katanne

Cherry and grape

When I got totally, completely out of breath and exhausted drying myself off after a shower (with a beach towel, of course, because a regular bath towel no longer suffices). I stalked the page of Penn's bariatric surgery program for a few months but didn't get up the nerve to go to an information seminar until my psychologist asked me if I'd ever contemplated WLS. That got the ball rolling.

@@trishrnyoung - When my mom said the operation was dangerous, I told her it was actually less risky than the knee replacement she had had, and none of us tried to talk her out of it because it was something she really wanted and needed to do. When my dad told me I just needed to stop eating so much, I told him that if I were able to do it with a full-size stomach, I would, but the reality is I can't. I have tried over and over again and I have never successfully kept the weight off. I need the sleeve as a tool to help me with portion control, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. He'd also said, "Why don't you get Botox while you're at it?" and I told him I wasn't doing it for vanity, I was doing it so I wouldn't die of a cerebral hemorrhage like my grandfather - he passed away at 42, and I am about to turn that age, and I have bad hypertension. Not looking great in the risk department.

Yep, I'm TOTALLY afraid I'll regain all/most/a sizeable amount of my weight. It's happened with every other diet, right? However, I know intellectually that it's much less likely, and that I'll have the support of a dietitian, support groups, this website, my surgeon, etc. All of which will help prevent regain.

- Dating again - Being able to do more sex positions when I start dating again - Shopping wherever I damn well please - Getting back into yoga and cycling - Becoming more social with both new friends and old because I'll no longer be embarrassed to be the largest person there - Being able to fit into *any* classroom desk, instead of having to arrive to class extra-early to get one of the two bigger desks - Not knocking things off tables and carts with my butt all the time

Philadelphia, PA

I have serious bipolar disorder and didn't "flunk" mine - I firmly believe it is because I am currently in long-term therapy and being followed by an excellent psychiatrist, both of whom went bat for me to say that I am completely compliant with my treatment regimen, have their full support, and understand what my surgery entails. That, I think, is what they are looking for if you have a mental illness. Interestingly, their promotional material says major mental illness makes you a poor candidate, but when I met them they told me that it is currently untreated mental illness that is a postponer, not the diagnosis per se.

I really like Unjury Chocolate Splendor - tastes just like chocolate milk when I mix it with milk.

I'm looking forward to no longer putting my life on hold. I don't date, I don't got to meetup groups, I don't go to reunions or get-togethers with old classmates. All because I'm mortified about my weight. Why yes, I am seeing a shrink in the meantime.

Have you met with your surgeon's dietitian yet? S/he will go over this with you - mine is a high-protein, calorie-limited diet. I just track protein grams and calories in My Fitness Pal.

I have another month of the pre-op diet left and a few of the diagnostic/screening tests left. We're shooting for a surgery date in June or July. My mom worked as an RN at Pennsy, so I feel good about getting my operation done there. It's a really good hospital. Where are you getting yours done?

Reading Buying makeup and watching YouTube videos with makeup reviews and tutorials Planning with stickers in my Erin Condren planner (and watching YT videos related to this hobby) Studying (at the workaholic level) Going to psychodynamic psychotherapy and learning about psychoanalytic theory. Volunteering

Thanks for posting this - if I get into nursing school for September, I will be facing this problem as well!

Yes, I'm going with a surgeon from Pennsylvania Hospital and am still going through the rounds of pre-op tests.

I dieted, lost weight, sometimes up to 72 pounds, and then regained it and then some within 5 years...managed to keep it off for 3.5 years, so thought I was one of the lucky 5%. Turned out I wasn't. Then couldn't lose more than 10-15 pounds on any diet since, and for the past ~5 years or so, have been putting on 10-12 pounds a year. At this rate, I will be 300 pounds by my late 40s...my mother got that high, and she is completely bedbound from inoperable arthritis. I have to do everything for her - bring her food, bathe her, give her a bedpan. Basically, seeing how I could never keep weight off coupled with what excess weight has done to my mother (immobilization) made me realize I had a limited time left, relatively speaking, during which I can be mobile. Realized I needed to do something that has more than a 5% success rate. So here I am preparing for the sleeve.

Amazing!

Another straw to add to the breaking pile: my high school class (and school in general) has a very strong alumnae association - they recently had a "Ladies Night" that looked so fun in the Facebook photos, but I couldn't bring myself to go because I would be by far the fattest person there. I used to be the skinny girl, now I live in dread of running into old classmates...in fact I have twice and neither recognized me. Ugh.

Whoa! I know from my anatomy and physiology classes how hard (close to impossible) it is to fix a damaged spleen. My surgeon convinced me not to go with Lap-Band...he's put in 3-5 over the past year and removed/revised 20-30.

I'm basing this on my yo-yo dieting days because I'm still pre-op, but: When I've lost a lot of weight in the past, I've gone from not able to wear any boots to being able to wear wide-calf boots. I have muscular legs and used to cycle a lot. It's the one area of my body that doesn't get slender when I lose weight, much to my chagrin. YMMV.

My surgeon told me there's no evidence that biotin stops hair loss. YMMV. I've heard some people say selenium helps, but you have to be careful with it...too much can backfire and contribute to hair loss.

My surgeon rarely performs the band - he won't outright refuse to do it, but told me he's put in about 3-5 over the last year and removed 20-30 due to complications or ineffectiveness. He also said he doesn't really feel comfortable putting one in someone who isn't male and under 40 (i.e., already biologically predisposed to take off more weight w/WLS). And that someone like me who gets tempted to overeat at night might not do so well, because the restriction isn't as strong at night. So it does work for some select people, but there are factors to take into consideration.

The asshole who shoved me against a wall and groped me was a short, slight dude as well! The nerve! I yelled and smashed my purse in his face. Luckily, he seemed not to have expected me (I was even smaller then) to fight back and turned around and ran away. I realize that I was incredibly lucky and that if he had been more seasoned an attacker, something bad would have happened to me.

I am eternally grateful to the teachers and policewomen who taught me when to yell, fight, and run. I have no idea if I'd even be alive if I had cared about coming across as "crazy" or rude to men who were about to attack me.

This article/post couldn't have come at a better time - I've been procrastinating about getting the required letter from my PCP. I actually have NO idea whatsoever what she thinks of WLS; I just fear she'll have the negative reactions a lot of people have. She has told me to lose weight several times. I am fortunate in that I am a patient in the University of Pennsylvania health system, so I know there are many other options to go to if she turns out to be unsupportive...but knowing that intellectually isn't the same as the emotional fears that pop up.

I've been there/am there - I see an excellent therapist and psychiatrist who have saved my life more times than I can count. I doubt I could navigate all the upcoming changes without them and my medications. Hell, I doubt I could navigate life without WLS without them! I'm also in school and have psoriasis...can't speak to the effect of surgery on my skin because I'm still pre-op, but I have had it on my face at some points and it's awful. It does tend to wax and wane, though, on its own terms rather than mine.