Did anyone here not need this (yet)?

[desreynolds80 9]

14 hours ago, jessgnc said:

I'm comfortable with the surgery. I'm just nervous that I don't need this YET. I'm fat but healthy now. I know it's dumb once I say it out loud, but should I just wait until my body starts to fall apart before I have an optional surgery?

You may be healthy now but being overweight will catch up to you. I was overweight and healthy until I hit my 30's and then I started having problems. I went with the VSG because I needed to lose 130-140 pounds total. I was able to get 40 pounds off prior to my surgery date on 1/27/17. That 40 pounds took me 6 months to get off with Weight Watchers and often I could lose 40 pounds but it would always find me later on. I know that after two years of failed fertility treatments that my weight was playing a huge role in this and the only way to combat my PCOS was to have this surgery. I have lost 38 pounds since surgery and my BMI has dropped from 42 to 32 since July. I feel younger and so much healthier than in the past. It would be better to get the weight off prior to any complications occur from being overweight.

[passion4film 44]

I just read the original question post, not all the replies, but here's my two cents.

I, too, am perfectly healthy, except for having a BMI of 53ish. No issues with anything so far. Except I'm not; I'm 180+ pounds overweight. So that is not healthy in and of itself. And you know what? My doctors keep saying this phrase; I've heard it over and over: "You're a great candidate for this." We will not keep healthy for long. You've done all this, you're scheduled, and it's GREAT. Go with it. Nip this in the bud. They keep telling me I'm a great candidate for this because my lack of issues makes the surgery easier to do and deal with it, it makes things easier for recovery, it makes everyone's jobs easier regarding this whole thing. Please, I implore you, don't wait. You're already here. From what I see, everyone gets nerves closer to. Like, "OMG, what am I doing?!" But that's normal. Take the leap, get the weight off, and have that much of a better life that much more quickly. Do it while you're young and able, and do the procedure your doctor, the expert, recommends. If there is one sentence I have heard from post-op patients/vets, it's this: "I wish I had done it sooner."

Best of luck to you!

[teacupnosaucer 445]

I won't speak to your specific surgery because it sounds like you've done your research and trust your surgeon's advice on it.

What I will speak on is being healthy and getting bariatric surgery, which I know well.

The first surgeon I met with didn't want to give me surgery. I am short and was about 80-100 lbs overweight. I have PCOS and struggled to lose weight for 5 years after giving birth to my daughter. I gained fifty pounds in that time instead. Even when I completely overhauled my life during my last pregnancy, I lost 20 lbs in two years... knowing full well that regain was lurking in my future, because that's just what the odds are.

But my sugars are great, my blood pressure is fine, i have some joint pain but I'm not disabled by it, etc etc etc.

The first surgeon I met basically said to me "I am looking at a woman who on paper is completely healthy, but obese, and I don't think surgery is worth the risks."

He was speaking complete sense and I 100% respect his opinion and his choice not to take me on as a patient. The second surgeon I saw disagreed, though, and thought that I was a good candidate for surgery and had made a lot of changes that suggested I could be very successful post-op.

Could I survive without surgery? Yes, definitely. With a lot of effort, I may have been able to maintain my lifestyle changes and my modest weight loss... but I could also backslide, regain, gain more, and get even sicker than I'd been at the very start.

Type 2 diabetes is riddled through my family. My dad is on the verge of losing a foot to it. I saw the pattern of my life and was afraid.

And I saw so many women in their mid fifties, sick and in pain and with BMIs over 50, saying they wished they'd done it earlier. I figured, what better time? I'm young, I'm healthy, I'm at good odds to get through surgery safely and bounce back in my recovery. I haven't done too much lasting damage to my body yet. Why wait for the stuff like the joint pain and insulin resistance and PCOS and depression to just get worse and worse and worse, perhaps irreversibly so?

I'm not advocating for some twenty five year old who's 20 lbs overweight and is worried she might be 50 lbs overweight thirty years from now once she hits menopause to have this surgery, but I think if you are already obese and have good medical evidence you will continue to get more obese and MORE sick... then getting the surgery preventatively is a valid choice.

I wasn't overly sick from my weight, but my life is still exponentially better now that those 50 lbs are gone off me, too. My knee pain has vanished. I have higher energy. But best of all, I'm not AFRAID anymore. Regain could still happen, of course it could, but it's not a given anymore. Type 2 diabetes isn't a given. I feel like I am in control of my own future, and that matters. I'm making healthy choices secure in that knowledge, and encouraged by that knowledge.

