Hard time justifying surgery....

[Oakleygirl 53]

I have been approved for surgery and am considering a date, but am having a hard time justifying cutting a perfectly healthy and functioning part of my body into pieces... I know the sleeve would certainly help me with my appetite control efforts, but I also think of all the people who HAVE to lose a body part or part of one b/c of cancer or disease and here I am CHOOSING to cut up my healthy stomach. Has anyone ever struggled with this? On one hand, it feels really wrong to do it and yet on the other hand, I know it would be a good thing for me otherwise I wouldn't have started looking into it? Do you think this is "cold feet" or is it perhaps not the best choice for me? Worried I won't get over this debate with my conscience and then regret it all. Any advice would be really welcome...

[tbtaoufiq 0]

You just tell your self that your stomach got much bigger than normal with the years (wich is true) and you are juste gonna have a normal size stomach after the surgery (or almost normal)...

[No game 14,437]

I had a moment like that when I had my "tubes tied" losing a part of me was hard...

But the stomach i'm glad that beast is gone!

Last thing I told the doctor as I was going under was "go big take as much out as you can"

[Ballermom 803]

I can understand how you may feel. You have to decide for your self.

It does not bother me that I'm having surgery getting rid of part of my stomach!

1. I'll be giving up the stomach that I help stretch will all unhealthy food and habits.

2. In exchange for a Second chance at life to enjoy life with my family

3. Receiving an opportunity to get healthy and walk my baby to the park,

Last summer he begged to go with my skinny neighbor. And I didn't feel a thing. Cause I'm numb and tired of being fat. Talking about me!

4. Need this tool/Opportunity to get Healthy/skinny! Period.

Lastly, I jump through hoops like I was a basketball! To get here.

The decision is yours. I suggest counseling if you need it.

Good luck

[christyg 5]

I specifically chose to have the sleeve over the RNY because my Dad died from gastric cancer 6 years ago. I did not want to leave the possibility that a tumor could form in that remaining blind pouch (remaining stomach). Ultimately my sleeve will be the tool to help me get to a healthier and more active lifestyle. Best of luck with your decision.

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

In all honesty, if you can do this without surgery, do it. Hands down it is better for you to succeed from sheer self dicipline.

The unfortunate reality for most of us is that out willpower over food was pretty close to non existant. And the brutal reality is that being obese will kill you, along with destroying your life.

YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

Do you need the sleeve? I don't know. Only you can answer that. But if you've tried for years to lose weight unsuccessfully, then it damn sure beats the alternative (being fat & dying).

[Annie B 89]

Yes, I did struggle with this. However, I had a 20 year history of losing/gaining, etc., was on 8 medications, plus insulin for Type 2 diabetes that I was unable to control and was facing the possibility of long-term, life-altering (blindness, amputations, etc.) complications from diabetes. When I faced the reality of my situation, removing a healthy part of my body in the hopes of saving my life seemed completely appropriate.

I was sleeved 3 weeks ago and am down to 3 medications plus much, much lower amounts of insulin, which I hope to be off of entirely in the next 2 months.

Your situation may be completely different, and only you can make that determination. I do understand the struggle, though! I wish you all the best!

[tinarho 29]

maybe it's not for you...

[DayByDay 123]

I have been approved for surgery and am considering a date, but am having a hard time justifying cutting a perfectly healthy and functioning part of my body into pieces... I know the sleeve would certainly help me with my appetite control efforts, but I also think of all the people who HAVE to lose a body part or part of one b/c of cancer or disease and here I am CHOOSING to cut up my healthy stomach. Has anyone ever struggled with this? On one hand, it feels really wrong to do it and yet on the other hand, I know it would be a good thing for me otherwise I wouldn't have started looking into it? Do you think this is "cold feet" or is it perhaps not the best choice for me? Worried I won't get over this debate with my conscience and then regret it all. Any advice would be really welcome...

Can I relate? Absolutely....

