taking a poll

ok support system -- lets ask away as you know, i've been losing weight left and right due to medications as of today i'm down to 213 -- which puts me at a BMI of 36.5 -- at 204 i will be at BMI 35 -- i'm sure with 5 weeks of treatments left i'll get down to the 204 when i started in March i was 248 i've been approved and surgery is 10/6/06 question: would you still have the surgery knowing you only have to lose 60 lbs to be 'normal' i've been on all the diet pills (legal and not so legal) and the diets and the starvation and whatever other fad came down the road -- and the final answer is -- the weight always came back and brought friends with it i'm afraid if i don't have the surgery the weight will just come back like every other time and i'll lose my approval and not get another one cuz i'm just so positive that way -- it's stressful to get that approval and i don't want to let go of it!! another thing is -- where ross already had his surgery my cooking habits have changed and it's not like i'm going the Outback without him so the healthy eating is really taking hold sooooo -- what would you do?? and what are your thoughts?? i'm a believer in "get a million ideas and find a common denominator" thanks roberta

My opinion is ....... (just wanted to get that out of the way) Are the medications you are on long term?? Will these problems be resolved with weightloss? What are the chance of getting off the medication you are on? Only after thinking about the answers to the questions, could I really decide if it were worth it to me. Also, IF you ask your surgeon what he thinks, he may help you decide also. Hope this helps a little. GoOD luck!!!! melinda

SURGERY, YES!!! You said "the weight always comes back". Hopefully, post surgery........it won't. but that's just my opinion. Betsy 319/209/150

I have a few thoughts: 1. What pills are you on and does your surgeon know? You could be compromising your health now, and you may not heal properly after surgery. 2. The healthy habits you have now are the same after surgery, so it's good that you're eating healthy instead of going crazy. (Which is what I did the month before surgery hehe.) 3. How tall are you? I'm just curious, because at 200 lbs I'm a size 10/12. A

I think I would be tempted to delay the surgery. It sounds like between the meds and your healthy eating, you are doing great. If you can do this on your own, why go through the surgery and the alteration of your body? On the other hand, if you really believe this is a temporary thing, and the weight will come back, you might want to consider what you went through to get approved for the surgery. If you've struggled, you may want to go ahead, just so you know you won't have to deal with an insurance company again. I guess I wasn't much help, giving an opinion on both sides of the coin!! Anna

Roberta, Gastric Bypass, as you know from your husband's experience is a drastic change in your body. You take a basically normally functioning digestive system, change the anatomy of the system and hope for the best. Not knowing what your other health risks are, I would so absolutely say no way in hell would I have done this in order to lose 60 lbs... You are doing so well, having changed your livestyle in order to be a good partner and support to your WLS husband... Maybe this time the changes will be permanent... On the other hand....as someone who has weighed as much as 480 lbs...I admit, I have gained and lost 100's of lbs prior to RNY and never had permanent success...So, I get the idea of wanting a more"permanent solution"... I am nearly three years out,and what I know for sure is that my body will never be the same as it was before RNY for the good and the bad....I don't digest food as well as I did before, and I struggle with digestive discomfort and nutrition deficiencies that I need to stay on top of all the time...But and this is a huge but (no pun intended)...I have never felt so alive in my life. I can move and breath and I feel truly human for the 1st time in avery long time. I am still not at goal. I weigh about 200 lbs....Nearly the same as you do now....So at my current weight and knowing what I know...would I do this again...I think no, but at the same time...the lure of a more permanent solution is so strong..... I think that I have given you conflicting answers, and to be honest...I am truly conflicted about WLS...I know it works and people need it..the thing is with or without the surgery Weight-loss will continue to be a fight you are in every day for the rest of your life. You need to weigh out whether the potential health risks are worth the potential health benefits....It is a difficult decision...I'd keep talking to others on this site and some more professionals. I see a wonderful therapist as part of my support group...She is also in private practrice in Moorestown,,,Her name is Francine Broder...She or another therapist may be able to help you make sense of this important choice.... This was certaintly food for though...By the way, I am in school to be a dietitian...I guess I will help people make these choices as part of my professional life....This was a good exercise for me...I hope I was able to help you.... Kelly

thank you everyone i loved all the answers i got it's what i wanted -- a little of the pro's and con's that i might not have thought of i'm on Peg-Intron and Rebetol - 28 weeks of treatments - then another bunch for the side effects of those 2 -- then another for the side effects of 1 of those hahaha i only have 5 more weeks of medication yes my surgeon knows and all i need is clearance from my Liver Doc it's been the nausea (side effect) that has me losing the weight -- for the first month i was fine -- then months 2 to now i don't eat from Friday night until Monday afternoon when i can finally look at food again Angela i'm 5'4" and my PCP says the 'normal' weight for me would be 150 -- he's been joking that i'm doing great so far -- well YA cuz i can only eat 4 nights a week this is also a treatment plan that i hope i NEVER have to cross again!!! and i hope that everyone out there never has to go thru!! again -- thank you to all!!! Roberta

hi julie when i started this journey Aetna didn't do the lap band -- so i have already been approved for the open RNY -- thanks roberta