As for "the nuclear option", my surgeon initially suggested the RNY because that's the surgery he does most and he considers it the gold standard. I told him no, I wanted the sleeve. I felt it was wayyyyyyy too invasive for my situation and tipped the balance of the "benefits vs risks" of getting the procedure, and I didn't think it fit the lifestyle I envisioned for myself after surgery. he respected my choice. if you're confident about getting the DS, then do it. but if you think it's too extreme for your specific situation, you CAN talk to your surgeon about that. I expected to have to argue my case for why I didn't feel comfortable getting the RNY, since my surgeon was so gung ho about it, but he immediately was on my side when I told him I wanted the sleeve. your opinion does matter. it's your body, and you have to live with this surgery for the rest of your life. so make YOUR decision. and if it aligns with your surgeon's opinion, then be confident about that!

[queendeborahbee 119]

On May 3, 2017 at 9:47 AM, jessgnc said:

I'm comfortable with the surgery. I'm just nervous that I don't need this YET. I'm fat but healthy now. I know it's dumb once I say it out loud, but should I just wait until my body starts to fall apart before I have an optional surgery?

NO! Do not wait. Once the body falls apart, there are parts that cannot be fixed. The surgery helps with some of the medical issues that have occurred because of obesity. It does not help with arthritis! The arthritis is crippling and weight loss may make walking easier but your knees or back are still SHOT!

You are lucky this is an option now, go for it and good luck!

[SIPS in Seattle 345]

I was banded in 2011 and am currently looking into revision. I've talked to my surgeon about the sleeve and the ds. I'm 5'6 I started at 239 down to 185ish then back up to 242. So my bmi is still a little under 40. My surgeon thinks the Ds would be a better option as A) this is a revision and it's slower to lose the ds has a higher success rate at losing and less chance of regain.

I don't really have any comorbidities... just crappy lungs (asthma)

[Rascott 6]

I was told by my doctors to loose weight. I tried and was successful a few times but it came back plus. I decided to get the surgery, I went through all of the meetings and psychiatrist. I was cleared to go and getting a date.
I decided it wasn't for me and of souls give it one more try on my own, about 3 years ago. It didn't work weight kept going up .
I had a partially parylize diaphragm from a snow mobile accident about 15 years ago that limited my breathing quite a bit.
So once again I decided to get sleeved meetings ,classes, physicistrists. I dropped about 20 lbs on my pre op diet. I started like you a few days out doubting the surgery. I wascsleeved on Feb 28th .
I am so happy I did . I am down 60 lbs started at 298 I am 239 now, a want to loose another 50 lbs . My biggest mistake was not doing it 3 years ago. I feel amazing I can breath much better I walk 3.5 mikes a day in the morning . Don't cheat yourself. Stick with it. You will be so much better off. Don't worry what people my think of you, we are lucky to have this tool. Andvthstvis what it is a tool to get you back on track . You are worth it.
Bob S

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[kimmiem1 7]

You will be more successful doing this as a healthy person. Why wait until you're sick and the risks of surgery go up? As a.c. example, if you know the transmission in your car is bad, do you fix it now our continue driving it until you're stranded in the road? Why put your body through that? You have the best chance of success if you're still healthy. Good luck to you!!!

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[rainyann 118]

I had my sleeve in March at 65 years old..... I also had my gall bladder out and a hernia repair at the same time.... I have no co-morbidities except obesity. The only reason she also took my gall bladder out was because they saw large gall stones on my abdominal sonogram but they were not symptomatic. My cardiac stress test was also normal. I find it amazing that sometimes you can be so overweight but it doesn't show in other aspects of your health. I feel great and know that it was probably a matter of time before my blood pressure and glucose and everything else would start to fall apart. Don't look back or second guess yourself

[JBFEB2018 8]

I am planning on gastric sleeve in 4 months. I'm completely healthy, not even 100 lbs over weight. I'm 5'1" and weigh 185. I have great blood pressure and no other problems. I will be self pay. My mother's side of the family is over weight and I am doing this so that I don't get that far. I do second guess my decision but in the long run, I want to be healthy for my children.

