot of self-righteousness on this forum, I've noticed. I was warned about this, and I have to say, it is disappointing. Personally, I don't feel it's my place to judge anyone that is trying to better his or her life. Especially if we are talking about potentially life-saving surgery. I mean we aren't exactly talking about starting a gofundme for penis enlargements or fecking collagen injections for gods sake. I say do what you need to in order to become who you want to be (within moral and legal boundaries of course). More power to those of you that have to be creative to make things happen--you certainly shine brighter than those who think they worked for all of their free surgery. It's interesting that some who have walked down this path and been the target of mean spirited and judgmental bullies end up becoming them. If gofundme is going to help, you have my support! I won't take it personally and recognize that your opening a gfm account does not mandate that I donate to it.

Things are different now. Most people, regardless of how fiscally responsible they are, will never be able to afford these things. No doubt about it-- social media is changing us. The way we relate, how we teach and learn, how we bank, even how we think. I don't view it as better or worse, just different. Maybe it's my stubborn refusal to become the cranky "when I was a kid!" lady. :-) Nobody is forcing you to donate. If it's not a worthy cause to you, move along. :-)

Just received news that my team has met and discussed my case and will NOT be requiring 3 or 6 or whatever months of nutrition and psych sessions before I can move forward. With my insurance, this means I can have the procedure as soon as all of my appointments are complete. As of now that's January 27! Pretty excited!

I'm pretty thrilled. Very motivated to get this behind me!

CareCredit is a financing option. Obviously borrowing is never ideal but it's better than a traditional credit card. It is not a revolving card. One time interest and you choose your repayment terms. More like a car loan. Best of luck

Have you looked into CareCredit?

It is fascinating to me what they can do. My anesthesiologist when I had knee surgery told me he was giving me a cocktail that would not only be unlikely to make me sick when I awoke but would also cause me to never remember the last few moments before I went to sleep. I guess this provides an added benefit to the patient. I hope I get the same when I get my sleeve. :-) :-) :-)

Of course not. I already feel just fine. Autopsy reports and ER notes are private medical records so I genuinely hope you do not post them on the Internet. It sounds like you, and those in your circle, have had a tough health history. I do not discount your experiences--they were clearly very difficult for you. But they are just that--your experiences. They are anecdotal. Just like my experiences with various medications (all good, or at least not bad) are anecdotal. I just don't think it helps to scare anyone with worst-case scenarios. Some people could really find relief with medical help but may now choose not to seek it out of (unnecessary, in my opinion) fear. I don't intend to be antagonistic so please, no need to be defensive. I'm just trying to take a rational perspective.

I'm leaning toward the Vitamin patch. However my surgeon won't allow vitamin gummies because they are too filling and you need to be able to get your Water and Protein in. Whatever pills I take each day will need to be crushed anyway, so my nut recommended mixing them into the Protein Drink or applesauce or something like that.

I agree with the other posters on this. There are statistics available on success rates, and I'd be curious to see your surgeon's response if you asked him about it when he told you you'll just be fat again in 5 years. Like the others, my surgeon is moving away from banding. It sounded more like that is the result of fewer requests for it. He said all the surgeries he performed last week were sleeves. Think of this--if you wait, you're losing valuable years that you could be living as a healthier, happier person. Most of the people here report their only regret is that they did not do it sooner.

I have a lot of concerns about the claims in this post. People taking appetite suppressants and/or amphetamines as prescribed by their doctor should not experience the kinds of side effects you report here. Sometimes things happen, yes but the chances are very minimal. The claims you make here are as irresponsible as claiming that no one should embark upon WLS because they'll die. Many, many people rely on antidepressants and have had a significant improvement in quality of life as a result. The same is true of amphetamines for people with attention disorders. The same is also true of appetite suppressants. I rely on antidepressants and amphetamines to help me manage my clinical depression and ADHD. I come from a long line of family with serious mental health problems and drug addiction, and I have been incredibly fortunate because my only struggle is with these (and food addiction, presumably). For the record, I also hold a PhD from one of the top ranked programs in the world in my field, have landed a tenure-track professorship in a research-intensive university (no easy feat these days), and consult for such agencies as the American Psychological Association, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health on a regular basis. I really resent the implication that I manage all of this "stoned." I have never been stoned. Folks, don't listen to horror stories. Listen to your doctor. Get advice from people on these forums and then ask your doctor if what this or that person did is a good solution for you. I don't suspect anyone thinks appetite suppressants are the solution to weight struggles. They are a tool as much as the surgery itself is a tool. Those of us unlucky enough to be assigned to the battle against obesity will most likely need to rely on tools to help us in our battle for our entire life. That said, there is a risk when using any prescription medication. With proper medical supervision, your risk should be a non-issue. Your doctor will guide you toward wellness.

