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Newbie – researching for bariatric surgery

Maria62

Member
Hi! For a few years now my doctors have wanted me to consider the option of bariatric surgery for weight loss. Due to having 2 foot/ankle surgeries (both feet) and 1 knee replacement surgery over the last year and a half, was not able to do too much research. I attended a seminar in July and finally was able to meet with the surgeon on Monday to discuss a little bit more. Unfortunately, since I wasn't committing at the time we didn't get into too much detail. I know in my heart that if I do the surgery that there are many benefits, examples: getting off a lot of medications, curing my sleep apnea, feeling better about myself, etc. Overall, becoming healthy and gaining control over my life!!! Right now what's holding me back is psychological. I have failed at many many weight-loss attempts over the years and I'm afraid that I will fail again if I go through with this procedure. I start out committed but slowly bad habits start creeping in again. Because of this, I am concerned that I will not be able to adhere to the post surgery way of life diet. Has anyone experienced this concern? If so, what steps did you take to help resolve this concern? I have joined this forum with the hopes of gaining more knowledge and support while I make this decision. Thanks for listening.
 
Hi! For a few years now my doctors have wanted me to consider the option of bariatric surgery for weight loss. Due to having 2 foot/ankle surgeries (both feet) and 1 knee replacement surgery over the last year and a half, was not able to do too much research. I attended a seminar in July and finally was able to meet with the surgeon on Monday to discuss a little bit more. Unfortunately, since I wasn't committing at the time we didn't get into too much detail. I know in my heart that if I do the surgery that there are many benefits, examples: getting off a lot of medications, curing my sleep apnea, feeling better about myself, etc. Overall, becoming healthy and gaining control over my life!!! Right now what's holding me back is psychological. I have failed at many many weight-loss attempts over the years and I'm afraid that I will fail again if I go through with this procedure. I start out committed but slowly bad habits start creeping in again. Because of this, I am concerned that I will not be able to adhere to the post surgery way of life diet. Has anyone experienced this concern? If so, what steps did you take to help resolve this concern? I have joined this forum with the hopes of gaining more knowledge and support while I make this decision. Thanks for listening.

Welcome.

We have all been where you are right now; unsure, afraid you will gain it back, psychological issues with losing weight permanently, etc. etc.,

First you talk about many improvements. Let me list mine. You will see a common pattern that we all achieve when succeeding with this surgery:

Accomplishments as a result of my Bariatric Gastric Bypass (11/4/2013)

• Diabetes resolved – off all meds, avg reading 110
• BP normal again – I am still taking bystolic 5mg. Resting pulse is around 60 and BP near or below 120/80. Without the bystolic my resting pulse is still in the 60s. However, my BP goes up to the high 130s/high 80s.
• Sleep Apnea resolved – I am not snoring nor do I believe I am stopping breathing. I will confirm this later this year.
• Legs no longer swollen
• Waist size has shrunk – Wearing size 44 pants
• Feet are smaller – I was able to put a pair of dress shoes on that I haven’t been able to wear.
• I stay under 1200 calories a day. Most days around 1000 calories.
• I have a lot more energy and I can dance, dance and dance!
• I can walk up neighborhood hills aggressively without having to stop; no longer breathless.
• My incontinence due to my prostatectomy has been resolved.
• I am able to sleep in my bed again. I had been sleeping In an upright chair to be comfortable.
• Dramatically reduced backaches; almost completely gone.
• I can bend over and tie my shoes now and I can see my toes.
• I can do dance steps again that I couldn’t do. The belly is gone!
• Now wearing size 42 slacks.
• Starting to sleep on my side again! This has happened in years!
• Intimacy much improved !!! 
• Fit in to a small diner booth !
• I can run up and down stairs several times without becoming breathless
• I squeeze out between two cars that were tightly parked together. A year ago I couldn’t get out of the car; I would be trapped.
• I squeezed into a size 38 pair of pants. (6/1/2014)
• Sleeping on side is comfortable now. (6/1/2014)
• Sleeping flat on my back is doing fine too. No longer need to be propped up. (6/1/2014)
• I have reached my goal of under 200. I weigh 197 (9/9/2014)
• Size 38 Pants fitting comfortably now (9/9/2014)

Now, take a good look at my list. You mentioned many of the major opportunities to improve your health.

