If I were in your shoes, I would get the surgery in a heartbeat. If your insurance covers Dudoenal Switch, also known as the 'Cadillac of Weight loss Surgery' I would do that. I am 5'8 and 359 pounds as of this morning and my life is stolen from me. I hate to even leave the house due to the stares and the physical discomfort of walking at this weight is also horrific. Please, listen to your doctor. General Anesthesia should be fine. Did you have an operation before and have trouble? I've had general anesthesia at least 3 times being extremely obese and even having sleep apnea and I've been fine. No surgeon will do regional anesthesia for a major operation. I would personally rather risk it all and get the surgery than spend the rest of your years in pain and misery and then end up keeling over of a heart attack, god forbid. Please, talk to a counselor and trust your doctor. You WILL die if you do not have surgery. Chances of dying in surgery with a reputable weight loss specialist surgeon at a Center of Excellence qualified hospital is slim to none! 

Hi, folks! Long story explaining my current situation and seeking advice...thank you for bearing with me! 

I am a 40 year old female who has struggled with food addiction, depression and some health complications after two very difficult pregnancies in the past 4 years...now have a staggering 359 pounds on a 5'8 frame. 

Husband's insurance switched last year to a different health insurance company...with a TOTAL EXCLUSION for bariatric surgery, regardless of medical need. 

I've been researching bariatric surgery for over a decade and almost had an RNY about 10 years ago, but chickened out at the last minute...worst mistake of my life! 

Now, I've come to my breaking point this week. I took my 2.5 and almost 4 year old out to the nature center for a walk...after months of spending most of my time on the sofa due to knee, back, and foot pain when walking...and they both RAN AWAY. I was talking to another mom, turned my back for a couple minutes...they disappeared! Ran down a nature trail towards a very busy four lane highway with nothing but a sidewalk to keep them from the trucks and cars whizzing by. 

I literally COULD NOT run more than a half a block, when they ran back up toward the nature center's paths and woods and I was panicking...for the life of me, I could not find them! I was calling out and other mothers came running to help find them..THEY finally found them down at the bottom of the hill behind trees. At this point I was too weak to go down the hill myself. Other mothers had to bring them up to me. It was humiliating, to say the least. 

This was my breaking point. My nadir. My children could have DIED because of my obesity. I've been 'talking' about doing the self-pay surgery for months despite almost NO support from my husband, with whom I have a very rocky and unhappy marriage. The same day my kids ran away I contacted the surgeon in Florida I had been talking with about self-pay gastric sleeve surgery and scheduled my surgery with a tentative date of September 26. I will need to follow a liquid diet for a minimum of 2 weeks to shrink my liver before laparascopic surgery. 

I do not have a lot of friends anymore...lost them as I sank into a depression and then gained about 125 pounds in the space of a year and a half...on top of the 250 or so I ALREADY weighed! So I was too humiliated to see my old friends. I have an elderly mother with many severe health and mobility problems...and her health is fading fast. So my support system right now is frayed. 

I have a mother in law who can watch my very challenging 2.5 year old but ONLY for a brief period as she is going to be caring for my sister in law's newborn. Currently the SIL's own mother is visiting from out of the country but can only stay for less than a month. My own mother is very weak but she can watch my rambunctious almost 4 year old, despite the fact that she has a severe hip problem which impedes her mobility and her own obesity problems at age 73. 

So, despite everything, I have a SMALL WINDOW in which I can get my surgery. I had my 'food funeral' yesterday with a bunch of cookies for breakfast and lunch and a steak dinner takeout because I am too embarrassed at my size to go in public restaurants. 

Today, I started my protein shake diet. I'm terrified that I will get very hungry as I'm used to eating whatever I want in large amounts. 


Questions: I have diabetes, high blood pressure, and gastritis. I stopped taking the gastritis medicine months ago because it was causing an itchy, allergic rash. Do you think 2 weeks on a new medication will be enough to prepare for surgery? 

I have had a few EKGs in the past months and years and they all showed normal, even though in recent months I noticed a weird 'palpitation' feeling in my chest from time to time..but that might be from anxiety. 

Finally, my PCP has prescribed Phentermine in the past to help me stick to a diet. It works for a while but then my body gets used to it and it doesn't work anymore. (One 32 milligram tablet per day) I'm wondering if I could take it during the pre-surgery liquid diet protein shake phase so I won't cheat. 

Thank you for any and all advice! 

I am in maintenance and it is still a struggle to figure out what to eat...just have not been happy with choices lately....boredom and laziness set in..... I can not touch snacks in the house for weeks... but then you have the one day or night and boom! That was last night for me... snick snacking. Have been trying to cut out protein shakes and bars... but that is challenging because ...they are convenient, easy, can take them on the go.

There is a medical reason - recovery from surgery and my protein on bloodwork has been low... so trying to see if changing the protein I am eating will make a difference. You would think 100g a day would be enough to not have low protein.... I guess not. If I try to add veggies or fruit I feel like I am overeating....

highest: 420+

WLS consult: 383

Last week: 165

Today: 166

Weight has been very steady overall, so happy with that...it is my brain that needs work!

I came to realize I can't have certain things in my house because I keep eating it till it's gone. It's only me but think I can have a treat so I'll buy it but moderation goes out the door. No more.

HW 368

LW 165.1

TW 168.5

Next goal 150

I hear you about things in the house.  And I don't know about you, but since I live with other people it makes it even harder since I don't want them to not have access to the things they want.  Especially when, unlike me, they can do the moderation thing.  :/  

We had company over last night for carne asada (YUM) and this involved homemade salsas and guac which, of course, needed tortilla chips.  So now I've got this bag of tortilla chips on the counter and I hate that.  :P I think I'll ask Lance (the one who actually works in an office) if he will take them to work tomorrow.  Otherwise I'll just toss them.  Better to waste than to waist, right?