New to group, 58 and getting cold feet

[Queen of Crop 1,103]

HI Magtart! Thank you for reading my blog and the compliments.....your first few months will be weird for sure, but seeing the weight come off is so exciting.....you are in for such a fun year. Our starting weight wasn't all the different so I suspect you will be just fine! Welcome aboard!

[buplee 556]

I'm 52 and was sleeved on 2/19/13. I am now down 116lbs and happy for the sleeve. I've had two neurosurgeries in the last 14 months which limited my activity and still lost weight.

My neighbor who had Lapband three years ago and lost 100lbs but regained 110 lbs due to complications. He underwent a revision to the sleeve after seeing my success with the sleeve.

Good luck whatever you decide. This has been one of my best decisions ever, as I am now the lightest I've been in 36 years.

[kvlasy 195]

I just turned 57. I was sleeved last May and can honestly say it was the best thing I could ever have done. I feel that I have gifted myself another 20 or 30 years that I would not have had otherwise. I not only had trouble losing weight previously, my regain was very fast. Post surgery I am down 75 pounds and feeling great!

Best of luck to you in whatever decision you make.

[mooncat 106]

I congratulate you on soul searching before your surgery. It took me almost a year from the seminar I attended to my surgery date. I had to research everything and carefully consider if this was right for me or not. Because I took my time I was absolutely certain of my decision on the day of surgery. I am 55 and very happy with my sleeve. I never feel like my sleeve keeps me from enjoying food. I stop eating when I am full so I am very satisfied. I also like the fact that I can divide the remaining food and freeze it so that I get to enjoy the great food on several occasions.

[2feelgood 3]

I am one week from my gastric sleeve. I was reading some documentation my doc gave me and it spoke about depression, specifically mourning the loss of food. My cold feet came back. I had my son read it and he told me to switch to a lap band. I said but the results are not as good.....and he said, Mom your can reverse it. I'm all confused again.

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

2feelgood, on 02 Feb 2014 - 14:42, said:

I am one week from my gastric sleeve. I was reading some documentation my doc gave me and it spoke about depression, specifically mourning the loss of food. My cold feet came back. I had my son read it and he told me to switch to a lap band. I said but the results are not as good.....and he said, Mom your can reverse it. I'm all confused again.

Please do not let anyone make this decision for you. If you get cold feet you can back out. But it takes guts and faith in God to move forward with this process. Our families are afraid, yes, but the risks of not having the sleeve are high too in some cases, like me and my husband, We are 65 and 66 and doing fantastic, and we love being sleeved. We researched the band 5 years ago and decided no. Please read and read some more, and listen to the stories that people tell you, and make an informed decision. God Bless, it is scary for you, but this process has been 10 times easier than we expected.

[LDallas 108]

2feelgood: please read up on bands before you make a decision. I had my sleeve in2012 at age 50. I was scared too but more scared of where I was heading. I have no regrets and it's become a way of life now. Good luck.

[woo woo 872]

I just wanted to add that maybe you are just not ready to make this decision. That is okay too. It seems like you are very easily swayed and so you might want to just take a step back if you really feel like you can't make a decision and stick with it.

I myself wasn't ready three years ago to make this decision when it was first suggested to me, but now I am 100% sure about it.

Don't get a band just because your son says so though!! Read up on the band, it's not all exactly what they say it is.

[Indigo1991 1,612]

This is your life, your body. No one will wake up tomorrow and live your life for you - not even your son. Those around us are concerned and frightened for us, whether we have a band, sleeve or bypass, so they aren't necessarily the right people to advise us.

Only you can make the decision. And you do that by being informed. Listen to all the views you read on the site, do independent research - then decide what it is you want to achieve for you. And go for the option that will get you there.

I know, that makes it sound simple. But, in the end, it is. You either do something or not. Depends where you are in life.

I had nowhere left to go with my weight and my comorbidities. I couldn't live my life for anyone else other than me because it was me who was going to die early if I didn't do something positive about my health. So I got sleeved.

Was it easy? No, neither emotionally or physically. But it was worth it as I sit here post a medical where my BP is exactly normal, as is my cholesterol, my diabetes has gone and my arthritis is in remission, down to one injection a fortnight with my chemo drug stopped post surgery.

I go dancing, I exercise, I am having so much fun and I am living life how I should have done for years. I have no problems with eating out (I go out 3-5 times a week), my social life is amazing.

Am sending you a big hug and ask you to be brave, don't let anyone leave their imprint on you... this is your one and only life, grab it and make the most of it :-)

[NJVSTuser 32]

I was 56 when I had the sleeve. What I love about it is the lack of adjustment needed and the fact it reminds me every meal when I have eaten enough. It is a great tool as long as you stick to the overall diet and yet allows you to eat almost anything without a violent reaction. Good luck and try the diet out now to see if you can stick to it. Thankfully now doughy bread does not sit well in my stomach so avoid it now.