I recently past my first anniversary of the surgery 11/14/2014. I have been maintaining since mid July 2014.

What this surgery does for you in terms of health benefits is to give you a new lease on life. For me, I am 70 right now; I have a legitimate chance now of making 80 or more. Without this surgery I do believe I would not make it to 80. So, let me put it in these terms for you. I don't know your age and I don't know if you have thought about it. I suspect you are getting there based on ankle and knee surgery, etc., etc.

Another important factor is the surgery is only a tool. You get a new lease on life and you have about a year to a year and a half to learn a new way of eating. Food is no longer the center of your life. Portions are smaller. For the first several months you cannot consume a lot. So, you get a good head start.

Can you fail? Sure you can. There are people who went through all this only to destroy it by going back to old habits, restretching their stomach and gaining all the weight back.

Go and research the statistics on this.

I will do the same and come back with some statistics for you as well. What I will tell you is you have a huge opportunity to be successful, happier and healthier.

You should have a good support group too; especially from your surgeon's office. There should be a nutritionist that you visit, a bariatric psychologist, the Doctor, the physicians assistants, all of whom are available to you to answer any and all questions and help you as you progress post op.

I still enjoy everything that I want. I have cookies, ice cream, pasta, etc., However, it is constrained by parameters such as not exceeding 1200 calories a day until you reach goal. Now that I am at goal I allow myself to consume around 1800 calories per day.

If I find that my weight starts to creep up, I immediately go back to a more conservative eating pattern and try not to exceed 1200 again; usually I end up between 1200 to 1500 calories.


These are all new disciplines for me; disciplines to assure success and happiness.

My message to you is DO IT !!!

Learn the new habits and begin to enjoy a healthier and happier life.

Best wishes,

Ralph
 
Thanks so much Ralph for your input!! I am impressed with your results and admire your dedication and commitment!! As for my age, I am 52. When I met with the surgeon, he did hand me a checklist of what needed to be done (steps) before the surgery. The psychologist and the nutritionist were at the top. He also told me the approximate weight I needed to lose before the surgery. We did not discuss which surgery option (gastric bypass or sleeve) that would be best for me. I will take your advice and research the statistics. Thanks again!!

Maria
 
Thanks so much Ralph for your input!! I am impressed with your results and admire your dedication and commitment!! As for my age, I am 52. When I met with the surgeon, he did hand me a checklist of what needed to be done (steps) before the surgery. The psychologist and the nutritionist were at the top. He also told me the approximate weight I needed to lose before the surgery. We did not discuss which surgery option (gastric bypass or sleeve) that would be best for me. I will take your advice and research the statistics. Thanks again!!

Maria

I chose the gastric bypass. It has been the gold standard for years now. It had the benefit of immediately resolving/controlling my T2 diabetes. This was the main factor for me choosing gastric bypass vs the sleeve.

Having said that many people are now opting for the sleeve. From what I gather it helps resolve T2 diabetes as well. I don't know enough about it other than they do gain control as they lose weight. I don't know whether or not there was an immediate control of diabetes as evident with the gastric bypass. It is a moot point for me at this time. I am hearing there may be a quick resolution with the sleeve.

The success statistics with the gastric bypass are excellent. The sleeve is still relatively new albeit it is gaining populatiryt and more and more people are choosing the sleeve.

So, look into this further and then decide which one. I have seen successes with either procedure.

