What Am I doing?!?

[krasc001 0]

I was just told by my therapist that she does not think I am a good candidate for LAP-BAND® surgery. She thinks that I should choose an alternative method and that the surgery is too risky. I'm not sure what to think, a part of me really thinks this could be something good for my life and the other part of me is like why are you wasting your time. Sure, I'm not what you'd call MORBIDLY obese. I wear a size 18/20. I still think the procedure could benefit me in so many ways. Has anybody else suffered such doubt? Is the whole thing really worth it? There seem to be so many people on this website with such promise and excitement for the procedure and then those who have had it performed so much pleasure in their newly changed lives.

Edited October 26, 2010 by krasc001

[honk 780]

Most insurance (if they cover the procedure and some don't) have stipulations that you be a BMI (body mass index) of 40 or a hundred pounds overweight. Sizes are funny but at size 18 I would not be a 100 pounds over weight. Or you would need to be a certain BMI with CoMobidities (sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol.). Would you meet the requirements?

Also the band is not a magic wand. It does not decide what food you should eat. In fact many people short cut the band by eating foods that easily go through the bands funnel (ice cream, candy).

Yes there are a lot of people who have had great success and are very happy. You need to understand however that some (not all) weighed over 300 pounds before surgery. I did. I had to loose 30 pounds just to have surgery. My guess is if you lost 30 pounds you would not be overweight at all. I don't want to start a revolution that you have to be THiS much overweight to deserve surgery; but your therapist may be right about this not being the right choice for you.

As for the surgery being to risky; I would disagree. Was I nervous going in yes. You therapist may be lumping banding with bypass which has a higher chance of complications.

[krasc001 0]

Yes, they spoke in this in the seminar in regards to having to eliminate or use in moderation sugary drinks, ice cream, etc etc. I understand that the lap band is not going to turn me into some size two model but it very well could change (by tricking the mind) the way I view food, use food and want food.

I would say given my height and my weight that my BMI around 40 also, I could stand to lose 100 lbs.

I also suffer from stiffness when sitting or standing or walking to long, and feel that my small frame can't really support this much weight.

[Mariasha 3]

What type of therapist are you talking about?

[debbielynn 0]

I just read another response and i disagree completely. Because you are a size 18 does niot mean that you are not morbidly obese. What is your height? if you are 5 feet tall then you are morbidly obese. Second, WLS is a very personal decision and should be given careful consideration before doing it. I was banded on oct 7th and this was the best decision I ever made for myself. I am a mom of 4 young kids and the thought that something might go wrong crossed my mind more than once. I found a highly skilled surgeon actually the best in southern cal and I have great insurance so my waiting time from start to finish was only 5 weeks. not bad! I have dieted all of my life with very little success. I would lose then gain it back olus some and so on. I hit 289 pounds and that was enough for me. i have lost over 35 pounds already and i feel fabulous. I hope to hit 50 by Thanksgiving. think things through carefully before doing any type of surgery. Try and determine your goals and reasons behind considering this. the right answer will come to you.

Stay in touch.

debbie

[lellow 1,713]

My BMI was 35 when I was banded. I had been overweight to obese my entire adult life. I couldn't lose the weight and keep it off on my own. The band helped me with that.

I got told constantly prior to my surgery that I didn't need it. I wasn't 'big' enough to have it. It put so many doubts in my head, I delayed calling the surgeon for almost 18 months.

And now I wish I'd stopped listening to the people who thought they knew better than me about what was good for me. I could have been at a normal BMI, running after my son, living a healthy life, 18 months earlier than I did if I'd just stopped letting other people tell me what was best for me.

It's completely normal to have doubts. But make the decision for yourself. Weigh the pros and cons, and make your OWN decision.

[WrenBird 11]

My BMI was 53 when I was banded. Before I was banded I managed to lose 5 kilos (over a period of 3 months) and since I had the band I've lost almost 13 kilos ONTOP of that over a month and a bit. - I had surgery because it was my last resort...I exercise for an HOUR a day 4 times a week and 3 times a week I exercise for 2 hours. I work my butt off, and I eat healthy. This all comes with having lap band surgery.

You need to see a doctor about your weight. I was a size 20/22 (for shirts ) and 24/26 (for pants) (really depended on where I shopped). This is in Australian sizing.

Honestly...It really depends on your BMI and how much you eat, not your clothing size. Your therapist might've just been trying to make you feel better about yourself.

Also: surgery is a drastic measure for weight loss...You should only do it if everything else fails, I think.

Edited October 27, 2010 by WrenBird

[123crod 170]

I would suggest that you see another therapist just about this issue and get a second opinion. I see a therapist and she know me inside and out as I have been very honest about all things we have discussed. I would trust her opinion in my situation . . I think it all depends on how honest you have been and how educated he/she is on WLS. But like everyone else says it is your body and your mind and I think people can do anything they really want to do. If you are able to understand the rules and willing to follow them I say go for it, just make sure you educate yourself as much as you can not just reading but go to a couple of support group meetings and meet people who are living the Band life.

