need advice about making the decsion for wls

I am new to this forum.  I am considering weight loss surgery and I would like some advice on what to do and what to expect.

First and foremost, welcome to our board!  We are here to answer all your questions.  I think the most important aspect for me was to first find out if my insurance covered weight loss surgery.  Then you need to select a surgeon.  It's best to find one close to home.  You will have a lot of appointments and follow up care.  Next would be to contact the surgeon's office and find out if they accept your insurance and follow their instructions on what you will need to do.  Not all surgeon's have the same requirements.  I researched many NC bariatric surgeons (not all of course) and found UNC Chapel Hill to have the best program for me.  Now they only do RNY and Lap Band at this time.  They are a small group, but their fees are the lowest, their presurgical requirements are easily done in a day or two... all right there at Chapel Hill.  Appointments take some time, probably a little longer than most.  But the head surgeon, Dr. Timothy Farrell ROCKS.  He's the best I've seen so far, as well as Dr. Overby.  I was amazed at how well they took care of me.  The entire process takes several months, no matter whom you go through.   Post surgical expect drastic change in smell and taste.  You won't ever eat the way you did before.  Expect to be healthier and happier; you will need to take vitamin and protein supplements pretty much for the rest of your life;  well worth the exchange.  I'm five months out and down 81 lbs.  Expect to shed some hair from the rapid weight loss.   I pray this was helpful!  Please feel free to ask any questions you may have! DianeF

I made the decision based on what my quality of life is today and where I saw myself in 10 years if I didn't do something drastic soon. I took about 2 years thinking and researching before I ever went to my first weight loss seminar hosted by the obesity research center in my area. By the time I went to that seminar I already knew the ins and outs of all the different types of procedures.  My advice to anyone considering weight loss surgery is to educate yourself as much as possible about the surgeries and the physicians so that you can make an informed decision about what is best for You.  I am 4 weeks post op and down 45 lbs total. I made the right decision for me, I know that in my heart and I have never even once doubted that decision.  Good luck!

As stated above - find out if your insurance covers the procedure... if they dont you have the option of self pay. I would do as much research as possible... read up about the different procedures online and how they work and the pros and cons of each. I would research surgeons in the area and get signed up for seminars to further educate yourself. Attending support groups in your area is a good way to see what people deal with post-op... both good and bad. If you are really interested and have done your homework I would make an appt with a surgeon and bring a list of questions to them.  Obesity help is a great resource but take what you are told with a grain of salt. Its good to hear peoples experiences but IMO what your surgeon has to say is really the most important. There is a WLS failures board here... its good to look over and see peoples issues but again take it with a grain of salt and ask a surgeon what THEIR patients have experienced. Same with post-op complications... since the surgeons do the surgery differently (even thou its the same procedure) their patients will have certain complications.. there are also many versions of the surgery out there as well (RNY, DS etc). As for what to expect... depends on what you decide to do... what procedure and what your insurance requires... Id say educating yourself is the most important at this point!

I think you answered your own question when you came here.  Your screen name is  My 3 babies.  That is enough reason to have surgery.  To see them grow up.  Good Luck with your decision.  We are here for you.

I second Diane and Karen's comments. This is such a huge, personal decision. You will undergo incredible changes, physically, phsycologically and emotionally. You'll need to have a team that you are comfortable with that can help you through it all.

Karen is right about complications. We don't really want to think that we might be part of the .5% for this or .004% for that, but the complications are real and should be considered. I had one of .004% variety. My surgeon was very competent and took care of the problem and I'm doing really well ... you can read about it on my profile if you want ... Complications included, I'd still do it again. I'm much healthier today than I was a year ago, even 3 months ago.

I also agree with Karen re: taking what you see and hear on the boards with a grain of salt. Once you decide to go with a Dr and his program, I think it's really imperative to follow that protocol ... There are almost as many different protocols as their are surgical practices, that doesn't mean one is right or wrong, just different; however, once you decide to go with someone be sure to do what they tell you. Sometimes I have questions re: things that come up on the board ... if so, I just contact my medical team, get their input and go on from there.

As Diane said, we are all here support each other and answer questions. And to be honest, I've never seen anything that I could remotely say was a "stupid question."  Odds are, if it's occurred to you, it's occurred to others. We really learn a lot from responses to each other's questions and hearing about our varied experiences.

Be sure to check out all the different forums ... they have them for all kinds of things and for different surgeries.

I hope we'll be seeing a lot of you as you look into this lifechanging choice.

Barb