Diving in.....

Luv2scuba · July 19, 2008

Good morning all,

I am just beginning to research this whole thing. I had made up my mind that i was going to start a weight loss program and give my self till the end of the year and see if i could stick to it. If not, then start the process for wls. But as i've spent a few days here, i'm rethinking that.

I have contacted my insurance and they will cover wls. I neglected to find out if they require a supervised diet period. So i'm thinking that if they do, maybe i should use this time i've planned to do it on my own, and do it supervised. I will try to find out today if my insurance will require such a time.

I think I've tried every diet out there, WW was the last one, lost 40 lbs last year in 8 months, and had gained 30 of it back by march of this year. I've lost about 20 of that again. Both my parents have been diagnosed with diabetes, family history of heart disease, so far i've been lucky as i'm fairly healthy except for the obesity. I wonder how much longer i can tempt fate?

My sister and her partner both have had r &y (hope that is right) and both have had severe health complications. And both have regained almost half of what they had originally lost. So i'm thinking that is not the route for me.

I've found this forum to be an excellent source of info and look forward to continuing this journey.

Pat

BonnieMcC · July 19, 2008

Hello Pat!

Your story sounds so much like mine---almost identical! I to have lost a lot of weight and gained it back pretty quickly because I never totally stuck anything. My last attempt also being weight watchers. I am currently waiting for approval for surgery but losing weight by eating low carb (I have done this before and it really worked---just another thing I didn't stick it out). My bff's sister and one of her friends both had gastric bypass and have had severe complications (one is now 98 pounds and on a feeding tube and in a wheelchair and the other has had 2 other surgeries because of complications and she just got RnY in Sept '07) I have made up my mind that I am not going to let food control my life---not one more day! On 6/16/08 I had enough and took control and started exercising and watching what I eat. I have lost almost 20 pounds and even though the past 2 weeks I haven't really seen a loss, its not going to stop me. I will do it this time WITH or WITHOUT the band. My biggest problem is that when I get off of a diet its all or nothing...and mostly its ALL, which has caused me to gain it all back everytime. I think if I am banded it will prevent me the big binge eating that I have done in the past.

I wish you the best, keep hanging out here and you will learn so much from everyone---the good and the bad. I have made some good friends on here and have learned so much about being banded.

Northwest_Nance · July 19, 2008

Hi Pat, and welcome to the forum......

Many of us here can relate very well to what you've been through and where you are right now. I lost around 100 pounds three times over the last 20 years (Jenny Craig, low fat, Atkins) and always gained it all back. The last time I lost it all was five years ago, and within three years I had gained 100 pounds and more. The difference this time is that I'm over 50 now and the extra weight started really causing health complications. Just since turning 50 I have had endometrial cancer resulting in a hysterectomy, cataract surgery, a knee so painful I could hardly walk, major dental problems, high blood pressure, and finally a tear to the labrum of the hip complicated by arthritis resulting in my walking with a cane and visiting a hip surgeon. It was the hip surgeon who told me I was too fat for laporoscopic hip surgery and that he didn't want to operate on me in any case until I'd lost weight. He recommended weight loss surgery. I was stunned and humiliated. I was one of those people who never knew how to ask for help, I thought I had to do everything by myself. I even asked the doctor, tearfully.... at 255 pounds... "You don't think I can do it on my own?" which in hindsight was kind of laughable. If I could have done it on my own, would I be sitting there at 255 pounds?

I drove myself crazy with research, I read every online post-surgery diary and blog I could find, watched surgery performed on You Tube, went to seminars and support group meetings. My brain was on overload, but it was worth it. I went into my decision being about as well informed as anyone could be (and I think everyone going into this surgery has a responsibility to do that).

I wish you the best in your research and preparation. It can be a bumpy road but it's exciting, and a whole lot better than struggling with the scale by yourself behind closed doors!

janieb · July 19, 2008

Pat, you will not regret it if you decide to go ahead with this surgery. Honestly, all the hard work you've done in the past, successfully losing weight and then (we all can identify) gaining it back, it won't be like that for you after you have the lapband put in. Best of all, I was pre-diabetic before surgery and within a month after having surgery my numbers went down drastically.

I had changed doctors and my new one was (what I thought) very hard on me concerning my weight. I couldn't believe how seriously he spoke to me about the dangers of being overweight and to my amazement I burst into tears. (Crying in front of people is not something I do, normally!) Any other doctor I've ever had would say, try harder to lose weight...I would always leave the office and say, THIS time I'm going to succeed. I'd go to WW and sit through the same old same old. But, now things are different for me since I had the surgery. I'm not "tortured" by food anymore. It doesn't take center stage in my life. I've lost 45 lbs. without starving. Normal quantities of food fill me up. What a relief! I hope all goes well for you and your decision about the surgery. I really think you'll be pleased, even though the months leading up to getting ready seem a little difficult, it will all be worth it!