Ralph
 
Hi! For a few years now my doctors have wanted me to consider the option of bariatric surgery for weight loss. Due to having 2 foot/ankle surgeries (both feet) and 1 knee replacement surgery over the last year and a half, was not able to do too much research. I attended a seminar in July and finally was able to meet with the surgeon on Monday to discuss a little bit more. Unfortunately, since I wasn't committing at the time we didn't get into too much detail. I know in my heart that if I do the surgery that there are many benefits, examples: getting off a lot of medications, curing my sleep apnea, feeling better about myself, etc. Overall, becoming healthy and gaining control over my life!!! Right now what's holding me back is psychological. I have failed at many many weight-loss attempts over the years and I'm afraid that I will fail again if I go through with this procedure. I start out committed but slowly bad habits start creeping in again. Because of this, I am concerned that I will not be able to adhere to the post surgery way of life diet. Has anyone experienced this concern? If so, what steps did you take to help resolve this concern? I have joined this forum with the hopes of gaining more knowledge and support while I make this decision. Thanks for listening.
,


Hi Maria!! WELCOME to the Forum!!!

I have been overweight since I was about 20 yrs old. Over time my weight crept up and up until I was super obese at 392lb. And I'm only 5 ft 4 inches. I had numerous health issues, I had a pulmonary embolism, sleep apnea, blood pressure problems, heart failure. I was on many medications but I felt horrible most of the time. My doctors encouraged me to have bariatric surgery but I wasn't sure and I procrastinated for 10 yrs. I thought I should be able to do this on my own. I tried many diets but I lost very little weight and Would gain weight back just looking at food. My Cardiologist then talked to me and told me that a gastric bypass was my only hope. He has had other patients who had been overweight for years, drop to a normal weight with surgery. I decided to go for it! I didn't make the decision lightly. I was 64 yrs old and worried I might not make it through surgery, especially with my breathing problems. I found a Bariatric Surgeon of Excellence who performed over 2000 bariatric operations and never lost a single patient. I put my trust in him and never looked back. After surgery it was easy to lose weight because my stomach held 2 oz and I felt really full after eating a very small amount. I had the R-N-Y bypass because I wanted all the help I could get not absorbing as many calories. I could stay enthusiastic about losing weight because I actually was losing weight as long as I followed the rules my weight was melting away. Sure there are plateaus as your body adjusts to your weight loss but then the weight starts melting away again. I never was hungry and ate slowly, chewed my food well to give time that my brain could get the message that I was full.

As Ralph said and I agree completely, surgery is only a tool, but it is a powerful tool that will give you the edge to beat this if you desire to lose your excess weight. Follow the plan and you will be rewarded. I had to give my whole wardrobe away to GoodWill several times now. Had to buy smaller sizes over and over again.. AWESOME!!! I wear a size 16 now instead of a 5X. I feel like a normal person now. I'm off most of my meds and never felt better. My heart tests show my heart to be in the normal range now. Sleep Apnea is gone now no more sleeping hooked up to a machine. My lungs now have 99 -100% oxygen saturation. I feet great!!!

I waited 10 yrs before I decided to go ahead with this surgery. I am only sorry I waited so long to have it.

Good luck with your decision. :)


Cheyenne:cool:
 
Thanks for your input Cheyenne! I know the surgery is only a tool,, but a big one. I have been overweight to super obese since my early 20's, after the birth of my son. Like you, I have lost weight before, many times only to gain it back and then some. I even lost 50 lbs at one time, about 20 lbs to goal, but ended up gaining it back plus some. The last year and a half have been a real challenge with my 3 orthopedic surgeries. Both of my foot/ankle surgeries left me non-weight bearing on that particular foot for about 10 weeks each time. Thus, I have gained more weight. I think with me the obstacle in deciding to have the surgery is psychological. I know only 2 people who have had this surgery. One was a success and the other gained most of the weight back. Of course, psychologically I only seem to see the negative outcome. I know I need to deal with the negative thoughts extensively. In your opinion, would it be in my best interest to begin the process by agreeing to have the surgery so I can begin to deal with the psychological aspect and if I decide it is not for me, stop the process? Would this be a waste of my time and money? These are just some thoughts I have been contemplating. Thanks!!

