Young 23 and ready to live

Something has changed these past few months. I went to the doctor for a follow up with anxiety and was told I gained 30 lbs. Where did that come from! I've always been over weight, especially when my dad died 10 years ago. A part of me wants to blame my boyfriend for getting too comfortable, but I cant. I have to stop blaming my weight on my traumas, my boyfriend for loving my weight, etc. I am so ready to have my outside match my confidence on the inside. I want to dress cute and be comfortable and be 23! I want to be healthy for myself, my loved ones, and my future family. 

I'm looking into the vertical sleeve procedure as soon as possible. At a large weight of 330, I believe it's life or death. I need motivation to know that it's going to be ok and the struggle I deal with being fat is worth the struggle of having survey and being thinner.  

I hope you will find a good therapist you can share this with and work through your personal and relationship issues.

Significant weight changes can dramatically change relationships.

If you and your boyfriend are not ready for that, it could be very hard for you.

Just reading you talk about blame and trauma makes me think that sorting out those things prior to surgery .... And during your weight loss phase would be very beneficial.

Good luck.

My dad died when I was 13 as well.  And it was then that I began to pack on the pounds.

I would highly recommend that you consider therapy NOW.  Don't wait for 30+ years to deal with the loss/abandonment issues that contribute to your eating issues.  I applaud you for wanting a better life for yourself at this age, and the VSG can help you lose weight, but you will still need to deal with the issues in your head to prevent sabotaging yourself during the process.

I've ben going to therapy for about six months now to sort out those issues. And I just joined this website and I want to also join a support group. I'm all in for getting better, including my physical health. 

Have you also researched a procedure called the Duodenal Switch? It has the same small but fully-functional stomach of the Sleeve, plus an intestinal bypass similar to that of the RNY/gastric bypass, but more effective long-term. The DS has the very best long-term, maintained weight loss stats, especially for those of us with a BMI greater than 50.

What's your dieting history like? In the past, have you lost weight easily as long as you could stick to a diet? If so, then the Sleeve may be all the help you need. But if your body fought to hold onto your stored fat, then maybe you need to metabolic changes the DS can give you.

The Sleeve is a restriction-only procedure. There's a little bit of metabolic change, due to removing most of the stomach---most of your ghrelin-producing tissue is located there. (Ghrelin is the 'hunger hormone', and I can definitely say removing most of my stomach made a huge difference in my hunger levels.)

The RNY/gastric bypass relies on restriction, plus a little big of malabsorption. For the first 18-24 months, it causes you to malabsorb a fraction of the calories you eat, but most people's bodies can overcome this by growing more villi, the little things in the gut that do the actual absorbing. However, it bypasses the part of the small intestine where most vitamin and mineral absorption occurs, and your body simply can't overcome that.

The DS is the 'big gun' of WLS. Like the RNY, the DS will cause you to always and forever malabsorb certain vitamins and minerals, but---with the DS, you will also always and forever malabsorb a significant per centage of the calories you eat. On average, a DSer absorbs about half the protein we eat, about 60% of the complex carbs, but only about 20% of the FAT. This is WONDERFUL, because it's fat that gives flavor and a sense of satisfication. DSers eat a high-protein, high-fat, moderate-carb diet. (Think lots of bacon, cheese, nuts, seafood, butter, heavy cream...YUM!)

Research ALL your options. At 23, you're going to be living with this decision for a LOOOOONG time!

I completely understand where you're coming from...I am about to be 23 soon and I am in the beginning stages of the process of getting approved for WLS by my insurance. Most of my teenage/young adult life I've struggled with weight loss...I've tried everything I could to lose weight and haven't been as successful as I've wanted to. I've always dealt with feeling insecure of myself...feeling too fat or too ugly. WLS was my last choice and I too felt the same way...I wanted to fix this now that I am young, rather than to do it later when it's too late or gotten worse. I am definitely nervous about doing the sleeve, but I know it'll be worth it in the long run and it'll help me live a longer life. Hope this helped! :)

Sounds like we're on the same page, this definitely helped! 

Are you on any new medications for the anxiety?  

I decided to research WLS when I suddenly had more difficulty than usual performing daily activities and just walking around.  When they weighed me at my consult, I was 20 lbs heavier than I had been when I'd last weighed myself a month or two before.  I eventually realized the weight gain was due to a new medication I had started in those months, and that my sudden difficulties were due to that extra 20 pounds.  Since then, I've worked with my doctor to come off of that medication, and I did lose about half of those 20 pounds after that, but it was obvious that with my history of gaining I would reach that high weight again in the not too distant future.  That was what made me realize that it was crucial that I lose this weight for good, before it majorly increased the difficulty level of my life.

I'm now a bit over 2 weeks post op, and I'm glad I finally decided to do something about my weight and get the sleeve done.

Good luck to you on your journey.

I would look into the DS. I love mine because I don't have to deal with hunger and it has the restricted sleeve and with the malabsorbtion I'm able to actually enjoy taste as well. The long term is more beneficial for me with having a hard time actually losing weight. My body has a hard time losing and likes to horde all of my fat. 6 months out and 108lbs down. I love my DS!