Indecisive
 

Hi.
I am currently seeing a nutritionist in order to get cleared for wls. I understand the surgeon that I am going to has a preference for gastric bypass but I think that I want to have the gastric sleeve done. From what I have seen it seems to require the least intrusion and rewiring, and I dont think it comes with dumping syndrome (please correct me if im wrong). Since there seems to be quite a few people on here Im wondering which you choose and why. It seems that I am about two months away from being medically cleared, and Im starting to get super scared. I have started doing medifast to lose weight and some exercise, I keep telling myself that if I just get to a decent weight and then add portion control I will be fine, but alas I have lost weight before only to have it come back and bring its friends along. I dont want to keep setting myself up for failure, but I have all these guilt/shame issues over having my stomach cut off to achieve a goal. Did you guys feel like this? How did you get over it? Finally, to make the process even more complicated, I have recently been watching videos of loose skin online and it can be terrifying to be honest. There seems to be no way of determining (at least that I can see) if your stomach will bounce back, or lay on the floor. I want to lose weight to feel good about my body for the first time ever and Im not sure I will if I can tie my belly in a bow. Some of the women in the videos actually said they regretted the surgery and hated their bodies more. What have your experiences been? I know it sounds stupid to prefer your baggy skin full of lard, but I am doing so much work (already honestly) that I would be so disappointed to find my expectation cant meet my reality. Any advice is welcome. Thanks

Well, I wanted the sleeve but GERD issues eliminated that choice, so I have a distal RNY. I wouldn't necessarily say, though, that the sleeve is the least intrusive. Yes, you don't have any intestines bypassed, but they do remove a large portion of your stomach, whereas with the RNY, your stomach remains in the body and the surgery can be "reversed" if serious complications develop.

I have loose skin and yes, it is disturbing some times. However, a good body shaper hides so much and only you (and your partner if that applies) will ever see it. When I occasionally get annoyed with my appearance, all I have to do is open up my preop pictures and reality comes back in a flash. I didn't go this route for vanity, but for health, and as much as I'd love a beautiful body, I'm so happy that my comorbidities are gone and I am so much more active and painfree.

There is no way of determining if you'll have a little loose skin or a lot. Options do exist, though, if the loose skin is too bothersome. Many people get tummy tucks and other cosmetic surgery procedures to eliminate their problem areas.

I guess it comes down to what you want out of the surgery and what your expectations are. One of the reasons surgeons require psych evals is to make sure the surgical candidate realizes that WLS is not a panacea where everything becomes perfect. You might not lose all your weight, you might have a ton of excess skin, you might have food intolerances for life, etc. Only you can examine your expectations to determine if they are realistic or not.

I choose RNY for the dumping syndrome...yes, I did it to myself. I was/am a carb addict and needed and still need the kick in the pants but not all people that have the GBP have the syndrome. So it was luck that I did and still do.

I'm not sure if it's more or less invasive, mine was laparoscopic and it was easier to recover from the surgery than an open procedure. It was enough to deal with the post op life style. It's hard to let go of a coping mechanism like over eating...(get counseling pre and post op, saved me and keep me from switching additions!)

As for the skin issue...after I had lost the first 120lbs I had a Fleur de Lis abdominoplasty. My stomach was where I held all my weight. I went to Salt Lake medical university to have it done because the price was a 1/3 of any local doc. (wouldn't recommend plastics if you can avoid them, THEY HURT!!) I still have the floppy arms and thighs but I think that as a grandmother, I'm allowed. hehehe