The pros and cons of WLS

Lets look at the Pros first! 

-  you can walk for miles
-  your thighs no longer smoke from rubbing together so much
-   you can sit on the floor with little ones...and still get back up without a crane
-  you are no longer the "biggest" in the room
-  you can do new things...things you never did, or have not done in years.  I learned to down hill ski a few weeks ago.  Imagine...at 46 and living near a ski hill...I just started ! 
-  you can shop in normal store
-  your feet shrink and you don't have nearly as much feet/ankle swelling in summer
- you feel so much better about yourself
- you get control of your eating, you control food and not the other way around.
-  you start to like how you look in white!
-  you don't spill nearly as much food on your boobies!  In fact almost never
- you can walk up a flight of steps easy peasy, several flights in fact.
- your confidence is boosted
- you don't mind being in photos.  An you are not the wide one in the photo anymore. In fact, you look fantastic in photos.  Mirrors too!!!  Photos and Mirrors are your new BEST FRIENDS!

and the cons...
- well ... not worth mentioning with all these great pros...any more ideas?
-

 Wow! this is quite a list .I'm sure we can all relate!  In addition to these how about:

- sitting in a captains chair and not having it "bite" your butt
- tying your shoes and not feeling like your eyes will pop out
- having enough lap to hold a child
- And mirrors - not having to search for one that doesn't "make you look" big
- not worrying about "if this gives way - someone is gonna get hurt!" 

Too cute and way so real! Cannot forget wearing a belt. I cannot wait to wear a belt.. As Bling-Bling and not for actually holding up your pants.

I am in the middle of many pros at the moment - on vacation this year compared to what I could do a year ago..... WOW !

Now I can get up and down off the chaise and not be performing an aerobic activity.... also my back doesnt hurt when I am laying out on the chaise - oh and lets not forget I have room in the chaise it is wider than I am and I can even lay in one with arms ......

I am getting a tan on my neck and above my boobs/chest - ok for years I would notice this spot that didnt tan that would be because my number of chins shaded it and it didnt get tanned there like around my adams apple area- do I have one of those as a woman ? LOL-Oh and I can put suntan lotion on all by myself except for my back.... I can reach my legs and back of arms its very cool!

I came with 2 bathingsuits and bought 2 more and I had choices and ended up buying a smaller size and although I am struggling with my body image - I am not totally embarrased to be seen in them. I dont sit in the cover up cause someone we know might walk by and I go in the water and play with my daughter.....

I can shop at regular stores and not have to find the specialty stores... there are so many more sales at the regular stores -lol

I want to go out in the evening too see people at the Conference at the night time events and last year I hid in my room cause I hated being the biggest person in the room.... I couldnt wear the trendy stylish outfits ..... now I cant wait to get dressed up and show off my new clothes.....

Now this may seem silly but a year ago in Jamaica there was a lazy river where you lay on a innertube and float around this lil river -well I could not jump up on one nor could it fit over my boobs so I could lay on it that way - it was a big disappointment and I felt so down about it when my daughter would ask for me to go on it with her- the only way I could try to flop onto one was if my husband was not in meetings and could hold it for me - oh god it was embarrasing well the first week the resort we were at had a lazy river ride and not only can I lay on the intertube I can fit on it and cross my legs I can fall off and get myself back on - I easily fit thru the hole and it was nothing I just am able and smaller and more strong and fit. It was such a huge feat to be able to do all this and a year ago I couldnt.

I am so changed in so many ways and what I wanted most out of weight loss surgery was health and happiness.......... I am so much healthier and I am now
enjoying life and participating and I am no****ching life pass me by anymore... I am a player not an observer....

thanks for listening guys....

hugs
deb

In the Fall of 07 I went to Whislter for work. One of the activities was zip-trekking. I had done all the research ahead of time to make sure I was well under the maximum weight limit and I asked one of our hosts if she thought I was going to be able to participate, she said absolutely.

When we got to the place, we all went to a designated area to put the safety harness on. I had one of the guide yanking on this harness trying to get it over mu butt and ny stomach. When it was finally in place, he tells me that the harness was too tight and he didn't think it would be safe for me to go. Then he had to yank the harness off while I grabbed hold of my pants to make sure they didnn't come off with the harness.

This incident was without a doubt, the most embarrasing fat moment of my life. One of my goals is to go back to Whistler and go do that zip trek tour with my son when he graduates.

So yeah, health benefits are tops. Being able to LIVE life and enjoy physical activities with my kids is another.

Jet

Hate to put a bummer on this upbeat thread but I do have some cons.

It may be just early out cons and I may feel differently in a year but for right now..... Since surgery on Feb 12, EVERYTHING I put into my mouth tastes like poop smells. I am unable to eat anyhting and like it.. That may sound good to many of you but let me assure you that gets old fast.

For the past 2 1/2 weeks I have not been able to eat solid food. Soup and liquids gets old fast too when you are always hungry but cannot eat. So yes there are cons. Most wls people will never experience this and that's great but be informed, some of us do.
 
I am just praying that in time this will pass but there is no guarntee that it will. No guarntee that my taste will come back either. So right now I am definately not loving my RNY and have serious regrets. I don't want to live this way forever. Again, I may feel differrently once I am able to eat and I get back my taste.
 
Just to inform you, there are real cons to wls too, it's not all sunshine and lollipops.

Maggie

Hang on I know exactly what you are going thru for my first
4 -5 months I had buyers remorse and thought my god what have I done..... everything I read on OH was not my story or what I was going thru so hugs hon it will get better.....

You need to see Dr B and see if indeed you have a stricture - they were sure that is what I had but I didnt and had to suffer until my pouch healed and it took its good ol time and food and liquids were not my friend - I was so ill and more in the hospital than out..... then so sick from pneumonia...... so when I say I know what you are going thru really I do - and if you havent experienced the foul altered food taste you cant imagine that nothing is appealing - I am now 9 months out and food tastes good again that weird foul taste has now past..... the only thing I was lucky about was I was not hungry and did not care I couldnt eat but its also one of the reasons I got so sick..... I can only sympathize with you if you are going thru this and actually hungry on top of it.

Nope it is definitely not all sunshine and lollipops but it does get better and the sun does come out ..... just hang in there and make sure you get the medical help you need.

Thinking of you and sending prayers and healing vibes your way... take care of yourself

Huge hugs and we are all here for you anytime just ask or vent away.....
deb

Thank you so much Deb. I surely hope that what you say happens to me too. Right now I most certainly do have buyers remorse and wondering what in God's name have I gotten myself into. As i said before in a yeaqr from noe this may be all in the past and nothing but a vague memory. Just not right now. I am hungry and super cranky. Soup just doesn't so it for me for this long with no definate end in sight.

-crossing my legs by accident!!!
-getting my legs out of the car without leaning back.
-not seeing my belly when I look down.
- being able to walk around the Mall without leaning on a cart.
--being able to dream of wearing nice clothes.

All this with only 33 pounds down!

well seeing that im the only one in nb that has had 3 surgeries for my band and i still think that its all pros and no cons and im at zero fills, im also down 20 inchs off my waist, from a 6x to a 2x and still going down