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[Deactivatedfatgal 377]

27 minutes ago, jenbramlitt said:

I am planning on gastric sleeve in 4 months. I'm completely healthy, not even 100 lbs over weight. I'm 5'1" and weigh 185. I have great blood pressure and no other problems. I will be self pay. My mother's side of the family is over weight and I am doing this so that I don't get that far. I do second guess my decision but in the long run, I want to be healthy for my children.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using BariatricPal mobile app

That hat is amazing! I was just talking with girls at work about weight. I'm "411" so 235 pds was just a DEATH sentence for my small frame. I was having hip and joint pain, almost prediabetic & had tried to lose on my own for 5 years. I truly believe wls is a tool that increases life expectancy! I about died when I read that obesity cuts life expectancy by 15 years.

[Introversion 1,876]

3 minutes ago, Deactivatedfatgal said:

I about died when I read that obesity cuts life expectancy by 15 years.

Yes. My mother died this past January at age 58. Her myriad of health problems were either due to or exacerbated by obesity. I often find myself wondering whether she would have lived to reach old age if she hadn't been morbidly obese and made healthier lifestyle choices.

Anyhow, I am another vertically challenged person at 5'1. At my height, 160 pounds is considered grade 1 obesity. I was 218 on surgery day and have absolutely no regrets. It is too bad that weight loss surgery still carries a pervasive stigma as supposedly being the "easy way out."

[Deactivatedfatgal 377]

16 minutes ago, Introversion said:

Yes. My mother died this past January at age 58. Her myriad of health problems were either due to or exacerbated by obesity. I often find myself wondering whether she would have lived to reach old age if she hadn't been morbidly obese and made healthier lifestyle choices.

Anyhow, I am another vertically challenged person at 5'1. At my height, 160 pounds is considered grade 1 obesity. I was 218 on surgery day and have absolutely no regrets. It is too bad that weight loss surgery still carries a pervasive stigma as supposedly being the "easy way out."

Yes it is sad! It's anything but easy. That's forsure. Sorry to hear about your mom.

[HeatherS. 230]

On 5/3/2017 at 4:50 AM, jessgnc said:

Hey y'all.

Now that I have a date, this is real and I'm stupidly beginning to second guess myself. I know this is dumb behavior, but I kind of just need to ask this in the hopes that I'm not alone and someone else can quell my nerves.

I've mentioned on here before that I'm in perfect health - just 130lbs overweight! Right now, I'm healthy. I'm not on medication, I'm normally active (I currently have a broken foot so I'm less active right now unfortunately), my blood pressure and cholesterol, are normal, I'm not a diabetic, etc.

So I guess the question is - are there any other people on here, pre or post op who got the DS when they were still healthy?

This is such an extreme surgery. I'm nervous that doing this is the equivalent of chopping off my toe when all I did is stub it. I'm hoping there are 1 or 2 people on here who were also healthy beforehand, had the surgery and are glad they did. The people in my support groups who are getting it are almost all in wheelchairs, coming from the hospital, diabetics, etc. I am SO SO SO happy for them, but that isn't the situation I am in and not having anyone to relate to is making me feel like I'm taking the nuclear option when it isn't necessary.

I chose the VSG when I was in your place relative to health markers and 130lbs overweight with damaged spine and needing knee replacements far too young. I decided to have the surgery after watching my mom struggle daily with obesity-related comorbidities which got much worse in her 50s. I don't want to live like that.

I'm now down 61 lbs since HW at 6 weeks after surgery. (Including pre-op WL of 25lbs).

I'm joining the second opinion chorus. Mostly because the modified DS still has the issues that can get you into trouble. (Stoma vs valve, malabsorption, no revisional option).

Edited May 5, 2017 by HeatherS.
More info

[HeatherS. 230]

3 hours ago, Introversion said:

Yes. My mother died this past January at age 58. Her myriad of health problems were either due to or exacerbated by obesity. I often find myself wondering whether she would have lived to reach old age if she hadn't been morbidly obese and made healthier lifestyle choices.

Anyhow, I am another vertically challenged person at 5'1. At my height, 160 pounds is considered grade 1 obesity. I was 218 on surgery day and have absolutely no regrets. It is too bad that weight loss surgery still carries a pervasive stigma as supposedly being the "easy way out."

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. My mom is now living only because of a pace maker and the 24/7 care she receives in a home, where she has no autonomous mobility, and she hates it.

I don't want to end up where she did. I think if she'd been offered the sleeve, life would be very different for her now.

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

DS is very very drastic, are you more worried the sleeve will not be 'strict' enough because you don't trust the process or trust yourself based on your mother's compliance/outcome?