Where do I start?

[VWFielder 0]

Hey all,

I am in the very first stages of even considering this surgery. I've only heard of it for 2 weeks now and I am totally convinced it could be the answer to my prayers and weight problem. I have read through many of these forums and I am looking for someone to tell me if it is the magic it seems to be or if you will always be struggling. I don't want to come back to the place I am now, but will I have to give up Dr. Pepper forever?

My weight problems started after high school, I gained a little at a time - the freshman 15 plus the sophomore 20 and the junior 25, etc. When I was 34 I tried "one of those diets" and lost 45 lbs and it got me back to a good weight of 150, but in under 2 yrs I gained it all back and kept going until I got to 215 - then I got divorced, went down 30 lbs........... then I met someone and married 2 yrs later and was @ 209. Over the next few years I gained 40+ lbs. At my peak I was 256 lbs. I was 40 yrs old then (5 years ago)and I am 5'5" . I decided that since I had hit the BIG 40, it was time to diet - AGAIN. I lost down to 199 on a Dr. supervised program at the hospital where I worked and the day after Thanksgiving I realized I couldn't drink one more shake. now almost 5 years later, I have gained back up to 235, which is a record for not having gained it all PLUS more. My BMI calculates to around a 39.9 - may as well say 40.

With no energy, no motivation to exercise (it makes my heart race) and no desire to drink any shakes or eat supplement bars, I am pre-diabetic, have high blood pressure and take 4 meds a day to reduce my BP and risk of heart attack.

My father died of a heart attack when he was 49 (I was 14) and now that I am just over 3 years from that same age, I am scared. I want to be skinny again and healthy enough to make it into my 50s. In apprearance, I favor my father's side of my family and most of my aunts/uncles as well as my grandparents are overweight. I expect I'm doomed to be fat forever.

Can anyone offer advice on where to start this process (ie do I call my insurance or my family doctor?) I know this surgery is being done where I live so that's not a problem. I know of just one person that had it done a year ago and he is a doctor, so that eases my mind a little.

I've never had any surgery or anything besides dental work done. the thought of electing to be cut on and knowing there are big risks makes me hesitate to go any further. If this procedure increases my life span, but I end up with negative side effects that hinder my quality of life, did I actually accomplish anything positive??? Is the procedure for the most part safe and will it be a good choice for me?

Anyone that can offer advice at this preliminary stage, I would so much appreciate it.

Thank you.

Signed Skeptical

[shadownso 0]

I went to a free class at UH in Cleveland, Ohio and started my program there. This is not for everyone and what I've heard it is not easy. You have to change your life all together. check out youtube and watch some of the video's...

[mina 27]

i haven't had the surgery myself, i'm in the begining stages. my story is similar to yours except for the medical problems. i've been obese all my life and never had any surgery except for dental. i'm an ob/gyn and do surgeries all the time. there are no guarantees in anything, for the most part the complication rates are minimal. one of the keys is making sure your surgeon has enough experience (make sure he or she is a bariatric surgeon), don't be afraid to ask for his complication rate. first find out if your insurance covers bariatric surgery and what their requirements are. then find a bariatric surgeon. they will guide you from there.

my insurance requires me to lose weight (10%) first and since i don't have any comorbidities i'm don't know if i will get approve. if not i am heading to mexico (it's going to cost about the same as my copay for surgery here anyway), that's how serious i'm about being at a healthier weight and prevent my family's medical problem from becoming my own.

weight loss has been shown to significantly improve morbidity/mortality. you may end up having to take less pills everyday for blood pressure and even require none at all. good luck with everything.

[meggiep 57]

It is my belief that this surgery could help you save your life but it is only a tool- the rest will still be up to you! You will have to be the one making sure you get all your Protein, sipping Water all day to make sure you drink enough, and basically changing your relationship with food for good.

I would have to say that wondering if you will never have Dr. Pepper again may mean you are not ready to really embrace the life change this surgery asks of you.

I recommend that you follow some of the great You Tube diaries from the members here and you will get a good feeling for what this can do for you, and what is required of you.

Good luck to you! I hope to have my surgery in April.

[heathernowak 0]

Hey VWFielder! Your story could have been written by me! We are the same height, same starting weight, and I'm 35. I had the same feelings you are having, I think most people do. I'm 6 months out and have lost 60 pounds. I'm thrilled with the results! I'm not saying that it is easy, BUT, every day since surgery has been twice as good as any day before the surgery. My obsession with food has diminished a lot. I don't think about stopping and getting a cake because I can't really eat that much of it anyway. It seems like a tease to me to just have a piece when I'm in my "binging" mood. So I just don't get it at all. I have not been as strict as some of the others in here and I think that's why I have lost slower than most, but it does seem like I've changed my life...I mean REALLY changed my way of eating for good. I eat normally, I just eat less of everything. I do track my calories everyday just to keep myself in line but it's shocking to me that moderation really is the key. I have NEVER been able to understand that and really got mad when people would suggest it to me. If I could eat in moderation I wouldn't have been fat :-)! I eat in moderation now and it is much more freeing to not have to avoid things I want just because it might set me off. It reallly feels more like a lifestyle change. Anyway, this decision is such a personal decision and it's only one that you can make. I spent hours reading posts and looking at information before I did this, but I did have the surgery about 4 weeks after I had even heard of it. Good luck to you in whatever you decide!! :-)