Maria
 
Thanks for your input Cheyenne! I know the surgery is only a tool,, but a big one. I have been overweight to super obese since my early 20's, after the birth of my son. Like you, I have lost weight before, many times only to gain it back and then some. I even lost 50 lbs at one time, about 20 lbs to goal, but ended up gaining it back plus some. The last year and a half have been a real challenge with my 3 orthopedic surgeries. Both of my foot/ankle surgeries left me non-weight bearing on that particular foot for about 10 weeks each time. Thus, I have gained more weight. I think with me the obstacle in deciding to have the surgery is psychological. I know only 2 people who have had this surgery. One was a success and the other gained most of the weight back. Of course, psychologically I only seem to see the negative outcome. I know I need to deal with the negative thoughts extensively. In your opinion, would it be in my best interest to begin the process by agreeing to have the surgery so I can begin to deal with the psychological aspect and if I decide it is not for me, stop the process? Would this be a waste of my time and money? These are just some thoughts I have been contemplating. Thanks!!

Maria

I also started my weight gain after the birth of my son. We have much in common. I was very unsure about surgery in the beginning. Sure I always wanted to lose the weight but felt that I just didn't know if I wanted to go through surgery. What made me decide was that when I turned 60 I became very sick with many health problems. If I didn't lose the weight I knew I was going to die. When I was in my 50's I was healthy as a horse despite my weight. I had always been healthy up until I turned 60. By the time I decided I not only wanted surgery but I desperately NEEDED bariatric surgery, my failing health made surgery more risky. Don't wait until you develop major health problems. If you think you want to do it then do it while you are younger and healthier than you will be in your 60's. At first I wasn't sure if I could do it either but I had to be successful or I wasn't going to live much longer. If you decide to go for it, you can get support right here from us. I still have more weight to lose but if I never lose another pound I am happy and feel so wonderful, it's so amazing! I also need surgery on my knees, they are bone on bone and have been for 5 yrs but I decided to wait until I lost weight to get them fixed so it would be easier on me.

I can only tell you that this surgery has been successful for me and I never was successful before with any diet. I'm as sure as a person can be that I won't gain my weight back because I am more active now than I have been in years and I have other interests now other than sitting around thinking of food. No exercise and too much fattening food is a weight gaining combination.

Think about this long and hard. If you already have health problems in your early 50's then what will your health be like 10 yrs down the line? You need to think positive IF you decide to go for it. We will help you!!! You WILL be successful, there is no doubt. :) It's natural to feel unsure, we all felt that way in the beginning but only you can decide if you are ready to begin your journey.

Good Luck,


Cheyenne :cool:
 
I also started my weight gain after the birth of my son. We have much in common. I was very unsure about surgery in the beginning. Sure I always wanted to lose the weight but felt that I just didn't know if I wanted to go through surgery. What made me decide was that when I turned 60 I became very sick with many health problems. If I didn't lose the weight I knew I was going to die. When I was in my 50's I was healthy as a horse despite my weight. I had always been healthy up until I turned 60. By the time I decided I not only wanted surgery but I desperately NEEDED bariatric surgery, my failing health made surgery more risky. Don't wait until you develop major health problems. If you think you want to do it then do it while you are younger and healthier than you will be in your 60's. At first I wasn't sure if I could do it either but I had to be successful or I wasn't going to live much longer. If you decide to go for it, you can get support right here from us. I still have more weight to lose but if I never lose another pound I am happy and feel so wonderful, it's so amazing! I also need surgery on my knees, they are bone on bone and have been for 5 yrs but I decided to wait until I lost weight to get them fixed so it would be easier on me.

I can only tell you that this surgery has been successful for me and I never was successful before with any diet. I'm as sure as a person can be that I won't gain my weight back because I am more active now than I have been in years and I have other interests now other than sitting around thinking of food. No exercise and too much fattening food is a weight gaining combination.

Think about this long and hard. If you already have health problems in your early 50's then what will your health be like 10 yrs down the line? You need to think positive IF you decide to go for it. We will help you!!! You WILL be successful, there is no doubt. :) It's natural to feel unsure, we all felt that way in the beginning but only you can decide if you are ready to begin your journey.

Good Luck,


Cheyenne :cool:

Hi Cheyenne,

First of all Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hannukah.

Otherwise Happy Holiday. I hate just saying Happy Holiday. For me it is Merry Christmas. For my many close Jewish friends it is Happy Hannukah. For the rest of the world that doesn't believe or has way different beliefs, Happy Holiday.

