QOTD Question of the Day #2

Did you have a "defining moment" in that you decided to go the route of Gastric Surgery? If so - what was it?

Hi All, A little over 3 years ago my best friend died at age 43. Linda's kidney burst in the middle of the night. She also had other complications due to being obese. Linda and I were mirror images of each other. Not only physically - but in our lives. We worked for the same company - following similar paths. We married men named John, we each have 2 children - girls - the same ages. I will be 43 this August. I am not superstitious - but this was the final straw. I have been on a diet since 5th grade when I weighed 144 pounds. I have dieted my entire life with mixed results - but now I am over 300 pounds (again). I looked into surgery right after Linda died and decided to give it "one more try..." I am still in the same physical shape 3 years later. So in December I asked my Doctor for a referral - now I am approved and hoping to have surgery the first week in June. Thanks for listening to my story. Lori

Lori, I am also sorry for your loss. While it was not the defining moment for me, a few months back my seemingly fit 44 year old brother had a heart attack. He survived, but it reminded me to live each day to the fullest-every day. It was also an affirmation that I had made the right choice to have the surgery. I cannot think of the defining moment, but my reasons mostly revovle around my young son. I want to do sports with him, ride bikes with him, rollerblade with him, ski, etc. you get the picure. My husband is thin and healthy..and all too often I am relegated to waving from the sidlines at the two of them playing. Don't get me wrong, I do want to look better, but I REALLY want to be able to participate in life, not jus****ch it pass me by! Hugs, Lisa R.

Wow Lori, I'm soooo sorry for your loss. That had to be so hard. I didn't really have any one defining moment, I would totally change my eating habits, start walking (through pain and all) and the scale wouldn't budge. It drove me nuts. Went on a diet my doctor gave me and the scale didn't budge. GRRRR Then my doctor said that I should think about having a Gastric Bypass and at the time I had really crappy insurance so there was no way I could. That was about six years ago and I have good insurance now. Got tired of not being able to walk without pain or being out of breath and the risk of diabetes in my family and lots of other things....I just want to be healthy. I want to be able to do yard work without taking a break every 10 minutes, I want to be able to do things with the kids that I can't do being obese. And the words.....Super Morbid Obesity.....I'm not really crazy about. Have a GREAT weekend everyone! Pam

Hi Lori, I don't think there was any one defining moment for me. It was a built up of sorts. I have four children and they have all grown up and left home. After they left, I decided that it was time for me to start taking care of myself -- a bit selfish but 25 years of raising children doesn't leave much time for anything but self-less-ness (is that a word?) Right around the time my youngest child was a senior in high school, my father died in a car accident. The car accident didn't kill him but he was taking blood thinners after having had a couple of heart attacks and strokes. His brain started to bleed from the shaking he got in the car accident. They couldn't stop it because of the blood thinners. My mother is alive but she is very inactive due to a combination of obesity and arthiritis which is aggravated by her weight. She also has type 2 diabetes. I took a hard look at myself. I was morbidly obese and depressed like my Mom. I had high cholesterol and asthma like my Dad. I had achy joints, a bad back and couldn't move for more than ten minutes without having to rest. I decided that I had to do something or I was going to go down the same path as my parents. I looked desperately for a diet that worked or a new diet pill that was safe. Nothing I hadn't already tried was available. Finally, I talked to my family doctor and he gave me the go ahead for RNY. It took a long 18 months but I finally got my surgery. I've lost 85 pounds and 60 points off my cholestrol. My asthma is better and my back hurts a lot less. I can do anything I want for hours and hours before I have to stop and rest. Life is way better.

Lori - This is a great question because it really made me think about this decision! I can't identify a defining moment, but I do know I had to get over my own issues to admit that this surgery could save my life. For the longest time I thought of the surgery as something for people who had no control - I always figured I could lose the weight if I tried. Meanwhile the years and diets went by and the pounds piles on. Then my knees started hurting. Then my hips started hurting. Then my back started hurting. There were some mornings it took me 15 minutes just to get out of bed. I finally came to understand that I couldn't lose the weight on my own, and if I wasn't careful, I could end up homebound. Once I realized that, I understand that the surgery wasn't a way of 'giving up' - it is a way of taking charge of my health!

Wow Lori, what a great question !! First I want to say sorry for your loss of your friend. That must have been hard. My thoughts and prayers are with you. The moment I decided to change my life was seeing one of my great aunts that was over 300 lbs about 4 years ago and had the surgery succeed in life with losing weight. She had the surgery and I don't think I saw her until about 10 months later, and boy was I AMAZED!! I decided if she could do it and look wonderful and move around alot easier, then I would do it too. Well after a long battle with my insurance (2 years to be exact) I finally got approval for the surgery to be covered. I could not be any happier. Now two of my cousins also had it done. It is funny that it is all on one side of the family and they say it is not herediatary Have a great weekend !! Shelly

I like alot of you are in my late 40's and my kids are left the house and are married or getting married. well I decided that I wanted to live the seconed half of my life as a normal sized person. I wanted to get down on the floor and play with my grand kids [hopefully someday]. I just wanted to live my life. not just sit there and watch it go by me. Betty

Another great question! I had looked into this five yrs ago and really wanted to go for it. As I checked into the insurance I found that it would not pay for it. We were not in a financial way that would allow me to do this. I decided to come to terms with my weight and just try to be happy. Almost two yr ago I gave birth to my last baby. Around November last yr I came back to OH and started looking around again. I found the VSG forum and knew that was the surgery for me. I had inherited some money and had it on the markets...when I decided to do this it was just enough to pay outright for it...destiny! My reasons are my children. I want to be around to raise them all and my baby girl deserves a healthy active mommy. My co-morbid factor are that I have had diabetes since I became pregnant with my first child and have done insulin since being pregnant. I was having to give myself more and more insulin to get thru a day. Last yr I developed high blood pressure. I am 41...these things are not going to get better..only worse if I continue on this road of SMO. So it was time to do it. Once I made up my mind I did not turn back. I had my worries about all of it...but I knew I was going to do it. Since having surgery my blood sugars have gone down dramatically! Woo hoo. I no longer have to take shots. Before I was taking one full needle in the morning and two full needles at night. My numbers are not perfect yet..but I am hoping with more loss that they will be. I am not sure on the blood pressure yet. My PCP suggested I take half a tablet and watch my own blood pressure at home. This is last week. So far I have has two good readings and one a little high. All in all my health issues have gotten so much better. I couldn't be happier about that! Cathy