a dose of reality

here i am 8 1/2 months post op having lost 138 lbs , doing great& lost 8 pants sizes but then it was like great if i can do it so can others and so i wanted to just line people up in my surgeons office and say here Dr. D fix them, you fixed me but today i got a harsh dose of reality from my nurse practioner who gives me some of my meds. i have been seeing this gal for some time now and feel really close to her but she just told me that having surgery is a very individual decision and that you just can't force it on anyone. it is a life long change and that some people just aren't ready or don't want to give up their big macs or french fries. its not like having gall bladder surgery where your life goes on afterwards. that with this surgery there are so many changes you encounter all the time. she said if people want to eat alot of carbs, sugar and fat you can't change that and remember you were that way 8 months ago. Jennifer H. out there thanks for your support, you are awesome!

We veterans always counsel to only share your story if you are asked.

Approaching a random MO person to pass on your story is probably NOT going to go well.

I know I would not have received it well when I was MO. I'm not violent or armed but would have given a look that could have struck you down lol.

I love your enthusiasm, but there will come a day when outside of this group your surgery doesnt consume your every thought and being slim becomes your and everyone around you's normal.

It's also why I dont recommend getting a tattoo of your surgeon's face until you are at least 5 years out (yes, someone here did that!)

seriously did someone actually get a tattoo of their surgeon's face? sometimes i think the only people who understand are the people here at OH. i appreciate all the feedback because i do get to ranting at times. sorry

Yep, they sure did!

Its lovely to see enthusiasm. The boards are so quiet, it's good to have these types of discussions. I don't think anyone outside of our WLS community have these dilemmas or really understand; OH is great for that!

https://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/5163001/new-tattoo/

And the harsh reality of many obese people is that they have already had weight loss surgery and failed to maintain their weight loss. The first two years are the honeymoon stage and weight falls off and stays off. But many people go back to their old habits after the novelty wears off and gain back all or most of their lost weight.

I agree with you that people have to be in the right frame of mind to do this, or it's not going to work. Being in the right frame of mind includes being willing to do all the work. I've said many times that I wish I would have done this 10 or 20 years ago, but to be honest, I don't think I was "there" mentally yet at that time. I do think that's critical. I don't think I would have been successful with it at that time - I just wasn't ready.

When I was waiting in the lobby of the hospital for 3 hours..Somewhere in that time I finally struck up a conversation with a nice older woman who happened to be heavyset. I think i told her why I was waiting for my brother(his WLS) and then I told her that I had it about 3 months ago as well...and she started asking tons of questions as she had considered it before. So I answered them..I was going on about how I don't really have cravings like i used too and how I get full so quickly now..anyways I could tell midway through she was kind of getting annoyed even though she was the one that wanted to know about it. Made me think twice before telling my story to a stranger again.

thanks for the feedback. for me i am having to realize that having surgery is such a personal decision. lots of people for whatever reason choose not to have it and that is their choice. where i live at people are morbidly obese, complain about all their medical ailments but yet brag about eating bags of chips & boxes of Twinkies. i am trying to stay from those people. i realize when i say stuff like but the statics say but people who have the surgery live on average 7 yrs longer & have less chance of getting cancer it just turns them away. but then i realize that life is all about choices. for me i made the choice to live longer and healthier but everyone is different.

I actually started the six months process three times before I went though with my WLS and I've had a few people who have asked me if I wish I had done it sooner... Yes, but I wasn't ready the two other times.