Deciding

Hi All, I've been reading your posts for a couple of weeks and decided to introduce myself. My name is Deborah. I've been overweight almost all of my adult life, never felt good as a kid though either. I'm researching WLS and enjoy reading all of the different perspectives I've found on the local message boards. I sat for Dr. Fox's group consult last week and found that it reassured me quite a bit about this process. I have some concerns. Such as the 5 year statistics on some of the procedures. (Example: If in 5 years I've gained 50% of the weight back will it have been worth it?) Also, I'm concerned about the expense of the supplement regimine. My husband is worried that committing to a monthly expense such as that may be difficult. The surgery is a covered benefit by my insurance if I can document 5 years of being more than 100 lbs overweight, document my comorbidities (asthma, arthritis, knee and back injuries) and go through the perfunctory psyche eval. Simple really. I'm actually amazed at it's simplicity all things considered. Now that I've discovered it's not going to be a battle from hell I'm wondering if I really HAVE tried hard enough to lose the weight. Though the statistics on diets is even more abysmal, I believe it was a 97.3% failure rate. I guess it's a journey to come to the decision. Though on one hand it should be a slam dunk considering at times I can barely walk, I can't bend to tie my kids' shoes, lawn chairs and I have to come to quite an agreement before I sit down. ( I agree to be gentle and they agree to stay put! ). The other hand says that this is a body-altering procedure and I will never have a 'normal' digestive system again. Pretty daunting. Well, time and tide and I'm sure I will figure it out. Thanks for reading this long winded post. Deb

Deb, I haven't had my surgery yet (Oct 8) but also thought long and hard about it. Keep researching it and keep visitying here. You will find that reading the posts answers many questions. Good luck to you.

First, welcome to the board! I had all of the same thoughts about why I wanted the surgery and why I shouldn't get it. For me, agreeing to have the surgery was admitting defeat. I had to give control over to someone/something else. What I mean is that now I can't cheat even a little. So, I lost control. My pouch now controls my eating. In the end, I knew this was what I needed. I just wasn't able to maintain control of my eating. Now I can honestly say that even with a few minor complications, I am very happy that I have handed control over to my pouch. There are so many times I would have cheated and ruined my diet if I had the control. All I would suggest is don't let anyone talk you into or out of the surgery. This is a serious life changing decision. And, you have to know in your heart that your doing the right thing either way. And, either way, we are here to support you. So, are you married? Have any kids? (Just being nosy. )

Deb, Welcome to the board. What I did pre-op was look at the before and after pictures and read a lot of profiles. That showed me what people went through day by day and what a life style change WLS is. One of the hardest things for me to comprehend pre-op is that even though I would have a smaller stomach how would that make the food addiction go away. Well mine did for the first year or so. I had little desire to eat and I usually ate because I had to. I will admit that in the last six months the old head hunger has been coming back. Now that I've lost most of my weight I make better choices. If I'm going to break down and have something that's not so good for me I'll have a scoop of Low Carb ice cream instead of a half a gallon of chocolate chip. The biggest thing for me to realize is that this is a lifestyle change and not an easy way out that some people believe it to be. There are ways to cheat around this tool for instance if you drink during a meal. I can't do it because it causes the food to get stuck and I feel awfull so I don't do it, but my brother who also had this surgery has to be very careful with that or he can eat more. I stick to low cal foods mostly, but I still go out to eat when I want and I don't feel bad about my choices. If I do make a bad choice I just know that I have to watch it closer the next day. Everyones surgery is a little different and they react differently. For myself I have had very little problems with this and I know for me it was the best choice that I've ever made. I have only had one purging incident since my surgery and that was because I drank during a meal. Big mistake for me. I can eat sugary foods without any problems which I'm not happy about. I wi**** did affect me so I wouldn't be tempted. I can eat whatever I want, I just don't want the same things anymore. I have been told that I took the easy way out by having this surgery done so many times, but don't you believe it. This isn't easy and you will only get out of this what you are willing to put into it. You will need to eat right and excersise to truly be succesfull at it. I wanted to get to the 250 lb mark since that was my goal and when I go in for my plastics in November it should put me below that so I will be happy with the results. I started at 616 lbs and I had so many health issues I won't even list them, but Deb I will tell you now I am healthier at 39 than I was at 20. All the co-morbidities I had are now gone. I am finally healthy. Yes there are risks from this surgery like any surgery, but I know for me the risks of staying at 616 lbs was greater than that of having the surgery. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Good luck with your research and if you ever have any questions I would be glad to answer what I can. Keep trying if you truly want the surgery, but it has to be your decision. The end results are truly worth the effort. Calvin

