HLP! NERVOUS!- Am I making right decision????

[steeler 3]

HELP! Surgery is in two days! I am 38 yrs old with a BMI of 34. Am I making right decision? Do alot of people gain the weight back after several years? I do not see long time responses? Also, I am worried about loose skin, how can i prevent and will i have alot of it? I appreciate any advice!

[hopeandfaith 6]

I haven't been sleeved yet but I CAN"T WAIT come on DECEMBER!! I DO NOT like how I look now! I WANT to FEEL better! I want to take control of my LIFE!!

From what I've been told this Sleeve is a TOOL and it will be up to ME to use it correctly!!! Read the SUCCESS stories out on this website!! I'm thinking it is like everything else in life you will have to put some WORK into this but LOOK at the rewards!!!

HANG in there the EXPERTS of this website will respond soon!! There is SO MUCH support out here, it AMAZES ME!! Keep us posted on your progress!!! GOOD LUCK!!

[steeler 3]

So, does the bypass surgery take as much work as the sleeve? I am just scared that I will be in same situation because I have no will power to stop eatting bad foods and too much of it. This is why I am in the situation of needing surgery.

I haven't been sleeved yet but I CAN"T WAIT come on DECEMBER!! I DO NOT like how I look now! I WANT to FEEL better! I want to take control of my LIFE!!

From what I've been told this Sleeve is a TOOL and it will be up to ME to use it correctly!!! Read the SUCCESS stories out on this website!! I'm thinking it is like everything else in life you will have to put some WORK into this but LOOK at the rewards!!!

HANG in there the EXPERTS of this website will respond soon!! There is SO MUCH support out here, it AMAZES ME!! Keep us posted on your progress!!! GOOD LUCK!!

[avilda 2]

The surgery will cause you to eat less, but it will not prevent you from making poor food choices. You will have to learn to eat the right things for your health and for you to have continued success. Your sleeve is a tool and you have to use it correctly, it won't do all the work for you.

As for loose skin, you genes determine that. Some people have less than others.

It is normal to feel apprehensive before surgery.

Good luck

[Lisalu 89]

I'm almost 48 years old and have lost 75 pounds. I have no loose skin in spite of having 2 babies and carrying around 75 extra pounds. Whether or not you have loose skin just depends of the luck of your gene pool. I got lucky here.

I do think you are making the best decision with VSG. Lap bands have high (late) complication and failure rates. Bypass and duodenal switch often lead to nutrient deficiencies. No one can guarantee your success here (or anywhere), but you are likely to be more success ful with VSG than the band and are likely to have few long term health problems than you would with bypass.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Hi Steeler,

Well, no one can really make that decision for you but YOU. Only you know what your needs are. My suggestion to you would be to maybe postpone your surgery, and do major research on all of the different procedures available to you.

No one surgery is one size fits all.

All surgeries have their plusses and minuses. You need to figure out if the plusses of one surgery will benefit you more than another ones. You also need to know if the minuses can cause you more harm than the benefits are worth too. I probably could never have RnY or DS. I am very anemic, and the malabsorption would probably either make me extremely ill, or possibly worse... Just an example.

You need to make sure you are fully on board before making such a drastic decision. They will be removing 85% of your stomach forever. Check that the temperature is right for you before diving in that pool!

[lisabug 10]

As for the bypass question. The weight regain is from stretching out the opening from the stomach to the intestine. By doing this, they are able to consume more food because the food does not stay in their stomach. Vsg on the other hand is a normal functioning stomach, just much smaller. It is not the magic bullet though. You still have to control what foods you chose to eat.

I can not tell you what is right for you, but I will tell you why I'm doing it. I don't have problems losing weight. I can't keep it off. I know this is my only option to have a chance of losing and keeping it off. I still have fears because I have failed at so many other things on the past. I loved weight watchers but I was hungry all the time. This will give me the ability to change my lifestyle and not feel miserable from hunger.

Best of luck!!! Don't let fear make your decision for you.

[Tiffykins 673]

If you have food issues, none of the weight loss surgeries will fix them. You can eat around every single one of them, you just have to decide what you are willing to do to be successful.

If you can't or aren't willing to make the necessary lifestyle change, and commit to a lifelong change then none of the WLS will help you long term. It's been proven time and time again with all of the surgeries. They operate on our stomachs, not our brains, and unless we change our way of thinking about food, then removing 85% of your stomach isn't going to fix the problem.

The sleeve does restrict your food consumption, but you can still suck down a 3000 calorie milkshake if you choose to do it. You'll have to focus on your post-op dietary guidelines, and make better choices.

As for loose, saggy skin. What's worse a little wrinkly, saggy skin or fat rolls and co-morbidities from being obese? Which is worse a little tummy fat, loose skin on the upper arms, or heart disease or diabetes from staying fat? Honestly, I'll take the loose skin, and tummy fat I have over injecting myself with insulin every day of my life to combat the side effects of diabetes. Moisturizing helps, exercising helps, but overall, most of us have loose skin that repairs and reabsorbs over time. I'll never have a bikini body, but I rock my skinny size 2 jeans like an 18 yr old at the ripe age of almost 34.