Weight Loss Surgery If you've had it, or are considering it, share your discussions here

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Old 11-28-2012, 10:03 PM   #1  
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Smile Used to be against WLS but now I am signing up for it...

All my life I have been morbidly obese. Never thin or even chubby. Always fat. I have been on more diets than I can count. I have always been against WLS because I looked at it as an easy way out and I wanted to work hard for it. I was very uneducated about WLS. Well, here I am 35 years old and weighing 360 lbs. The most I have ever weighed. And now I am going to have WLS. I just started the process today. Waiting to see if my insurance approves it. I wised up to what WLS really is.... It will make me eat a particular way in order to save my life and it is going to be really hard work.
My question is: How long does it take from start to surgery date once the process gets started. I was told that I could possibly wait 6 months before i have the surgery.
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Old 11-29-2012, 04:43 AM   #2  
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I felt the same way about the surgery. But after learning more about it I found out it is still work. I also watched many people gain the weight back because they didn't follow the rules. How long it takes depends on your program. Mine was about 5 months because I had to have sleep tests done and told my dietician about a drink I had had. Alcoholism is a major worry in the WLS field. Exchanging one addiction for another. It is a big decision and the doctors want you to know what you are getting into. I had meetings with physical therapists..dieticians..a psychologist..finally the surgeon..attended many support group meetings. good luck
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Old 11-29-2012, 05:37 AM   #3  
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While my insurance had a six month supervised weight loss requirement, it took me a year, mostly because I struggled with losing the 40lbs my clinic required. My scenario is not typical, though.

I, too, was against WLS, although not because it was "the easy way out" but because I didn't want to modify a healthy digestive system. But it finally occurred to me that it wouldn't matter if my digestive system was healthy if I became bed-bound from pain and inactivity. My back issues had become so bad that I could barely walk 20 feet without excruciating spasms.

As an aside, the fact that weight loss is deemed a moral issue in our society truly aggravates me. You are a failure if you are overweight. You are a failure if you choose to take control of your life and lose weight via a surgical intervention. Apparently "true" weight loss should only occur if one "suffers," or else the notion of "easy way out" wouldn't be an issue. It is just so ridiculous. All one needs to do is read the comments of any article talking about an obese person to see this (which I unfortunately did this morning, when I read about a woman dying because an airline would not allow her to fly because of her weight).

Congrats for taking a step to improve your health! Do you know which procedure you would like to have?
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Old 11-29-2012, 06:05 AM   #4  
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I know that after everything that I have read I want the RNY surgery. It's the one that I think would be best for me. Too many complications associated with the band. The sleeve could be possibly more that one surgery and I would like to only have one. I have fantastic insurance because I work at a very well known hospital. I'm just waiting on them to get back to me with a consult appt. I'm just excited to get it all started.
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Old 11-30-2012, 12:58 PM   #5  
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Hi Lovegoddess. I registererd just so I could reply to your thread.
I am almost 35 and I have been fat my whole life. Like you I was against WLS and I considered it to be the easy way out. Recently I attended an informational meeting and learned just how wrong I was! I am considering the surgery after hitting a plateau after losing almost 100lbs on my own.
Thanks for your post. I look forward to following your progress

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Originally Posted by lovegoddess1977 View Post
All my life I have been morbidly obese. Never thin or even chubby. Always fat. I have been on more diets than I can count. I have always been against WLS because I looked at it as an easy way out and I wanted to work hard for it. I was very uneducated about WLS. Well, here I am 35 years old and weighing 360 lbs. The most I have ever weighed. And now I am going to have WLS. I just started the process today. Waiting to see if my insurance approves it. I wised up to what WLS really is.... It will make me eat a particular way in order to save my life and it is going to be really hard work.
My question is: How long does it take from start to surgery date once the process gets started. I was told that I could possibly wait 6 months before i have the surgery.
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Old 12-04-2012, 01:56 AM   #6  
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Hello Nouveau ,

I have to say that it is very nice to hear from you! It's always comforting to know that there is someone out there like you! What plan worked for you to lose the 100 that you have just recently lost? Thats fantastic! I am interested in hearing your story. Have you officially started the process yet? Looking forward to hearing from you!
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Old 12-04-2012, 03:04 PM   #7  
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Hiya!
You're definitely not alone. I'll bet there are lurkers who are in the same situation. I myself lurked off and on on this site since it's inception, way before they had forums even. Maybe if I had joined instead of lurking I'd be at goal by now!

