Back again

You are absolutely right!  I am a worrier, and I feel like my brain is always trying to find something to obsess about.  I like wearing dresses most of the time, and I'll still be able to do that.  I usually don't worry about my looks much.  At 500 lbs, I have gone to the gym and swam in the pool.  I figure if people want to stare at me in my bathing suit, then let them have at it. haha

How wonderful it is for you to get this life-saving surgery while you're still young! You have a lot of life at a healthy weight to look forward to.

My reason for getting the surgery was to save my life. I'm 63, and at 5'1" and 150 excess pounds, I didn't expect to see 65. With 45 pounds lost since the beginning of February, I already am able to walk without exhaustion. I'm starting to do things unthinkable for me just 3 months ago -- cooking, running errands, playing with my grandson. Also because I'm 63, vanity was never high on my list of reasons to have the surgery. Health and fitness were and are always my number one reasons.

Good luck to you on your way back to good health and long life!

psychoticparrot

I love your screen name!  I felt like I was doing it late at 34!  I'm so glad to hear that you were able to get help.  Neither of my grandparents outlived 70 because of health problems.  I can't wait until I can run my own errands, too! I love my friends, but sometimes they bring weird stuff back from the store. :)

At the age of 65, my main reasons are for health and mobility.  I have already had one knee replacement and not wanting the other to be replaced.  I have been taken off my diabetic and blood pressure meds so far.  I have no regrets as to having the VSG.  It is supposedly going to be for me to lose as much as I need to but as long as the scale keeps going down, I am a winner.  Being able to shop and wear smaller size clothes is part of the package.  Good luck and just do it.  This is no miracle by itself.  It is a tool.  You must learn to work with the tool.  It is up to you to do the work.  The hardest part has been the head hunger.  But it CAN be overcome with determination--yours.

My mother had both of her knees replaced in her 50's, and I want to avoid that, too!  I can't wait to be able to shop as well.  Right now I can pretty much only order clothes online.  Yes, the head hunger worries me, too.  I plan on ongoing therapy throughout this process.  I didn't get this overweight due to a healthy relationship with food!

Welcome back and great that you are now able to get WLS with insurance coverage.

I can't say this based on my personal experience as my highest weight was 'only' 100 lbs over 'normal' but based on reading here for over 3 years now and seeing where folks started and how much they lost, I would, in your place, do some serious research into the RnY and especially into the DS (Duodenal Switch) which is the most powerful WLS and you may need its malabsorptive element which will render your weight loss more robust. You should ask some questions of your surgeon and on the DS forum. The sleeve is a wonderful tool and I am not saying that it is impossible to lose over 300 lbs with it - there were a couple of members on here that did and you could too, but you might need more. It doesn't hurt to look into it before going under the knife. As they say, 'Think twice, cut once'.

Kudos to you for taking the step!!!

Wish you much success.

Thank you for the advice! In the past, I was going for the DS procedure.  Unfortunately I can't get it done locally, so I thought I would start with the sleeve and see how that went.  The surgeon I saw last year had talked about doing the DS in two steps anyway because of my weight.  I am definitely open to the option if I am not completely successful with the sleeve.  

Only good things can come of losing the excess weight. I am still in disbelief that I am actually under 200 lbs. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I'd see this. Now I can't wait to get to my target weight because I know that I can do it. The loose skin I have is almost a badge of honour at this point. Because its empty saggy loose skin-not tight full of fat skin. One day I'd like to get it addressed but for now I have my eye on the prize. All the best to you in your journey-you totally have this.

I bet you are!  The site wanted me to put a goal weight in, and I put 200 lbs, which is really impossible for me to imagine at this point.  I would be thrilled with 400!  I know that I could get a lot more done around the house, go out more, etc.  I hadn't thought about it being a badge of honor.  That's an awesome way to see it!  Thank you for that perspective.

Congrats on getting back on track!

One of my triggers was knee pain.  I decided that once I got to a point where my weight was debilitating, something would have to be done.   The appearance is a bonus, but we notice that less than others around us do.

Good luck with your journey and keep us posted!