Weight Loss Surgery 50 and Over - how to join group?

Is this a group that I can become a member of, and if so, how? I don't see any option anywhere on the page for joining the group, yet there IS a tab to show members. ???

I am 64, in the pre-op stage for gastric bypass, which will be a revision from a failed lap band. It looks like my surgery date will be sometime in mid to late Sept. I'd like to join this group from support from others in or near my age group who have had surgery.

Thanks!

Catherine

Hi Catherine!

There is nothing you need to do to join the group except start posting!

I am one of the newest members...I started coming here this past April. I am 58 & also pre-op. I hope to have my gastric SLEEVE in September. I had to go through 6 months of pre-op testing & nutrition classes. I will finish the classes next month.

My daughter also had the lap band & is going for the sleeve. She was her surgeon's 1st lapband patient & she has had problems since the start. She recently gained back almost all of the weight she lost. It seems to be a common problem w/the band...I hear/read about more revisions after the lapband than any of the other procedures.

Most of the ladies here had their surgeries many years ago & are well into maintenance. I have found that unlike the other boards the main focus here is not all about the surgery or related issues. We discuss any number of subjects. It is more like a sorority of close women than an information site although everyone is helpful when questions come up. And supportive!

I am sure the other ladies will be along soon to respond.

Welcome!

Thank you for your quick reply. I am just learning my way around the site and how to use it!

I had lap band surgery in Feb 2011. I wanted a bypass but the only surgery the insurance I had at that time would cover was lap band, so I went with it. My surgeon did not want to put a band in - he said he took more out than put in b/c of complications and failures - he advocated for me with my insurance co. for a bypass, but they would not budge so I ended up with a band. I did a lot of research about them before surgery so I knew the failure rate - still, I went into it with a positive attitude determined that I would make it work for me. Ha ha. Sometimes our best intentions do not pan out!! I had trouble with it from day one. Had it in for a year and it was a year of absolute hell. It was either too loose and did nothing for me or it was too tight to where I could not eat nor drink anything. We were never able to get to that thing they call "the sweet spot" with the fills. Finally it slipped and I became so dehydrated I had to have emergency to have it taken out. For about a week before the surgery I could not even get a sip of water to go down. Boy was I glad to get that thing out of me!

Fast forward to today. I have managed to keep off what I did lose with the band, but I am still significantly overweight. I started the procedure with the band at 371 lbs. and when it was removed I was 324. Not much of a loss for the year of hell I went through. But I maintained that loss for the last few years. I actually got down to 297 last winter on my own, but then I had changes in some medications I'm on and I went back up to 324. I now have different and better insurance than I had in 2011 and they cover all 3 types of WLS. Due to my age, 64, co-morbidities and my very slow metabolism, my PCP and surgeon both feel the bypass is best for me. So that is what I am going with. I am now down to 314 - 10 lbs lost toward the 17 I need to lose before surgery. Looks like my date will be mid to late Sept. I am so ready for this!! Having been through WLS before, I sort of know what to expect. I know the surgery for bypass is more extensive than for the band, and life after will be different, but I have a little bit of an idea of how it feels to have restricted eating and all that, from the few times when the band did work to restrict my food intake.

I did keep some of the habits I learned from having the band, like no drinking with meals and chew, chew, chewing! So I am that much farther ahead in that respect. It is exciting to think that a year from now I'll be like a whole new person! Once I have the bypass surgery and lose a significant amount of weight, then I am going in for hip replacement surgery. The hip is so bad now it has severely affected my mobility and I have chronic pain from that. I have also developed gout in my feet that hurts so bad when it flares. Gout, although not always, is often associated with obesity, so I hope once I've lost weight that will clear up on its own, and being lighter and having a new hip - I should have my mobility back and be living a much healthier, happier life. At this stage of the game, this is all about my health. I know an added side effect will be that I will look better  - at least I hope - but I really am doing this to improve my health.

Good luck to you with your coming surgery - many blessings and hope to see you around!

http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/catsi51/

My page, whi*****ludes a picture of me and my person stats, plus other's I have friended and communicate with. Good grief!

I probably have even less on my member page. Not because I'm a fake person, or a person out to steel information from people who happen to troll an obesity support group, but because it's very personal and I'm not sure what I want to say just yet. I've been giving it a lot of thought and consideration.

While I do agree with internet security, the only foolproof way to protect oneself is to go completely off the grid.

By the way, Welcome Catsi51. I hope you enjoy it here. Yes, there will be some weird posts or people who misunderstand what your post says. I have had that pleasure a lot. 

Thanks for your reply! I feel a bit better now!

I see you are from Toronto. I am American, living in upstate NY but way back in 1973 I married a Canadian and we lived in Toronto while he finished school at the Ontario College of Art - I believe it is called the Ontario College of Art and Design now? Anyway, we built a house and lived on the Bruce Peninsula until our divorce 10 years later. At that time I returned to the States to be near my family. My kids were all born in Canada and have dual citizenship. I had 4 - one is deceased, 1 lives near me here in NY and 2 chose Canada when they left home. They live on the Bruce and I visit them on a fairly regular basis. I miss Canada and often regret leaving!

Hi, I'm the person who posted the above posts. Can you see this? I think the problems have something to do with the font I choose to use. I guess I will just stick with the standard one that comes up automatically. Please let me know if you can see this post, and I'm sorry for any problems I may have inadvertantly caused.

Thanks,

Catherin