New to this site

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and am considering having surgery.  I'm 51, weight 300lbs and feel as though I have no control over my eating anymore.  A friend of mine had surgery and is doing pretty good.  Hasn't lost as much weight as she would like, but is having a very hard time exercising.  Any advise to someone who is considering surgery would be appreciated.  Thanks

Welcome, Charlene!  You'll find all the answers here, perhaps not in the same place, but they are here!  My first suggestion would be to begin by reading the profile pages and journals of those folks in your area who have had the surgeries you are considering (there are different types) and research the types there as well as on the forums dedicated to those specific types.  Once you have chosen the type you want to have, then read more profiles of folks who have had that type by the surgeons you are considering using.  There are specific forums dedicated to surgery types with information links on the left of each home page, and of course the specific profiles and posts of the forum members will be a wealth of information.  And ask any questions you might have at any of them.  The information is out there... the decision is yours!  I have made some very dear personal friends here in person and have really received a lot of help on this site.

All the best to you in your journey and keep us all posted as your posts will help everyone to succeed.

I just wanted to say hello and welcome to the board!!

Darcie

Unfortunately, I had to delete this message due to privacy concerns.

Just popping in to say WELCOME to the NC Forum.

- Iris

Hi, Welcome to the board.  I hope to see you around often.  You will find the answer to any of your questions here.  As far as advise I say go for it!

Hi Charlene,

Welcome to the NC Forum of OH. I have found this site to be an invaluable source of information, resources and support. You have already gotten some very good information from several of our members. Please know that your journey will have similarities and differences to those of your friend and others on this board, as we are all individuals and have different starting points, surgeons, programs, etc. We all also have many things in common. Once you have researched the options and determined a surgeon, program and surgery type please be sure to follow the program you select. You will find that the greatest variance from program to program is likely to be dietary, so you'll want to follow the guidelines of the program you select. They each have reasons for following a certain protocol and once you select your program, it's best to follow their protocol. That said, you'll find the various forums here on OH to be invaluable sources of information and resources. I just use that information as starting point for discussion with my own care providers.

Please feel free to read my personal profile as well as the many others on this forum and site. You will likely find those to whom you feel a kindred spirit and from whom you will gather strength, guidance and support.

I hope to get to know you as you make this incredible, life-changing journey.

Wishing you all the best,

Barb

Welcome to the NC family.   You need to explore all your options and discuss them with your doctor.  What area of NC do you live in?

I am 53 years old and have been fat my entire life except for the diet pills i took in my late teens and 20s.   I was 328 lbs as of 2/5/08 which was the start of my 2 weeks pre-op liquid diet.  I had the RNY gastric bypass.  Since that time I am down 102 lbs.   I am also off blood pressure meds, no longer have GERD and my cholesterol is normal for the first time in years.    

Everyone loses wt at a different pace and a lot of it is based on age and of course, the dreaded exercise.    I did water aerobics in my pool all summer and lost at a good pace.  Over the past few weeks, the mosquitos have been out by the time i get home from work and my wt loss has been about a lb a week for the last 3 weeks.    I do walk about a mile a few times a week.  Now I have to start walking at least a few miles a day so i can jump start the wt loss again.

I have no regrets about having the surgery.  It truly is a personal choice.  All i knew is I wanted to live and obesity would kill me with the comorbidities. 

Any specific questions, please feel free to ask away.

Take care,

Pam

 

Welcome, Charlene.    I am looking forward to hearing more from you in the future.  This is a great place for any and all questions!

Welcome Charlene, I hope your stay here is wonderful.  There is a great group of women here and you will find alot of valuable information all over this website.

Rahsheeda