My turning points to decide on WLS, what were yours? With pics

One important thing I have learned on this journey is that everyone has a different breaking point, a different place that they had to get to before having bariatric surgery was an option.

I had several turning points. Alot of people had health scares, this was not the case for me. Though my whole family has co-morbidities, I had yet to suffer from them at age 26. I was reminded last night when going through old photos, What pushed me to my decision to have most of my stomach thrown in the trash?

1. Constant back, knee, and foot pain when standing
2. Hiding from going out with my friends
3. Erasing almost every single picture that I am in from my beautiful trips to Jamaica

The final turning point was having a pinup photoshoot with my friends and seeing the proofs. I truly did not realize how big i had become. I had to see it on paper to realize, I couldnt keep living like that.
Here are my turning points, in pictures.

I just couldnt do it anymore. I felt trapped.




Please share yours!

 High blood pressure (almost to the point of needing medication)
Mild sleep apnea that the doctor told me will only get worse
Severe low back and leg pain when walking short distances or standing for a short period of time
Needing an extender on the airplane and being extremely uncomfortable in the seat - I love to travel and now I dread the plane...

I felt ugly on my wedding day and hate almost every picture I took that day

My mother was just obese (I was morbidly) and had EVERY co-morbility there is related to obesity and she died as a result of them.

Ms Shell

Like you, I didn't have any real health issues.... yet. Although a family hx of heart disease on my mother's side, along with hypertension. My mom also has thyroid issues, high cholesterol and sleep apnea.

I too went to Jamaica, twice in the last 2 years for my b-day. First trip alone with no pics of me there, and the second trip with some family that I haven't looked at since the trip. I avoid photos at all cost. 

My brother got engaged in Dec, and I was asked to be a bridesmaid. This is something that I think is super flattering, but I was/am terrified of. I think my brother's fiance sensed this, thinking that I didn't want to do it and told me that I didn't have to if I didn't want to. It's not that I don't want to, but the pictures taken aren't going to be something that I can avoid, throw away, or delete. These are going to be displayed in someone elses home for them to share with others and I won't be there to stop them. I don't want to be the fat bridesmaid. I don't want anyone to pity me when we go in for gown trials.

Not only that, but I am going to be the big 3-0 this year - and this is the birthday that I think I'm going to take the hardest. I want to feel good about myself going into my 30's. I just want my outside to match how I feel inside.

I've developped arthritis in the last few years. My mom came for the holidays about 15 months ago and told me she could get around just fine, despite her arthritis and knee replacements and hip replacement. Well, her idea of "just fine" and mine are totally different. This won't stop my arthritis from progressing, but it will make it more manageable. And when I need care from other people, it will make it easier on them, too.

Diabetes run in my mom's side of the family. I've seen relatives have parts of their body amputated because of it & also dying from complications. Like you, I also didnt have any health issues pre-op but I wanted to lose the weight to stay healthy. I think beIng sleeved was the best thing I could have done for myself.

I love doing karaoke. I used to be able to do two fast songs back to back and "dance" during them then I couldn't. I would find myself getting out of breath just singing my signature song "Baby got back". Then I was in NY walking to a comedy club and I had to stop every half block due to back pain.

It was embarassing for me to have to take a cab three blocks just to make it to the show on time.

That was the final straw for me. I was seeing a woman who had the R-N-Y before I met her and I knew that WLS could help me. I decided on the sleeve as my best option then I went for it.

She and I aren't together now and while I did this for ME in a way she was part of the inspiration.

I was at my highest weight, ever.

severe sleep apnea

pre-diabetes

increasing joint pain

felt completely overwhelmed with my weight and didn't know what else to do.


Now, I feel and look like a completely different person. All co-morbidities are gone.

 believe it or not, my turning point was at Six Flags Great Adventure, I went to get on the Viper and I was too big to be strapped into the seat (after three hours of waiting in line), and being humiliated in front of literally hundreds of people as they told me I didn't even fit in the "fat kid" seat with the bigger harness. I walked out of the park and vowed that I would be back and that next time I was going to be small enough to fit in every single ride in the park. Made a call to a local surgeon the next day and was in for my band four months later. 

Last summer we bought season passes to the park and I rode ever.single.ride in the park, and this year I have NO worries at all about if I will fit in anything.