Just don't tell me I cannot say Merry Christmas !!! :)

Off the podium.

It is amazing what you had to say. I also had similar thoughts. My main thought was if I have any chance of seeing my grandson growing up, I needed to lose the weight. I am about to be 71 this January. I want to see 80 and better.

I also hope to see my son command his own US Navy Submarine. Soon, he will be among the ranks of XO or second in command. I need to make it at least another 10 years to see him make CO or the Commander.

So, we had to lose the weight. At 80, my grandson will be 9 1/2. At 90 he will be 19 1/2 and on his way to a wonderful adulthood. I really need to stay in shape and pray for the best outcome.

However, I had to help myself first to have any chance of all this happening while I am still awhile.

It is interesting how mortality finally creeps up on you and it becomes a factor in your thinking.

Merry Christmas and many more Cheyenne.

Ralph
 
Hi Cheyenne,

First of all Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hannukah.

Otherwise Happy Holiday. I hate just saying Happy Holiday. For me it is Merry Christmas. For my many close Jewish friends it is Happy Hannukah. For the rest of the world that doesn't believe or has way different beliefs, Happy Holiday.

Just don't tell me I cannot say Merry Christmas !!! :)

Off the podium.

It is amazing what you had to say. I also had similar thoughts. My main thought was if I have any chance of seeing my grandson growing up, I needed to lose the weight. I am about to be 71 this January. I want to see 80 and better.

I also hope to see my son command his own US Navy Submarine. Soon, he will be among the ranks of XO or second in command. I need to make it at least another 10 years to see him make CO or the Commander.

So, we had to lose the weight. At 80, my grandson will be 9 1/2. At 90 he will be 19 1/2 and on his way to a wonderful adulthood. I really need to stay in shape and pray for the best outcome.

However, I had to help myself first to have any chance of all this happening while I am still awhile.

It is interesting how mortality finally creeps up on you and it becomes a factor in your thinking.

Merry Christmas and many more Cheyenne.

Ralph


Merry Christmas, Ralph!!! :)

You are right on spot. When I was younger I had time to diet, I felt ok and there was no real rush other than my vanity to lose weight. All of a sudden there was no time left. I felt it was do or die. Like you, I felt I wanted to see my grandkids grow up and be there for them. You must be so proud of your son!

Merry Christmas and many more to you too, Ralph! :)


Cheyenne
 
Merry Christmas, Ralph!!! :)

You are right on spot. When I was younger I had time to diet, I felt ok and there was no real rush other than my vanity to lose weight. All of a sudden there was no time left. I felt it was do or die. Like you, I felt I wanted to see my grandkids grow up and be there for them. You must be so proud of your son!

Merry Christmas and many more to you too, Ralph! :)


Cheyenne

Thank you.

Ralph
 
Cheyenne and Ralph,

Hope both of you had a wonderful day today--Merry Christmas! I have been sidetracked lately with all the holiday preparations. Finally tonight I have been able to find some "down time" and catch up a little on my email, etc.

Thank you both SOO much for your insight! You are an inspiration! I have a 2 year old grandson and a new grandchild on the way (June). I feel so ashamed and depressed that I cannot watch and play with my grandson right now. I KNOW I have to do something REAL SOON, especially if I want to be a part of their lives. I'm not quite sure what the feeling is, maybe jealousy???, when I see everyone else chase and play with my grandson now. I WANT to do this too. I know how good it feels when I lose weight. When I see that I have lost a couple pounds I am happy and the next thing I know I am sabotaging myself by eating more, gaining weight and plain feeling like a failure. It's almost like I am saying to myself ok you've done good and now I deserve a reward. I KNOW that is NOT the right thinking, but it's like a never-ending cycle.

Now that the holidays are beginning to wind down, I will be giving surgery more serious thought. My health is not the best right now, but right now nothing major. I take many, many meds and know I would be able to stop taking most of them if I lost weight. I will take in consideration both of your thoughts and not take to long to decide before it is a necessity.

Hope both of you have a wonderful New Year!!

Thanks!

Maria :eek:
 
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