Best Quote Regarding WLS

"After the euphoria of rapid weight loss fades, a harsh reality appears: Life is still tough even if you can fit in an airplane seat."

Excellent point. I find myself daily reminding many of my (still overweight) friends that skinny does not = happy. Whatever other problems one has (ie -- control issues, depression, co-dependency) won't necessarily go away with the weight loss. Happiness, in my opinion, is self-created -- it comes from within. Thanks for such an enlightening quote! --joanna 331/325/117/140 consult/surgery/current/goal

I agree with your quote but I'd have to add another. WLS is NOT taking the easy way out. Many people consider it an alternative to exercise and proper diet. That just isn't true. WLS is hard, it is very hard. But it is the "kind" of hard we can do unlike what non-obese people can do. I know quite a few thin people that could never handle bypass or the band. But I can because it is the "kind" of hard I can do quite well.

I link having a baby to having WLS you go in excited and you come out excited. However, over time, the euphoria wares off. In my opinion, i could have used 1 year of theraphy rather then 1 year of nutrional services. I found that trading physical aliments for some mental ones is just as bad. I'm lighter, but it's made me more insecure and open to alot more jab's from the other ladies, especially at work. To go along with that, I'm having complications so this really mess up my head. I do not see a skinny person and I have plenty of fat hanging around. Jen

Jen, I agree with a 1 year therapy thing.  I think we should all have some sort of therapist to rely upon throughout the surgery and well after.  I am preop and learning the best I can all of the issues I might experience while I have to wait.  I have major recurrent depression and severe generalized anxiety disorder.  Luckily I have a therapist who I have been seeing for years and I will continue to see him after surgery, probably on and off throughout my life.  My therapist and I believe that much of my depression and anxiety is related to my weight and some is genetic and physiological.  I hope that this surgery will help me to manage my anxiety and depression, but I don't expect it to go away. Something that I recently realized is probably a common thread among some of us.  As ridiculous as this sounds I may be subconsciously comfortable with all of this padding because it keeps people away from me. While that sounded silly at first it makes sense when I look back at some icky things having to do with men.  Men can't/won't hurt me if I am unattractive.  It is amazing what the subconscious can do.  Weight loss may reveal my vulnerabilities and I will have to deal with them head on or I will fail in the long term or adopt some other problem. It is good for me to know this in advance, but actually dealing with it is another matter.  It is true though that we sometimes do things for subconscious reasons, sometimes reasons our brains think are necessary.  Change without addressing the reason and we may run into unanticipated and unwelcome surprises. Just my thoughts.

HI, I TOTALLY AGREE THAT INTENSIVE THERAPY IS REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      I WOULD DO ANYTHING IN THE WORLD TO HAVE MY 430 POUND HUSBAND BACK AND LOSE THE WEIGHT ON  HIS OWN, SLOWLY.  BY THE WAY, I AM 150, THIS IS THE HEAVIEST I HAVE EVER BEEN, AND MY HUSBAND WAS 190 WHEN I MET HIM 17 YEARS AGO, AND HAS LOST 120 TO 130  ON 2 SEPARATE TIMES BY HIMSELF BUT COULDN'T MAINTAIN IT. AS I SIT HERE NOW, MY HUSBAND IS IN A REHAB IN PENNSYLVANIA, ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL AND AMBIEN, XANAX, AND GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FOR 6 MONTHS.  HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS ANYMORE, "HE NEEDED TO FIND HIMSELF."  THE SAD THING IS IF YOU DON'T GET OVER WHY YOU ATE LIKE THIS YOUR WHOLE LIFE, WHICH IS AN ADDICTION  -- AND I AM SO UPSET THAT HIS INSURANCE AND DR NEVER REQUIRED THERAPY -- THAT'S RIGHT, JUST ONE SESSION -- SOMEWHERE I THINK I AM RIPE FOR A LAWSUIT FOR THIS OVER RUINING MY AND MY 9 YEAR OLD SON'S WORLD -- BUT THAT IS ANOTHER DAY, CAN ONLY HANDLE SO MUCH -- THAT ALL YOU DO IS TRANSFER YOUR **** TO SOMETHING ELSE, I.E., ALCOHOL, SEX, PILLS,  OH, AND BY THE WAY, WONDERFUL GUY WHO NEVER SCREWED AROUND, HAS HAD SIX GIRLFRIENDS IN THE PAST YEAR.  i FELT LIKE I WAS LIVING A LIFE WHERE MY NINE-YEAR-OLD WAS MATURE THAN THE 17 (REALLY 40) YEAR OLD THAT I WAS MARRIED TO. WHAT A LIFE CHANGE.  WENT FROM A WONDERFUL GUY WHO WAS A 3X TO A GUY WHO STARTED TO GO AND GET MANICURES AND PEDICURES WHERE I WENT.  I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THAT.   I AM SORRY, HE MIGHT LOOK GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE BUT HE IS THE UGLIEST PERSON I HAVE EVER SEEN BECAUSE OF THE INSIDE.  HE IS A SOULESS PERSON NOW.  I TOLD HIM THAT THE DAY OF HIS SURGERY I EQUATE IT TO THE DAY MY "HUSBAND" DIED, BECAUSE I DO NOT LIKE OR LOVE THIS PERSON ANY LONGER, AND IF I MET HIM NOW WITHOUT KNOWING HIM PREVIOUS, I WOULD NOT WANT TO EVEN GO OUT ON ONE DATE WITH HIM.  IN CLOSING, THANKS ALL THE DOCTORS AND WLP'S AND INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR RUINING MANY LIVES, BECAUSE OF THE ALMIGHT DOLLAR.  IT WILL SURELY COME BACK TO BITE YOU IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT ONE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BRILLIANT thoughts, well expressed.  I have contemplated the protective value of fat too - it keeps men away!  Like you said, weight loss can force you to deal with other vulnerabilities.  Oh well, one day at a time!  Thanks for the post.