Recent Posts
Topic: Have a consultation booked with Dr. Sampath but uneasy about surgery
I'm new to all of this so excuse me for stumbling for words and proper terms. I guess this whole journey began when I was little. I used to be extremely underweight until I had a major operation and was put on calorie suppliments to gain weight. My weight went downhill from here. I was always an active kid who loved her sugar but ran it off. It all evened until I hit puberty, started home schooling, ended up in a hospital bed for three months without being allowed to move...and so on. These sound like excuses but they're really not. I am active. It's just my motivation sucks. I'll walk but I like walking to a goal. A place. When I take take backpacking vacations, the weight comes flying off because I'm constantly moving around. But as soon as I sit down, this weight comes back. It seems like a neverending battle.
I'm not extremely overweight. I'm 190 pounds. But I'm short. I'm only 5'0. I luckily don't have any breathing issues or diabetes problems. I'm healthy but overweight with sore knees, back problems, breasts that are way too big for my frame, and my self confidence goes down the drain when I look in the mirror. More than anything, I'd love to go to the mall and try on clothing without standing in the changeroom in tears.
I've been to numerious doctors who have said to "go on a diet" and "go to the gym". I'm already on a so-called diet. I've stuck to a low fat, low sugar 1200 calorie diet for years. I can't afford a gym membership but I do aerobics when I can during the week thanks to my Wii. I've actually managed to lose 18 pounds in the last few months. It's not enough though.
About a year ago, my mother went to my doctor and told him to fill out a referral to Dr. Sampath for me. He did and a few weeks ago, I got a consultation appointment. During this year waiting for the appointment, I've been having second thoughts though. I need help. I need some other support along with my diet and work-out. I believe surgery will provide this extra support. But I don't want the surgery to be drastic. I'm not that big and I don't think my body can handle anymore surgery complications (I've had over 40 surgeries during my lifetime already). I want the less drastic gastic band (like the Lapband) but MSP doesn't cover it and I cannot afford to pay for it myself. All of my money is for college right now. My second choice was the sleeve. It's covered but I've heard so many horror stories about it. How it's worse than a full gastic bypass and the staples get infected, people get malnorished and they can never eat anything solid again. I want to lose weight but I also want to be able to eat an apple and not just drink the juice through a straw. So I don't know what to do. I haven't cancelled my consultation yet. I'm hoping Dr. Sampath can do the sleeve but leave it bigger than normal. Has anyone heard of a surgeon doing that?
Any advice would be helpful. No one around me has had weight loss surgery. Except one friend and he can't eat anything but apple sauce because of his surgery. So he's not very supportive.
Thank you!
I'm not extremely overweight. I'm 190 pounds. But I'm short. I'm only 5'0. I luckily don't have any breathing issues or diabetes problems. I'm healthy but overweight with sore knees, back problems, breasts that are way too big for my frame, and my self confidence goes down the drain when I look in the mirror. More than anything, I'd love to go to the mall and try on clothing without standing in the changeroom in tears.
I've been to numerious doctors who have said to "go on a diet" and "go to the gym". I'm already on a so-called diet. I've stuck to a low fat, low sugar 1200 calorie diet for years. I can't afford a gym membership but I do aerobics when I can during the week thanks to my Wii. I've actually managed to lose 18 pounds in the last few months. It's not enough though.
About a year ago, my mother went to my doctor and told him to fill out a referral to Dr. Sampath for me. He did and a few weeks ago, I got a consultation appointment. During this year waiting for the appointment, I've been having second thoughts though. I need help. I need some other support along with my diet and work-out. I believe surgery will provide this extra support. But I don't want the surgery to be drastic. I'm not that big and I don't think my body can handle anymore surgery complications (I've had over 40 surgeries during my lifetime already). I want the less drastic gastic band (like the Lapband) but MSP doesn't cover it and I cannot afford to pay for it myself. All of my money is for college right now. My second choice was the sleeve. It's covered but I've heard so many horror stories about it. How it's worse than a full gastic bypass and the staples get infected, people get malnorished and they can never eat anything solid again. I want to lose weight but I also want to be able to eat an apple and not just drink the juice through a straw. So I don't know what to do. I haven't cancelled my consultation yet. I'm hoping Dr. Sampath can do the sleeve but leave it bigger than normal. Has anyone heard of a surgeon doing that?
