Considering the sleeving but I'm scared

I did.

By the time I decided to do surgery and got referred I was so ready to do this I didn't want to wait for surgery. I got right on board and starting changing things. I've told my story various times so I don't want to bore people again with it. LOL

I made the changes and lost 40 -45 lbs before surgery. I found it so easy to transition to eating real food and how we were supposed to eat after surgery because I had been doing it all before.

I encourage people to not necessarily "go on a diet", but to make the changes required, i.e., giving up pop, giving up caffeine, stop smoking, up your protein, increase your fluids, eat protein first, no straws, no carbonated beverages period. Also, if you don't journal your food intake - start. Get mindful of what you are eating and doing and when you eat. What prompts you to eat and what do you eat? Self awareness and introspection are key to making changes.

It sounds like a lot, but if you take it one thing at a time, at your own pace, it's not so bad.

Right after orientation I began changing things. I stopped drinking soft drink first. From orientation to my first appointment I'd lost 10 pounds only for the social worker to say we don't expect you to lose weight so don't focus on that. For me that did a disservice to the program because in my head I went hey, if I'm going to eventually deprive myself of all my loves but I don't have to now, why would I? However, on the other hand I was never much of a snacker of chips and junk. Yes, I loved real soft drinks. I just tended to eat a lot.

Hi Kali,

You will find a lot of support, encouragement and advice on this site, but we are all lay people who are in various stages of the WLS process - from exploring to being decades out.

When my doctor suggested that I consider it, he said he would enroll me into the program at TWH and thought that I should go to the orientation. He told me that I didn't have to continue with it and if I thought this was not the tool for me to develop, then I should quit and we would continue to explore ways of me improving my overall health. Both of us knew my past journeys of weight loss attempts, he knew I was committed, and he knew I needed to turn things around. I was 54, 5'6" and 268 lbs. I had high blood pressure, was pre-diabetic, and had lower leg nerve pain. I was also incredibly active, smart and healthy.

As mentioned, this is your journey - not our's and not your mother's. The bariatric program is well developed, specific and successful. My I suggest what the doctor told me? Go to the orientation, research it online, read posts on this site (always with a grain of salt), and see it's worth exploring. It takes a year, you meet with caring professionals who know what they're doing, and you receive support and concrete information that will assist you in your decision-making.

For me, it was the best decision that I ever made and I did have complications during my surgery. I knew I was in the best place and that the surgeon was experienced so I really wasn't worried at all (it freaked everyone out how calm I was). I'd do it all again.

I wish you the very best. Remember, regardless of what is said on this site, do follow your program and do listen to the experts at your centre. We may suggest, but they are the medical professionals who know bariatrics. The only way of ensuring failure is by not trying.

Linda

With 150 lbs to lose, you are better off to consider rny. The sleeve long term studies definitely point to the sleeve as being better for those with 100 lbs to lose (versus those with higher bmi).

As someone who had surgery a year before your mother (and I had an rny in 2006 and around 150 lbs to lose) that keeping off most of your weight is possible but it takes lifelong diligence. It's not an easy journey for sure and keeping weight off long term is definitely NOT easy.

Good luck to you. Just keep in mind that you're mothers story is not your story.

Dawn