katanne

I've always lived in big cities, take public transportation,and for several years lived alone. It has been quite an experience. I've been chased while walking (and then running for my life) at night. I've been followed into an apartment building, shoved against a wall and groped. I've had MUCH bigger, stronger dudes slam me against the window when they sat down next to me on buses and start rubbing/tapping their legs against me in a sexual manner. MOST men don't do those things...however it is also true that most men do not understand that the fear women experience stems from very real danger. The guys who DO do these things do them repeatedly, to many women. One of the things I'm looking forward to with weight loss is being able to do the maneuvers I've learned in self-defense classes. (To be clear: I hope I never need to; just want to be able to just in case). As a fat, out of shape lady, I feel more defenseless - less able to fight back, and less able to solicit attention from bystanders who could help me out because fat can function like an invisibility cloak.

I prefer the VSG because I take a lot of medications - finding the right combination took years during which I couldn't work or go to school. Don't want to go through that again with the malabsorption issue with RNY if I don't have to.

@@kmorri I also get winded showering, and especially drying off afterwards. Can't wait for that to go away, along with needing to use a beach towel instead of a regular bath towel.

I'm in the exact same boat - recently learned about my hernia and have started feeling/imagining feelings of indigestion, abdominal discomfort, etc. I've long known I've had GERD, but not the reason why other than obesity in general.

Going to nursing school and being able to physically keep up with my clinicals. Learning to drive without having a "fat picture" as my license photo. Participating in Meetup group meetings and other social events without fear I'll be the largest person there/will turn off and/or disgust the people there. I also struggle with feeling like I shouldn't socialize or appear in public or try to achieve goals while I'm really fat.

I wouldn't (and didn't) go into my consultation without some idea of what each of the surgeries entail and what my preference was.

Bariatric surgery wasn't a subspecialty when Dr. Now was a resident/fellow, but gastroenterological surgery certainly was. Gastros learn how to do gallbladder removals, hernia repairs, etc., and these days they learn bariatric procedures although not all choose to specialize in them. As for plastics, I agree with everyone saying they wouldn't go to a gastro for plastic surgery...the issue with that is that in the few cases when insurance companies will pay for excess skin removal, they usually stipulate that the operation has to be done by the surgeon who did your bariatric procedure. So the insurance industry is more or less setting up a situation where people are getting operated on by surgeons who may or may not have gotten specific training in plastics. A gastroenterologic surgeon would have to specifically seek out additional training in plastics to give you optimal results, which in my understanding they are in no way required to do as part of their residencies...I'm guessing some are going on what they learned in the general surgery portion of their residencies, where they did a little bit of everything. Not an ideal situation.

You and me both - I managed to "regain" the weight I'd lost with a Chinese food cheat - all the sodium made me retain water so now it looks like I didn't lose a thing! Hoping/figuring it'll be out of my system by next week.

Nothing wrong with calling to check in....

Totally normal. If you want to, tell the nurses you're scared. Most likely they will be VERY reassuring. They've seen it all and know how to handle scared patients.

I'm not at that point, but I've seen MANY people here post about being in a similar situation. My advice is to ask the dietitian what calorie target you should shoot for to maintain your weight and diligently track everything you eat so you stay within range.

Unjury Chocolate Splendor and Premier Chocolate

"Why would you do that? Your problem is that you eat too much. You just need to stop eating." "We don't want to lose you. Those operations are really dangerous. Are you really willing to risk your life for vanity?" I probably don't have to explain what's wrong with those...

I'm also terrified I won't wake up...however, I have had this fear with other surgery before and made it through, even felt panic flood me when they put the mask over my face, and then conked out so fast I couldn't really obsess. I had to count backwards from 10 and I think I only got to 8. Found myself waking up in recovery in what seemed like seconds later. The nurses were TERRIFIC before my operation...they'd seen scared people over and over again. One of them wrapped me in a blanket straight from the warmer because I was shivering and held my hand until I was wheeled into the ER. The anesthesiologists gave me IV meds to relax beforehand. If you tell them you are scared, they will take very good care of you. I, too, have momentary doubts about whether or not I should go through with it, whether or not WLS means I've given up on myself (when intellectually I know it means the exact opposite - I'm giving myself the best chance possible to get the weight off), etc. I also fear reactions from other people - thus far I've only told my parents (and health care providers who need to know, but I don't count them) and am dreading telling anyone else. I just might keep it entirely to myself until afterwards, if I even bother telling people then. I also have fear about whether or not insurance with *really* pay for it, even though I meet the criteria and am getting all the required tests done. Talking to my surgeon's program coordinator helped. She's seen many people with my insurance and stats get approved. The upper GI fluoroscopy is no big deal. More awkward than anything else, although I'd be lying if I didn't say barium tastes terrible. The test takes maybe 15 minutes, if that, and they've typically seen tons of pre-op bariatric patients.