Any advice would be helpful. No one around me has had weight loss surgery. Except one friend and he can't eat anything but apple sauce because of his surgery. So he's not very supportive.
Thank you!
Topic: RE: Vancouver WLS Support Meeting
Hi!
Can I safely assume this is open to anyone? I've never been to a meeting and would like to join for the support. Do I need to bring anything, besides myself? Let me know please.
Thank you. Heather
Can I safely assume this is open to anyone? I've never been to a meeting and would like to join for the support. Do I need to bring anything, besides myself? Let me know please.
Thank you. Heather
Topic: Vancouver WLS Support Meeting
Our June meeting will be held on Thursday, June 7, 7pm - 830 pm at Mount Saint Joseph's Hospital (Kingsway and 12th area). The meeting is in the Sister Germaine Roy Conference Room.
Hope to see you there, pm me if you have any questions!
Hope to see you there, pm me if you have any questions!
Margo - Burnaby, British Columbia HW 283 / SW 269 / GW 160 (I'm 5'8")
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
Check out my blog at http://www.vsggoodlife.com/
Topic: RE: The things you learn along this journey..
WAY TO GO!!!!! Keep up the great work!!! Success will always be on your side, as long as you keep your head out of the sand.
Barb
Barb
Topic: RE: The things you learn along this journey..
Congrats on your weight loss!!!!! You are very right, a huge part of this journey is the head games. I had RNY and not VSG, but I still have times that I wonder if I am the person that will fail at this surgery. A huge congrats on recognizing what was going on in your head and picking yourself up and carrying on, that is a huge step in this journey. Keep up the excellent work and I hope that you get some awesome numbers at your next weigh in.
Topic: The things you learn along this journey..
Hello all,
I was sleeved on April 10th of this year, and did rather well at the beginning. I lost 23 lbs on the pre-op liquid diet and another 11 lbs in 2 weeks post-op. I was really happy till I hit my 4 week check in. Some how, some way, I managed to put on 1 1/2 lbs. I was crushed, angry and sooooo frustrated. Thought " WTH...why did I put myself through this? I could have put on the weight and not even bothered with the surgery."
Despite Nooshin's assurances and words of encouragement, I still beat myself up quite badly with, what I call, my emotional baseball bat. It really rattled my cage, and I began to wonder if I was a failure, that I had convinced myself and the people I love, to believe in a pipe dream.
At some point, I'm unsure when, I realized I was only hurting myself and cracked down. Started watching everything I ate and documented it, walked more, talked to my surgery buddy, drank my water and read this website religiously. I realized quickly, that I may have simply hit a bump in the road and that I was still in control of the car, I just had to keep on motoring along!
Understand one thing, I don't own a scale. I'm a big, big girl ( 465 at my top weight and only 5' 8" ) and I simply couldn't bear to see that number, nor did home scales even come close to reading that. So, head firmly planted in the sand, I vowed never to own a scale. I only get weighed by Nooshin or Dr. Zentner; that's the number I trust.
So, without knowing exactly why I gained weight, combined with the self blame/guilt and out n' out fear of failure, I became a little obsessive about my weight, unsure if I was doing this right.
Wasn't until recently, when I started to notice small things like, no longer needing my seat belt extender in the car, I could slide into a booth at a restaurant, and have clearance room, not have to rock myself a couple of times just to get my large butt up off the couch. Small, wonderful changes that others didn't notice, suddenly made my day. I dared to have hope and wondered if all my worrying was un-necessary.
Yesterday I did something I've been wanting to do but held back out of fear of the results. I went through my closet and drawers and tried on clothes. To my great pleasure( and a little dismay) I am able to fit into clothes I couldn't wear before and even felt pride when I put on clothes that had become too big! Some of those were my fav tops...darn it! Ok, I'll admit it...I cried.... but the tears were quickly replaced by the biggest " Cheshire cat" grin you've ever seen.
