Hello and here's what's up

[Wombatpringle 9]

So, I was supposed to get bypass 15 years ago. Two days before my surgery, my gallbladder decided it was done with me. After nine months of driving to Boston weekly it was going to be be post-poned two more months and I was kinda freaked out so I bailed.

Five years later I went to a different surgeon in Burlington MA, still a shleap drive but, more manageable. Halfway through he got called to activate duty. Scared the poop out of me and I vowed never again would I try.

I did lose 100 pounds seven years ago and I did keep many of those lifestyle changes. I don't drink soda, only drink skim milk, learned to love veggies and Water just lost the pool I once had access to and it took six years for the weight to slowly creep back but all but fifty pounds of it has. I'm actually a very active person except when school leaves me not sleeping or doing anything beyond studying 16 hours a day. I don't even own a television. I've been overweight my entire life though. It's annoying.

Two people I know have had this done. I am in the last year of my undergraduate Geology program and sick of being less mobile than I want or need to be. I called the same surgeon one of my friends used and managed to get a date of December 27, 2018. Perfect time gives me just under a month to heal before classes restart. I am a broker than broke person. Seriously message me sometime, it stupid my financial situation. Laughable and stupid. Anyway will change soonish I hope. I started the liquid diet last Thursday. Two days ago after my mom sent me to the bakery and McDonald's, and I maintained willpower, she friend chicken and I caved. I had three chicken tenders. I had been craving salt for two days and learned a valuable lesson: if she's cooking an it smells good, go play Pokemon. If you're super craving salt, eat some, just lick it like a goat. I have low blood pressure actually and it's been dropping with the 34 so far lost pounds. Fried chicken has always just been a substance to adhere salt to. If I am craving salt that badly, my body needs it for something.

The only possible hold out beyond my chicken tender disaster is I didn't quit smoking until the 26th of November. My urine taken the 27th of November was really high, duh, I could have told them it would have been. I was told I had to quit a month before. I did. I just tested again yesterday and haven't heard back. Any delay in surgery means putting it off possibly till May if not indefinitely if I get an immediate job out of school. Should be fine but I heard menthol can take longer to exit the system and that's what I smoked.

Anyway, I'm a nervous, insane wreck of a person who really really doesn't want to do this. I hate hospitals. I hate doctors and I hate surgeries, not to mention the reeling effect from the first two failures. Am I screwed because I had three tenders? Been on track ever since. What do I do about clothes provided I survive this awful procedure? I get the importance of this nightmare or I wouldn't be doing it. Like I said, I have a long list of objections but obviously have weighed the benefits and made my choice.

Really looking forward to being able to have quality, fitting, outdoor clothing. I dream of a good rain jacket, snow pants, coat and boots. Like these things are so important to me, you have no idea.

Would love advice or something

[FancyChristine15 810]

First of all, I would make sure that you really want to do this. The first two times that you tried to get the surgery, you backed out, for reasons that, honestly, don't make sense to me. Knowing how much I wanted/needed the sleeve surgery, I would have looked into finding another surgeon and started the process over, if I had to; no, I wouldn't have wanted to, but if that's what it took to take this step, I would have. You're already looking for reasons to push this surgery off or not do it. So, make sure it's something that you really want to do.

If you are able to have the surgery and decide to have it, the clothes thing will be okay. I don't know what size you are, but I was very overweight when I started, and it was a while until I even needed new clothes. Yeah, they were a little big over time, but I, like you, couldn't afford to buy a whole new wardrobe. Once it gets to the point that you have to get some new clothes, check swap sites in your area, and second-hand stores will be your friend.

I hope you figure out what you want to do. Best of luck!

[BurBur 113]

It sounds like you really have a lust to pursue your goals based on the things you said about your education. That's a boon in your favor when it comes to deciding how to address your health too. Shows you have guts to see difficult things through and WLS will be a difficult thing. No one can tell you to do surgery, or don't do surgery. In the end, that is entirely YOUR personal decision, but it's completely natural to feel apprehensive and unsure. Try not to let the unfortunate stumbling blocks you had in the past influence your decision now. It wasn't a supernatural force trying to save you from a bad decision, just coincidence and happen chance.

Things to consider when making your decision:

How much over weight are you?

How many times have you tried to get things right and failed?

How long have you been over weight?

How much is your physical activity hindered by it?

Do you have any other weight-related health issues?

The surgery doesn't just help you with losing weight from where you are now, but it will help you avoid future weight gain. The older you are, the sicker you are, the heavier you are, will make this procedure more risky. I waited until I had high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and my body was in a physically terrible place. So was my mind. I wish wish wish, I had pursued help sooner! My body will always bear the scars of the heavy, unhappy person I used to be. I'm not vain, but there is something of a disappointment in seeing excesses of skin draping from my shrinking body. Not only that, but I resigned myself to only have one child who is now eighteen. My unchecked obesity completely interfered with anymore babies and now at 43 and a son in college, I don't feel it would be responsible to risk more babies even though I would have loved to try for a girl. It is what it is.

Both my mother and father are super morbidly obese. This was another factor I took into consideration. The same genetics and poor eating habits they suffer from are likely the same things I'm contending with.

My job security was in jeopardy. I was having trouble doing all the things I needed to be doing in a timely manner and I was beginning to see signs this was wearing on the patience of my superiors. Likewise, obesity can interfere with job pursuit. You will NEVER know if it was your weight that put them off to select a different candidate for the job but it will be on your mind when you get rejections.

I know I've painted a picture that shows more favor to having the surgery than choosing a different path to success. That's because I'm terribly biased in favor of surgery from my own personal experience, but I do believe it's not an appropriate choice for everyone. I had complication from my initial sleeve that put me back in the hospital twice since then for a total of three surgeries and hospital stays in less than a year. All seems to be right now, but it hasn't been easy. I want to punch anyone who tries to suggest I took the easy way out. Despite how hard it all was, I wouldn't take it back. If I could go back in time for a redo, I would do it all over again.

Good luck making your decision. Be brave and make a plan weather you do surgery or not.