[jhood2005 17]

I know how you feel, I was all set on the lap band, then I went to my "required" seminar, the doctor who presented it was the doctor my insurance was suppose to cover, so I thought great I will get to meet "my doctor" and be at the seminar all at the same time. Then he spoke how the sleeve was his favorite between all the surgeries, he feels the results are better, all I keep thinking is they will be taking a big part of my stomach away and that really scared me, so I thought ok I will stick with lapband, then he started talking about the downfalls of the lapband how it is a foreign object and how some peoples bodies reject it, or there could be erosion where it is banded, or it could slip, or have to be replaced way down the road, then the case manager chimed in and says if you have to have it removed the insurance companies will not pay for another procedure, won't pay to put another one in, and or won't pay to do a sleeve or bypass if the band was not successful, I defineatly don't want the bypass, so now I don't know what to do, then on top of it all, they made me an appointment for next week for my first visit with the doctor, so that scared me I wasn't expecting to make an appointment at the seminar but I did, thinking ok, I have a doctor a hospital so I just need to decide in a week what I want to do, my husband went with me to the seminar and after hearing what I heard, he says well it's your body but if it were me I would go with the sleeve, so I lose sleep all night trying to figure what's best for me, the next day, the case manager called me from the seminar and said my insurance only covers a center of excellence and they are not, even though my insurance case manager said due to the distance I live away from a center of excellence that this hospital and doctor would be covered, well that wasn't good enough for the hospital case manager so she told me from past experiences she would refer me to another hospital which is even further away for me to drive, and wished me luck, she didn't want me to get started with them then have to start all over again when the insurance company said no down the road, I see her point, but now I am starting all over, trying to decide on what procedure to do, and trying to find a doctor and hospital, not to mention the cold feet I am getting, so I don't know what to do, I just know I am bigger than I have ever been, and I have got to do something, but nothing else has worked.

[LDallas 108]

Jhood: I went to the seminar dead set on band. The dr barely mentioned sleeve, but mainly pushed bypass or band. On my own research I felt band was a NO for me, it sounds so easy (removable!) but there are downsides when you read up on it. Didn't want my intestines messed with, so this left sleeve. It's funny because in the seminar when they showed diagram of sleeve I thought OMG you must be kidding!!! No way in h*ll!! Fast forward...my WLS was Oct 2012 @ 300 lbs, age 50. Did I lose 100 lbs in 4 mos? NO. Am I now a size 8? NO. Is my arthritis and body pain better? YES. Do I wish I'd done this sooner? YES. Best of luck to you and others with the decision. It's one you have to make on your own.

CW 215, current size 14/16/ 5'10" F

[marycw1955 40]

<p>I was 58 when I had my surgery done 2 years ago. The best thing I ever did! It's not too late! I kept a weekly blog of my first year if you would like to see it to give you an idea of what your life might look like. (Link below) I think you will find the majority of people here would say their only regret is that they did not do this sooner!! </p> <p> </p> <p>Good luck to you and keep us posted!</p>

I am about to have the sleeve procedure in June and have been going through all the pre-op clearances. I am 58 and though on paper I could lose 100 lbs, my goal is 75. I opted vs. The band since I don't believe I will like the maintenance visits that are required. I would love to check out your blog from the first year but did not see the link on your post. Could you kindly repost it? I would be very appreciative!! I am currently not experienced diabetes or high blood pressure but I wanted to drop this weight before I do. Any support would be welcomed....thank you!

[LDallas 108]

Mary, all the best to you! I really think you'll be so happy with the results and subsequent lifestyle. For me, I can eat almost anything, but the food Police are are always on patrol in my tummy, so no overeating. I'm amazed at how much food I used to eat. It's really helped me and no way I would be down all this wt and kept it off without my sleeve!

[Mexicali-gal 5]

I had my surgery with Dr Aceves in Mexico back in September 2012. And I travelled to Mexico and was there alone. I had 50-60 lbs to lose and was 58 at the time. It was and still is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am certain I spent way over his surgery fee on fad diets, diet pills, programs etc over the years of trying to lose weight. I only wish this process had been more available to do many years ago. But better late then never. Take it one day at a time and I hope and pray you encounter no problems (I had none) and will be as thrilled with your results as I am. Everything has it's risks but with a well qualified surgeon, you should be fine. Many of the doctors in Mexico are well qualified with a lot of experience. I say go for it. I would still be on the diet train of pills, programs and spending money on fitness trainers, gym memberships. For myself, absolutely no regrets! Good luck with whatever decision works for you!