05/06 QoTD -- Where are you in your WLS journey?

I'm curious, having just joined recently, where everyone is in their journey?  Any regrets?  Anything you wished you knew before that you know now? Ann

I'm just getting started -- I started thinking about surgery as an option in November and being the internet person I am, googled it and found this site/board.  I've been reading for quite a while, but not really on the NH board until recently. I attended an info session or half a one in December then got the full one attended in February.  I finally got my information packet filled out and turned in at the end of March/beginning of April and had my first appointment a couple weeks ago. I'm leaning heavily toward lapband as my choice because it's less invasive and doesn't rearrange my stomach and intestines. Ann

I first started thinking about surgery five years ago, around the time Carnie Wilson's journey was so well documented. My PCP at that time said that I was a perfect candidate, but that he thought I should wait until after I had kids. I read and researchd a little more and realized that I just wasn't ready for bypass surgery.

Then last year I started reading about the lap band. Parkland was having an info night, so I signed up and attended in May. During the summer, when I was off work, I had all the testing done and went through the classes and all of the appointments. I had planned on having the surgery done ASAP.

I went back to work full time (after having been home with my son for two years) and as if that didn't require enough of an adjusment, my husband ended up being sent away to work for two months, leaving me as a single parent with no family nearby. I couldn't get to any of the meetings or anything.

It seemed like one thing after another, but then he came back home, and the hours he worked switched, which means I was able to start going to support group meetings again (which REALLY motivate me.)

I've lost the pre-op weight and had the initial meeting with my surgeon. Right now I am waiting for insurance approval. I plan to have the surgery as soon as the school year ends so I don't have to miss any time from work.

I don't have any regrets. I had to wait until everything clicked for me, and that wasn't until just recently. I'm one of those people who thinks that things work out when they're supposed to work out, and you can't really force things to happen when you aren't ready to accept the change.

I started this journey a year ago in January.  I went to a couple of meetings at CMC and by May 2007, I had decided that I was going to have the lap-band surgery.  My insurance company would not cover the procedure there because, at the time, it was not a "Center of Excellence."  The closest COE was Tufts Medical Center in Boston.  I had my first consult on 6/5/07.  After a lot of research and discussions with the doctors there, I changed my mind and had lap RNY, which was on 9/17/07.  I have no regrets whatsoever.  I no longer suffer from hypertension, pre-diabetes, GERD, knee pain, back pain or foot pain.  I've lost 99 pounds as of this morning and have 27 to go to reach my goal.  I follow all of the rules, except that I still struggle with getting all the water (64 oz/day) down, but I keep trying.  I exercise 5 to 6 times a week, attend the support groups and write everything that I eat in Fitday.  I have never been so close to my goal weight in my life, nor have I ever felt as good as I do today -- even when I was a kid (I'm 51 now).  The only thing I wish I knew before the surgery was how great I would feel so that I would have had it done earlier in life. 

Congrats on reaching your hundred pound mark!!

How did you get into the habit of using fitday? I have it (and another food tracker program) but I have a hard time with remembering to put stuff in it. I can't access it at work, an then by the time I get home, I just forget.

I'm lucky because I have a desk job and can access Fitday at work.  I think also that I am an "anal" personality, so I'm really diligent about keeping everything accurate and up-to-date.  I put everything in Fitday as I eat, even at work.  Right after dinner dishes, I input my dinner into Fitday.  I've tried to be right on top of adding custom foods to my list.  One other thing that I do is put in the food that I plan to eat that day.  If I don't end up eating it for whatever reason, I can delete.  I also put my exercise sessions in.  That's how I'm keeping track of my minutes for the May exercise challenge.  I'm not sure how easy it would be for me to do if I wasn't able to access it at work.  I don't think Fitday is user friendly in the beginning, but as the custom foods get added, it's not that bad.     By the way, do you have a surgery date yet?

I'm almost 6 months out.  I've never regretted my choice for even a second.  I had started out last June thinking I wanted Lapband, but then when I went to the information night, I realized that RNY was a better choice for me.  Get all the information you can, and ask lots of questions.   What do I wish I knew before?  I wish I knew 10 years ago how much better my life would be after, so then I would have gotten the surgery sooner. 

Reading everyone's responses here and everywhere has made me realized I am thankful and lucky to be making this decision at 23 years old. However my bmi is EXTRMELY high for anyone and certainly my age. With that I am currently still doing research a year later as to which surgery to have and also to get motivation and a new mind set of focusing on me. I am between both surgery's right now allow I was more towards RNY before but now I'm leaning opposite which I think can be normal. The upside to doing this while your young is that I will have a better outcome of life and be able to do more for many more years to come however being as morbidly obese as I am I am afraid of my appearance after surgery (severe excess skin) and also getting married and having children is something I want to do but I wouldn't want the surgery to get in the way of fulfilling those things in life. I absolutely know that with whatever surgery I chose I will be making the right decision to improve my quality and hopefully quantity of life reducing risks that I have now at such a young age and being able to experience things I should at my age and loving life. But with that I would also still like to LOOK my age. I don't want to come out of surgery 1 year later with such sagging skin that I look unhealthy and can't be intimate or be so self conscious. At the same time I also cannot afford plastic surgery and almost never does insurance pay for that so that right now is a big concern of mine. Otherwise those concerns I am still taking my time and trying to lose the preop weight and attending ALL the meetings in Derry (drive is about an hour and a half).

 

Hi, I will be 10 weeks out tomorrow.  Since the beginning of my journey I have lost a total of 50lbs.  I started back in September by going to the informational meeting and had my paperwork filled out and turned in the next day.  I chose RNY because I work some really strange hours and they can be for long periods of time (when im tired I eat crap).  I need more structure than the lapband could offer me.   I have been pretty lucky so far. No major complications.  Toughest part is trying to get all of my water in.  I use to be a gulper and I can no longer do that!!!  So sipping all day fills me up.   No regrets so far. Im averaging 4lbs loss a week and with exercise its a little more.   I try to go to the support group meetings but work is crazy right now and I have been working monday nights Like many others I wish I had done this years ago.  But Im only 30 now so I have the rest of my life to reap the benefits!!!  Good luck to everyone just starting - ITS so worth it!

My 2 daughters had RNY back in 2003 at 23 and 21 years old and I watched their transformation. I was there every step of the way with them, doctor appointments, support groups, taking care of them after surgery. Both of them had open surgery. They so wanted me to have the surgery then and every chance they got since they would ask if I had given it any more thought. Well it took me until 2007 to seriously begin. I went to the info meeting in October at PRH thinking lap band. I couldn't begin until February because I needed to switch insurance plans. I'm scheduled for RNY on June 2nd. I know in my heart this is right for me. I had to know, I couldn't be told. I sometimes wish I had done it sooner but I remind myself that this is my time. I have lost 40 lbs and some are asking why I don't just keep going without surgery. I know that those 40 lbs plus more will eventually find their way back to me. I am very happy with my decision.