Reason for WLS...

I was wondering what other people reasons were for considering WLS.

Mine are very personal and honestly I hope that will help.   Reasons for RNY:
1. ACL Repair in Left knee and weight is not making it any better. It hurts so much at times I think that I tore it again.
2. Swelling in ankles and feet. My feet hurt after about a hour of standing.
3. Swelling in knee.
4. Mother and her side of the family all have Diabetes and are suffering from Complications that are out of their control. I don't ever want to have to deal with that and I and I am scared to death of the future if I continue down this path.
5. High Blood Pressure
6. Asthma and Allergies. The worst Combo.  The list goes on.....

 To be honest, first and foremost I am considering WLS because I want to know what it feels like for people to see me.  I feel like people never see the real me--they're distracted by my weight away from my character.  It's as though I am wearing stage makeup and I know how people see my stage character (which, I must say is not in a good light) but I do not know how they see me.  

2.  I don't really have any pressing medical concerns right now, but I know that if I continue down this track I will, so I'm being proactive.
3.  I want to exercise and I want to be healthy--I just want my labor to bear fruit (which WLS will insure).
4.  As much as I want to keep up with my friends, I just can't quite cut it.  I was in Washington, D.C. with several friends and I was tired and felt like I was holding them back.  As much as I want to believe the only difference is the image, I am less fun to be with because of my weight.
5.  Also, while in D.C. and walking ALL OVER and then flying back home, my ankles and feet swelled up something awful!  
6.  I'm with you on the asthma.  I've had acute asthma forever and that will obesity makes it nearly impossible for me to be involved in most activities.

My reasons for having gastric bypass:

1. I didn't want to become insulin dependent. I was on two medications for my diabetes. I have an obese friend that has diabetes and is living with one leg with a partial foot because of complications. I was not going to have that happen to me.

2. I did not want my heart disease to progress. One scare and a round of really awful tests was enough for me. That testing included a stress test, a nuclear stress test and a cardiac catheterization. And a fight with the cardiologist to give me clearance. He does not believe in WLS.

3. I could not make it up to the top floor of the building in which I work and it's only five floors. It is required of my postion that I report to all fire emergencies and as we all well know, you never take an elevator during a fire. Now I can do it without having someone ask me if I need oxygen.

4. I want to see grandchildren come into the world and be able to enjoy them. That last part was not going to happen if I didn't do something.

5. This is just a list of all the good things that have changed and I realized are little parts of why I did this: I just wanted to feel better. Screw wanting to look better! Feeling better is so much more important. I can walk miles without stopping, couldn't do that before. I can see my toes. I can cross my legs. I have collar bones! I can wear jewelry, it doesn't bother my skin anymore. I went from a size 26/28 to a 14/16 in eight months (I start counting when I started loosing the pre-op 10% that the insurance required). I am developing a level of confidence that was NEVER there before.

I could go on forever with that last part. The little non-scale victories are the best reason for doing this.

For me, it was about being sick and tired of being sub-human.

I was depressed, felt like a failure, put up with taunts and rude comments from total strangers, did not live a real life.  Although my DH loved me fat or thin; I did not love myself.

I kept getting bigger and bigger -- eating my way into an early grave.

I finally collapsed in tears and begged my DH to support my looking into WLS(lap band).  From that night forward I never looked back.  I wish I had done this years ago.