It could. Did you call and ask them?

Do you consider a stall when the scale stops? I see a lot of people talk about the scale stopping but their bodies continue to change through the scale stall. Do you consider a stall to be when you see the scale stop AND you stop losing inches? Just curious.

Sean what insurance do you have? I have Harvard pilgrim.

Samantha did your BMI drop below 40 during your pre-op process? If so, how did your insurance company handle that?

Niki are you getting all the protein and water in each day? It seems like not meeting those goals can cause a slow down for many people.

I don't have a ball in this game yet so please disregard if you need to, but I've been doing a lot of reading on this (at this point it's all I can do--my program keeps canceling my pre-op appts). The literature seems very clear that after the first 6-12 months, WLS patients should expect to be at the same place they were pre-op in terms of head and real hunger, and that the surgery won't fix those things permanently. Since that's the case it's up to us to develop and maintain those habits that will keep us healthy. I am very grateful to be learning from all of you so I can prepare for those days in my distant future. In the past, however, I can perhaps share what I've been prescribed. 1. Adderall. This is for my ADHD but works wonders on appetite. 2. Topamax. This is a powerful anticonvulsant that works on your nervous system, typically given to epileptics. It is the most effective of all of the medications I have been given in terms of weight loss. I dropped 30+ in a few weeks on it. It has serious side effects though. It made me stupid. I couldn't remember words and forgot everything. 3. Naltrexone. This is a medication typically given to fight heroin addiction, but some doctors are using it off-label for binge eating. It works on the addiction center of your brain. It's pretty effective, but makes me nauseous. 4. Metformin. This is a diabetic drug that helps your body use insulin efficiently. Some people (without diabetes) find it aids weight loss. I did not--for me it just made me sick.

Which procedure did you have? I have nothing to offer as I'm just beginning the process but I'm interested in your experiences.

I agree with you. That's what I'm hoping too. I don't have a surgeon yet as I'm just now starting the process. I'm going through Beth Israel in Boston.

Were you diagnosed with BED before or after your sleeve? I have a weird anomaly in my medical record now thanks to a doctor that heard me talking about stress eating and gave me a diagnosis of BED, and now my whole initial approval process is being delayed. I'm worried the diagnosis will make me ineligible for the surgery.

So is it all worth it in your opinion? It seems like no one really regrets doing it even if they have complications.

I'm worried about this too. Right now my BMI is about 42. They ask us to lose 10 lbs before surgery will be performed...but for me, losing 10 lbs would mean my BMI drops below 40 (the qualifying factor for my insurance). I have no co-morbidities. If I drop below 40, will the insurance company deny me? If I don't lose 10 lbs, will the hospital deny me?

I had major knee surgery at Mass General this past summer (ACL, meniscus, and knee realignment). At MGH they gave me an IV anesthetic instead of gas which apparently is much easier on people when they are waking up. I had no problems at all. I didn't even feel sick. There is a .019% chance of death with the sleeve or something. Honestly there are good reasons that they do months worth of the ridiculous screening procedures, and this is one. If they get any indications that you're not healthy enough for anesthesia they won't approve you. I was a little nervous before the knee surgery but now after having been through it I honestly say it's the least of my concerns. I'm more worried about keeping hydrated after the surgery.

Meh. Numbers are numbers. The pants I wear would be the same width whether they were made in 1970 or 2016. The size is just a meaningless symbol. Women's bodies are so radically different too. I have a very hourglass shape, so maybe my 240 is really different from someone else's 240. I carry about 30 of that just in the boobs. And, I'm relatively muscular (at least I think I am under all this body fat!).