[Beadingnurse 116]

I considered the lap band initially but got scared off of that when I heard about all of the complications and the intensive follow-up you have to do with the surgeons for fills and all. I didn't like the idea of the foreign object around my stomach and to me the sleeve is an elegant, obvious solution. You will still have a fully functioning stomach but it will just be smaller. Are there risks in surgery? Sure, but for me the risks of my co-morbid conditions were FAR greater than the risk of the surgery. This forum is a fantastic place to get more information from people who have gone through it and I am awed by the support folks offer to each other. You should also go to a seminar put on by surgeons in your area and you will learn a lot more there. Definitely check in with your insurance to see what fiery hoops they will make you jump through before paying. If it not covered by your insurance (mine wasn't): you can consider private pay and some surgeons will connect you with financing help. Good luck!

[VWFielder 0]

i haven't had the surgery myself, i'm in the begining stages. my story is similar to yours except for the medical problems. i've been obese all my life and never had any surgery except for dental. i'm an ob/gyn and do surgeries all the time. there are no guarantees in anything, for the most part the complication rates are minimal. one of the keys is making sure your surgeon has enough experience (make sure he or she is a bariatric surgeon), don't be afraid to ask for his complication rate. first find out if your insurance covers bariatric surgery and what their requirements are. then find a bariatric surgeon. they will guide you from there.

my insurance requires me to lose weight (10%) first and since i don't have any comorbidities i'm don't know if i will get approve. if not i am heading to Mexico (it's going to cost about the same as my copay for surgery here anyway), that's how serious i'm about being at a healthier weight and prevent my family's medical problem from becoming my own.

weight loss has been shown to significantly improve morbidity/mortality. you may end up having to take less pills everyday for blood pressure and even require none at all. good luck with everything.

Thank you for this information.. I think I would be approved due to my risk factors - IF they cover this type of surgery. Question: Why do some insurance companies require the pre-surgery 10% weight loss. Are they ensuring you are serious about losing weight? I find this an odd requirement.

[VWFielder 0]

It is my belief that this surgery could help you save your life but it is only a tool- the rest will still be up to you! You will have to be the one making sure you get all your Protein, sipping Water all day to make sure you drink enough, and basically changing your relationship with food for good.

I would have to say that wondering if you will never have Dr. Pepper again may mean you are not ready to really embrace the life change this surgery asks of you.

I recommend that you follow some of the great You Tube diaries from the members here and you will get a good feeling for what this can do for you, and what is required of you.

Good luck to you! I hope to have my surgery in April.

Thank you for your feedback. I know I can do it as I am just that type of person - to do anything I put my mind to - except keeping weight off. So that's my big worry - can I keep it off the rest of my life? I know I will miss my friend - Dr. pepper - but if it will lengthen my life - I can let it go. I am a worrier so I worry that i will be that small percentage that dies on the table or gets sick from the anesthesia. If I can let that go and just keep focused on the positive, I could change my life forever.

[VWFielder 0]

Hey VWFielder! Your story could have been written by me! We are the same height, same starting weight, and I'm 35. I had the same feelings you are having, I think most people do. I'm 6 months out and have lost 60 pounds. I'm thrilled with the results! I'm not saying that it is easy, BUT, every day since surgery has been twice as good as any day before the surgery. My obsession with food has diminished a lot. I don't think about stopping and getting a cake because I can't really eat that much of it anyway. It seems like a tease to me to just have a piece when I'm in my "binging" mood. So I just don't get it at all. I have not been as strict as some of the others in here and I think that's why I have lost slower than most, but it does seem like I've changed my life...I mean REALLY changed my way of eating for good. I eat normally, I just eat less of everything. I do track my calories everyday just to keep myself in line but it's shocking to me that moderation really is the key. I have NEVER been able to understand that and really got mad when people would suggest it to me. If I could eat in moderation I wouldn't have been fat :-)! I eat in moderation now and it is much more freeing to not have to avoid things I want just because it might set me off. It reallly feels more like a lifestyle change. Anyway, this decision is such a personal decision and it's only one that you can make. I spent hours reading posts and looking at information before I did this, but I did have the surgery about 4 weeks after I had even heard of it. Good luck to you in whatever you decide!! :-)

Thank you. this is the sort of thing I need to hear. I want to be able to cook for my husband - who is a newly diagnosed diabetic and perhaps eat what he needs to eat. I know we both will benefit from a big change in our eating habits. I will watch videos and read alot more before I decide what to do. I would be ecstatic to lose 60 lbs in 6 months.