Cheri

[Noturningback15 45]

How much do you weigh may I ask because sizes really doesn't give an accurate description of how much overweight you are. I wear size 22 pants but I weight 318!!!!!! Thats just a few sizes more than your 18. Our bodies are shaped differently and depending on how your fat is placed on your body would make you wear a smaller size than someone that weighs less than you. Height has something to do with it too. I know a lot of people that weigh what I do but wear a size 26 pants instead of my 22's.

[krasc001 0]

What type of therapist are you talking about?

I am just talking about a normal counselor. The reason why I requested a recommendation from her is because she knows the way I feel about my weight and had how it has affected my life.

[LeighaMason 19]

What alternative method did she suggest? Is she anti-WLS or did she just think the sleeve or bypass would be better?

ETA: Is she a counselor or does she have medical training, like a Physiologist or Psychiatrist?

[samomom 19]

First of all, find a new therapist. I have seen a few over my lifetime and on two occasions have had two of them say some really unprofessional, unethical and shocking things that were so crazy untrue that other therapists I mentioned this to were furious. They are human, not perfect. Unless you have some deep seeded food issues, I think most anyone who is very overweight should try this surgery. I believe that many people don't really know what the band is or does and just sees it as an easy way out. Is this therapist associated with a LapBand doctor? I would guess not and that she doesn't have a clue what is going on.

Don't let someone else ruin your day over this. I'm 4 weeks post op, 14 pounds and nearly a size down. I wouldn't let anyone talk me out of what I just had done. My life, my body, my choice.

Melissa

[christina353 1]

I agree you need a new therapist. Did your doctor recommend this one? I was in a situation similar to you. I had a bmi of 37. I am 5'3 and weighed 210. I could wear a size 16 or 18.(heck, if the designer was generous I could wear a 14). Alot of people told me that I did not need the surgery. they said your not that big. But I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. All that matters is how You feel about You.:laugh:

[Mariasha 3]

I am just talking about a normal counselor. The reason why I requested a recommendation from her is because she knows the way I feel about my weight and had how it has affected my life.

In that case it would probably be best for you to find a surgeon, and discuss the procedure with them.

People have many misconception about WLS in general, and specifically about the Lap Band.

When deciding whether or not to have this procedure you would do best to discuss it with an expert in this particular field, rather than just a general counselor.

[BetsyB 9]

The therapist who did my psych eval told me that, while he'd "approve" me, he thought I'd fare worse than the "average" band patient. I asked him why, and he first told me that the "empirical testing" he'd done demonstrated this; when I asked which test, he then said that he just felt I was "too confident," and was not well-prepared for the realities.

This just demonstrated, to me, that he (a) was biased against the procedure, and (:laugh: hadn't listened to a word I'd said.

My surgeon, when he read the 14-page report this shrink prepared, rolled his eyes and said, "So that psychologist you saw---a bit 'special,' isn't he?" LOL

Look, not all therapists know what they're talking about.

Only you can decide if banding is right for you. It's not appropriate for your therapist to tell you her opinion of whether banding is the appropriate procedure; it is outside the scope of her practice. Your surgeon will help you weigh surgical options.

And you will have to weigh, for yourself, whether any surgical procedure is what will do the trick for you. I know that for me, it was exactly what I needed. I have ridiculously low caloric needs, and without a band, it was near-impossible to live within those constraints. Banding represents freedom for me.

For you, the solution may be different.

Indecision is very common---and it's okay. You don't have to make a decision today, or tomorrow, or even this year. You can research, prepare, think, try to lose weight without surgery--there is no race to the operating room.

One thing: you say you're not morbidly obese. Morbidly obese is not defined by clothing size or weight; it's determined by BMI. Yes, it's an imperfect measure---but I know I was morbidly obese at size 18.

Your insurance policy can help you decide whether surgery is something that, statistically, can be expected to be beneficial. I know we tend to think of their guidelines as being terribly restrictive (and therefore out to kind of ...well, screw us)--but in reality, their requirements are based in statistical analyses of the risks of obesity and benefits of weight loss via surgical means.

Typically (though there is some variation), insurers require a BMI of 40, or one of 35 with two comorbidities. If you fall within these ranges, then you can be comfortable with the knowledge that losing weight will be beneficial to your health, that it's not an unnecessary indulgence, but something that your insurer is willing to pay for as a medical necessity.

There are so many things to consider as you make this decision---but one you really needn't give any real weight to is your therapist's opinion. Unless she's simply noting your own indecision and recommending measures to cope with the uncertainty and anxiety, or has identified psychiatric pathology that rules bariatric surgery out, she's overstepping her bounds.