20 Years Old...wait?

[Lau12345 1]

Hello,

I am 20 years old, 5'1 and 255 lbs.

I would like to have honest opinions on wether I should wait to get sleeved and try loosing weight on my own or should i get sleeved?

Thanks!

[MeMeMEEE 206]

I think you should look in to it, talk to a Dr. It is a very big commitment in time and eating style. I know my daughter who is almost 22 would have a very tough time sticking to the rules but others may not.

[emily_0192010 168]

Well... I am in your position... except I'm already sleeved! I am 21 now but I was sleeved last year (6 months ago exactly today actually!). For me, this was the absolute best decision that I could have made. I had the time, the family support, the financing and the knowledge to do this 100%. I had been thinking about surgery for years. Literally years!

For myself I have always been very mature for my age. Ever since I was little I've had to deal with things (mainly medical issues between my grandfather and my mother) that forced me to grow up quickly, so I knew I could handle the surgery mentally, emotionally as well as physically.

Some of the questions I asked myself were

- am I ready to have a surgery

- am I willing to permanently alter a part of my body

- am I willing to not be like everyone else my age who can eat/drink without serious consequences

- have I stuck to rules/etc in the past

- am I mentally ready?

- am I emotionally ready?

- am I mature enough for this?

- am I able to be patient enough to wait for the insurance loops and the surgeon's protocol?

- can I stick to the surgeon's pre and post op diet

- am I willing to try one more diet

- can I wait until i'm older

- what are my health issues (i had a diabetes scare)

- can i afford this

I also spent hours and hours and hours pouring over information sites and the pros and cons of all the available surgeries.

In the end my decision was easy. Everything worked out for me to have this surgery. I had the time and my mom fully supported my decision. I was also covered under my insurance because of my BMI (which I believe you should be as well), but I also had pre-diabetes.

I honestly did not want to wait until I was in my 30's or my 40's. I want to be healthy enough to have a family in the future and to stop missing out on things because of my weight. Mostly I wanted to be healthy. I knew that in time it would be completely safe to support a pregnancy. I knew that in time I would be able to eat out again and drink (I am definitely a cheap date now lol... one drink is like three drinks for me).

At six months out I am soooo glad I did this.

At this point I think you just need to sit down and seriously talk it out. With yourself, with your mom, with your primary care doctor, with whoever. Make sure that you are truly ready for this. That doesn't mean not being scared or anxious, because those are normal, but make sure that you are capable of making such a life altering decision.

I should also mention that I am 5'2" and I started out at 265, so our BMI's are/were pretty much exactly the same.

Also, check out the 20's page. We don't chat on their very often but there are a lot of others out there too.

Ack, two more things lol. 1st- go to an information session. They are free and you don't have to commit to anything but they are a great chance to talk to a surgeon or someone from their office... just feel them out. One of the most important things is finding a surgeon (and their team!!!) that you are comfortable with. Second, find some support groups and sit in on a meeting or two. There may be other people in their 20's or they may be older, but they could give you some face to face advice that may help you make your decision.

Good luck!! Please feel free to pm me if you have any extra questions or want to chat

[Lau12345 1]

You are absolutly amazing emily! wow thanks so much! The only thing i'm scared is that i'm not emotionnaly ready and loose my sense of self...

Did u have any emotional issues post op?

[MSVEEKAYWHY 6]

i just turned 21 in november. & what changed my mind was feeling so unhappy with how i looked & felt about myself on that BIG day. even though it was a day that was suppose to be about celebrating my 21years of life, i felt so unsatisfied about the point i had come to (which was 266 lbs at the age f 21) after all of the failed attempts of dieting. it was then that i promised myself that i would be healthy and happy by my next birthday.

i say, go for it! it's hard for us young people to stay grounded when we're at this age. & with surgery, i personally feel like it's a big push in the right direction & it will aid in defeating these temptations.

good luck in your decision!

[Bcole 6]

I can't tell you whether to go through with it or not but I am 24 and I was sleeved December 21, 2011. I started out as 280 and 5'2. Now I weigh 239 (i consider myself a slow looser). I have not had any complications and I don't regret it so far, though I do miss not eating Pasta, bread, and other carbs, but I know that I couldn't do it on my own as I have tried for many years. It has been good so far. I'm not at a point where I can say this was the best decision I've ever made in life because I didn't have any previous medical issues to overcome and I'm not loosing at the rate that I would like, however I have not been 239 since I was in the 9th grade, so I am glad I did this!

[Caradina 65]

I'm getting sleeved in 2 days, and I am 33. I wish to all the gods that have ever been worshipped that I could have had this surgery at 20, and saved myself the last 13 years of struggle, diets, tears, health issues, missing out, feeling out of place, self loathing, and missed fashion opportunities. I wish my 33 year old skin were 20 year old skin so it would bounce back so much faster. I wish my relationships haven;t always been strained by my horrible body image, and many many health concerns. I'm doing this now, so that the rest of my life will be free. You should do it now, if you're mentally ready, so that you have a long life of health and freedom.

[emily_0192010 168]

You are absolutly amazing emily! wow thanks so much! The only thing i'm scared is that i'm not emotionnaly ready and loose my sense of self...

Did u have any emotional issues post op?

Thanks lol. The whole "loose my sense of self" thing... for me the opposite happened. It was so much easier for me to be myself. I would never have pegged myself as not being confident, but as I lost weight and I stuck to the program I gained confidence in so many ways. I felt like I was accomplishing something that so many people struggle with.

It was not always easy and many days I still look in the mirror and i'm like "ugghhhh" but then I remind myself of how far I've come and how much effort and work I've put into myself and it makes me feel better.

I believe that as long as you are comfortable with who you are in the inside, this surgery will not change that. Also, as long as you are doing this for the right reasons. Be honest with YOURSELF. There is no sense in lying. If you are doing this ONLY because you want to look pretty and wear size 2 jeans and be miss-beauty-pageant-2012... its not going to happen. I may wear a size 8 right now, but my body doesn't look like a size 8 person's does who was never skinny. If you are doing this to avoid health issues (or fix them if you have them), to improve your day to day life (like being able to walk up a flight of stairs without losing your breath) and to stop the yo-yo diet then you probably are ready.

Also, this surgery actually ended up teaching me so much about myself. It wasn't just the surgery itself either, but the entire process. I learned what was important to me, how to read my body, that I am strong... so many little things that I just didn't acknowledge before.

If it is something that is really worrying you, spend lots of time on these boards and any other boards that you are comfortable on. Just read what people are going through. Read the good AND the bad. Pretend to be in their shoes.

I don't know you, so I don't know your past but think about all of the emotional (good and bad) things that you have done. Deaths in the family, new job(s), graduation, birth of a sibling, moving, accidents, bad grades, good grades, etc... how did you deal with them? Did you get through them? Do you have at least one person who will support you unconditionally (like my mom did for me) that you can fall back on for help (all kinds of help, not just physical).

That was how I decided I was ready.

[cookies 56]

I think it's great that you're thinking about it at your age. Certainly, you need to be certain that you're ready to give up some things. But if you are mature enough to handle it, I say go for it.

I wish I had made this decision long ago, frankly.