Depends on your surgeon and insurance. My insurance doesn't require any supervised diet, but my surgeon does. I had to have a failed dieting history AND three months supervised by his office or my PCP. WW counted for the failed history, but not for the supervised diet.

One thought: The Bariatric Foodie's Guide to Protein Shakes has a bunch of recipes for protein shakes that taste like desserts/sweets but are actually low-carb. Might be worth having some of them when you're craving sweets as you get back on track.

Yep...haven't had my WLS yet, but was super scared when I had my other surgery. I cried every night for a week leading up to my operation because I was afraid I wouldn't wake up after. The day of, the nurses were great - they'd seen it all before and were incredibly reassuring, and the anesthesiologists give you an IV med beforehand to help you relax while you're waiting to go into surgery.

It's not that enablers FORCE you to eat what you shouldn't, they just make it a hell of a lot harder not to if you're in a messed up marriage/family. We ultimately can and do have the choice not to eat what a food pusher shoves at us...the difference with My 600 Pound Life is that they are showing truly extreme situations. Most of the patients seem to come from really, really fucked up marriages/families, the likes of which most of us fortunately aren't dealing with. I don't have a dad who sends me up six donuts every morning as a "pre-breakfast," and I'm very, very grateful. Nikki certainly should have put a stop to that *much* earlier, but I'm pretty sure she and her dad equated food, any food, with love and thought he was being nice. It's easy for us to see their mistake, but a lot harder for her...not impossible, just harder.

My surgeon and dietitian gave me the average rate - said my actual rate may vary from this depending on how well I stick to the diet and also how much my psych meds, age, and gender affect my metabolism. I'm focusing on the first part of that - the part I have control over. I will give it my all and don't plan to be average. I may or may not lose Every. Single. Pound. but I'm going to do my best to get as close as possible.

Joining the chorus of people saying the sleeve doesn't stretch - I've taken anatomy and physiology for nursing school, and can vouch for the fact that the tissue left behind after a sleeve is created is not elastic.

I have the Mirena (hormonal) IUD and my surgeon seemed pleased about it. He wants female patients to be on some kind of birth control for at least the first 18-24 months after surgery because it can take that long to become able to intake the necessary extra calories to safely sustain a pregnancy. Don't know for sure how it pertains to blood thinning/clotting with the pill for WLS, but I have had other surgery before while on the pill and I was told I could keep taking them. Just had to be extra diligent about getting up and walking ASAP afterwards.

@@mskittykat03 I think you may be onto something re: our friends and family members not wanting change. We chose it, they got drafted. They have to deal with us not cooking unhealthy foods anymore, not looking the way they're used to seeing us, not going on ice cream runs with them, plus others might find us more attractive and they might feel insecure, etc. They're not going to see the benefits of us becoming more active and participatory until it happens, so from their perspective, it just looks like a lot of stuff they didn't sign up for.

My mom thought the surgery was really dangerous and told me she didn't want to lose me. I told her it's safer than the joint-replacement surgery she had, and no one ever told her not to get her knee replaced. My dad actually said, "Why don't you get Botox while you're at it?" in the most hostile tone imaginable. A couple weeks later, he'd come around and said, "You know I think it's a good thing you're doing this," after he saw how serious-minded I am about it and after I'd told him about many of the limitations and health risks I have I have and shitty treatment I've gotten from others about my weight.

I live in the city and take the subway, so I'm looking forward to not having to twist sideways to fit through the turnstiles. Shopping for clothes at the prices I want to pay and the styles I want to wear instead of whatever Lane Bryant feels like selling and charging. Multiple options and comparison shopping will actually be possible! Not getting winded walking uphill. Being able to run for the bus/train when I see it coming instead of letting it go and waiting an extra ten minutes. Not being the biggest person in lab and having to say, "Behind you, excuse me, I'm sorry!" when I'm trying to get to the fume hood or sink.

By "medically supervised," they usually mean you are being followed and weighed in by your surgeon or PCP. Most likely they will take it as an example of a failed previous diet attempt, but not as part of the supervised diet.