New to this

I have been battling weight all of my life and I'm getting so tired of failing.  I've thought about WLS before but I think I hear too many stories about what can go wrong that I am scared to try it.  I have been reading on these forums and I find such inspiration in everyone.  I am going to call tomorrow and see if I can set up an appointment to see if my insurance will help cover any of these procedures...but I am still terrified...my highest was 350 a couple of years ago, I am down to 315 now, and I am only 39....I recently started a job at a hospital and I am on my feet for 12 hours, and by the time I get home, the bottoms of my feet are purple and numb.  I see a foot dr. tomorrow and I know the first thing he will mention is my weight....but I love my job.  And I am afriad that if I am out for surgery, my job won't be there when I return...

I am too tired to fight this any longer... any advice...words of wisdom....

Any surgery is a risk and can "go wrong".  

Obesity causes diabetes, heart disease, strokes, joint problems, increases the risks of some cancers, poor quality of life, according to recent studies raises the risk of dementia in later life; all problems which become more likely and increase in severity as you get older. And you are only 39. 

Seems to me the risks of obesity outweigh the risks of surgery. But that is something which has to feel right for you. 

I wish I'd had it earlier in my life and not carried around the excess weight for so many years.  I had to have one of my knees replaced at a much earlier age from being morbidly obese for so long.  I put it off but when I was ready, I had it done.  If you see WLS ahead for you, move forward for your long-term health.

Any surgery can go wrong.  If you decide to have WLS, research, research and research some more. Research the WLS procedures AND surgeons.  As you research surgeons, you'll want to look for COE - Center Of Excellence.  

The best of luck to you!

That is inflammation in your feet and he will probably prescribe a NSAID.  Clearing up the pain will help.  Go to a good shoe store and find ones with plenty of padding and support.  Get an electric footbath and treat yourself to a nightly soaking and massage.

Losing weight will help with this, but right now you need immediate relief.  Whether or not weight loss surgery is right for you is a personal decision. 

Research all your options. There are basically four forms of WLS---LapBand, VSG/Sleeve, RNY/gastric bypass, and DS/duodenal switch. Each works in a different way, gives different results, and ask different things from you.

You need to take a long-hard look at yourself, and your eating habits, diet history, and your willingness and ability to make permanent changes in your life. We're all here because we got fat, but we didn't all get fat for the same reasons. Most of us have lost hundreds of pounds over the years, but always regained them plus a few. WLS is the biggest 'tool' to stop the regain.

If you've had good luck with dieting as long as you can stick to small portions, then the Sleeve might be a good choice for you. All it does is make your stomach smaller, making it much easier to be satisfied with small amounts of food. It leaves you with the most 'normal' anatomy post-op, and doesn't require a lot in the way of vitamin supplementation.

The RNY/gastric bypass also restricts how much you can eat, and it causes some malabsorption. The malabsorption of certain vitamins and minerals lasts forever, but the malabsorption of calories only lasts about 18-24 months. After that, it's more important to watch your diet carefully because every calorie counts. You will need to take vitamins every day, and get regular lab work done, for the rest of your life.

The DS is the "big gun" of WLS. The Ds has a Sleeved stomach, so you get the benefit of a fully-functional stomach, and the ability to still take NSAIDs. It also has an intestinal bypass similar to that of the RNY, but more aggressive. With the DS, you'll also malabsorb certain vitamins and minerals forever, but you'll also malabsorb a significant per centage of calories forever, too. The DS has the very best long-term, maintained weight-loss stats, period.

I chose the DS 11 years ago. I'm still very much "in love" with it! (*grin*)

Being afraid is completely normal. Surgery is a big deal, it's a PERMANENT change that you'll be living with forever. To some people, it means finally admitting that you've failed at weight loss up and need outside help. And yeah, it's scary because you'll be going under the knife.

Yes, there are scary stories about surgery-- but so often, people only hear the bad ones, because they stick out. People have major complications from knee replacement, but you very seldom hear it pegged as a "bad procedure" because a relatively small percentage of patients had trouble.

The scary stories also tend to pop up from people who are against the idea of WLS in the first place. They don't understand why someone would want to do it "the easy way" (which is a load of crap) and deal with the risks that seem scary, but statistically aren't so worrisome for compliant patients.

As far as your job is concerned, most people around here are out of work for about two weeks to heal, though many return sooner. HR often covers it as medical leave, you may want to ask about how they would handle it. (No need to say you're having WLS, just ask about being gone for "a medical procedure.")

Can you track down a copy of your insurance benefit book online? You should be able to find information on bariatric coverage in there. Otherwise you can usually call the customer service number and ask, no need to make an appointment to physically talk to someone since they can read your policy and say "X procedure is covered under these conditions, and insurance will pay Y amount."

Feel free to PM if you have any questions or anything, we've all been at the scary doing-research stage. :)

Hang in there!  You should do your research and have a full understanding of the life change you'd be doing.  While the surgery is a scary thing - voluntarily letting someone cut on you freaked me out for a bit - you need to be totally comfortable with the behavior changes you'll be expected to make.  This is NOT a miracle... this is an amazing tool that you have to know how to use to succeed.  Things have gone so wonderfully well for me overall, and I feel so much better and experience so much more of life that I just wish I had been able to get my head in the right place to do it years ago.