What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had the lap band for more than 10 years... and I had regained a bunch of my weight back and I was having a lot of breathing problems because of the band.. I ended up in ICU for a week and decided enough was enough .... I am so glad I took that band off...(even though I still have permanent damage in my esophagus, I wish I had taken that band off many many years ago) But we can dwell on the past. We only have today!!!

Is hard work, surgeries are not magic, and my brain has not had surgery :(

But I need to take it one day at a time and enjoy the new me I am creating!!! The me that enjoys the gym and tracks her food!!! (WHo would have known???)

Going on a strict diet for 6 months, and REALLY trying my hardest ... only losing 30 pounds and being constantly hungry. I became obsessed with food in a way that I never experienced. I just knew there had to be something else that I needed.

I had wanted WLS for years and had gone to seminars and begun the process 10 years ago. My company decided to self insure and instituted a rider on the policy banning all WLS. In addition, they had a clause that said that even if I paid for it myself that they would not cover any complications. It stopped me cold. Fast forward several years and add diabetes, a motorized wheelchair, extreme lymphadema, 7 meds for blood pressure, anemia, depression, and the inability to drive, fly, walk, or do anything that was size limited and I was fast approaching a coffin. Suddenly for some magical reason, the day before I was due to have gall bladder surgery, my company dropped the rider and began covering the surgery. I immediately postponed my surgery, began logging every bite, went low-carb and decided I wanted to live. My journey started 7/13/2017 and I'm down almost 100 pounds as of today. I have a long way to go, but I'm so ready and so wanting this.

Diane

Hi Diane,

Your story is nothing short of amazing! Honestly. I am so happy for you and love your energy and commitment to doing this for yourself.

You inspire me.

Paige

I am so happy that you were able to get it back and got it done! Amazing story you are so strong!! Keep it up!! :-)

I don't think it was just one thing that made me decide to do it. I had thought about it years ago, and I kept putting it off, saying I would try on my own to lose weight, and it would never happen. Vicious cycle for a long time.

I think I just got fed up of my inability to do things, and my weight just getting worse. Feeling awful about how I looked. Being on the sideline of life.

Yes, it is a common theme, wish I had done surgery sooner! I wish I had. I think the last ten years or so, could have been more active in life in general, and better health too!

It is normal to feel scared and yes I even second guessed my decision a few times, but I wanted a better life for myself and it was the one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Its up to you to decide what is best for yourself, but just know those feelings are totally normal to feel. You just have to think about your current health, what you want in life, and the pros and cons of not doing it. That tipped it for me in the end...way more pros!

Good luck with your journey!

Thanks, Manda!

I appreciate you telling me that my fear is normal. I am so tired of yo-yo dieting, never getting to my desired goal weight and watching the scale creep up every year. I want a new life where I can be free of the excess weight, wear the clothes that I feel good in and finally feel like I am in a place to have good health.

Thank you for sharing your story with me.

Paige

This site helped me make my decision people were very supportive and watching their progress helped slot. Stay on here and ask and read what they say. You will not be sorry

Thanks, sexyjojo! That's just what I needed to hear.

Paige

For me the decision to have WLS was twofold.

First, my insurance just started covering WLS in 2016, even though it required me to have the surgery out of state.

Second, my knees were really painful from little remaining cartilage. My PCP kept pushing for me to have knee replacements. At my age this would have meant having them done twice since the average serviceable years of replacements is 10-12. I decided that I wanted to try WLS instead. I was actually the first person to have WLS at Tufts for degenerative joint disease.

Great decision for me since I have no more knee pain!!

Pat