What Made You Decide?

I decided to go ahead with WLS on the recommendation of my psychiatrist. I'd gained a TON of weight over the years due to my depression and influenced by my meds. I figured that an expert opinion was good enough for me (and my husband trusted him too, which was a big part of it), so I talked to the surgeon a few days later.

Hi, I agree with all the posts here. I have lost and gained weight over the last 40 years, and found that my body could not lose weigh anymore without surgery. It is proven that people who need to lose over 100 lbs only small percentage will keep it off for life. Good Luck with your decision, surgery is not to be taken lightly and you have to be ready mentally to handle it.

In 2011-2012 I lost close to 100lbs on my own, then regained 30. Lost the 30lbs again and regained 40lbs. Lost again, and regained again. Each time I regained I notched a little closer to that high number.

For me, I think it was when I realized that I had worn leggings all summer because I couldn't fit into my jeans (again) and that was (again) excusing it away. I spent so much mental energy thinking about being fat and trying not to be fat, and little time actually living my life.

I started the research 100% on my own. My endocrinologist was the doctor I saw the most (for my diabetes) and when I asked him about help with weight management he told me I wasn't "excessively overweight" and didn't even want to address it. I chose to go to the info session on my own and things kind of just snowballed when they were very accepting of me being there. I had surgery 4 months later.

I was very uncomfortable in the dining room chairs are my parents' place because of the arms. That was the final straw. I had some friends who had VSG and RNY and I'd talked to them over the previous few years. But after that visit to my parents' place, I called my insurance company and scheduled with my PCP.

Many years ago some family friends and a cousin had RNY and were very successful but I assumed they were private pay and I didn't have that kind of money. I didn't know that insurance could cover it. I looked into the cost of a lapband at that time, but the idea of a foreign object in my body scared me. 4-5 years ago, my PCP referred me to the WLS center locally, but I didn't go. Then 2 years ago, I was disgusted with myself having hit my highest weight and being told I was now pre-diabetic. I started researching WLS and read about the sleeve which really appealed to me because the malabsorption of RNY made me uncomfortable. I went to a couple of introductory meetings at different WLS centers and found out that it was possible to have insurance cover it, so I was on my way (though I was willing to self-pay at that point if necessary).

I had surgery to lose enough weight to get on the kidney transplant list. I did and 3 years later the phone rang.

My new primary care physician mentioned that she was a WLS patient and suggested I consider it. It was in the back of my mind when I saw a photo taken of me on April 20, 2016 at my daughter's junior prom send-off. I saw the photo and cried.

I scheduled myself for the information session my program required the following week. My appointment with my surgeon was on May 11. I had surgery on August 23, 2016.

I'm down 102 pounds with about 18 more to go. I saw a photo of myself the other night -- from the back - speaking at a back to school event and didn't realize it was a photo of me because the person was skinny!

I never gave it a thought as an option until a coworker had it done. I was inspired to learn more, along with several others. I was the only one who got a different procedure with a different surgeon, though. The rest lined up at her surgeon's door for the same thing. It's not the way I would suggest anyone approach it, but we're talking 13 years ago.

I've not had my surgery yet, November is the month I'm changing my life. I've been thinking about this for many many years. After my mom died in 2008 at age 48 from a blood clot after having to undergo triple bypass surgery I knew I had to change. Things got in the way and changing jobs, changing insurance companies all prevented me from the surgery. Two years ago my husband committed suicide. It was the hardest thing I've had to deal with, apart from losing my mom at such a young age. I had lost about 40 pounds on my own and when he died I just dived back into food. So, two years have passed and I'm so ready to have this. As a nurse I can't do the job I need to do. I have patients commenting behind my back thinking I can't hear them, " She sure is fat" or when a tech tells a patient something and they ask who the nurse is and they don't know me by name they say "is that the big fat one". So, my reasons for having surgery aren't just one. I have many reasons why I want, and need this surgery and hopefully November will be my month.