being too overweight to feel good but not overweight enough for surgery

[SUSANG0264 0]

Hi everyone I am new. My name is Susan and I hate the way I feel and look. I am 5' - 5'1 and 170ish. I'm tired ALL the time and I have no energy to even play with my 3 year old. My husband had the sx a year ago and looks and feels amazing and I want to feel that way to. My BMI is 33ish and all my doctors are telling me I need a 35 at a minimum. Even for self pay I can't find anyone to do the surgery. I'm investigating Mexico at the present but all my friends and family are telling me I am crazy. I thought it was a crazy idea when my husband brought it to me too but after hitting all the dead ends it doesnt look so crazy. Looking for someone to point me in the right direction. :thumbup:

[conservachick 0]

Hey there....

What state do you live in? I know a doctor who will perform the Lap Band in Mexico... he's been doing it for years at a state-of-the-art facility....

but he's in Texas...

Let me know..

and good luck! hang in there!

[Manda87 3]

Maybe you should try going to a nutritionist. Even though I have only been banded for a week, I really have to watch what I eat. I can just as easily eat from a tub of frosting or go get a sensible mound of mashed potatoes. I used to eat frosting at of the tub, lol and I could still do it if I choose, but I choose the mashed potatoes. For me, it still is a hard choice. Once you're banded, you don't get good eating habits already programed into your brain. It still takes a lot of work...

[SUSANG0264 0]

He does the surgery in TX or Mexico. Who is the doctor? I live in NJ but I'm willing to travel. Very frustrated.

[SUSANG0264 0]

No I know I get that. I've been watching my husband for a year. He has lost almost 75lbs I'm so jealous... I just need the help

[elcee 3,342]

MY BMI was 32 and I had surgery. It is the best thing I have ever done.I am now at goal and look good and feel fabulous. Without the surgery I would have just continued to gain - I tried to lose it on my own many times and never managed to keep it off.

I think that if you are obese( which with a BMI of 33 you are) you should be allowed to get the surgery. It is better to address the problem early and makes no sense to have to wait until you are morbidly or super obese. Early intervention is always better.

[grumpys-wife 0]

Keep looking. I had surgery with BMI of 34. I am self pay. When I met with my Dr. he did point out that insurance would deny me. I must tell you this is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself!! So happy with my band.

[Jachut 487]

Definitely keep looking, because the sad thing is once you've started this cycle of feeling bad, sooner or later, your BMI will get to 35 anyway. Better to nip it in the bud now rather than later. Obese is obese is obese, its so unfair to deny the surgery to people who need it.

[adagray 1]

If you are self-pay, you really should not have trouble finding a surgeon who will do lapband w/a BMI of 30 or over. A BMI of 30 is obese and that is all that you need to be a 'good candidate' in the eyes of the band companies. Insurance is a different story of course. I would highly recommend calling around to all the bariatric surgeons in your area. I think it would only take a few calls to find one that will do it for you.

Just as an example, check this out: Am I a candidate

This is not my surgeon, but another well-known lapband surgeon in my area who actually advertises in magazines around here that he does lapband on people with only 50 pounds to lose. Some people might be horrified by that, but I can understand where you're coming from. I've dieted down to 170 and been so starving and struggling that I knew I would never be able to get lower than that on my own. And, it was only a matter of time before I would gain it all back again.