Once I knew this surgery was a reality and spent a lot of time in my head making sure that this is what I wanted to do. And the reality of "choosing" to remove part of my healthy stomach because I could not get my act together. I had to accept that fact in order to move beyond it. I've spent so much of my life punishing myself. Honestly I'm done. I need to do this for me and I only need to justify this surgery to me. It's not cold feet. You are asking yourself a tough question. My doctor told me, this surgery is voluntary, no one is making you do this. This is your choice. I carry around a quote from Bill Cosby that keeps me in check, "You have to want it more than you are afraid of it." I know I want this and I openly accept the good and bad with this decision.

Not sure if this is helpful to you. I wish you peace with what ever decision you make. That will be the right decision for you.

[Ballermom 803]

Can I relate? Absolutely....

This is your choice. I carry around a quote from Bill Cosby that keeps me in check' date=' "You have to want it more than you are afraid of it." I know I want this and I openly accept the good and bad with this decision.

[/quote']

I like the Quote!

This is how I got over my own fear too!

Good luck

[Carol Watts 67]

Yes, I did struggle with this. However, I had a 20 year history of losing/gaining, etc., was on 8 medications, plus insulin for Type 2 diabetes that I was unable to control and was facing the possibility of long-term, life-altering (blindness, amputations, etc.) complications from diabetes. When I faced the reality of my situation, removing a healthy part of my body in the hopes of saving my life seemed completely appropriate.

I was sleeved 3 weeks ago and am down to 3 medications plus much, much lower amounts of insulin, which I hope to be off of entirely in the next 2 months.

Your situation may be completely different, and only you can make that determination. I do understand the struggle, though! I wish you all the best!

I had my surgery Oct 8 2012 I am on no insulin or diabetes med. now. Good luck to you. You should be able to come off the insulin pretty soon. My sugar the day of surgery was 301 today it runs between 87- 98 fasting

[NIKIMAC 19]

I dont regret having the gastric sleeve surgery & would do it again if I had to again. I think its just ur nerves, but if you really feel that way about the surgery then why dont you look into the lapband. Remember this is permanent.

[Rycherchick 147]

I also ad thought of this but my thinking was, what if I had Cancer in what litle stomach I had left after the surgery. I am okay with it now. I am beating myself up at the moment because I am upset with myself that it had come to this at all.

My surgery date is Jan 30.

[BlessedBeyondMeasure2012 296]

This is the way I've started to look at getting sleeved. I'm morbidly obese. This is an illness, a disease. From what I have researched and read, VSG is a tool that can be used to CURE this disease. If I was told today that I had a gastric cancer and needed a sleeve to save my life I would tell the doctor to schedule the surgery for tomorrow. I guess I'm looking at it as this VSG is going to save my life. I don't have a lot of health problems, no high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. I do have back and hip pain because of my weight but nothing that I even routinely taken OTC meds for. I am simply killing myself by being this overweight. I have a 4 year old and I am expecting our daughter next month. If all goes well, I am now planning on having my VSG while I am off on my 6 week maternity leave. If all does not go as planned, I am hoping to have it this summer. I am depending on the VSG being the tool that helps me to get healthy for my kids, my husband and the rest of my family. I'm counting on this being my cure. Yes my stomach is healthy and I am making a decision to have it taken out. My reasoning is not because my stomach is healthy, it's because it is helping to make the rest of me not healthy. I'm not sure if my perspective helps or not. I've put lots of thought into it and am still reading and researching. If you didn't have questions, some of them really tough questions, about surgery I'd be more concerned. You just have to figure out what the answers are for you and what is going to be the best decision for you. Good luck!

[erp 2,016]

Oakleygirl, I am now in your shoes. I opened my mail today and received my approval letter. For so many months I have been working toward this but now that I am here. I too ask myself, is this really what I want. As I read your thread, I reminded myself to pull up my list. I wrote a list of reasons I wanted to lose weight at the outset of this process. I know there is no way without some type of serious intervention; e.g. surgery, magically getting selected for the Biggest Loser that I will lose the weight. Since I don't expect Bob or Gillian to come knocking on my door, I think I have to do this. Of course, I'm scared of the what ifs and the possiblity of complications and I'm also sad. Sad that when it comes to food, I'm not in control. Sad for the woman who wrote that list. If surgery allows me to make food my b*tch instead of the other way around, I think I have to do this. Good luck in whatever you decide.