I knew without a doubt my insurance would cover the surgery, so that wasn't even a concern of mine. But it still took me several years of discussing it with my husband and family, researching and asking questions before I decided to go ahead with it. Heck it took me so long to decide I even had a baby in the time I was thinking. And in that time frame I gained over 100 pounds, even tho 75% of the time I was on a diet. Once my knees got so bad it hurt to walk, I knew it was time to just quit talking and thinking about it and time to do it. You too will come to a decision, either yay or nay.......and either way you decide you have to be the one that's happy with the decision. Good luck on your journey! ~Tanja

Well thanks you guys! I've decided to at least take the leap to do the initial consult with the surgeon. It's $30.00 investment and will probably allow me to gain some perspective on my physical status right now. It's scheduled for Tuesday the 7th. No use fretting if I'm not willing to sit down and talk to the surgeons. If they tell me I'm a good candidate and I only have to jump through such a such hoops then I have one more step behind me and if I decide not to do it I've lost almost nothing and still gained a ton of knowledge. Have a great day! Deb

Hi Deb! I had my surgery with the folks at Dr. Fox's office on April 13th this year. To date, officially, I have lost 76 pounds. Dr. Srikanth would probably be the doc who does the surgery, with an assist from Dr. Oh. Both are excellent surgeons, and Dr. Srikanth is very thorough - in other words, if you don't understand, ask more questions. My husband at first thought I was taking the easy way out - that was before he sat thru the pre-op doctor's appt where Dr. S described exactly what he was going to do and what I was going to have to do afterwards for the rest of my life. He's proud of me, my kids are proud of me, and the rest of my family is proud of what I've been able to do during a difficult time. (My dad and grandfather both passed away within 2 months of each other, not a good summer for me) You will find that the staff at Dr. Fox's office is excellent. The nurses are very knowledgeable and caring, and will spend as much time with you as needed. Blanche, one of the patient advocates, is a long time post op (think she had hers done about 10 years ago) and knows what she is talking about. The docs are all great, and I am glad that I chose this practice over the others I was considering. If you have any questions, please ask. I would be more than happy to help you with any questions I can answer. Best of Luck! Angie 278/202/140 Proximal RNY 4/13/04

Hi Deborah and Welcome to the WA Board! In my opinion you are doing the right thing. I don't think that anyone who has ever had WLS didn't go thru exactly what you are right now. From what I've read, the majority of people research for months and months before hand. You're doing all you can do, researching so that you can make an informed decision based on your specific terms. Good luck to you and God Bless, and Welcome! Love God~ Kimanne

Hi Deb, I think we all know exactly how you feel, especially me. I am a skeptic and a thorough researcher, and I have made the decision to do this. And I have never wanted to go back on that decision. I have 6 weeks to go until surgery and I will keep researching--the good and the bad. I think this website and especially this forum is a great tool for research and soul-searching. I highly recommend the free information session offered by the WISH Center in Renton. You can go to their website and check out the schedule and sign up. I will have my surgery through the WISH Center, but even if you do not have your surgery through them, the info session is great. Hope to chat with you again soon. I'm a "newbie" here too, and I feel very welcome already. Thanks everyone! -Chris

Hi and Welcome!!! Well, I certainly know what you are feeling!! I have not had surgery yet, infact, I am still trying to jump through the insurance hoops!! And there are still times where I wonder...... After all I am only 31 years old and maybe I just haven't tried hard enough....... That is such an overwhelming feeling of which I still have sometimes!!! I believe that I would have to agree with Hat when she said that she had to admit defeat! Surgery isn't a magic cure all, but for someone like me it is a very valuable tool!!! I would highly suggest getting in touch with the Northwest Center for Weight Management at the St. Francis Hospital Medical Office Building 1-800-823-6525. The staff there is absolutely EXCELLENT and they also can help you with the insurance 'hoops'.... Psyche eval etc...!!! I am not sure if the surgeon you selected is one that they support, but they are AWESOME!!! Good Luck and "Keep in touch!!" Andrea