I've obviously been losing inches, despite my fears, and it's almost impossible to bring me down from this cloud nine. I don't recall eating anything that tasted as sweet as this victory.
I'm treating myself today..I'm getting a pedi. I feel good, I look good and I deserve this!
I hope you all have as good a day and for any future losers reading this, I know this is scary and the journey will have bumps but rest assured...the grass is greener on this side of the fence, you just have to get over it. I, for one, will be there to help. Heather
I was sleeved on April 10th of this year, and did rather well at the beginning. I lost 23 lbs on the pre-op liquid diet and another 11 lbs in 2 weeks post-op. I was really happy till I hit my 4 week check in. Some how, some way, I managed to put on 1 1/2 lbs. I was crushed, angry and sooooo frustrated. Thought " WTH...why did I put myself through this? I could have put on the weight and not even bothered with the surgery."
Despite Nooshin's assurances and words of encouragement, I still beat myself up quite badly with, what I call, my emotional baseball bat. It really rattled my cage, and I began to wonder if I was a failure, that I had convinced myself and the people I love, to believe in a pipe dream.
At some point, I'm unsure when, I realized I was only hurting myself and cracked down. Started watching everything I ate and documented it, walked more, talked to my surgery buddy, drank my water and read this website religiously. I realized quickly, that I may have simply hit a bump in the road and that I was still in control of the car, I just had to keep on motoring along!
Understand one thing, I don't own a scale. I'm a big, big girl ( 465 at my top weight and only 5' 8" ) and I simply couldn't bear to see that number, nor did home scales even come close to reading that. So, head firmly planted in the sand, I vowed never to own a scale. I only get weighed by Nooshin or Dr. Zentner; that's the number I trust.
So, without knowing exactly why I gained weight, combined with the self blame/guilt and out n' out fear of failure, I became a little obsessive about my weight, unsure if I was doing this right.
Wasn't until recently, when I started to notice small things like, no longer needing my seat belt extender in the car, I could slide into a booth at a restaurant, and have clearance room, not have to rock myself a couple of times just to get my large butt up off the couch. Small, wonderful changes that others didn't notice, suddenly made my day. I dared to have hope and wondered if all my worrying was un-necessary.
Yesterday I did something I've been wanting to do but held back out of fear of the results. I went through my closet and drawers and tried on clothes. To my great pleasure( and a little dismay) I am able to fit into clothes I couldn't wear before and even felt pride when I put on clothes that had become too big! Some of those were my fav tops...darn it! Ok, I'll admit it...I cried.... but the tears were quickly replaced by the biggest " Cheshire cat" grin you've ever seen.
I've obviously been losing inches, despite my fears, and it's almost impossible to bring me down from this cloud nine. I don't recall eating anything that tasted as sweet as this victory.
I'm treating myself today..I'm getting a pedi. I feel good, I look good and I deserve this!
I hope you all have as good a day and for any future losers reading this, I know this is scary and the journey will have bumps but rest assured...the grass is greener on this side of the fence, you just have to get over it. I, for one, will be there to help. Heather
Topic: RE: June 6
Yeah, I have a small hernia in my belly button that he is going to fix.
I am happy with my weight loss so far, seems to have stalled yet again but I'll just keep doing what I'm suppose to and it will start moving again.
Good luck with your surgery on the 25th, it'll be here before you know it!!!!
I am happy with my weight loss so far, seems to have stalled yet again but I'll just keep doing what I'm suppose to and it will start moving again.
Good luck with your surgery on the 25th, it'll be here before you know it!!!!
Topic: RE: June 6
wow look at your weight loss, apparently you are doing well. I go for surgery on june 25th with Dr S.
good luck on the 6th, more surgery?
K
good luck on the 6th, more surgery?
K
Topic: June 6
Just wondering how many of us have appointments on June 6??? I am scheduled for surgery that afternoon with Dr. Sampath and know that there are at least a few that have follow-up appointments on that day with him as well.
Most Active
Recent Topics
Nutracelle Giveaway Extravaganza: Over $1,600 Worth of Prizes! Includes Canada!
Kathy S. · 0 replies · 886 views
Kathy S. · 0 replies · 886 views