Basically my plan (if I can even call it that) has been to exercise and eat differently. I made the changes in itsy bitsy baby steps though like drinking 16oz of soda instead of a liter and eating 2 slices of pizza with a serving of veg instead of 3 slices and nothing else. Also I joined Sparkpeople.com (I believe the link is okay) and found tons of support and tools over there. Oh, and I tried BistroMD for a couple of months. It is expensive but it helped me learn a different way to eat, the food was excellent, and I busted through my plateau like gangbusters. I've lost 85lbs so far but I've been at this same weight for a few months. I recently found out I have a heart condition with may or may not go away after WLS. Even if it doesn't go away I'm sure my heart will be happy to not have to work so hard. It's taken me 19 months to lose 85lbs and at this rate I may not be around long enough to lose all the weight.

I attended a WLS seminar at a local hospital last week and they are currently verifying my insurance. I don't have any comorbidities but at my BMI I should be automatically approved. I am also attending another info seminar next week at the sasme hospital where my manager had her WLS done.
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Old 12-04-2012, 03:22 PM   #8  
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After chatting with a coworker I wanted to add one more huge change I made and that was to think differently. I feel like I had to reprogram my mind. Instead of eating when I'm emotional I do other things, instead of mindless eating I am now conscious of every bite and every flavor. Okay that's enough from me!
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Old 12-04-2012, 06:15 PM   #9  
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Nouveau - i gotta chime in here. what you're doing - getting control, changing your relationship with food, REPROGRAMMING YOUR MIND, is the single most important thing you can do - whether you decide on WLS or not.

But with the WLS, unless you do all this WORK, living with the enforced changes will be EXTREMELY difficult. And for me, even now, more than 10 years out, there are STILL emotional slaps in the face about food that leave me wondering what's going on.

So, congratulations! you're doing a GREAT job here.
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Old 12-05-2012, 08:05 AM   #10  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeitgeist View Post
While my insurance had a six month supervised weight loss requirement, it took me a year, mostly because I struggled with losing the 40lbs my clinic required. My scenario is not typical, though.

I, too, was against WLS, although not because it was "the easy way out" but because I didn't want to modify a healthy digestive system. But it finally occurred to me that it wouldn't matter if my digestive system was healthy if I became bed-bound from pain and inactivity. My back issues had become so bad that I could barely walk 20 feet without excruciating spasms.

As an aside, the fact that weight loss is deemed a moral issue in our society truly aggravates me. You are a failure if you are overweight. You are a failure if you choose to take control of your life and lose weight via a surgical intervention. Apparently "true" weight loss should only occur if one "suffers," or else the notion of "easy way out" wouldn't be an issue. It is just so ridiculous. All one needs to do is read the comments of any article talking about an obese person to see this (which I unfortunately did this morning, when I read about a woman dying because an airline would not allow her to fly because of her weight).

Congrats for taking a step to improve your health! Do you know which procedure you would like to have?
You are a bit missinformed about this woman's case which you mentioned. Three airlines did about all in their power to get her into the plane. She had to be air lifted. Her husband refused to take her to a doctor in the country they were visiting where they had a second home. At one point they had her in the back three seats and the pilot deemed it unsafe and she had to be taken on the plane. Frankly, this lady needed to remain in the US with all her illnesses and close to the doctors. She had already an amputated leg and was ill. Who fed this woman all the food? She was immobilized in a wheelchair. Who didn't take her to a foreign doctor? This story really irked me because it must have been her husband who was the enabler and now he's suing the airlines.
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Old 12-05-2012, 08:49 AM   #11  
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Jiffypop - Thank you so very much for your words of encouragement . I actually feel like the emotional handle I have over food is one of the reasons I'm a good candidate for WLS. I've had a couple of "tests" in the last 18 months that normally would've driven me straight to the phone for pizza delivery and then to the store for sweets. I was so very proud of myself when I went through the first issue and instead of eating I just stood in the middle of my living room asking myself how I felt and what I was going to do about it. No more stuffing down feelings, now I deal with them even if it's not always the perfect way. But I try.

If I never lost another pound I am so very glad to have a hold on the emotional eating. I didn't realize how much it was controlling my life.
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Old 12-05-2012, 10:25 AM   #12  
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Theresa - i think the point of Zeitgeist's post was that we are all terrified that we will end up like that poor woman who died. Assigning blame [the husband, her, the airlines, whatever] wasn't the point - but the fact that being so heavy puts us at high risk of complications in something as simple as traveling, let alone our health and functioning. And once we're in that position, we're at the mercy of everyone around us, rather than being able to take care of ourselves and those around us.
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