New to the idea of surgery...and in need of friends!

Hi...first off, I am new here. I wanted to state that I have just started looking into the surgery. I have yet to bring it up with my doctor. I have an appointment with an endochrinologist in February and he is going to tell me the same thing I have been told for the past 20 years that my mother/I have gotten my thyroid checked. That it is normal. So...this is why I am looking into the Gastric Bypass surgery. Before I tell a bit about myself...a little introduction. I am 26 years old, I am a 2nd chance college student, a mother of a 6 year old boy and I am in a serious relationship. I have been struggling with my weight since I was about 6 years old. I just never stopped gaining. I am now up to about 240#, and at only 5 feet tall, that makes me just want to disappear. I eat when I am depressed. I eat when I am bored. It is always late at night...when everyone else has gone to bed. I hardly eat anything all day long, but once I am here sitting at the computer, I get the urges to just snack. And I have been this way for SO long! I am a night-owl. I have been since I was a pre-teen. My metabolism has gone practically away, hence why I am always testing my thyroid. I was a member of the YMCA for over a year. I went 3X a week, practically killing myself on the machines. I LOST 12 POUNDS. In a year. While on a low fat diet. This is so frustrating!!! So..I am looking into Gastric Bypass surgery. I am researching this thoroughly. I am a candidate...I am over 100# overweight and my BMI is 43.2. So..anyone who has had this done, what did you do? Just ask your doctor? I do not think my doc is going to bring it to my attention. Should I bring this up with the endochrinologist in February? would he be able to approve me as a candidate? Also, I am only on Total Care and Medicaid, which means my insurance probably won't cover it. Am I a hopeless case? You know what...insuance or not, I would pay the $24.000 or so in increments for the rest of my life for this. I am also changing things with myself..at least I am darn well trying to! I am trying to see if the YMCA will let us back in as members. We were there under a scholarship. They still remember us...right away when I came in I heard "Hi Haley! Long time no see!!" That felt good. I am also starting the weigh****chers points program tomorrow. So it is not like I am looking for a way out of my "fat suit" by looking into the surgery...I just think that I am a candidate, and I know it would be what I need to really have a life again. I want to be able to be a woman again, to not feel like I am constantly ridiculed. I want to feel good about myself. I want to be able to be alive again! I am so down on myself, so depressed...and it is mainly because of the weight. I borrowed a book on tape from the library, and tomorrow I am moving the treadmill into the living room. I am going to walk on darn thing until the book is done. And I will get a new book on tape regularly and do this. I need to be preoccupied while I walk or else I start to realize how much I hate being on the treadmill. I am just sore. and my whole body is retaining water and is swollen. My legs hurt. I am overweight and it is affecting my health and my mind. wow...now I just totally rambled on and on there. If you have read this far, thank you for listening! I need friends who have knowledge of this.

Hi Haley and welcome to the board.... Boy do you sound just like me, food is the comfort zone, happy, sad, mad and well I'm glad you just snack at night I was scuffing in down when everyone was in bed...but that didn't stop me from eating in the day time either..... Well it sounds like you are headed in the right direction and do all the research on the surgery you want and on the surgeon you decide to go with.... As for the treadmill I know excatly what you mean, I hate the treadmill I used it and I hated it so it became a statue to throw my clothes on after changing.....but You have a great idea about the book on tape and listen while you walk....... Good luck going back to the gym and I could see 12lbs in a year can be frustrating but you did manger to lose 12lbs that you no longer have to carry around with you unless you are like me and gain it back double but lets not go there you have already made a mark on your weight loss and that is great every little bit helps.....so keep on going and yes you sound like you are a great candidate for wls and I wish you luck in your journey.... You should talk to you doctor about the surgery and don't worry about the insurace the staff in the surgeon's office is experienced with dealing with them and medicad is paying for surgery so before you decide to pay out of pocket go through the insurance first and good luck again in this journey Christine

wow. It is so nice to hear people who know how I feel! Thank you so much for the response. It made me feel so good that someone else has gone through the trials and tribulations that accompany my weight. I went through a very long depression after my grandmother passed away. I stopped almost all activity and "holed" myself up in the house. I stopped going to the gym because it just didn't seem worth it anymore. It looks like my old YMCA will accept us back. I was scared because we are on a scholarship program and since I just quit going last year, we may not have been accepted back. I did lose the 12 pounds...but that was about a year ago. After I stopped, it came back 3 fold. I gained about 50 pounds after my grandmother's death. I am finally ready to take charge of my body and my health. I am very serious about going for this surgery...I know the risks, and the benefits simply outweigh the risks in my case. I can't sit around and do nothing while my health deteriorates anymore. Thank you for the luck! Haley

Thank you so much for the support! I am getting messages from people, supporting me, etc...it feels so good! I seriously do not think i have felt this welcome in a LONG time. I have suffered from depression for most of my life, and a lot of it was the fact that I was always overweight. Being teased, no friends, later in life has made me waery of being happy...I get scared that it will all come crashing down. So why be happy? Well..that was the old me. the new me knows it is time to start fresh and CARE about MYSELF more. Thank you again! Haley

Hi Haley, Boy do we sound like sisiters. I have been overweight.big time.......since the age of 8. I am now 47. I would eat nothing all day but, when I started with dinner it never ennded til I went to bed. snack....snack....meal...meal...snack...all in a matter of hours.And depressed..BOB O BOY!! I got so sick of dieting and loosing only to gain it all + back..then I got to the point that I wasn't even able to loose it in the first place anymore. And Depressed!!!!! I am 6 days post op and feel like a "weight" has been lifted off of me. Just knowing that my "diet" efforts might be rewarded with a little less weight has me not so depressed any more. Good Luck.make sure to do all your research.....biggest thing to research if you decide to go thru with it is your surgeon. Make sure he knows what he is doing. Email me if you wish.......Deets

Research research research and then research some more I have been two years in the seriosly looking into this life altering surgery I am scheduled to do it on the 20th of January and I am thrilled and nervous and excited at the same time. Look under insurers and you will see several that accept medicaid even if you have to call your local human resources and request that you be turned over to regular medicaid so that you can do this surgery the doctor that you choose may have staff that can help with this. Remember that this is a long process mentally and otherwise you have to committ yourself to the pretesting and evaluations as well as analyze yourself thoroughly . Why do I want surgery? what am I looking to accomplish ? being smaller will not make you problem free it is not the way the media makes it look on tv we will not all suddenly be sitting on the beach sipping crystal light martinis. Make sure that the doctor you choose has done 100s of these operations that he/she specializes and has a low mortality /complications rate and respects you as a patient. Only you can make the final decisions but please do so with knowledge and caution God Bless You and welcome to the AMOS family